6/14/2017 $5 billion San Bernardino County budget to be filled in after July 1

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Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (http://www.dailybulletin.com)

$5 billion San Bernardino County budget to be filled in after July 1

By Ryan Hagen, San Bernardino Sun

Tuesday, June 13, 2017

SAN BERNARDINO >> The board of supervisors on Tuesday voted unanimously for a $5 billion budget forthe fiscal year that starts July 1, but they plan to amend it after that.

That includes general fund spending of $3 billion, which avoids laying off any of the 21,227 county positions,according to the budget report.

The final adoption is scheduled for June 27, but the county held off on developing specifics until officials sawhow the state budget would affect funding.

The board will meet again July 11 or Aug. 8 to consider new spending, said Dena Smith, the county’s interimCEO.

“At that time we would be now recommending to the board your consideration of several new or expandedservice recommendations,” Smith told the board.

The board voted unanimously in favor of the budgets for the county overall as well as special districts. Thebudget maintains a general purpose reserve of 15.1 percent of the locally funded appropriation, shy of thecounty’s goal of 20 percent.

It also maintains several expenditures that staff had recommended cutting for budgetary reasons.

The San Bernardino County Fire Protection District’s inmate hand crew and staffing for the Wonder Valley firestation will be maintained for now, with the money taken out of the newly funded reserve for a memorandum ofunderstanding with the California University of Science and Medicine in Colton, based on a unanimous boardvote.

The board also voted 32 — Chairman Robert Lovingood proposing and Supervisors James Ramos and JosieGonzales supporting — to set aside a $1 million reserve for use on law enforcement sweeps in Lovingood’sdistrict, which represents the High Desert.

But Gonzales’ request for an additional medic squad to serve the city of San Bernardino, which has beenrepresented by county fire since July 2016, went nowhere — for now.

“The city of San Bernardino is producing a (emergency) call volume on or about 40,000 calls a year. The city ofFontana is producing on or about 20,000 calls per year,” Gonzales said. “San Bernardino has the same staffingthat Fontana has, minus one. ... There could be liability on down the line.”

Supervisor Janice Rutherford said she would consider the addition once she could put it in the context of otherdepartment’s budget requests, at the meeting in July or August, and Gonzales withdrew her motion until then.

URL: http://www.dailybulletin.com/governmentandpolitics/20170613/5billionsanbernardinocountybudgettobefilledinafterjuly1

6/14/2017 $5 billion San Bernardino County budget to be filled in after July 1

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6/14/2017 San Bernardino County firefighters to pedal cross country to help their brothers with cancer

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San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)

San Bernardino County firefighters to pedal cross country to help their brothers withcancer

Team Fire Velo Norton Strong, composed of 4 local firefighters, to compete in Race Across AmericaBicycle Event

By Michel Nolan, The Sun

Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Heroism ascends to new levels when four San Bernardino Countyfirefighters ride bicycles across America to help their brothers withcancer.

The firefighters begin their nonstop 3,000mile ride Saturday — atsea level from the Oceanside Pier — crossing the Continental Divideat 10,865 feet through Wolf Creek Pass in Colorado before arriving atsea level again in Annapolis, Maryland.

In seven days.

Composed of local firefighters, “Team Fire Velo Norton Strong,” hasentered the Race Across America Bicycle Event to raise funds and

awareness of cancer diagnoses in the fire service.

They ride for fellow firefighters fighting an even bigger battle.

These are the guys who go into harm’s way to protect us from devastating fire and injury, sometimes sacrificingtheir own lives.

They will be pedaling for awareness of a cause that’s close to their hearts.

Several studies have found that firefighters may face cancer diagnoses at higher rates than the generalpopulation, despite advances in protective equipment and clothing.

From 102 percent greater risk for testicular cancer down to 21 percent greater for colon cancer, the increasedrisks from toxic substances are startling.

“We’re not dealing with legacy materials anymore such as wood and cotton,” said fire Captain Tim Goforth, ofStation 91 in Lake Arrowhead, a member of the racing team.

“Everything these days is synthetic — plastic, nylon, foam rubber, veneers over particle board,” he added.

“This race gives me a chance to give back while doing something I love.”

The team of San Bernardino County Professional Firefighters Local 935, competing against 84 other teams fromaround the world, will pedal their way across 14 states in one week — technically, they have nine days but ourteam is aiming at seven to finish.

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The Race Across America is one of the world’s toughest endurance events — 30 percent longer than the Tour deFrance, with zero rest days — completed in about half the time.

The racing concept for the team is a leapfrog across the country.

They will be racing in the fourperson category, two teams of two.

Racers will be accompanied by a crew of 15, along with two chase vehicles and two RVs.

There will be one racer on the road at a time for five or six hours before the rider is relieved by his teammate.

After 24 hours, the next team of two takes over — there is no stopping — except for gas.

There are certain cutoff times along the route. The first is Durango, Colorado, which they must reach within 61hours.

The cutoff time to cross the finish line is 3 p.m. Monday, June 26, according to Capt. Goforth.

• “We go from 100 feet below sea level in Brawley, California to that 10,865elevation pass in Colorado,” saidCapt. Goforth, who is considered an “instigator” of this huge adventure and admits he has been riding bicyclesfor 49 years (turns out, he’s counting back to his first bike at age 3).

In addition to Tim, who lives in Apple Valley, team members include:

• Engineer/paramedic Travis Grapes, of Station 232 in San Bernardino, who lives in Hesperia. Travis’ previouscompetitions have included the grueling Ironman triathlon, as well as other Ironman events.

• Firefighter/paramedic Sean Jackson, who also works out of Station 91 in Lake Arrowhead, lives in Yucaipa.Riding for “32 years,” with competitions over the last 15, Sean says “Cycling brings me sanity — that’s whyracing across the country isn’t crazy.”

• Engineer/paramedic Ricky Arnold, with Fire Station 312 in Victorville, lives in Apple Valley and hascompeted in numerous triathlons, including several Ironman events. He said “I’m riding to raise awareness ofthe high probability of getting cancer in the fire service unless proactive measures are taken through a properlydeveloped health and wellness program.”

Engineer/paramedic Travis Grapes said the journey will cover 172,000 feet of climbing.

“The mental aspect will be grueling,” he said. “We’ll be pushing through.”

The heroes are our families, Travis added. “All of us racers have families who have sacrificed because of thetime we’ve committed to this race.”

Funding raised for the team will go to the Fire Family Foundation, which will help the families of two of theirSan Bernardino County firefighter brothers — Engineer Cory Norton of Big Bear Lake, and Firefighter JoseCruz of Victorville, both diagnosed with cancer and undergoing treatment.

Although the team is focused on firefighters in their department, they are also riding for firefighters overall.

Donations for the racers’ superhuman efforts are much appreciated.

Those wishing to help support the team with donations are asked to go to the YouCaring page and search forTeam Fire Velo Norton Strong.

For more information, go to www.facebook.com/TeamFireVeloNortonStrong/ or twitter.com/SBCoFFLocal935.

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Sponsors include San Bernardino County Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 935; San Bernardino CountyProfessional Firefighters Association; 911 Biocare; Don’s Bike Shop; Regal Mortgage; and Victorville Motors.

As Travis said, “I can suffer a bit on this ride because I’m inspired by friends I know are fighting a biggerbattle.”

Michel Nolan appears in The Sun on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Reach her at mnolan@scng.com or onTwitter @MichelNolan.

URL: http://www.sbsun.com/sports/20170613/sanbernardinocountyfirefighterstopedalcrosscountrytohelptheirbrotherswithcancer

© 2017 San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)

6/14/2017 Colonies trial key witness testifies about PACs and payouts

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San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)

Colonies trial key witness testifies about PACs and payouts

By Joe Nelson, The Sun

and Richard K. De Atley, The PressEnterprise

Tuesday, June 13, 2017

SAN BERNARDINO >> The judge in the San Bernardino CountyColonies bribery trial Tuesday allowed jurors to hear a recordedinterview of key defense witness Adam Aleman that includedstatements outside the focus of the case against the four defendants.

