Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Newsom’s New California Homelessness Plan Leaves Out Some Important Details

By Dan Walters, CALMATTERS

Let’s assume that there’s a theoretical problem that needs to be addressed with a plan of action. Logically, such a plan would define the problem, declare what goals must be reached, list actions to reach the goals and, most importantly, identify the necessary logistical and financial tools required.

Humankind’s many armed conflicts have proven that plans lacking all of those elements often fail.

The allied invasion to end Nazi domination of Europe on D-Day, June 6, 1944, is a spectacular example of a meticulously detailed action plan that worked brilliantly. Conversely, the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union ultimately failed because its planners underestimated the opposition and failed to account for how the German army could be supplied, particularly during the harsh Russian winter.

California’s most stubborn crisis, one that looms large in the minds of taxpayers and voters, is the state’s worst-in-the-nation level of homelessness. Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislators have spent many billions of dollars on homelessness,

Wednesday, March 19, 2025

State Attorney General Bonta Warns of Fake ICE Officers and Other Immigration Scams

CITY NEWS SERVICE

State law enforcement officials are warning Californians Wednesday to take steps to protect themselves amid new reports of individuals impersonating U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement officers and other immigration scams.

In recent months, California Attorney General Rob Bonta has issued ways to help California immigrants better understand their rights and protections under the law and assist law enforcement, prosecutors and public institutions in complying with state law.

Bonta warned that as scammers and other bad actors seek to capitalize “on the fear and uncertainty created by the Trump Administration’s racist rhetoric and destructive immigration policies,” Californians should know it is a crime to impersonate a federal officer. He said he wanted to encourage everyone to know their rights under the law and take steps to protect themselves from scams.

The full set of guidance, many available in multiple languages, can be accessed at oag.ca.gov/immigrant/resources.

“We have received reports of individuals looking to take advantage of the fear and uncertainty created by President Trump’s inhumane mass deportation policies,”

Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Two Altadena Water Districts Lift “Do Not Drink” Orders, But One Remains Off Limits

Two major water providers in Altadena have lifted their “Do Not Drink” orders, allowing thousands of local residents to safely use their tap water again following the Eaton Fire that devastated most of the town earlier this year.

During the March 17 Altadena Community Meeting, officials from several local water districts shared updates on the status of drinking water safety throughout the area.

Jennifer Betancourt Torres, General Manager of Lincoln Avenue Water Company, announced that as of last Thursday, March 13th, the “Do Not Drink” order has been lifted for their entire service area.

“Residents within the Lincoln Service area may now safely resume use of their tap water for drinking and all of the purposes,” Betancourt Torres said during the meeting.

Armando De La Paz, Assistant General Manager of Rubio Cañon Land & Water Association, delivered similar good news, stating their system is now entirely potable after receiving clearance from authorities on Monday.

“We are also happy to report we received our lift for our Marine Corps on Monday month,

Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Altadena Debris Removal Effort Continues as Right Of Entry Deadline Approaches

By ANDRÈ COLEMAN, Managing Editor

The Department of Public Works provided an update on the ongoing debris removal efforts in Altadena during a community meeting on Monday.

According to Chris Shepherd, an engineer with the department, 8,854 Right of Entry (ROE) submissions have been collected to date. Of those, 5,177 have been processed and sent to the Army Corps of Engineers for debris removal operations.

For the Altadena area specifically, Shepherd reported 5,087 ROE submissions, with 3,080 of them already transmitted to the Army Corps for cleanup. The department is processing hundreds of ROEs daily and transmitting over 200 each day, ensuring that the cleanup continues at a steady pace.

“We continue to put a lot of resources into this effort,” Shepherd said. “We’re reviewing hundreds of ROEs per day and we’re transmitting ROEs at a rate of over 200 ROEs per day over to the Army Corps for cleanup and continue to work through that.”

The Army Corps of Engineers has significantly expanded its debris removal efforts in the Eaton footprint,

Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Investigation into Power Line as Possible Cause of Eaton Fire Ramps Up

STAFF REPORT

After initially claiming there was no evidence its equipment was at fault in the Eaton Wildfire that left more than a dozen people dead, Southern California Edison (SCE) is now investigating one of its power lines as the possible origin of the blaze.

The utility is checking a “zombie” power line. According to SCE spokesperson Kathleen Dunleavy, zombie power lines are no longer energized.

The fire, which broke out in early January, was driven by intense winds and killed 17 people, destroyed 9,000 structures in Altadena and Pasadena, and burned more than 14,000 acres.

At least two videos appear to show sparks coming from the power line, and then the fire breaking out on the hillside in Eaton Canyon.

At least 50 law firms appeared in court on Monday, representing Altadena and Pasadena residents who have filed lawsuits against Edison. The City and the Pasadena Unified School District have also filed lawsuits.

SCE is gathering evidence and inspecting its equipment in the area where the fire started.

