Jeff Pelline's Sierra Foothills Report

Dear Friends:

May is National Preservation Month and this year’s theme is “Discover America’s Hidden Gems.” Communities from coast to coast are filled with unexplored historic treasures—and May’s the month to celebrate them! Reach out to a growing audience of neighbors, tourists, students and preservationists by promoting historic places in your community, and encourage newcomers to learn more about your local preservation programs. You can learn more at this website: http://www.preservationnation.org/take-action/preservation-month/

This Tuesday evening May 22 at 7:00 p.m. City of Grass Valley City Council will consider whether or not to protect all the lovely historical homes near the central downtown area. In Grass Valley we have one of the most unique collection of residential architectural styles including beautiful old Victorians, wonderful examples of the arts and crafts movement and even an old rammed earth home!! You can learn more about historic homes in Grass Valley by reading this article by Gwynn Waldsmith at: http://www.theunion.com/article/20100807/NEWS/100809813 . I love old houses because they add so much character to our community and protecting old houses helps to protect property values for us all !! I hope to see you at the City Council this Tuesday evening.

Tuesday, May 22 at 7:00, Council Chambers, 125 East Main Street, Grass Valley, CA 95945

Cheers,

Kateri Harrison

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I noticed this press release from “just say no” Dan’s office:

North State Assemblyman and Chief Republican Whip Dan Logue will announce at a press conference today that he has coauthored a bill to help save California’s state parks. The press conference will be held at 11 a.m. on the East Steps of the State Capitol to discuss the California Park Stewardship Act of 2012.

“I am proud to fight to keep state parks like Bidwell Mansion open for the public to enjoy,” said Logue. “These parks are a part of California’s rich history, and serve to remind us of the beauty of God’s creation and of our state’s great accomplishments. We cannot allow them to be lost.”

Assembly Bill 1589 (The California Park Stewardship Act of 2012) by Assemblyman Jared Huffman would require the Parks Department to work on finding an alternative before closing a park, and disclose to the public its reasoning to close down a certain park. The bill would also limit the number of parks that can be closed from 2012 to 2016 to no more than twenty-five, unless the Legislature specifically authorizes it.

The bill would also allow a park with extra money to share excess revenue with another park. Finally, in order to raise more funds, the bill would allow individuals to receive a tax deduction if they donate more than the cost of an annual park pass, and require the DMV to create a special license plate that honors California’s parks with sale proceeds going towards state parks.

“In these difficult economic times, there are certainly tough decisions that have to be made,” Logue added. “But I will do everything I can to ensure our parks stay open.”

AB 1589 is currently in the Assembly Appropriations Committee, and will be voted on later this week.

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“Facebook Inc. FB -11.30% shares plunged on their second day on the stock market, a black eye for all those involved with the social networking company going public,” the Wall Street Journal is reporting.

“‘The underwriters completely screwed this up,’ said Michael Pachter, analyst at Wedbush Securities. ‘This thing should have been half as big as it was, and it would have closed at $45.

“While investor enthusiasm early on was high for Facebook shares and while bankers on the deal increased the stock price and number of shares ahead of the offering, many observers questioned the valuation of more than $100 billion that was placed on the social network, where revenue and earnings growth were already beginning to slow.

“The shares fell 13.7% early Monday before pulling off the low.

“Facebook’s IPO priced at a level well-above where we foresaw compelling 12-month returns,” BTIG analyst Richard Greenfield said in a research note Monday. With revenue and earnings growth decelerating in 2012, “we find Facebook’s current valuation unappealing.”

The rest of the article is here.

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“The intensifying flood of uncapped donations to outside political groups is transforming not just campaigns but the entire business of politics,” as The New York Times writes this morning.

“Once seasonal affairs, campaigns from the presidential race down to House contests are becoming longer and more intense, driven by deep-pocketed donors eager to see incumbents pummeled throughout the political cycle. Decisions about attack ads and negative campaigning that once weighed on candidates are now made by consultants and donors with little or no accountability to the public.

“The transformation drew new attention last week with the revelation that Fred Davis, a prominent Republican advertising strategist, had sought financing from a conservative billionaire for a $10 million campaign linking President Obama with the fiery, race-infused sermons of the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., Mr. Obama’s former pastor. The proposal was condemned by, among others, Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign, which has been trying to keep the focus on the economy.”

“Amid the first presidential campaign since the Supreme Court opened the door for ‘super PACs’ and unlimited campaign spending, it is still unclear how voters will respond. But the political professionals who make a living from the billions of dollars spent each cycle on campaigns are quickly embracing the shift.”

The rest of the article is here.

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