Defense attorney Jennifer Keller said the ruling “sandbagged” herside, calling some of the statements from Aleman “highly prejudicial”and outside the evidence being presented in the trial.

Among the items jurors heard was a claim by Aleman, a formercounty assistant assessor, that former state assemblyman and senator

Jim Brulte and defendant Jim Erwin each expected 1 percent of the Colonies $102 million settlement with thecounty in return for their work to help bring about the deal that ended the case.

No evidence has been introduced in the 6monthold trial to prove that claim, nor was the allegation included inany of the charging documents in the criminal case.

Erwin, also a former assistant assessor, is not charged in connection with Aleman’s 1 percent claim. Brulte, whowas a witness in the trial and is chairman of the California Republican Party, is not a defendant.

Brulte, who worked with Rancho Cucamonga developer Jeff Burum on the Colonies matter from December2004 to March 2005, denied Aleman’s assertion in an email Tuesday.

“This is a lie. Adam Aleman is a someone who has falsified information to a grand jury and lied toinvestigators,” Brulte said. “So it seems like he is continuing to tell lies.”

Aleman is testifying under a plea agreement with prosecutors. He was an aide to Bill Postmus when he was acounty supervisor and was assistant assessor for Postmus after he was elected assessor in November 2006.

Aleman said Tuesday that Postmus, an admitted methamphetamine addict, was high “25 percent” of the timewhile he was supervisor and assessor, with Aleman increasingly covering for Postmus, who has said he has beensober since 2012.

Prosecutors allege three county officials each took $100,000 bribes, which were reported as campaigncontributions, from Burum to gain approval for the $102 million court settlement over flood control work atColonies Partners’ 434acre residential and commercial development in Upland. Burum is a comanagingpartner of Colonies Partners.

Defendants include Burum, Erwin, former county Supervisor Paul Biane, and Mark Kirk, the chief of staff forformer Supervisor Gary Ovitt.

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All the defendants have denied any wrongdoing, saying the contributions, which were from Colonies Partners,where Burum is one of the managing members, were public donations to legal political action committees andwere part of the Colonies’ attempts to mend fences after the contentious legal dispute and were available onlinefor public review.

During Deputy Attorney General Melissa Mandel’s redirect of Aleman on Tuesday, jurors heard Aleman in aNov. 1, 2008, interview describe the $100,000 amounts that went to the various PACs. Aleman called themcampaign contributions and did not characterize them as bribes when talking to district attorney investigators.But he later agreed when one of them described the contributions as “payoffs.”

Aleman said Burum gave a $100,000 campaign contribution to Erwin’s Committee for Effective GovernmentPAC, which he misidentified as “Committee Against Corruption,” a PAC controlled by political consultantDavid Ellis, a witness in the case whose testimony was quashed.

Postmus’ Inland Empire PAC received $100,000, as well as Kirk’s Alliance for Ethical Government PAC,Aleman said.

“Kirk and Bill were tugging at who could deliver this for Burum,” Aleman said of the Colonies settlement.

Aleman said Colonies also contributed $100,000 to Matt Brown’s San Bernardino County Young Republicans,which prosecutors say was secretly controlled by Brown’s boss, Biane, who benefited from the contribution.Brown was Biane’s chief of staff at the time.

Kirk paid himself a $10,000 consultant fee from the contribution, which angered Postmus, and used some of itfor his run for Hesperia City Council, Aleman said.

The two juries in the case began hearing an extended audio passage of Aleman’s Nov. 1, 2008, interview byinvestigators after Judge Michael A. Smith allowed Mandel, against Keller’s objections, to play it.

It was Aleman’s first interview after agreeing to turn state’s evidence in an effort to strike a plea deal overcorruption charges he faced from activities in the Assessor’s Office.

Aleman and Postmus entered into plea agreements with prosecutors within two years of one another in 2009 and2011, respectively, for crimes connected with the Assessor’s Office and the Colonies settlement. They bothagreed to testify against the defendants and cooperate with investigators in exchange for lighter sentences.

On recross, Keller again attacked Aleman’s credibility, challenging the consistency of his prior statements toinvestigators and under oath and grilling him on his prior testimony about a reimbursement of more than $3,300for a trip he took to China with Postmus in 2006.

Aleman had an American Express card for Postmus’ campaign account and charged $3,314.40 in airfare on thecard, then requested reimbursement from the county. He previously told Mandel that, after receiving the check,he reimbursed Postmus’ campaign.

But Keller introduced a copy of the check, which showed it was made out to Aleman and deposited intoAleman’s personal Washington Mutual bank account.

Keller asked Aleman if he did in fact reimburse Postmus’ campaign account, but Aleman said he could notrecall.

“You never reimbursed the campaign for this $3,314.40, did you?” Keller asked, also asking if he listed it on acampaign 460 report form. Again, Aleman said he couldn’t recall.

Keller asked if what he said was “just another lie.”

“No, those are your words,” said Aleman, adding, “I may have reimbursed the campaign committee.”

6/14/2017 DA Mike Ramos, Victorville businessman Joseph Brady, Daily Press to cosponsor community meeting on violent crime

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Posted Jun 13, 2017 at 1:59 PMUpdated Jun 13, 2017 at 3:31 PM

By Staff Reports

San Bernardino County District Attorney Michael Ramos, businessman and Victor ValleyCollege Trustee Joseph W. Brady and the Daily Press announced Tuesday they plan to co-sponsor an upcoming community meeting to address the violent crime problem in the HighDesert.

Ramos reached out to Daily Press Editor Steve Hunt on Monday afternoon after readingBrady’s Sunday op-ed column about the increase in violent crime locally and Hunt’s columnasking if anyone would respond to Brady’s call for a meeting. He told Hunt he absolutelywanted to respond and be part of such a meeting.

“I’m hearing it not only in the High Desert but all over the county,” Ramos said of the increasein violent crime. “I think it’s time to sit down and come up with solutions. We need a frankdiscussion. I have an uncle and aunt who have lived in Victorville for 30 years and they’retired of it.”

“I am pleased that San Bernardino County District Attorney Mike Ramos has proposed to be apart of the solution,” Brady said. “I have spent time with him at his office and had manyconversations with him, as I have with Sheriff John McMahon. They understand the root ofthe problem. What we need to do as a region is get all of our elected officials to help facilitateopen conversation that our residents and businesses can participate in.

“This issue, if not dealt with now, aggressively will define our future and will have adevastating impact on the residential and commercial real estate industries, the constructionindustries and many industries that have been the backbone of our region for the last 50-plusyears.”

The date, time and location of the meeting have yet to be determined. Hunt said the DailyPress will provide more information as it becomes available, both in print and online.

“The Daily Press is delighted to be part of this effort to find solutions to this problem,” Huntsaid. “I applaud Mr. Brady for recognizing the need for such a meeting and District AttorneyMike Ramos for being the first to commit to participating.”

DA Mike Ramos, Victorville businessman Joseph Brady,Daily Press to co-sponsor community meeting onviolent crime

6/14/2017 DA Mike Ramos, Victorville businessman Joseph Brady, Daily Press to cosponsor community meeting on violent crime

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At Ramos’ suggestion, the meeting likely will be held on a Friday afternoon so thatAssemblyman Jay Obernolte, State Senator Scott Wilk and perhaps even Rep. Paul Cookcould be invited, along with San Bernardino County Supervisor Robert Lovingood, SheriffJohn McMahon and various city and community leaders.

Ramos also committed to making sure there will be resources at the meeting for victims ofcrime, “not just talking heads.”

“Tell the world,” Ramos said of the meeting, “because I want everybody there who lives in thatcommunity. We need some solutions.”

Brady agreed.

“When you look at the posted comments (to his op-ed) people are tired of what the HighDesert region has become,” he said. “I hear the issue all the time from friends, fellow businessassociates, those that have moved and those that are moving from our region. While there arethose that want us to believe that crime is going down, it is not. This is not an issue we canhide from any more. It is now at our doorstep.

