EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: JUNE 29, 2011

June 29, 2011 (San Diego’s East County)—East County Roundup highlights top news stories of interest to East County and our region, published in other media. Latest Roundup headlines include:
 

• Big Supreme Court win for Indian tribes (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Democrats pass austerity budget (Los Angeles Times)
• Study: strawberries offer many health benefits (10 News)
• City school board lays off hundreds (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• A battle over charter school freedoms (Voice of San Diego)
• Council delays decision on sound wall for La Mesa Meadows (La Mesa Patch)

BIG SUPREME COURT WIN FOR INDIAN TRIBES
Court lets stand earlier ruling stating that state can't require payments
June 27, 2011 (San Diego Union-Tribune) — The U.S. Supreme Court Monday sided with a North San Diego County Indian tribe that had challenged the state’s bid to exact money from casinos in return for permission to add slot machines.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/jun/27/big-supreme-court-win-for...

DEMOCRATS PASS AUSTERITY BUDGET

Universities, courts and the poor would be among those losing funding in the new California budget. Officials admit the plan would not restore the state to fiscal health.

June 29, 2011 (Los Angeles Times)-- The Legislature passed an austerity budget Tuesday night that would cut from universities, courts and the poor, shutter 70 parks and threaten schools but would not — by officials' own admission — restore California's long-term financial health.

The UC and Cal State systems would face about a 23% funding cut, among the steepest in the proposal. Cash grants for the needy would fall, a program to help thousands of teen mothers get an education would be suspended and hundreds of millions of dollars would be siphoned from mental health programs.

The state park closures would be the first ever. Courts would face what the state's chief justice has described as crippling reductions.

In an optimistic forecast, lawmakers built in an extra $4 billion of revenue. If all that cash does not materialize, K-12 schools — which had so far survived negotiations relatively unscathed — would face a cutback equal to shortening the academic year by seven days.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-state-budget-20110629,0,1794731....

LAWMAKERS CLOSE DEFICIT ON ROSY PREDICTIONS

June 28, 2011 (Sacramento Bee/AP)-- Exercising their new majority-vote authority, California Democrats on Tuesday closed the remainder of what had been a gaping budget deficit by relying on a combination of deep spending cuts, optimistic revenue projections and new fees that are sure to be challenged in court.

http://www.sacbee.com/2011/06/28/3734493/calif-lawmakers-begin-passing.h...

STUDY: STRAWBERRIES OFFER MANY HEALTH BENEFITS
Fisetin In Strawberries Helps Fight Juvenile Diabetes, Protects Neurons In Brain

June 28, 2011 (10 News)--Strawberries are similar to blueberries and red wine in having multiple health benefits, thanks to a compound called fisetin, the Salk Institute for Biological Studies reported on Monday.
http://www.10news.com/news/28377706/detail.html

CITY SCHOOL BOARD LAYS OFF HUNDREDS

June 27, 2011 (San Diego Union-Tribune)-- Amid confusion over the state’s finances, the San Diego school board on Tuesday adopted a $1.04 billion budget — a grim spending plan that calls for the elimination of more than 750 teaching jobs, and 600 other positions.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/jun/28/sd-school-board-approves-...

A BATTLE OVER CHARTER SCHOOL FREEDOMS

June 28, 2011 (Voice of San Diego)--A raft of state bills would add new rules and regulations for California charter schools, setting up a showdown over just how far charters' famed freedoms will go.

The bills span a wide spread of subjects, from worker rights to conflicts of interest to classroom intercoms, but they have reignited the same age-old debate over freedoms between charter schools and their critics in unions and school boards.

State legislators have pushed for more restrictions on charters for many reasons: Some lawmakers were spurred to act by charter school scandals. Others want school districts to have more leeway to say no before a faulty charter opens. One argued that charter school admission rules were screening out students who might perform badly. And one wanted more rights for charter school workers.
http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/education/schooled/article_9bcc0dae-a1e9-...

COUNCIL DELAYS DECISION ON SOUND WALL FOR LA MESA MEADOWS HOUSING TRACT

June 28, 2011 (La Mesa Patch)-- The Garfield area sound wall is still up in the air.

A 90-minute hearing Tuesday night ended with the City Council voting 5-0 to delay a decision on keeping a planned sound barrier next to state Route 125 in southeast La Mesa.

Mayor Art Madrid proposed the hearing be continued for 30 days and encouraged residents to meet with Reynolds, saying: “Compromise is neither illegal, fattening or immoral.”

http://lamesa.patch.com/articles/council-delays-decision-on-la-mesa-mead...