San Bernardino Press MONDAY, JANUARY 19, 2015 - JANUARY 25, 2015
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Bullet-Train Between LA and SF Needed? SB Airport Official Says No By NICK KIPLEY When construction started on the 605 Freeway in 1963, the population of the entire State of California was roughly what the population of the Los Angeles mega-region is today; therefore, California’s freeway system now far exceeds the number of commuters it was originally planned for, even though it effectively connects our many different regions. Following the recent election, voters have demanded a greener future, allowing space for new arguments in California’s old transportation debate to take root. The old model of, “just build more highways,” doesn’t seem a viable and sustainable solution for the future. Part of Governor Jerry Brown’s vision of transportation reform for the state involves linking the Bay with the Basin via high-speed rail in order to not just take pressure off of the interstate system, but to unburden the short haul flight between L.A. and San Francisco —the busiest such flight nationwide. Part of the appeal of the high speed rail program seems
to be a cut back of the amount of new roads and runways that would have to be added in order to accommodate future growth. Rather than make, “everything all grey,” as Brown said in a recent speech, the Governor hopes that the rail line will provide a more efficient, greener, alternative to ones the state has depended upon in the past. Brown’s critics can’t see where the money for such a huge public work’s project will come from. Brown himself doesn’t seem to know; he admitted at the groundbreaking ceremony for the project in Fresno: “I wasn’t quite sure where the hell we were going to get the rest of the money.” He added, “But, don’t worry about it. We’re going to get it.” The bullet train will definitely be a relief for freeway traffic, but is it really needed to relieve surrounding airports from the LA – San Francisco flight? According to officials at John Wayne Airport, Bob Hope Airport, and San Bernardino International Airport, it is not. According to local airports,
military veteran in his 50s or 60s, came out of his home and started firing. He hit the truck three times, witnesses told the paper. Lieutenant Richard Lawhead of the San Bernardino Police Department told the Sun that no injuries were reported Please see page 2
Please see page 4
Gov. Jerry Brown - Photo by Terry Miller
their ability to handle passengers and air traffic effectively is secure: they certainly have the collective space to compensate travelers into the region until Brown can secure funding for the bullet-train. Victor Gill of Bob Hope Airport in Burbank claims that if airlines are able to keep their planes as busy as possible between LA and San Francisco, they would even cut flights elsewhere. Please see page 2
By Vickie Vértiz At about three in the afternoon on Sunday, police arrived on the 700 block of West 19th Street after several people called reporting gun shots fired, the Sun reported. According to the paper, several kids were in line waiting to buy ice cream at the truck, when the man, who was described as a
Significant Drops in Suspensions and Expulsions for Second Year in a Row State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today announced a dramatic 20 percent drop in the number of students expelled in 2013-14 and a 15.2 decline in the number of students suspended. This marks the second year in a row of declines in both areas. The new figures come at a time when the California Department of Education (CDE) is working with districts around the state to implement innovative programs that reduce suspensions and expulsions, including some known as “restorative justice.” “These numbers show that the work of the department, districts, teachers, parents, and students around the state is paying off by keeping more students in school and learning,” said Torlakson. “You can have the best facilities, the best teachers, and the best curriculum in the world, but none of that matters if students are not in school. That’s why we have put so much effort into increasing school attendance and reducing expulsions and suspensions and will continue to do so.” Statewide, 49,987 fewer students were suspended in 2013-14 compared to the year before, down 15.2 percent. The
Man Shoots Ice Cream Truck and Officers; Two Schools on Lockdown A man in San Bernardino barricaded himself inside his house for hours, creating a standoff that ended Sunday night. The house burst into flames and police then took the man into custody who was said to have shot at an ice cream truck and police officers, officials told the San Bernardino Sun.