“The ultimate challenge for the region is understanding that industrial business and sitelocators, new potential residents, all look at crime statistics when looking to locate to an area.Crime statistics are as important as education numbers are and if we have good school districtor just average ones. While the High Desert region has begun to recover from the October2008 economic meltdown, the rise in crime has clearly impeded us from competing with otherSouthern California communities whose economies have now surpassed the prosperity we allsaw at the height off the market in late 2006 and early 2007.”

6/14/2017 Deputies who shot at suspect following sixhour Hesperia standoff were justified, DA’s office says

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San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)

Deputies who shot at suspect following sixhour Hesperia standoff were justified, DA’soffice says

By Alex Groves, The PressEnterprise

Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Two Hesperiaarea deputies who shot at a man following a sixhour standoff in January 2016 were justified, aSan Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office report released Tuesday said.

The report concluded that Deputy Gregory Ditfurth and Deputy James Diaz were justified in “selfdefense andthe defense of others” when they fired their weapons at Luis Alfredo Ranero, 38. Ditfurth fired a .223caliberfirearm and Diaz fired a lessthanlethal beanbag.

The report notes that Ranero told deputies in a phone call to get back or he would “shoot it out” with them asthey responded to a domestic violence situation involving Ranero and his wife shortly before 1 a.m. Jan. 25,2016, in the 15000 block of Sequoia Street.

While dealing with the standoff, deputies learned in conversations with both Ranero and his wife that Ranerohad combatrelated posttraumatic stress disorder, had been drinking and had multiple firearms within his home.

During an interview with investigators at the hospital afterward, Ranero said he was having a flashback andbelieved someone was throwing flashbang grenades at him.

Ranero said he recalled calling 911 and telling dispatch to have deputies turn off their lights, but did notremember saying he would shoot officers. He said he believed he was in a firefight and was having aconversation with his commander.

He said he eventually fell asleep and woke up later that morning to leave for an appointment. He said he wasconfused when he walked outside and saw the deputies.

When Ranero exited his home shortly before 7:30 a.m., deputies commanded him to show his hands. He hadkeys in one hand and an unknown item in the other.

“Ranero held the unknown item away from his body towards deputies and assumed a shooting platform stance,”the report said. That’s when Ditfurth and Diaz fired their weapons.

The report says Ranero was struck three times, once in the upper torso and twice in the leg, by Ditfurth’s .223caliber firearm.

Ranero said he was shot as he reached for his front door.

Ranero dove into the garage and later crawled out, showing deputies his empty hands. He was treated and takento the hospital.

During the hospital interview, Ranero said the other item he was holding was chocolate milk.

6/14/2017 KCDZ 107.7 FM TWENTYNINE PALMS COUNCIL SAYS “NO” TO TOURISM MARKETING GROUP

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« SMALL SHED FIRE IN JOSHUA TREE TUESDAY AFTERNOON COUNTY SAYS WONDER VALLEY FIRE STATION WILL REMAIN OPENFOR NOW »

TWENTYNINE PALMS COUNCIL SAYS “NO” TO TOURISM MARKETING GROUPBy Z107.7 News, on June 14th, 2017

The Twentynine Palms City Council got lots done last night, but not with one voice. Reporter David Haldane, who was there, explains…Summer funding for tourism in Twentynine Palms? Fuhgettaboutit! That was the answer a divided City Council delivered last night to Joshua TreeGateway Communities, a nonprofit tourism marketing group requesting $31,500 for the coming year. City staff had whittled its recommendationdown to just under $8,000 until September 30, but even that didn’t pass muster, losing 32.“We funded it last year. This year I just didn’t feel that it warranted us funding it again.”That’s Councilman Dan Mintz who voted with the majority.Mayor John Cole, who didn’t, disagreed, arguing that the city’s summer events need promoting.In other business, the Council approved an exclusive negotiating agreement with a firm called Palm Communities for the furtherance of ProjectPhoenix, extended its contract with the Chamber of Commerce for two more years and approved the city’s special funds budget for the next twofiscal years.

June 14th, 2017 | Tags: morongo basin, san bernardino county, twentynine palms, twentynine palms city council | Category: Local News, Top Story

6/14/2017 Stop asking Upland citizens to subsidize fees: Letters

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Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (http://www.dailybulletin.com)

Stop asking Upland citizens to subsidize fees: Letters

Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Stop asking Upland citizens to subsidize fees

Re “High fees, unfairness in Upland fire annexation” (Commentary, June 1):

Bob Cable’s commentary about the fire annexation focused a lot on fee increases but conveniently left off onevery important fact: It is illegal for the city or county to charge a fee that is much higher than the cost ofproviding the service.

If the city of Upland is currently charging say $100 for a service, and the new proposed fee is around $500.Well, ouch, that fee is going up by $400.

But that also means that the cost of providing the service we charge that fee for has to be around $500. And it’slikely that cost has always been around $500. That means the city has been losing $400/month for years now,subsidized from our taxes.

Cable needs to stop asking us citizens to subsidize his fees and instead start paying them himself and passingthem along to his customers.

San Antonio Heights and Cable Airport need to pay their fair share. Something they haven’t done for a longwhile.

— Eric Gavin, Upland

Understand police officer’s tough job before criticizing

I am dismayed that after writing a good article about police shooting at moving vehicles and suspects gettingshot, the following day the newspaper publishes a wellwritten article by a law enforcement professional thatrehashes an article, only different stories and renames it “Analysis of police shootings raises awareness” (May19). Only this one just publishes more stories of shooting and no background of why the subjects were shot.

This type of journalism is what creates hatred for the police, and in most cases the officers were justified andfound to be in the right by the courts.

It’s time your editorial staff did some real investigation and looked into the training that law enforcementprofessionals go through to make these splitsecond decisions.

Many large agencies offer courses, and from the experience that nonlaw enforcement people, including newsagencies have seen, they made the same decisions as law enforcement make day in and day out. Or somesuffered the results that many have suffered or given their lives up to protect and serve.

San Bernardino County has a great sheriff. I suggest you try Sheriff John McMahon and see what and whybefore you rip on the highly trained law enforcement officers of any police agency.

— David Irvine, Claremont

6/14/2017 Why Ontario airport budget is delayed

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San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)

Why Ontario airport budget is delayed

By Liset Márquez, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

Tuesday, June 13, 2017

ONTARIO >> Approval of Ontario International Airport’s operatingbudget could be delayed for as many as three months to give officialsmore time to continue discussions with airlines regarding fees, costsand expenses.

Ontario International Airport Authority CEO Kelly Fredericks said thedraft budget reflects a significant decrease in terminal rents andlanding fees, which are the two big rates and charges to airlines oftenpassed on to their customers.

As it stands now, Fredericks said the draft budget indicates an almost9 percent decrease in terminal rents and almost 10 percent in landing fees. Details of the draft were not released.

The airport’s governing body voted 40 in a special meeting Monday to extend the budget process for up to threemonths. Commissioner Lucy Dunn was absent.

“We’re looking to see if we can tweak it some more and squeeze a little more out of it,” Fredericks saidfollowing the meeting.

In the meantime, officials will be using the $85 million budget created by Los Angeles World Airports beforethe transfer took place Nov. 1, 2016. The Ontario airport authority adopted LAWA’s 201617 budget as its ownin October.

“While we don’t need the airlines to approve it, I think we should start a relationship with them on the rightfoot,” said authority President Alan Wapner. “It’s not unusual. We are a brandnew corporation and this is ourvery first budget. There’s always going to be some kinks that need to be worked out. I don’t think staff didanything wrong.”

Fredericks said staff will manage the airport under the existing budget. Once the commission approves thebudget, it will be made retroactive to July 1, 2017.

Monday’s motion also included an amendment, requested by Wapner, that the authority institute a hiring freezeuntil the budget is approved.

Wapner said there were about 30 positions on the organizational chart that he didn’t feel comfortable filling untilhe had an opportunity to review the budget and make sure “we have the money to pay those folks.” Frederickssaid the authority is working through a transition plan and those positions are across the board, some mid toupperlevel management and some operations.

“That’s incumbent on us to move forward,” he said about the hold.

Fredericks said he hopes to wrap up the budget process in the next month. A special meeting could be held inJuly to approve the budget, he said.

