The first quarter of 2014 was not a time of swelling campaign accounts, but if campaign funding were the equivalent of votes, Congressman Dr. Paul Ruiz has an overwhelming lead in his first re-election campaign. During the first quarter of 2014, the Democrat added nearly $400,000 to his cash coffers, ending the quarter with more…

Last Tuesday, Gov. Jerry Brown gave the California Department of Parks and Recreation several early Christmas gifts when he signed Assembly bills 1478 and 1589. Most importantly, AB 1478 prohibits the governor or the Department of Parks and Recreation from closing, or even proposing the closure, of any state park this fiscal year or next…

Last week, the Natural Resources Conservation Service announced its has financial assistance for private landowners in California affected by wildfires in the last 18 months who want to implement conservation practices. The funding comes from NRCS’s Catastrophic Fire Recovery Initiative, part of its Environmental Quality Incentives Program. Applications for this initiative can be submitted for…