Articles

School Plan for Williamson Act Land Creates Conflict
School Plan for Williamson Act Land Creates Conflict

Aug 1, 1998

Morris Newman, Vol. 13 No. 08 Aug 1998

A proposal to build a high school on farmland under Williamson Act protection has set off fireworks between local farmers and the school district in San Luis Obispo County. "This is the first time that we have seen such a controversy" over a public benefit acquisition of Williamson Act land, said Will Dale, staff attorney for the state Department of Conservation. Notwithstanding, the furor may presage similar conflicts as the agendas of farmland preservation and school construction crash head o...
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Hooray for Hollywood
Hooray for Hollywood

Jul 1, 1998

Morris Newman, Places, Vol. 13 No. 07 Jul 1998

The notion of the "background building" is one of those profound concepts that was startling when first introduced in the 1960s (by Robert Venturi, I think) and now seems so commonsensical that we might assume the idea had always existed. The basic idea is simple: Some buildings are "stars" and should stand out, while other buildings are merely supporting players. The distinction between foreground and background buildings is not value-laden; foreground buildings are not necessarily better or mo...
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Wasco Narrowly Averts Marks-Roos Bankruptcy
Wasco Narrowly Averts Marks-Roos Bankruptcy

Jul 1, 1998

Economic Development, Morris Newman, Vol. 13 No. 07 Jul 1998

The City of Wasco in Kern County is trying to stave off municipal bankruptcy as a result of a series of problems with Marks-Roos and other bonds. The possibility of bankruptcy compounds the legal and financial problems facing the city, including a "cease-and-desist" order in May from the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission which bans the agencies from issuing further bonds. Wasco was one of three California municipalities, including the City of Ione and Nevada County, to consent to the cease-and-...
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The Prop. 13 Deal
The Prop. 13 Deal

Jun 1, 1998

Deals, Morris Newman, Vol. 13 No. 06 Jun 1998

Proposition 13's legacy to California cities has been a destructive one. One ill effect of the tax-revenue shortfall has been the construction of many unnecessary office buildings, hotels, and shopping malls - all intended by local governments as a means to recapture lost revenues. The result has been overbuilding, a weakening of the real estate market, and regional competition where there might otherwise have been cooperation. All this is well known. But if, by some imaginary power, we had the p...
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Deal is Close on Citrus Heights Case
Deal is Close on Citrus Heights Case

Jun 1, 1998

Local Watch, Morris Newman, Vol. 13 No. 06 Jun 1998

The end of the decade-long battle between the City of Citrus Heights and Sacramento County may be soon approaching, if the city and the county can agree to a new formula under which the city will make annual payments to the county. The negotiations underscore the confusion and acrimony created by the 1992 law which requires cities to make tax revenue payments to counties under the doctrine of "revenue neutrality." In early 1996, Citrus Heights was scheduled to make the first of 25 annual payments...
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Amid a Crowd of Imitators, Can Hollywood Stage a Comeback?
Amid a Crowd of Imitators, Can Hollywood Stage a Comeback?

Nov 1, 1990

Deals, Morris Newman, Vol. 05 No. 11 Nov 1990

It's the archetypal Hollywood tourist scene. Visitors compare their handprints with those of stars at the Chinese Theater. They gawk at a premiere at the El Capitan. They point to names lit up on neon marquees, and recite the names enshrined in terrazzo on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

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