6/14/2017 Closing the digital divide in the Inland Empire: Paul Granillo

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San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)

Closing the digital divide in the Inland Empire: Paul Granillo

By Paul C. Granillo

Tuesday, June 13, 2017

June 1 was a good day in California. The Internet For All Now Act, abipartisan bill that will close the digital divide in California, sailedthrough the state Assembly on a 675 vote — thanks to coauthorshipfrom 23 Republicans and Democrats, including Inland EmpireAssembly members Eduardo Garcia, DCoachella; Jay Obernolte, RHesperia; Eloise Gomez Reyes, DSan Bernardino; Jose Medina, RRiverside; Sabrina Cervantes, DCorona, and Freddie Rodriguez, DChino.

Bipartisan lawmaking is fairly rare in the Capitol. The reason is thatthe Internet For All Now Act (Assembly Bill 1665) is an economic

development nobrainer. It extends an already working program with no new taxes that has funded 58 highspeed internet (“broadband”) infrastructure projects connecting over 100,000 households to the digital economy.

You might ask: Why is this necessary? The reason is California has an unacceptably large divide between thosewho have home highspeed internet and those who do not. The California Emerging Technology Fund reportedin its August 2016 Field Poll that 30 percent of Californians do not have highspeed internet and a computingdevice at home and that 57 percent of lowincome Californians are “underconnected” — either dependent onlyon a smartphone or completely offline. In addition, the California Public Utilities Commission issued a report inApril 2017 documenting that 43 percent of rural households can’t get reliable broadband.

What this all means is that almost 12 million Californians are shut out from the digital economy. They cannotadequately apply for jobs, do homework, and get health and public services online.

The National Association for College Admission Counseling recently reported that colleges and universitiesnow receive 94 percent of their applications online, up from 68 percent in 2007 and 49 percent in 2005. And thePew Internet Research Center has shown that lowerincome Americans continue to lag behind in technologyadoption; the result, Pew reports, is that a technology gap between the rich and the poor is widening U.S.inequality.

This is of particular concern in the Inland Empire, where some cities and towns have inadequate or nonexistentbroadband infrastructure and where lowerincome families struggle to keep up with the digital revolution. Thiswas a huge motivation for Assembly members Garcia, Gomez Reyes and Medina to coauthor AB1665, and itwas a clear and compelling reason for Assembly members Obernolte, Cervantes and Rodriguez to come out insupport of the bill. They know that individuals and businesses which don’t have highspeed internet aresocioeconomically disadvantaged and those who have fast connections can compete in the 21st century.

The Internet For All Act is a $330 million, fiveyear bill that extends the California Advanced Services Fund(CASF), which is the only source of support for broadband unless the Legislature enacts a new fee or tax or doesa General Fund budget allocation. My organization, the Inland Empire Economic Partnership — along withmore than 100 other governmental and nongovernmental organizations — support this bill because weunderstand the CASF will soon be out of funds, yet 360,000 households still need to get connected to reliable

6/14/2017 Closing the digital divide in the Inland Empire: Paul Granillo

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broadband. We also understand that internet service providers will not put broadband in areas with low return oninvestment. This bill incentivizes those companies to serve 98 percent of the households in the state.

So thank you, Inland Assembly members Garcia, Obernolte, Gomez Reyes, Medina, Cervantes and Rodriguezfor authoring and supporting the Internet For All Now Act. We hope your colleagues in the Senate follow yourlead in closing the digital divide to help boost our economy and strengthen our society.

Paul C. Granillo is president and CEO of the Inland Empire Economic Partnership.

Individuals and businesses which don’t have highspeed internet are socioeconomically disadvantaged and thosewho have fast connections can compete in the 21st century.

URL: http://www.sbsun.com/opinion/20170613/closingthedigitaldivideintheinlandempirepaulgranillo

© 2017 San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)

6/14/2017 California economy, job market face further cooling

http://www.sbsun.com/article/20170613/NEWS/170619820&template=printart 1/1

San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)

California economy, job market face further cooling

By George Avalos, Bay Area News Group

Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Growth in California’s job market is expected to weaken this year andin the coming years, according to the widely watched UCLAAnderson Forecast’s latest report Tuesday.

The Anderson Forecast now expects nonfarm payroll jobs inCalifornia to increase 1.6 percent during 2017.

Last year, California’s job market grew by about 2 percent, state laborofficials reported.

The Anderson Forecast said in December that California’s job marketwould grow by 1.8 percent in 2017, but it trimmed that estimate by March to 1.6 percent.

“The current forecast is slightly lower and pushed out in time than our previous one,” Jerry Nickelsburg, asenior economist with the Anderson Forecast, stated in the report Tuesday.

Gridlock in Washington, D.C. is a key factor.

“This reflects the difficulties that the Trump Administration is having in getting its stimulus packages passed,”Nickelsburg stated.

The 1.6 percent projected rate of 2017 payroll job growth in California is expected to be followed by 1.1 percentpayroll growth in 2018 and 0.9 percent growth in 2019, according to the Anderson Forecast.

U.S. job growth is expected to be slightly weaker than California’s during 2017, expanding at an annual pace of1.5 percent.

Consumers nationwide should brace for rising inflation and a greater burden from the cost of living, theAnderson Forecast stated.

“Our forecast is for a modest increase in the inflation rate and corresponding increases in interest rates keepingthe real rate low,” Edward Leamer, director of the UCLA Anderson Forecast, stated in his outlook for thenational economy.

URL: http://www.sbsun.com/business/20170613/californiaeconomyjobmarketfacefurthercooling

© 2017 San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)

6/14/2017 Homeless advocates pressure Orange County supervisors to spend more money on housing – Orange County Register

http://www.ocregister.com/2017/06/13/homelessadvocatespressureorangecountysupervisorstospendmoremoneyonhousing/ 1/6

By THERESA WALKER | thwalker@scng.com | Orange County RegisterPUBLISHED: June 13, 2017 at 6:28 pm | UPDATED: June 14, 2017 at 8:00 am

18 COMMENTS

Luis Garcia,16, of Anaheim, a student at Anaheim High School, and an advocate forthe homeless, speaks to the Orange County Board of Supervisors in the Hall ofAdministration Tuesday morning in Santa Ana, June 13, 2017. (Photo by MarkRightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

NEWS

Homeless advocates pressureOrange County supervisors tospend more money on housing

6/14/2017 Homeless advocates pressure Orange County supervisors to spend more money on housing – Orange County Register

http://www.ocregister.com/2017/06/13/homelessadvocatespressureorangecountysupervisorstospendmoremoneyonhousing/ 2/6

SANTA ANA For two hours straight, the Orange County Board of Supervisors

listened to one Orange County resident after another at their public budget

hearing on Tuesday, June 13, criticize them for not dedicating enough money to

alleviate homelessness.

And the speakers repeatedly called for a county fund to provide much-needed

housing.

“We are here to insist – to insist – that you revise the budget,” said Jeanine

Robbins, who lives in Anaheim and, along with her husband, Mike Robbins, is a

leader in the grassroots Anaheim Poverty Task Force.

The board is considering a proposed $6.2 billion county budget for fiscal year

2017-18. Once adopted, the budget takes effect in July.

The stream of comments they listened to without response – some delivered as

heartfelt pleas and some as threats of voter retribution – came from about 60

members of the public, most of them participants in a rally held outside the Hall

of Administration before the start of the board meeting.

Protesters included high school students, college interns, lawyers engaged in

social justice, community organizers, volunteers and leaders from nonprofits,

clergy, labor union members, people with mental health issues, and those who

are homeless now or had been in the past.

Many of them wore white T-shirts inscribed with the handwritten names of

homeless people who have died this year and such phrases as “Their Lives

Count,” “End Homelessness,” and, simply, “Help.”

The county has opened two emergency shelters in recent months that currently

sleep up to 500 people. Just last week, the board initiated a $750,000 pilot

program for people in the tent encampments along the Santa Ana River and also

approved a $5 million expenditure of mental health dollars from a state funding

source to provide permanent housing for qualifying homeless people.

