July 9, 2018
Orange County
Voice of OC: Westminster Oks tax subsidy for “Bolsa Row” four-star hotel & housing
The project includes a tax subsidy in which the city will return 65 percent of hotel bed taxes for 25 years – estimated to be worth $11.6 million — to the developer. The city also has pledged to spend $4.5 million of its own money on public improvements around the site.
Voice of OC: Voters increase Westminster mayor’s term from two years to four
The ballot measure was proposed by Councilmember Tyler Diep who said the move would “reduce the constant pressure on the mayor to campaign, and provide more time to focus on policy and governance.”
Daily Pilot: Costa Mesa won’t place Fairview Park projects on the ballot, revising some so they won’t need a public vote
Costa Mesa City Council members declined this week to place a handful of Fairview Park projects up for a public vote this year, deciding instead to explore limiting or tweaking several so they can progress without the voter approval necessary under a local initiative.
OC Register: Status Update: Airline passenger traffic at JWA up in May; nominate an Alzheimer’s caretaker
Airline passenger traffic at John Wayne Airport continues to hum along, increasing 4.2 percent in May compared with the same month a year ago. The airport said it served 915,833 passengers compared with 878,901 in May 2017.
OC Register: Santa Ana, Newport Beach among cities breaking heat records across Southern California
Santa Ana hit an all-time high of 114, wiping out the previous record of 112, set June 14, 1917. The previous record for the date was 99 in 1927. Newport Beach also set a record high for the date: 83, beating out the previous high of 82 set in 1936.
Labor
Labor 411: Bill introduced to ban unions for 70,000 IRS workers
The bill introduced by Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar specifically exclude IRS employees from provisions of Title Five of the U.S. Code related to labor-management relations. That would effectively prohibit employees at the unions from unionizing or engaging in collective bargaining.
Washington Post: Study of Uber drivers finds men earn more than women — for three key reasons
Looking at data from more than a million Uber drivers, researchers found differences in how male and female drivers approach their jobs that they believe account for the lopsided pay: Men drive faster; men gain more experience driving; and men drive in more lucrative — but sometimes less safe — locations..
Publication Date: July 9, 2018