NCT The 'Train Delay' award
A raspberry to the North County Transit District for delaying ---- again ---- the start date for the Sprinter, which was supposed to be Jan. 13.

NCT NCTD pulls dirt from Loma Alta over weekend
On Nov. 30, a winter storm caused Loma Alta to swell and jump its northern bank, flooding several businesses along Industry Street. A rainstorm on Jan. 7 brought more flooding to some of the same businesses. Many business owners pointed to the new Sprinter light rail line, whose tracks runs along the Loma Alta's southern bank.

NCT Sprinter already a disappointment
"Wait a minute," I hear you say. "Hasn't this project been in the works for more than 20 years?" Ah, but what is a few more weeks after two decades?

Read more »

Entrance to Council Chambers

UT Encinitas City Council gives itself 10 percent pay raise.
The Encinitas City Council voted Wednesday night to approve a 10 percent pay raise for council members that will take effect in December. The increase will bring salaries of the five council members to $1,186 per month, up from $1,077.

The raise means the expenditure in the city budget for council salaries will be $71,160 per year beginning in December, up from the current budget of $64,620 annually.

ETA NOTE: The UT story incorrectly stated that Barth voted for the raise and the UT didn't state that Dalager had voted for the raise on the ordiance's first reading. Barth voted against the raise at both readings of the ordinance.

HJTA. The Center for Government Analysis has released the results of a study of the 130 public pension systems in California, their financial health and the extent of taxpayer liability for current and future obligations. The report was commissioned by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Foundation.

Among the facts revealed by the study:

* State and local governments (taxpayers) funding of pension systems nearly doubled over the five-year period beginning with FY1997–98.
* By FY 2003–04 the combined public employee retirement systems had an actuarial deficit of approximately $50.9 billion.
* Retirement benefit levels for state and local government employees in California are much more lavish than for private sector employees.

The Encinitas City Council voted 5-0 to provide funding for the purchase of the boathouses. The funds were granted to a new preservation organization, the Encinitas Preservation Foundation, which will operate and own the property.

The action represented a clever way to utilize money set aside for low income housing. The money could only be used, by law, for low income housing. In this case, a deal was made to provide low income housing and save an Encinitas cultural icon.

See Oct. 11 News & Oct. 13 News

OCR Kill Prop. 13 at your own risk
...So, let's dispense with the political fighting and get to the business of solving the state's problems.

Under the above-described conventional wisdom, there is no choice. The only thing left to do is raise taxes. California already has one of the highest income taxes in the country, one of the highest sales-tax rates and one of the highest business tax rates. It has an overall tax burden that, according to Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, is in the top 10 nationwide.

NCT Transit Panel Urges Gas Tax Increase
A special commission is urging the government to raise federal gasoline taxes by as much as 40 cents per gallon over five years as part of a sweeping overhaul designed to ease traffic congestion and repair the nation's decaying bridges and roads.

From the California Public Records Act: (CPRA)

The people do not yield their sovereignty to the bodies that serve them. The people insist on remaining informed to retain control over the legislative bodies they have created.

The CPRA gives citizens the right to access government documents, regardless of physical form. Over the years the City of Encinitas has been less than keen on treating e-mail like all other government documents.

The election of Teresa Barth, who promised to be a champion of open government, appears to have made the difference in the council's willingness to address the subject.

From a NCT report, "Earlier this week, the City Council agreed to appoint two of its members, Teresa Barth and James Bond, to a subcommittee to develop policies and procedures for e-mail. The committee will include the city manager, city clerk, city attorney and representatives from each city department."