But critics say such efforts fall far short in dealing with the growing crisis here:

January’s federally mandated Point in Time count of the homeless, a one-night

snapshot undertaken every two years in Orange County, showed a nearly 8

percent increase in the homeless population since 2015, with half of the 4,792

people recorded in the census living without shelter.

6/14/2017 Homeless advocates pressure Orange County supervisors to spend more money on housing – Orange County Register

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The talk at the rally and at the public hearing echoed a request heard multiple

times over the past few years, one that was at the heart of a 2016 report on

homelessness by the Orange County office of the American Civil Liberties Union:

that the county spend discretionary tax dollars to fund its own Ten-Year Plan to

End Homelessness, a 2010 road map approved by the Board of Supervisors but

never executed.

Tim Houchen, who spent four years sleeping in Santa Ana’s Civic Center before

moving in 2015 into supportive housing in Anaheim, held up a worn, color

photocopy of the 10-year plan as he stood at the microphone: “This is something

that recommended urgency and we haven’t seen much of that.”

Houchen, one of the organizers of Tuesday’s rally, started his own nonprofit to

help homeless people, Hope 4 Restoration, and was recently appointed to his

city’s housing commission. While Anaheim and Santa Ana have the county’s

largest homeless populations, those who came to address the supervisors

illustrate how homelessness is a countywide issue. They hailed from

communities that included La Habra, Fullerton, Orange, Los Alamitos, Costa

Mesa, Newport Beach, Mission Viejo and San Clemente.

Many speakers called for establishing a $50 million housing trust fund to self-

generate money that would supersede what they claim is the county’s over-

reliant and sluggish use of federal and state dollars to address homelessness.

Such a fund, supporters argued, could relieve the county’s acute shortage of

affordable housing for low-income residents – not only for the homeless, many

of whom have no income or rely on government programs to survive, but for

many wage earners only a paycheck or a medical crisis away from being on the

streets.

Israel “Izzy” Hernandez, 18, was one of several Anaheim High students who

talked about what they have lived through or have witnessed among their

schoolmates.

Hernandez, who graduated in May, shared how his family took in a fellow

student he got to know from band class, a kid whose parents found themselves

out of work and on the streets after both suffered injuries and couldn’t work. His

friend, one of three teenage siblings, lived for four months with the Hernandez

family, themselves struggling financially, Hernandez said.

“We have to end this because students shouldn’t bear the destitution of being

homeless,” Hernandez told the supervisors, as his friend’s 13-year-old brother

sat listening. “Honestly, it’s excruciating.”

6/14/2017 Homeless advocates pressure Orange County supervisors to spend more money on housing – Orange County Register

http://www.ocregister.com/2017/06/13/homelessadvocatespressureorangecountysupervisorstospendmoremoneyonhousing/ 4/6

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Hernandez and about 30 other high school students came to the meeting under

the auspices of Orange County Congregation Community Organization, a long

active local faith-based group that plans to hold a gathering Monday, June 19, to

analyze the budget for any revisions resulting from protesters’ demands.

“We are expecting a positive response,” said Cynthia Sanchez, a community

organizer for the group.

If nothing changes in the budget, she added, then protesters will seek meetings

with individual supervisors.

“We’re making sure they are aware that this is a priority. And they need to

address it.”

Later in the day, after most of the observers had left the board chambers, the

supervisors took a straw vote to approve eight more positions in the Health Care

Agency for outreach and engagement workers assigned specifically to

homelessness. The $750,000 for the positions would come from state Mental

Health Services Act funding.

Theresa WalkerTheresa Walker is a Southern California native who has been a staff writer atThe Orange County Register since 1992. She specializes in human intereststories and social issues, such as homelessness. She also covers nonprofits and

philanthropy in Orange County. She loves telling stories about

Tags: Anaheim, echo code, homeless, OCR Newsletter,Top Stories OCR

6/14/2017 Los Angeles County supervisors endorse a spending plan for Measure H homelessness tax LA Times

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T

Los Angeles County supervisors endorse aspending plan for Measure H homelessness tax

By Doug Smith

JUNE 13, 2017, 5:50 PM

he Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a spending plan Tuesday for millions of

dollars from a special sales tax to fight homelessness.

On a unanimous vote, the supervisors accepted virtually all of the recommendations of a 50member

planning committee on how to divide nearly $259 million projected in the first year of Measure H, a quarter

cent sales tax increase approved by county voters in March.

Declaring it a “signal day in the county of Los Angeles,” board Chairman Mark RidleyThomas nonetheless

cautioned against complacency.

“We’ve got to make it work for the good of this county and the sake of our very moral fiber,” he said.

County supervisors approved a spending plan Tuesday for Measure H sales tax funds that will be used to combat homelessness. Above,an encampment in Los Angeles. (David McNew / Getty Images)

6/14/2017 Los Angeles County supervisors endorse a spending plan for Measure H homelessness tax LA Times

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A parade of about 70 speakers stepped up mostly to praise the board for its “courage,” “leadership,”

“determination” and “vision.” Others argued for several motions that offered nuanced direction to county

officials who will administer the funds.

RidleyThomas introduced one of the motions, asking for a report in 45 days on how the county planned to use

data to track the progress of the homeless strategies. Other motions asked for 200 shelter beds to be provided

for victims of domestic violence and requested studies on addressing youths and college students and providing

day care and additional funds to cities.

The board sidestepped the only contentious issue, whether to provide $1.2 million to the Sheriff’s Department to

beef up its homeless outreach team. Several members of the citizen planning group strongly opposed the

allocation, saying that working with homeless people was an inherent responsibility of the department and

should be funded out of its regular budget.

Sheriff Jim McDonnell and police chiefs from several cities argued Tuesday that law enforcement officers often

make the first contact with homeless people under stressful conditions.

In a compromise, the board committed $6.6 million from the AB 109 prison reform bill for homeless outreach

by law enforcement. The Sheriff’s Homeless Services team would receive $1.2 million annually for three years.

The remainder would be divided among other police agencies, excluding the Los Angeles Police Department, to

support their homeless outreach.

The planning committee last month forwarded a nearly unanimous consensus to supervisors on how to divide

the money over 21 strategies approved for funding by the board last year.

The bulk of the money will be spent on rental subsidies, services to support those placed in permanent housing,

outreach and strengthening and expansion of the shelter system.

Measure H is projected to raise $355 million annually for 10 years. The threeyear spending plan adopted

Tuesday included tentative budgets of $374 million in the second year and $431 million in the third. Those

budgets would commit all the $1.07 billion projected in the first three years, but would reach a pace exceeding

the projected annual revenue in the fourth year.

The sales tax increase will raise the rate in most cities to 9.5% effective Oct. 1. County officials earlier said it

would start July 1, but an agreement worked out with the state Board of Equalization, which will collect the

money, pushed the date back.

The increase will not apply in Compton, La Mirada, Long Beach, Lynwood, Pico Rivera, Santa Monica and

South Gate because the sales tax in those cities is already at the maximum allowed by state law.

Phil Ansell, director of the county’s Homeless Initiative, said the delay in receiving the funds will not slow down

any programs. Internal county borrowing will be used to start on schedule July 1, and the smaller firstyear

budget will come in just under the nine months of tax collections.

6/14/2017 L.A. County coroner's office, struggling with autopsy backlog, gets new chief LA Times

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L.A. County coroner's office, struggling withautopsy backlog, gets new chief

By Nina Agrawal

JUNE 13, 2017, 5:10 PM

he Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday appointed a new coroner to take the helm

of an agency that has been plagued by autopsy and toxicology backlogs, staff turnover and the near

loss of its national accreditation.

Dr. Jonathan Lucas, 49, the chief deputy medical examiner in San Diego County, will assume his new position

July 10 at a salary of $350,000.

“Given what I do for a living...it’s hard not to pay attention to what’s happening” in Los Angeles, Lucas said in

an interview. “The immediate challenges are something that I look forward to facing.”

Dr. Jonathan Lucas, Los Angeles' new chief medical examinercoroner, is seen in a San Diego autopsy exam room in 2014. (Allen J.Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

6/14/2017 L.A. County coroner's office, struggling with autopsy backlog, gets new chief LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/lamelncoronerjonathanlucas20170612story.html 2/3

Lucas, who served in San Diego for more than 15 years, will be the fourth person in 16 months to lead the

department.

