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• Lodi City Council approves contracts

• Driver's death in Highway 12 crash considered suicide

• Salvation Army to cook senior meals for LOEL

• Chairman Mow

• Regional Roundup

• General Plan in front of public for more feedback

• Schools, county hit hard by state ruling to hold off on infrastructure projects

November 20th, 2009

• Acampo woman killed

• Salvation Army Kettle Kickoff

• Advocacy groups sue East Bay Municipal Utility District over Pardee expansion

• Regional Roundup

• Galt plans to help residents with energy-efficient projects

• Stable southeast of Lodi approved

• One year after a heart attack, Lodi's Judy Mims thanks rescuers

• National Guard troops return home in time for the holidays

• Real estate market gets on more solid ground

November 19th, 2009

• Lodi Unified School District board votes to cancel summer school for 2010

• Water surges in Mokelumne River yield more salmon

• Lodi City Council will consider redevelopment next June

• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22

• Corrections

• Chase ends in crash

• Operation: Christmas

• Logbook

• Suspect arrested after hiding in fridge

• Galt Joint Union High School Distric hires new superintendent

• Sales tax hike yields dividends: 5 new officers join Galt Police

November 18th, 2009

• Regional Roundup

• Paranormal group conducts second investigation of building

• Congress allocates money for local water projects

• Lodi man finds wife's ashes during police display of stolen property

• Galt City Council rejects study on rent stabilization

• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react

November 17th, 2009

• Clarification

• Lodi Budget and Finance Committee to look into ways to save money on employee benefits

• Regional Roundup

• Decision on summer school expected at tonight's Lodi Unified School District meeting

• Clements gets free water rescue boat

• Redevelopment to be discussed by Lodi City Council again

• Court reinstates death penalty for killer of Lodi grad

• Paying tribute to a Lodian

November 16th, 2009

• Correction

• Public Meetings

• Regional Roundup

• Three members of Lodi-area family fall ill after eating poisonous mushrooms they reportedly found at Lodi Lake

• Sierra Adventure store to close after four years in Downtown Lodi

• Lodi's First Sip event showcases area wineries' latest vintages

• City Council 'triple-dog dared' to ditch cars, use Lodi buses

November 14th, 2009

• Galt school district narrows superintendent search to one

• Regional Roundup

• A first look at 2009 vintages at Lodi's First Sip wine-tasting event

• Watchful neighbor in Lodi helped bust suspected burglars

• Despite budget cuts, some Lodi Unified School District salaries continue to rise

• Despite an increase in homeless students, school districts look to bolster enrollment, raise revenue

• New Galt city manager juggles job, family

November 13th, 2009

• What to expect with new homebuyer tax credit

• Lodi Muslim: Local mosque not involved

• Regional Roundup

• Mayor Larry Hansen points out Lodi's economic progress

• First phase of Lockeford park by 2011?

• Lodi veteran recounts close calls in Vietnam

• Burglary suspects are under arrest

The following stories have received the most reader comments during the last 7 days.

• The country's mess is our fault (147)
• Obama is not a moderate (130)
• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react (63)
• Despite budget cuts, some Lodi Unified School District salaries continue to rise (54)
• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22 (46)
• The haves should help the have-nots (30)
• Lodi Flames slim playoff chances vanish in setback to Tracy Bulldogs (25)
• Tokay in, traveling to unbeaten No. 3 Grant for football playoffs (25)
• Nightmares about America's future (22)
• Tokay Tigers blow late 27-point lead in loss to Wolf Pack (22)

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AB 1389, redevelopment and the state deficit

California legislators passed a bill, AB 1389, demanding all of the California Redevelopment Agencies (about 400 in number) submit 7.7 percent of their revenue to the Education Revenue Augmentation Fund to fund K-12 and community colleges. This bill will shift $350 million dollars from the RDAs to the state budget.

Some of the RDAs are listed as examples of public funds which the state demands by May of 2009: Alameda County — $1.8 million; Emeryville — $2.3 million; Galt — $230,000; Pittsburg — $3.6 million; Sacramento City — $3.5 million; San Mateo — $8.3 million; Santa Clara — $21.2 million; Stockton — $1.9 million; City of Lodi — ZERO. Failure to have these county treasurers write these checks to the state will result in the following penalties on the RDAs: to issue or no more bonds; to create no more project area; to stop any expansion of project areas. The California Redevelopment Association Lobby is suing the state claiming that this shift to education needs is unconstitutional.

Some authors feel that with a two thirds vote in the legislature, the state may tap a city's general fund, as was done eight times in the early 1990s. The question is, will the state take more in an attempt to balance its huge deficit?

Many of the RDAs are in turmoil, saying that they may have to scale back or scrap their entire redevelopment plans. Please note that because of the Lodi committee to oppose the flawed redevelopment laws, Lodi may have saved thousands or millions of dollars.

The citizens of the city of Lodi will vote on March 3 on whether or not they are ready for a Lodi Redevelopment Agency. The data shown is a matter of record from numerous newspaper articles and from your computer by raising the California Redevelopment Web sites.

James McCarty
Lodi