VOLUME 2, NO. 3
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U.S. Ended 2014 With Lowest Unemployment Rate Since 2008; San Bernardino follows trend By Courtney Alexander The U.S. finished the year strong, with December bringing a six year low for unemployment of 5.6% according to statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. December was just the icing on the cake; this year being the best hiring year for the United States since 1999 Last month brought over 252,000 new jobs, making December the eleventh straight month of over 200,000 hires, the longest streak since 1994. October’s and November’s numbers were revised and higher than previously reported, up to +261,000 from +243,000 and up +353,000 plus +321,000 nonfarm jobs respectively, according to a report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 50,000 more workers were added to employers’ payrolls
during October and November than economists originally calculated. December’s 5.6% unemployment rate was down from November’s 5.8%. The U.S. hasn’t seen unemployment rates that low since June 2008. White House Council of Economic Advisors chairman, Jason Furman noted that the 1.2% drop in unemployment from 2013 to 2014 was the largest decrease since 1984. San Bernardino and Riverside County, and Rancho Cucamonga also followed that trend: Their most recent unemployment rates have been the lowest since the summer of 2008. That unemployment rate however, was in part, due to increasing numbers of people leaving the labor force, or the
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number of people outside of the military who are either working or looking for work. Even though employment grew by 111,000, the number of people who are unemployed fell by over three times that amount. Many of the people who left the labor force within the last 4 weeks just gave up on finding a job, therefore not qualifying them to be counted as “unemployed”, and instead making them “discouraged workers”. The number of dis-
couraged workers grew by 42,000 to 720,000 last month. Wages also fell 5 cents in December. “There's still no sign of wage acceleration. It leaves you scratching your head a little bit,” Stuart Hoffman, PNC Financial Services Group Chief Economist told CNN Money. Still, even with wages falling and increasing numbers of discouraged workers, this year, Please see page 3
Shooting; Schools on Lockdown Continued from page 1
because of the shooting. The man then barricaded himself inside his house, Officer Lawhead told the paper. Residents were removed from the surrounding area of the home, which was also near San Bernardino High School. The SWAT team from the Police Department was called to the house where the man was said to be alone. Lawhead told the paper that authorities “believed they knew who the man was and attempted to make contact with him throughout the afternoon and into the evening.” At approximately eight thirty at night, the man “allegedly stepped out of the home and opened fire on officers,” said the paper. Once again, the man did not injure anyone. The armored vehicle belonging to the department, however, was hit several times. Police assistance was called by the Sheriff in San Bernardino County, which the paper said “also deployed an armored vehicle to the scene.” At that point, authorities were getting ready to equip the vehicle to get into the house. The fire began in his home right after eleven that night, and
the San Bernardino Fire Department was called in for help. Half an hour later, an official from the Sheriff of San Bernardino County confirmed that the shooter had been arrested and taken into custody, said the Sun. The suspected gunman pleaded not guilty on Wednesday, January 13 to twelve counts of attempted murder and other charges in a San Bernardino Superior Court, said the paper. According to the Sun, the District Attorney charged Terry Dean McKinney, 59, of San Bernardino with seven “counts of attempted murder, five counts of attempting to murder a police officer, shooting at an occupied vehicle and resisting an executive officer, according to court records.” The paper added that the last name of the defendant was spelled McKinney on the complaint filed by the DA, but, the suspect was booked under McKinny. The Sun spoke to a police spokesman said he through “McKinny” was what was on license of the suspect. The name of the suspect was spelled both ways in other public records the paper researched.
JANUARY 19, 2015 - JANUARY 25, 2015 | 3
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Unemployment Rate Continued from page 2
and December especially, has brought signs of a recovering US economy. Between January 2008 and February 2010, the US lost 8.7 million jobs. According to the December Bureau of Labor Statistics report, there are now almost 2 million more people employed than there were in 2008. This job growth has happened across multiple sectors. Health care employment was increased by 34,000 last month, with an average growth rate of 24,000 jobs per month in 2014 compared with 17,000 per month in 2013. Construction jobs in December increased by 48,000, “well above the employment gains in recent months.” according to the BLS report. And despite oil prices dropping from $100 a barrel in the summer to less than $50 now, employment in the oil and gas sectors increased, albeit less in December than in previous months. The increased number of energy sector workers despite the oil crisis is “a testament to the underlying health of the U.S. economy” according to Sal Guatieri, senior economist at BMO Capital Markets. In November, California had the highest over the month increase in employment of any state, adding over 90,000 jobs, followed by Florida, adding almost 42,000, and Texas, adding almost 35,000 jobs. As of November, California’s unemployment rate is at 7.2%, down 0.1% from the previous month, and the lowest rate since June 2008. From October 2014 to November 2014, Los Angeles County added 29,400 nonfarm jobs to total 4,253,900, and had a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 8%, a drop from 9.4% in November of 2013. While hurdles remain, recent trends show a positive outlook for the US workforce.
