With budget woes in every headline and economic concerns touching every household, some say California can no longer afford to be a leader in conservation: we should shutter our state parks, defer action on climate change, and put the breaks on our landmark effort to establish marine protected areas for our oceans.
News
State Reform Advocates See Golden Opportunity
In the wake of the budget crisis, both the Commission on the 21st Century Economy and California Forward are trying to channel the same passion with which Californians cried “don’t cut us” into “change us.”
UC Santa Cruz Wins in Court
UC Santa Cruz will be keeping its federal funding after a judge ruled in its favor in federal appeals court. The suit against the university was filed by the conservative Young America’s Foundation. The group claimed that the university had violated the Solomon Amendment, which denies federal funding to schools that do not grant military recruiters the same access to their campuses as other prospective employers.
Santa Cruz Connection for Missing LA Man
Police searching for a missing man from Los Angeles were in Santa Cruz County yesterday after two people tried to use his credit card and cash a check to him in the county.
The Robber Wore Flip Flops
Forget about ski or stockings masks. The new attire for Santa Cruz bank robbers seems to be casual beachwear.
Traffic Signal Snafu Work of Vandals
Traffic in Santa Cruz got snarled yesterday after someone cut power lines in four signal poles throughout the city.
Police Investigating Car Burglaries
Police are investigating the theft of valuables from unlocked cars in Santa Cruz’s Westside.
Fishing Line Responsible for Raven’s Death
Rescue efforts were too late to save a raven that got tangled up in abandoned fishing wire and caught in a cypress tree at Lighthouse Field State Beach. The bird was first reported to wildlife officials on Thursday, but by the time the fire department, Pacific Gas and Electric, and a tree company arrived on the scene the following day, the bird was already dead.
Federal Stimulus Funding to Go to Work in August
Work crews across Santa Cruz County are preparing to go back to work this August. With $6.5 million in federal stimulus money coming this way and an additional $600,000 of Regional Surface Transportation Program funds, roads throughout the county will be fixed, and several roads in the city of Santa Cruz will be repaved.
Schools Set to Lose 12 Percent of Budget
“This is the third budget we’ve had in 10 months,” complained Barney Finlay finance chief of the Santa Clara County Board of Education. He was talking about $40 million in cuts—12 percent of the total budget for all county school districts—because of the new state budget. And he suspects that there will be more cuts down the line.
