State contractors license board orders 10 to court after Merced sting operation - Merced Sun-Star
SACRAMENTO – The Contractors State License Board’s (CSLB) Central Statewide Investigative Fraud Team (SWIFT) conducted an undercover sting at a Merced home Aug. 25 and issued notices to 10 people to appear in court and Stop Orders to those contracting for home improvement projects without a state contractor license or workers’ compensation insurance.
Both are required by state law to ensure consumer and employee protection. The Merced County District Attorney’s Office assisted Central SWIFT in the operation.
During the operation, according to a news release from the state agency, Central SWIFT made use of CSLB’s newly granted authority to issue stop work orders to unlicensed and licensed contractors who do not have workers’ compensation insurance for employees.
California Labor Code requires that each employee be covered by a workers’ compensation insurance policy, and CSLB requires this to maintain a contractor license in “good standing.” This employee insurance coverage also protects homeowners from liability if a worker is injured on their property. CSLB issued five Stop Orders during the Merced operation and has issued 69 such orders since the law took effect in January.
State contractors license board orders 10 to court after Merced sting operation - Merced Sun-Star
Pamplona-style bull run to go ahead in Ariz. town, organizer says - msnbc.com
A Pamplona-style running of the bulls event is to be held in a suburb of Phoenix, the event promoter said Monday, despite the revocation of its permit by town officials.
Phil Immordino told msnbc.com that six or seven runs would take place on Oct. 14 and 15 in Cave Creek on private property, and dismissed the town's decision to withdraw the special event permit as simply a way to prevent someone from suing it for any injuries sustained.
The Arizona Republic newspaper reported that the town wanted $3 million in insurance for the "Running of the Bulls Festival," while Immordino said he would only provide $2 million in coverage.
The event has been held three times in the United States before, in Mesquite, Nevada, in 1998 and 1999 and Rawhide, Arizona, in 2002, Immordino told msnbc.com by telephone.
Pamplona-style bull run to go ahead in Ariz. town, organizer says - msnbc.com
2011 MLS Power Rankings: Week 24 - Bleacher Report
The 2011 Atlantic hurricane season got into full swing this past week with Irene making landfall, not only wreaking havoc physically, but also wreaking havoc on the 2011 Major League Soccer schedule.
Unless a miracle happens in the East, the 2011 Supporters Shield winner will come from the MLS Western Conference. Four teams have a strong case at laying claim to this trophy. All four sit at the top of this week's MLS Power Rankings, led by the high-flying Seattle Sounders.
Back in league play, Toronto drew 1-1 with the San Jose Earthquakes at BMO Field. Eric Avila scored his second goal of the season and first with the Reds in the 33rd minute of play.
Back in league play, Toronto drew 1-1 with the San Jose Earthquakes at BMO Field. Eric Avila scored his second goal of the season and first with the Reds in the 33rd minute of play. "In the end when you get only one point instead of three points its not good and the way we get the goal against, in three days exactly the same situation," Winter told torontofc.ca's Asif Hossain .
2011 MLS Power Rankings: Week 24 - Bleacher Report
Keane Makes Instant Impact - Examiner.com
Robbie Keane scored a goal in the 21st minute to lead the Galaxy to a 2-0 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes. Mike Magee provided an insurance goal in the 90th minute to secure the victory.
Robbie Keane scored a goal when David Beckham took a quick restart at midfield and played a ball over the top. Keane was lurking just along the Earthquake backline, he feigned the keeper who came out to stop a chip attempt and let the ball roll past him and then slotted home the ball to give the Galaxy the lead.
Mike Magee came in as a substitute for Robbie Keane in the 72nd minute. He was able to double the lead after a Miguel Lopez shot was blocked, Lopez headed the ball to Donovan who sent it wide to Sean Franklin. Franklin then played a ball across the ground right to the edge of the six-yard box where Magee was able to beat the Earthquake keeper to the ball and knock it in the back of the net. Magee’s goal is his second in two games and is his second huge contribution to a Galaxy result against the Earthquakes after he played goalie for 47 minutes and won MLS Player and Save of the week in the team’s first matchup this season.
Robbie Keane started the game two days after he signed with the team and after only one practice. He provided a very high work rate at the top of the Galaxy formation. He worked hard to help out defensively and combined well early in the game. The Galaxy played a fantastic first 25 minutes of the game. The team had some great combinations, they were unable to put any shots on goal save for the goal, but they put themselves in great positions and not for a couple of close offside calls the team would have had a couple goal lead.
