UPDATE – November 5, 2013 – Horizon Planet has now filed a lawsuit against the City of Tracy challenging the approval of the Cordes Ranch project. See the lawsuit here: Horizon Planet v. City of Tracy.

As indicated in the September 3, 2013 meeting minutes of the Tracy City Council, Horizon Planet submitted CEQA objections to the Final Environmental Impact Report at the last minute during the Planning Commission’s consideration of the project (forcing staff to review new documents during a break in the meeting), subsequently refused to discuss concerns with city staff, and continued to insist that it didn’t have enough time to review the project. A city council member claimed that the Horizon Planet complaint was “more economic than environmental.”

Authorities have uncovered new evidence proving that… Read More

Since 2009, the City of San Diego has been planning a major expansion of its downtown convention center. It is expected to cost $520 million, or more than $1 billion if interest payments to bond investors are included in the total cost.

The city’s downtown business and civic leaders are eager to expand the convention center to maintain trade shows such as Comic-Con and attract new trade shows.

That eagerness presented the devious union leaders of the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council with an opportunity to establish themselves as the chief opponents and obstacles to the proposed project. Opposition could be withdrawn – for a price.

After exploiting the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and filing a lawsuit to challenge the financing plan, unions were able to obtain several economic and political benefits through the office of former Mayor Jerry Sanders. In exchange for these payoffs, the unions withdraw their obstacles and committed to end their opposition and support the convention center expansion.

… Read More

Some residents of Kings County, California are waiting with trepidation for the June 6, 2013 California High-Speed Rail Authority board meeting.

At that meeting, the board will vote on its “Preferred California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Alignment and Station Locations for Inclusion in the Fresno to Bakersfield Final Environmental Report (FEIR).”

Farmers will finally know which fields the bullet train rail line will bisect. And residents will know which buildings the High-Speed Rail Authority will demolish to make way for the rail line, adjacent support infrastructure, and elevated embankments for road crossings.

One Kings County structure targeted for demolition has special economic significance, so much so that it’s hard to believe the California High-Speed Rail Authority isn’t conspiring to destroy the building as part of a grand plan to elevate California as the zenith of enlightened civilization.

If the board selects the initially-proposed and still-preferred “eastern route,” the bullet train line will take out the Baker Commodities rendering facility in Hanford. Or to quote one dumbfounded Kings County opponent of the rail… Read More

I’m still convinced that the business coalition supporting reform of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) made a strategic decision to join State Senator Michael Rubio (D-Bakersfield) in never addressing – or even acknowledging – how unions have perfected the widespread and pernicious abuse of CEQA to win labor agreements and block non-union competition.

If Republicans in the legislature buy into this strategy, www.FlashReport.org publisher Jon Fleischman will be right when he tweeted this prediction:

… Read More