The county’s last chief, Dr. Mark Fajardo, abruptly resigned in March 2016, citing insufficient funding and

resources.

At the time, 180 bodies were stacked in the morgue awaiting autopsies, and toxicology reports were taking

longer than six months to be completed.

Fajardo quit after just over two years on the job. Former longtime coroner Dr. Lakshmanan Sathyavagiswaran

came out of retirement to take over the post while the county searched for a permanent replacement.

In January of this year, Sathyavagiswaran moved to a consulting position, and Dr. Christopher Rogers, the

former deputy medical examiner, assumed the lead interim post.

Ed Winter, assistant chief of operations for the coroner’s office, said the backlogs have improved since 2016,

though his office did not provide current figures.

“The focus is really going to have to be on the backlog,” Lucas said. “And tied to that is maintaining

accreditation.”

Because of its delays in conducting autopsies and toxicology tests, L.A. County has only a provisional

accreditation from the National Assn. of Medical Examiners, said Craig Harvey, former chief of investigations

and a current consultant at the department.

Those delays stemmed in part from staffing vacancies and a shortage of budgeted positions, an external

analysis found. (Accreditation is not legally required but is considered a useful proxy for quality.)

The county budgeted an additional $4.4 million and 24 new positions for the office in 201617, although the

201718 budget includes a slight decrease in funding and a net decrease of three positions.

Lucas said not all of the new positions had been filled yet, and finding, hiring and training capable staff

members will be a top priority for him.

The coroner’s job is to identify the mode, manner and cause of a person’s death in any unusual circumstances.

Lucas said he most enjoys being able to provide answers about why someone died and aggregating data to shed

light on regional trends.

Dr. Michael Baden, former chief medical examiner for New York City, said the job often helps inform where a

city or county should funnel additional resources — for example, suicide or disease prevention. Baden noted

the job is becoming increasingly complex with the globalization of diseases and the proliferation of illicit drugs.

Lucas also pointed to the size of L.A.’s homeless population as a unique factor.

6/14/2017 L.A. County coroner's office, struggling with autopsy backlog, gets new chief LA Times

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In addition, the coroner in Los Angeles often has to deal with intense public scrutiny and media attention in

celebrity and other highprofile cases.

Lucas has conducted more than 4,500 autopsies, according to the letter from the county’s chief executive office

recommending him to the board. In one highprofile case in San Diego, Lucas conducted the autopsies on Max

Shacknai and Rebecca Zahau, who died among mysterious circumstances at the Spreckels mansion in

Coronado.

The San Diego medical examiner’s office has 57 employees and an annual budget of $10.2 million. In L.A.,

Lucas will oversee an office with 248 positions and a budget of $38.1 million.

nina.agrawal@latimes.com

Twitter: @AgrawalNina

UPDATES:

5:10 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from Lucas.

This article was originally published at 12:30 p.m.

Copyright © 2017, Los Angeles Times

This article is related to: San Diego County, Rebecca Zahau

6/14/2017 Audio: Secretary of State denies again that California had elections breach | 89.3 KPCC

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Audio from this story

0:37 Listen

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Secretary of State Alex Padilla shot back at a report from Bloomberg News on Tuesday that listed California among 39 states that suffered a security breachby Russian cyber hackers meddling with the U.S. presidential election.

The story, released early Tuesday, said the cyber attack was more widespread than previously reported. It said there was evidence that in Florida andCalifornia hackers intruded into systems run by "a private contractor managing critical election systems."

But Padilla, who oversees elections in California, and county election officials in California are disputing that claim.

“There is no evidence of any breach of elections systems in California. VR Systems, which is headquartered in Florida, does not provide services to theSecretary of State," Padilla said, in a written statement.

VR Systems previously provided epollbook services to Humboldt County in Northern California, Padilla said, but that "VR Systems does not provide anyvote tabulation services in California.”

The state uses a paperbased voting system that can't be easily hacked, but Padilla has repeatedly called for updates to California’s aging voting system.

Officials from registrar offices in Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, Riverside and San Diego counties that run local elections all confirmed to KPCC that theirdata had not been breached.

President Trump alleged in January without providing evidence that widespread voter fraud occurred across the country, including in California, which hadvoted overwhelmingly for his opponent, Hillary Clinton.

Padilla called the charges a "flatout lie" at the time and said the president's claims undercut people's faith in the democratic system.

This story has been updated.

The best SoCal news in your inbox, daily.

6/14/2017 Audio: LA County may use public health money to hire gang intervention workers | 89.3 KPCC

http://www.scpr.org/news/2017/06/13/72801/lacountymayusepublichealthmoneytohiregang/ 2/6

Photo by 8 Kome via Flickr Creative Commons

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Tuesday will consider shifting $190,000 from the public health department to parks and rec to hire eight gangintervention workers in South L.A. for the summertime Parks After Dark program.

The intervention workers would initially staff Jesse Owens Community Regional Park and Ted Watkins Memorial Park. They would mediate conflicts, quashrumors and mentor atrisk youth. The money would come from the Department of Public Health's Trauma Prevention Initiative.

Parks After Dark is a "key strategy" to reducing violence in highcrime communities, says Andrea Welsing, director of Public Health's injury and violenceprevention program.

"We just feel like it creates a great environment where you can provide services to the community in a nonthreatening way and create safe environments so thatpeople can be physically active," she says.

Several studies have found a correlation between the program and decreased crime rates in surrounding neighborhoods, adds Welsing.

The intervention workers would build on the success of the Parks After Dark program and play a critical role in maintaining peace in these communities, says MikaYamamoto, regional operations manager of the South Community Services Agency for the Department of Parks and Recreation.

Many who do this type of work were previously involved with gangs and thus understand gang culture.

The Parks After Dark program launched seven years ago and is now in 23 parks across the county.

6/14/2017 Audio: LA County may use public health money to hire gang intervention workers | 89.3 KPCC

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On Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings during the summer, young people and their families can participate in basketball and Zumba and enjoy concerts andmovies. The program also offers resource fairs, where people can access health services and legal and economic aid.

Many of the parks in the program are in South L.A., in Athens, Compton, Crenshaw, Florence, Hyde Park, Lynwood, Paramount and Watts. Homicide is the leadingcause of death in this part of the county; in 2014, the homicide rate here was three times higher than the overall county rate.

As part of Tuesday's motion, introduced by Supervisor Mark RidleyThomas, the directors of Public Health and Parks and Rec would identify ways to measure thesuccess of the violence intervention services and report back to the supervisors in six months.

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June 13, 05:00 AM LA County may use public health money to hire gang workers

June 13, 05:00 AM Homeless shelters are a new front in fighting hepatitis C

6/14/2017 Apprenticeships Aren’t Just for Welders Anymore WSJ

https://www.wsj.com/articles/apprenticeshipsarentjustforweldersanymore1497437397 1/3

Victor Gutierrez was working his way through community college by balancing twodead-end jobs when he heard about an apprenticeship that would enable him to finishhis coursework while earning a paycheck.

“It fit perfectly,” he said.

But Mr. Gutierrez, 18 years old, isn’t studying welding or auto mechanics. He is majoringin business management—and the apprenticeship is in a landmark skyscraper whichhouses Aon PLC, one of the largest insurers in the world.

In addition to free tuition and training, the Chicago resident earns $38,500 a year. He isamong a small but growing number of young people apprenticing in fields that require asuit and tie instead of coveralls and gloves.

President Donald Trump is expected to announce Wednesday a plan to expandapprenticeship programs into nontraditional industries in an effort to fill a record levelof open jobs and draw back millions of Americans who have left the workforce.

To help fund the apprenticeship program, the White House aims to use the money fromfees paid by companies to bring in foreign workers, according to several people familiarwith the plan. The plan echoes Mr. Trump’s “America First” campaign. But despite therhetorical appeal of tying the two programs together, it is unclear how significant thereallocation would be given that some of that money is already directed to job-trainingprograms and given that the visa program’s fees are set in law.