Keane Makes Instant Impact - Examiner.com
Blaze ruin Zito’s rehab start, top Giants 4-2 - Examiner.com
The Bakersfield Blaze greeted former 20-game winner and 2002 American League Cy Young Award winner Barry Zito rudely on Monday, putting up two runs on three hits in the top of the first en route to a 4-2 victory over the San Jose Giants. The Blaze's opening frame was highlighted by Brodie Greene's two-run home run, his 12th of the season. Zito rebounded quickly, keeping the Blaze hitters off balance by utilizing his off-speed repertoire early in the count. He allowed just one run on four hits while striking out seven in the remainder of his 7 2/3 innings of work. However, he was saddled with the loss as Bakersfield starter Tim Crabbe held the San Jose lineup in check for much of the evening. Crabbe pitched six shutout innings and struck out eight to earn the win.
Zito's loss was the first of his career in the California League dating back to when he came up with the then-Visalia Oaks in the Oakland A's organization in 1999. Between his time in Visalia and his two previous rehab starts with San Jose earlier this year, Zito entered Monday's game with an all-time record of 5-0 with a 2.33 ERA in California League play. In addition, he had compiled an impressive strikeout-to-walk ratio of nearly 3-to-1 (74 K, 25 BB).
The Giants would not score until the bottom of the seventh, although they had plenty of chances to put runs on the board and help put Zito into a position for the win. San Jose stranded a runner at third base to end an inning four times on Monday. Regardless, Zito kept the Blaze lineup guessing, and for several innings he and Crabbe built a formidable pitcher's duel.
Before San Jose could get its first run across, Bakersfield added on to Greene's home run with a run in the top of the sixth. Devin Lohman's double to center provided a two-out spark for the Blaze, and Jorge Jimenez's base hit to center allowed Lohman to slide in at home just beneath the tag of Giants catcher Tommy Joseph. Jimenez's RBI gave Bakersfield a 3-0 lead.
Blaze ruin Zito's rehab start, top Giants 4-2 - Examiner.com
End the wars! Tax the rich! - Fight Back! Newspaper
San José, CA - The recent federal debt limit deal passed by the House and Senate and signed into law by president Obama promises at least $2.1 trillion in spending cuts and lower interest payments over the next ten years. This deal did not include any savings from ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, or from restoring higher taxes for the rich. It was a victory for the Tea Party-backed Republicans and benefits the rich and Wall Street. At the same time programs serving poor and working people will be the target for cuts and the deal opens the door for cuts in Social Security and Medicare.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan could cost more than $1.5 trillion over the next ten years. The Bush tax cuts for the rich will cost about $600 billion dollars over the same period of time. Ending the wars and restoring the taxes on the rich would save more than $2 trillion, and, including savings from lower interest payments, would save about $2.6 trillion, more than the recent debt limit deal.
Let’s be clear. The real issue is not the deficit, it is about keeping taxes low for the rich and continuing to fund our present and future wars, while cutting programs that serve poor and working people. Social Security and Medicare did not cause the federal debt. In fact ever since the FICA payroll tax that pays for Social Security and Medicare was raised in the 1980s, these two programs have run surpluses and have helped to pay for the wars and tax cuts for the rich.
Half of all workers have no private pension plans, so Social Security is their only guarantee of income security when they retire. For more than a quarter of seniors who are lower-income, Social Security provides over 90% of their retirement income. About 40% of seniors have no private health insurance, and would suffer the most from any cuts in the Medicare.
End the wars! Tax the rich! - Fight Back! Newspaper
Experts suspect real estate fraud in Royal Palm Beach - WPTV
ROYAL PALM BEACH, Fla. - The neatly kept Kensington condominiums, fronted by a fountain, guard house and regal name, hold on to a pretense of Wellington wealth.
But past the empty guard shack and through the long-broken electronic entry gates, bank notices are taped to abandoned units - scarlet letters of fiscal failure.
A Palm Beach Post investigation of the 167-unit complex found evidence of straw buyers, value manipulation and fabricated documents. Questionable transactions by a title company and lender with several Kensington deals can explain at least of part of the neighborhood's staggering 73 percent foreclosure rate.
A South Florida title agency that despite mounting consumer complaints, a 2009 fraud judgment against it and suspension by its underwriter, escaped state discipline until December 2010. Choice Title of South Florida imploded on its own well before the state moved to shut it down. The company's former president, who is still licensed in Florida, recently advertised for mortgage brokers and loan officers on her Facebook page.
