Search query: maryland

Late spring storms, a heftier Sierra snowpack, and higher reservoir levels have largely made Californians believe the state’s record dry three-year drought is over.  But, despite a year where, through May, rainfall is 107 percent of average – up from 76 percent of average in 2009 –dry conditions remain in parts of the state. And, even with more rain, a variety of major threats still remain to the state’s water supply and its reliability. Among them: an aging levee system, continued groundwater

For California cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco, opposition to the Arizona immigration law has been strident.  Their reaction is quite typical, considering that their citizens and governments lean heavily Democratic. In cities like Costa Mesa, however, sentiments about the law lie on the opposite side of the fence, as evidenced by declaring their city off-limits to illegals.  Costa Mesa’s response is also quite typical, considering that the city resides in the predominantly conservativ

According to an official Treasury Department report to Congress, total U.S. public debt will hit nearly $20 trillion by 2015.  The report states that the ratio of total public debt to GDP will rise to a staggering 102% over the same period. A CNBC article listed the following expenditures as the primary culprits for the unprecedented debt explosion: Wall St bailout Afghanistan and Iraq wars Stimulus Obligations to Social Security and other government trust funds At the very least, experts

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s quest to convince the federal government to put-up-or-shut-up by paying California an additional $6.9 billion he says the state needs to carry out Washington D.C. imposed mandates is just one high-profile example of states increasingly asserting their rights. The battle over when states rights trump federal government edicts is as old as the constitution, waxing and waning in favor of each camp for nearly 225 years.  But recently, an increasing number of states are

In light of  China increasing its defense spending 7.5% this year, the Wall Street Journal conducted a poll entitled “Is China a  military threat to the U.S.?”  As of this writing, 151 online visitors  have answered the poll, with 61% answering “no,” China is not a military  threat. The percentage  increase was actually lower than expected— under double  digits for the first time in two decades—still, the  Pentagon believes this is an understated figure.  Last year, they estimated  China spe

In a recent editorial defending Mike Huckabee's commutation of accused cop killer, Maurice Clemmons, the LA Times stated, "..in Clemmons' case, he seems to have had legitimate grounds for concern about whether justice was being served...It's unreasonable to expect Huckabee to have anticipated the events in Parkland nine years later." While one certainly could not have anticipated the specific event or even an event of such severity, the sad fact is that he could have reasonably predicted that s

Now that California's embarrassing budgetspectacle is thankfully over, it is reassuring that many of the GoldenState's elected officials and opinion leaders seem to be on the samepage about one thing -- doing away with the state Constitution-requiredtwo-thirds majority vote to approve budgets containing tax increases. For more than 100 days -- California, the 8theconomic power in the world -- was held hostage by a small handful ofRepublicans who vowed not to vote for any budget plan thatcontain

And so we take the first step toward one-party rule! In a blistering blast of naivete, State Senator Abel Maldonado has defected to the cause of the budgetary compromise with one condition attached to his move: there must be a proposal for nonpartisan primaries on the ballot. Why Maldonado would support something which could potentially lead to the death of his party in California politics so enthusiastically is a mystery, but given the effects this bill will almost certainly have, if passed, it

California’s Leading Role in Rehabilitating Our Nation’s Food System: As more Americans become further removed from the supply sources of their food, both in proximity and knowledge, they become less secure in its future procurement. This is because the current food system is wholly dependent on fossil fuels and petrochemical inputs; suffice it to say unsustainably. From growing – all of those 500,000 tons of toxic pesticides used per year are fossil-fuel based – to harvesting with large, labor

By Steve Peace and Ron Roberts San Diego Union-Tribune January 26, 2007 Opportunity is a funny thing. It cannot be planned. It must be recognized when it chooses to present itself. And when it's missed, it never seems to return in quite the same form. And then, eventually, it's simply lost, never to return at all. Whether we agree with the November airport election results or not, reality now compels us to focus on making Lindbergh as efficient as possible well into the 21st century. But, th