The government has promoted apprenticeships since the Franklin Rooseveltadministration. The Obama administration spent $90 million last year intended toexpand apprenticeships to nontraditional fields, including restaurants and hotels.

Firms ranging from J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. to Northrop Grumman Corp. toInternational Business Machines Corp. have embraced apprenticeship-style programs.

The move toward white-collar apprenticeships comes as the number of U.S. jobopenings hit a record 6.04 million in April and the cost of a college degree has scared offmany potential students.

This copy is for your personal, noncommercial use only. To order presentationready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers visithttp://www.djreprints.com.

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U.S. NEWS

Apprenticeships Aren’t Just forWelders AnymoreTrump plans push for programs that train white-collar workers on the job

Victor Gutierrez, a student majoring in business management, has an apprenticeship at Aon in Chicago. PHOTO: ALYSSASCHUKAR FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

June 14, 2017 6:49 a.m. ETBy Douglas Belkin and Eric Morath

6/14/2017 Apprenticeships Aren’t Just for Welders Anymore WSJ

https://www.wsj.com/articles/apprenticeshipsarentjustforweldersanymore1497437397 2/3

That tightening of the labor market has prompted corporations to increase the amountof money they spend on training. That, in part, is fueling the expansion inapprenticeships, particularly for middle skills jobs which don’t require a college degree.

“American companies want to hire,” said Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta. “The issueis a mismatch between available jobs and prospective employees’ job skills. This skillsgap is a particular challenge in some of the fastest-growing sectors of the economy—health care and information technology.”

Traditionally, apprenticeships in the U.S. have been rooted in the skilled trades. Morethan two-thirds of federally registered apprentice programs are in construction andmanufacturing, according to the Labor Department. And many of those are associatedwith unions, which provide the training to future members. Only 13 of more than 8,000federal programs are in the finance and insurance field.

The administration sees the model working in fields as diverse as retail, paralegal workand policing.

Unlike most internships, apprenticeships involve training toward a specific job and apromise to get one at the end.

In Germany, roughly half of high-school graduates opt for apprenticeships rather thancollege degrees. One draw: almost certain employment. In the U.S., 87% of apprenticesare employed after completing their training, according to the Labor Department.

In America, however, many high-school students and their parents are reluctant toembrace a career as plumber or welder over a college degree.

Wells Fargo & Co. is rolling out an apprenticeship program this summer, starting with 50openings for military veterans. Participants’ GI Bill benefits help cover the cost of thetraining and stipend, said Lance LaVergne, a senior vice president of talent acquisitionwho is helping to launch the program.

“We kind of have our own internal university here,” Mr. LaVergne said.

The average starting salary of apprentices is about $60,000 a year, considerably morethan most college graduates, Labor Secretary Acosta said. Mr. LaVergne said a majorityof the apprentices at Wells Fargo would earn that much depending on the job theytrained for. Among those on offer: branch manager, collections manager and financialcrimes specialist.

At Aon, which funds the Labor Department certified program itself, Mr. Gutierrezcounts himself lucky to be in the first class of apprentices. The program waschampioned by Bridget Gainer, vice president of global public affairs for Aon, who wastasked with helping to expand the company’s apprentice program in the UnitedKingdom.

That program, which has been around for a decade, has about 100 apprentices at a time.Those who go through the program are more engaged in their work and stay longer attheir jobs, she said.

“I thought, ‘Why not here?’” she said.

A U.S. Commerce Department report found apprenticeships cost companies between$25,000 and $250,000 a year but the return on the investment is strong for employersbecause graduates of apprenticeship programs have less turnover.

In Chicago, the Aon apprentices will take jobs that traditionally have been filled byemployees with a four-year degree, who are often eager to move on to new positionswithin the company, says Aon. In addition to a salary, the company offers apprenticesbenefits, support services and tuition—which runs about $7,000 a year at HaroldWashington Community College, the nearby school from which the students are alldrawn. Total cost per apprentice is around $50,000.

6/14/2017 Apprenticeships Aren’t Just for Welders Anymore WSJ

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“So far they’re killing it,” Ms. Gainer said, praising the students for their dedication tothe two-year program.

Mr. Gutierrez, who works in downtown Chicago, said he doesn’t know anyone who hasever worked in any of the skyscrapers that define the city’s skyline.

“I had no clue what went on in any of these,” he said. “People are lot friendlier than Iimagined.”

—Laura Meckler contributed to this article.

Write to Doug Belkin at doug.belkin@wsj.com and Eric Morath ateric.morath@wsj.com

Copyright ©2017 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved

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6/14/2017 Steve Scalise Among 5 Shot at Baseball Field; Suspect Is Dead The New York Times

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/14/us/stevescalisecongressshotalexandriavirginia.html?_r=0 1/6

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U.S.

Steve Scalise Among 5 Shot at BaseballField; Suspect Is DeadBy MICHAEL D. SHEAR, ADAM GOLDMAN and EMILY COCHRANE JUNE 14, 2017

WASHINGTON — A lone gunman opened fire on Republican members of thecongressional baseball team at a practice field in a Washington suburb Wednesday,using a rifle to shower the field with bullets that struck five people, including SteveScalise, the majority whip of the House of Representatives.

President Trump, in a statement from the White House, said the shootingsuspect had died. Law enforcement authorities identified him as James T.Hodgkinson, 66, from Belleville, Ill., a suburb of St. Louis.

Two members of Mr. Scalise’s protective police detail were wounded as theyexchanged gunfire with the gunman in what other lawmakers described as a chaotic,terrorfilled ten minutes that turned the baseball practice into an earlymorningnightmare. The police said two of the five people were critically wounded.

Standing at second base, Mr. Scalise was struck in the hip, according towitnesses, and collapsed as the shots rang out, one after another, from behind achainlink fence near the thirdbase dugout. Witnesses said Mr. Scalise, ofLouisiana, “army crawled” his way toward taller grass as the shooting continued.

6/14/2017 Steve Scalise Among 5 Shot at Baseball Field; Suspect Is Dead The New York Times

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The authorities said the Capitol Police and local officers arrived minutes afterthey received desperate calls for help from those under siege at the field. The F.B.I.said the bureau would take the lead in the investigation, treating it as an assault on afederal officer.

Witnesses described a man with white hair and a beard wielding a long gunstanding behind the dugout.

“He was hunting us at that point,” said Representative Mike Bishop, Republicanof Michigan, who was standing at home plate when the shooting began at 7:09 a.m.

Mr. Bishop said the gunman had seemed to be “doubletapping” the trigger ofhis weapon. “There was so much gunfire, you couldn’t get up and run,” he said. “Pop,pop, pop, pop — it’s a sound I’ll never forget.”

Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, who was among the lawmakers practicing foran annual charity baseball game Thursday, told CNN that “the field was basically akilling field — it’s really sick and very sad.”

The shooting stunned the capital as it began the workday. Out of caution,officials quickly put in place a “robust police presence throughout the Capitolcomplex,” and the Secret Service added security around the White House.

As the magnitude of the incident became apparent, House leaders canceled theday’s votes, and Mr. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence both canceled speeches.

Mr. Trump came to the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House afterthe shooting and said, “We may have our differences, but we do well in times likethese to remember that everyone who serves in our nation’s capital is here because,above all, they love our country.

“We can all agree that we are blessed to be Americans, that our children deserveto grow up in a nation of safety and peace, and that we are stronger when we areunified, and when we work together for the common good,” he said.

Mr. Hodgkinson appeared to be have been fervent fan of Senator BernieSanders, according to a Facebook page with references to the Vermont senator. A

6/14/2017 Steve Scalise Among 5 Shot at Baseball Field; Suspect Is Dead The New York Times

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LinkedIn page for James Hodgkinson had a profile photo showing Mr. Sanders’sfamous hair and glasses and the words, “The Dawn of a New Democracy.”

In a statement Wednesday morning, Mr. Sanders said: “Our prayers go out for afull recovery of Representative Scalise, the congressional aides and police officerswho were injured. We’ve got to stop the violence.”

Mr. Hodgkinson also seemed to be fervently antiTrump. He appears to havesigned an online petition calling for the president to be impeached, posting it onFacebook with a chilling comment: “It’s time to destroy Trump & co.”