Experts suspect real estate fraud in Royal Palm Beach - WPTV
B-Line Body Shop San Jose Offers Advice on Keeping the Showroom Shine - San Francisco Chronicle (press release)
San Jose's collision repair expert, B-Line Body Shop is offering expert advice on how to maintain a car and keep it looking clean and fresh. Even brand new vehicles will see the luster and brightness of its paint scheme wear off, but with proper care and maintenance, a vehicle owner can keep their car looking great for longer.
Many factors can cause a vehicle to lose its sharp paint color, such as debris from the roads and weather conditions that deposit dirt that can etch into the paint if not removed in a timely matter. A combination of dirt, sulphur-dioxide, dampness, and the effect of sunlight attacks the paint coat if it is not sealed with a water and dirt repellant film.
Many factors can cause a vehicle to lose its sharp paint color, such as debris from the roads and weather conditions that deposit dirt that can etch into the paint if not removed in a timely matter. A combination of dirt, sulphur-dioxide, dampness, and the effect of sunlight attacks the paint coat if it is not sealed with a water and dirt repellant film. "Restoring a vehicle back to factory conditions is what B-Line Body Shop does. If you find that your vehicle's paint is not up to your standards, stop by so our expert staff can identify the problem. It may be a simple polish of a panel or the panel may need to be stripped and refinished. Either way, our expert staff is ready to help restore your vehicle to looking like new," said Michael Avery of B Line Body Shop.
To keep the finish of the vehicle looking brand new, start by spraying down the car with plenty of water to remove all dirt particles that can scratch the finish during washing. Never use unsuitable cleaning materials that contain abrasive components or chemical substances, such as rubbing compounds that can damage the finish. Be prepared to do regular washing of the finish to help avoid scratches from occurring.
B-Line Body Shop San Jose Offers Advice on Keeping the Showroom Shine - San Francisco Chronicle (press release)
Recap: Chivas USA get big 2-0 win over San Jose - Major League Soccer
CARSON, Calif. — Ben Zemanski and Nick LaBrocca provided the action as Chivas USA snapped their four-game winless streak with a 2-0 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes at The Home Depot Center on Wedensday night.
Zemanski's rocket from distance gave the Rojiblancos the lead midway through the second half, and LaBrocca scored the insurance goal with six minutes remaining to help his team tie San Jose in the Western Conference.
Chivas USA controlled wide stretches of what was initially a plodding game. Justin Braun nearly put the Rojiblancos up in the 16th minute, when he broke past an Earthquakes defender but fired a shot that was easily saved by Jon Busch.
San Jose capped off a half in which both teams struggled to score with a Steven Lenhart chance that just went wide of the far post in the 42nd minute.
Recap: Chivas USA get big 2-0 win over San Jose - Major League Soccer
Giants lose third straight in error-filled game - Examiner.com
Downright ugly is about the only way to describe Saturday's game between the San Jose Giants and Stockton Ports, which the Ports won, 9-7. In a game that featured a combined eight errors (five for San Jose, three for Stockton), two wild pitches (both Stockton) and a balk (Stockton), only 12 of the 16 runs scored were charged as earned runs to pitchers. The Ports' victory was their 11th in a row and third consecutive over the Giants. Meanwhile, San Jose is in the midst of its second three-game losing streak of the season, and its first at home. With only Sunday's game remaining in the series, San Jose will drop just its third series of 2011. However, a win is imperative for the Giants in order to avoid being swept for the first time this year.
Compounding the multitude of errors were the 19 hits Stockton put up against San Jose pitching. Every batter in the Ports' lineup recorded at least two hits except for Rashun Dixon, who was 0-for-5. Of the eight batters who had a multi-hit game, three collected three hits apiece.
Giants starter Kelvin Marte was roughed up to the tune of six runs on 12 hits through five innings. Marte is currently in a stretch where he is 0-2 with a 5.09 ERA in his last four starts, with his last win coming May 26 at Bakersfield. But it was reliever Jake Dunning who took the loss, as San Jose tied the game in the fifth before Dunning relinquished the lead in the top of the sixth. Ports reliever Scott Deal earned the win, despite throwing both of Stockton's wild pitches on the night.
James Simmons produced the first run of the game for San Jose in the bottom of the second. He legged out a triple off of the center field wall, and was then awarded home when Michael Choice's throw from center went awry and bounced out of play. Simmons was given the extra base to put the Giants ahead, 1-0.
Giants lose third straight in error-filled game - Examiner.com