A Los Angeles Times analysis of fire inspection reports “show that personnel from the department’s Bureau of Fire Prevention and Public Safety have been falling behind in their efforts to flag hazards such as inoperable sprinkler systems, illegally stored hazardous materials and broken or missing fire extinguishers. In some parts of the city, inspectors were [...]
Archive for June, 2009
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Healthcare lobbying face to face
June 30th, 2009 
Meganm A new NPR investigative series, Dollar Politics, opened with an introduction to the lobbyists positioning themselves in the national healthcare reform debate. The Web site for the stories asks NPR’s audience to help connect names to lobbyists shown in a panoramic photo from a recent senate committee meeting.
‘Historic’ budget cuts roughly equal to 2008 payroll growth
June 29th, 2009 Meganm The San Diego Union-Tribune found that “San Diego’s payroll ballooned by $41 million last year, fueled by unpublicized payouts, labor settlements and costly benefits.” Analysis of spending data “helps put into perspective the $43 million in wage and benefit reductions that will take effect July 1 to address a budget gap. [Mayor Jerry] Sanders portrays [...]
Law school admitted unqualified applicants for a price
June 26th, 2009 Beth In its on-going watchdog series “Clout Goes To College,” the Chicago Tribune reveals a “jobs-for-entry scheme” at the University of Illinois’ law school. Internal emails “show for the first time efforts to seek favors — in this case, jobs — for admissions, the most troubling evidence yet of how Illinois’ entrenched system of patronage crept [...]
Foreclosure backlog continues to threaten economic recovery
June 25th, 2009 Beth Renae Merle of The Washington Post reports that a backlog of delinquent mortgages threatens the nation’s economic recovery.
Former Scientologists allege culture of violence, intimidation
June 23rd, 2009 Beth An investigation into the Church of Scientology by Joe Childs and Thomas C. Tobin of The St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times alleges “a culture of intimidation and violence” under the church’s leader, David Miscavige.
Propriety of campaign fund donations questioned
June 22nd, 2009 Beth Companies that received multimillion-dollar deals with CalPERS, California’s giant public pension fund, pumped more than $300,000 into a union campaign fund overseen by Sean Harrigan while the long-time California labor leader was one of the giant pension fund’s board members from 2000-2004, The Sacramento Bee’s Andrew McIntosh reported in an examination of the deals.
Investigation into former governor of N.C. yields results
June 19th, 2009 Beth Executive Privilege, a series by The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.), detailed questionable dealings by former North Carolina governor, Mike Easley.
City cannot account for one quarter of its water supply
June 17th, 2009 Beth “Of the 2.1 billion gallons of water that flowed through city water mains in fiscal year 2007-2008, 26 percent went unbilled – or unaccounted – for,” according analysis of utility records by The News Herald (Panama City, Fla.). Based on the retail rate of water in Panama City, the lost revenue from the unbilled water could be as much as $1.3 million.
Iowa air pollution levels nearing federal limits
June 16th, 2009 Beth 