On Facebook, Mr. Hodgkinson appeared to be a member of antiRepublicangroups, according to The Belleville NewsDemocrat. The newspaper said one suchgroup is called “Terminate the Republican Party” and another is called “IllinoisBerners United to Resist Trump.”

The Washington Post first identified Mr. Hodgkinson as the suspect.

The authorities said they could not comment on the motive for the shooting.Tim Slater, a special agent in charge in the F.B.I’s Washington field office, saidinvestigators were “exploring all angles.” Asked whether the shooting was anassassination attempt, he said it was “too early in the investigation to say one way oranother.”

Aides to Mr. Scalise said Wednesday morning that had undergone surgery atMedStar Washington Hospital Center and was in stable condition. The police said atotal of five people had been transported to hospitals.

A friend of Zachary Barth, a staff member for Representative Roger Williams,Republican of Texas, posted a message from Mr. Barth on Facebook saying: “I gotshot this morning at the baseball fields. But I am in the hospital and ok. Thank youfor the thoughts and prayers.”

Matt Mika, 38, a former Congressional staffer and the director of governmentrelations for the Washington office of Tyson Foods, was wounded in the shooting,according to a spokesman for the company. “He has been taken to a local hospitaland we’re awaiting word on his condition,” a Tyson spokesman, Gary Mickelson,

6/14/2017 Steve Scalise Among 5 Shot at Baseball Field; Suspect Is Dead The New York Times

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/14/us/stevescalisecongressshotalexandriavirginia.html?_r=0 4/6

said in an email. “Matt has worked for Tyson Foods for more than six years and

we’re deeply concerned about him and his family.”

Representative Mo Brooks told CNN that

the gunman had said nothing as he opened fire. At least 50 shots were fired,congressional sources said.

Mr. Brooks said he had gone to the aid of one of the victims, using his belt as atourniquet to help stop the bleeding from a gunshot to his leg. He said it was abouttwo to five minutes before other officers arrived.

“My adrenaline is raging,” he told CNN. “It’s not easy to take when you seepeople around you being shot and you don’t have a weapon yourself.”

Mr. Scalise represents the First Congressional District of Louisiana, whichextends from the New Orleans suburbs.

Mr. Brooks said Mr. Scalise had dragged himself into the outfield to get awayfrom the gunman. “There is not a whole lot you can do,” he said. “It was emotionallydistressing to know the position he was in.”

He said the security officers were “screaming for reinforcements” and “itseemed like forever, but it was probably shorter than it was.”

Joseph Miscavige @JoeMiscavige

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6/14/2017 Steve Scalise Among 5 Shot at Baseball Field; Suspect Is Dead The New York Times

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The Alexandria police said the gunfire was reported at 7:09 a.m. and they werethere within three minutes.

Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona, speaking to reporters, said he heard a very loudshot and then a rapid succession of gunshots. He said that the man had dark hairand was wearing a blue shirt and jeans.

“It was obviously a large gauge rifle,” he said. People were hiding behind trees,getting on the ground or running. “Bullets were flying,” Mr. Flake said. “He had a lotof ammo.”

He added: “You’ve got to assume he knew what he was doing here. It is unclearwhether Steve Scalise was targeted.”

Mr. Flake said Mr. Scalise had “remained coherent” after being shot.

Gabrielle Giffords, a former member of Congress from Arizona, said on Twitter:“My heart is with my former colleagues, their families & staff, and the US CapitolPolice public servants and heroes today and every day.”

Ms. Giffords was a week into her third term as a United States representativewhen she was shot in the head at close range in a grocery store parking lot during ameeting with constituents on Jan. 8, 2011. The gunman killed six people and, asidefrom Ms. Giffords, injured 12 others.

“

Active shooter situation during this mornings trip tothe Y. Terrifying. Am ok. Sheltered in place & underlockdown.4:36 AM 14 Jun 2017

174 99

Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, a true friend andpatriot, was badly injured but will fully recover. Our

Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump

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6/14/2017 Steve Scalise Among 5 Shot at Baseball Field; Suspect Is Dead The New York Times

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Representative Jared Huffman said on Twitter that the Democratic baseballteam was practicing when its members heard the news. “We’re safe & with police,everyone praying for GOP colleagues, staff & Cap police,” he wrote.

Representative Peter King, a Republican from New York who was not there, saidit was fortunate there had been armed security at the field. “God knows what wouldhave happened if they weren’t there,” he said in a telephone interview.

Reporting was contributed by Avantika Chilkoti, Helene Cooper, Nicholas Fandos, JaceyFortin, Christine Hauser, Damon Darlin, Christopher Mele, Julie Hirschfeld Davis andEric Schmitt

Get politics and Washington news updates via Facebook, Twitter and in the MorningBriefing newsletter.

© 2017 The New York Times Company

thoughts and prayers are with him.5:48 AM 14 Jun 2017

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6/14/2017 Inland congressmen horrified by shooting at GOP baseball practice – Press Enterprise

http://www.pe.com/2017/06/14/inlandcongressmenhorrifiedbyshootingatgopbaseballpractice/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter 1/3

By JEFF HORSEMAN | jhorseman@scng.com | The Press-EnterprisePUBLISHED: June 14, 2017 at 8:22 am | UPDATED: June 14, 2017 at 8:33 am

A police office stands watch behind police tape near strewn baseballs on a field in Alexandria, Va., Wednesday, June 14, 2017, after a multipleshooting involving House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of La. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen) ORG XMIT: VACO118

Inland area members of Congress expressed horror and sympathy as they offered their prayers for colleagues and others wounded in

today’s shooting at a House GOP baseball practice.

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., was shot in the hip, and 툁ve people were transported to hospitals near Alexandria, Va., where a

man armed with a riퟏe opened 툁re.

“I’m horri툁ed by the attack at the Republican baseball practice this morning,” Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Redlands, said in a statement. “The

Congressional Baseball Game is a tradition that allows us to pause and put politics aside so we can come together to support a good cause

—it represents the very best of who we are. My thoughts and prayers are with Whip Steve Scalise.”

Scalise visited Riverside in 2012 to campaign for Riverside County Supervisor John Tavaglione, then a Republican candidate for Congress

against Democrat Mark Takano.

Inland Republicans do not appear to have been at the ballpark this morning.

Neither Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Corona, nor any of his staff were at the practice, said Calvert spokesman Jason Gagnon.

NEWSNATIONAL NEWS

Inland congressmen horri ed by shooting at GOPbaseball practice

6/14/2017 Inland congressmen horrified by shooting at GOP baseball practice – Press Enterprise

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Reps. Paul Cook, R-Yucca Valley, and Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, also represent parts of the Inland area.

Hunter was not there and neither were his staff, according to spokesman Joe Kasper. Cook’s spokesmen could not be immediately reached

for comment.

Aguilar and Raul Ruiz, D-La Quinta, have played in the game on the Democratic side.

The Washington Post identi툁ed the gunman as James T. Hodgkinson, who owns a home inspection business in Belleville, Ill.

Jeff_Horseman_mugx.jpgJeff HorsemanJeff Horseman got into journalism because he liked to write and stunk at math. He grew up in Vermont and he honed

his interviewing skills as a supermarket cashier by asking Bernie Sanders “Paper or plastic?” Aퟁer graduating from Syracuse Universityin 1999, Jeff began his journalistic odyssey at The Watertown Daily Times in upstate New York, where he impressed then-U.S. Senatecandidate Hillary Clinton so much she called him “John” at the end of an interview. From there, he went to Annapolis, Maryland, wherehe covered city, county and state government at The Capital newspaper before love and the quest for snowless winters took him in 2007to Southern California, where he started out covering Temecula for The Press-Enterprise. Today, Jeff writes about Riverside Countygovernment and regional politics. Along the way, Jeff has covered wild툁res, a tropical storm, 9/11 and the Dec. 2 terror attack in SanBernardino. If you have a question or story idea about politics or the inner workings of government, please let Jeff know. He’ll do hisbest to answer, even if it involves a little math.

Follow Jeff Horseman @JeffHorseman

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