Tuesday, March 18, 2025

LA County Assessor Outlines Tax Relief For Eaton Fire Victims

County’s “Misfortune and Calamity” program allows homeowners to maintain tax base while rebuilding

Los Angeles County Assessor Jeff Prang presented detailed information about property tax relief programs available to Eaton Fire victims at Monday’s Pasadena City Council meeting. The programs aim to help affected property owners maintain their tax base and receive lower property tax bills until they rebuild their homes.

“If your home is destroyed, land is worth 50% of the value, we will zero out the value on the improvements. You’ll get a lower tax bill until you begin to rebuild your home,” Prang explained in his presentation to the council.

Prang highlighted the “Misfortune and Calamity” tax relief program as the primary resource for fire victims. To qualify, property damage must exceed $10,000 (including smoke damage) and claims must be filed within 12 months of the fire date, though Prang mentioned he is sponsoring legislation to extend this period to 24 months.

The assessor addressed a significant challenge with the January 1st lien date for assessments,

Tuesday, March 18, 2025

Court Hearing Today for Woman Convicted in Fatal Altadena Shooting

2012 murder case involved dispute over a 4-year-old child

A hearing is scheduled Tuesday, March 18 for Mesha Arshaz Dean, who was convicted of fatally shooting a man during a confrontation over his 4-year-old nephew in Altadena.

The hearing will take place at 8:30 a.m. in Department 110 of the Criminal Courts Building in downtown Los Angeles.

Dean was convicted in March 2012 of second-degree murder, kidnapping and child endangerment in the March 18, 2007, shooting death of Monroe “Monty” Miles. She was sentenced to 49 years and four months-to-life in state prison.

According to court records, Dean and her girlfriend, Vanessa Marie Ochoa, traveled from Nevada to California to take Ochoa’s son from his father’s home without permission. Ochoa had previously left her son with his father while establishing a new life in Nevada. Miles, the boy’s uncle who had been caring for the child while his father was away, attempted to stop them.

Prosecutors said Dean and Ochoa had planned to take the child by force if necessary,

Tuesday, March 18, 2025

California’s Medi-Cal Shortfall Hits $6.2 Billion with ‘Unprecedented’ Cost Increases

By Ana B. Ibarra, CALMATTERS

The hole in California’s Medi-Cal budget seems to be bigger than what state officials reported just last week.

California health care officials told the Legislature on Monday that the state will need another $2.8 billion to be able to pay Medi-Cal providers through the end of the fiscal year.

That’s on top of a $3.4 billion loan that the administration told lawmakers last week it needed to make “critical” payments for Medi-Cal, the state-federal health insurance program for low-income people.

Combined, that’s $6.2 billion in spending above what was projected in the budget Gov. Gavin Newsom signed last summer. Almost 15 million Californians have health care coverage through Medi-Cal, also known as Medicaid.

“With the loan and these additional funds, the administration anticipates being able to manage expenditures for the remainder of the current year,” said Michelle Bass, director of the Department of Health Care Services, which oversees Medi-Cal.

Tuesday, March 18, 2025

‘Quiet Panic’ as National Rental Assistance Program Set to Run Out of Cash

By Ben Christopher, CALMATTERS

[Editor’s Note: The Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) program, which provides housing assistance to vulnerable populations, is administered locally by the City of  Pasadena’s Department of Housing.]

A $5 billion pot of federal money set aside to help people on the verge of homelessness pay the rent is running out of cash — and no one has a plan to keep the roughly 60,000 renters, more than 15,000 of them in California — from losing their housing after the last dollar is spent.

News of the imminent expiration of the Emergency Housing Voucher program came in a March 6 letter the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development sent to local public housing authorities, the agencies that administer federal rental housing assistance programs.

A final payment this spring may allow some agencies to keep their emergency programs running into 2026, the letter reads. But housing authorities were advised to move forward with “the expectation that no additional funding from HUD will be forthcoming.”

For the housing authority staff who received the letter,

Tuesday, March 18, 2025

Report: California Construction Sector Loses Most Jobs in Nation in 2024

CITY NEWS SERVICE | PASADENA NOW CONTRIBUTED TO THIS STORY

Ironically, California lost the most construction jobs in the nation last year, according to a report issued Monday by the Associated General Contractors of America. The Eaton Fire recovery may change the 2025 outlook.

From January 2024 to January 2025, the state lost 27,600 jobs or 3% of its construction work sector, AGC reported.

New York followed with 11,700 jobs lost, Arizona with 7,700 and Massachusetts with 6,700.

“While two-thirds of the states added construction jobs over the past year, gains were much less widespread recently,” Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist, said in a statement. “Some of the job losses in January may be due to bad weather, but many owners have paused projects in the face of rising uncertainty about funding and tariffs.”

AGC officials urged the Trump administration to quickly resolve the underlying disputes prompting many of the proposed and put-in-place tariffs on products,