Bullet-Train Needed? Continued from page 1
Jenny Wedge, spokesperson from John Wayne Airport, said that the Orange County airport was experiencing steady growth. Due to an old legislature however, flights are banned at certain times of night and there is a cap on the number of passengers and heavy airline flights a day. The cap currently stands at 9.95 million passengers and 85 “Class A,” heavy airline departures per day. Every five years the cap rises by approximately a million passengers until it hits its limit 2030, when the maximum of 95 heavy flights 12.5 million passengers is reached. The legislature is then set to expire in 2030, about the estimated time the bullet train would be completed. San Bernardino International
Airport (SBDIA) has just undergone extensive remodeling adding domestic, international, and executive terminals and a fuel depot system called, “Luxivair,” which Mark Gibbs of SBDIA calls, “a high tech gas station.” As part of the FAA’s National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems, SBDIA is the alreadyexisting, “future growth,” that Jerry Brown claims, “will make everything grey.” The facilities were built debt free, which means the airport can pass that savings on to prospective airlines. SBDIA is big enough to handle the jumbo jet class, or “Group 5,” aircraft, which means that flights can depart to anywhere in the immediate hemisphere—or anywhere in the state.
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Significant Drops in Suspensions and Expulsions Continued from page 1
suspension rate is 4.4 percent, down 0.7 of a percentage point from the year before. Similarly, 1,655 fewer students were expelled in 2013-14 compared to the year before, down 20 percent. The expulsion rate remains at 0.1 percent because the overall numbers are relatively small. To reduce the number of expulsions and suspensions, the
CDE has taken several steps, including hosting a forum and workshops, and posting Behavioral Intervention Strategies and Supports. In addition, the CDE has worked with several education groups to develop restorative justice programs that promote respect, taking responsibility, and strengthening relationships. Before such programs
Students Return 40 Years Later to Honor Teachers On January 23, 2015 two events will take place to celebrate local teachers for outstanding service, by students they taught over 40 years ago. 9:30-10:30 am at Manuel A. Salinas Elementary School, 2699 N. California Street, the “Mrs. Willie Maude James Award Assembly” will honor Mrs. Willie James for over 30 years of service in the San Bernardino School District. Over 40 years’ as a Sunday School Teacher and impacting children’s lives in the community. Proclamations will be presented by elected officials. 12:00-2pm at the Days Inn, 2000 Ostrems Way, at the “Honoring our Commu-
nity Hero’s Luncheon” eleven teachers and community leaders will be honored for their dedicated community service. Internationally acclaimed Master Artist Charles Bibbs will unveil featured artwork during luncheon. Charles Bibbs’ work is displayed in museums and galleries across America. Students who once attended schools in the San Bernardino area, formed the California School Alumni to begin a tradition of honoring teachers and community leaders who are making a difference. The events are also sponsored by Vision Theatrical Foundation Inc. and Manuel A. Salinas Elementary School.
were implemented, the greatest percentage of students suspended or expelled was for “willful defiance.” For the second year in a row, the highest percentage declines came under this category. Last year, 261 fewer students were expelled for defiance-related offenses, down 47.7 percent from the year before. Another 76,296 fewer students were suspended for defiance-related offenses, down 28.9 percent from the year before. Willful defiance became identified with the problem of high rates of expulsions and suspensions after the CDE reported a high number of minority students were suspended for this cause. Those figures helped spur the passage of Assembly Bill 420, supported by the CDE and sponsored by former Assembly member Roger Dickinson. The bill, signed into law last year, limits suspensions and expulsions for disruptive behavior in certain grades. Suspensions for more serious federal offenses were down by thousands among every student subgroup. However, a disparity remains among African-American students’ rates of suspension, which were relatively unchanged from the year before. African-American students are 6.2 percent of total enrollment, but make up 16.4 percent of students suspended, up 0.2 of a percentage point from the year before. White students are 25 percent of total enrollment, but make up 20.6 percent of students suspended, down 0.3 of a percentage point from the year before. Hispanic students are 53.3 percent of total enrollment, but make up 54.7 percent of suspensions, up 0.1 of a percentage point from the year before. This is the second year of declines. Between 2011-12 and 2012-13, the number of expulsions dropped 13.5 percent, while the number of suspen-
Tom Torlakson
-Photo by Terry Miller
sions decreased 10.2 percent. Data collected through the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) enabled the CDE to report detailed data for the third year in a row. Prior to the collection of these data in CALPADS, they were collected differently as aggregate counts, so the 2013-14 data may only be compared to the two prior years and cannot be compared accurately to prior years’ suspension and expulsion data. The data presented here were for “unduplicated” counts of students suspended or expelled. This means although a student may have been suspended or expelled more than once, each student was only counted once. The suspension and expulsion data are available on the CDE’s DataQuest. Downloadable data files are available at the CDE’s Expulsion and Suspension Data Web page. Truancy data are collected through the California Basic Educational Data System Online Reporting Application and are still being tabulated.