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Latest Media Clips
Taxes, fees at center of the budget crisis (KGO-TV 7)
Thu, 12/18/2008 - 20:34pBy Laura Anthonybr / December 18, 2008/p pSACRAMENTO, CA (KGO) -- Trying to balance the budget came down to semantics for the Democrats. Any new taxes require a two-thirds vote by the state legislature. But fees are a different story./p pOne by one, Republican lawmakers voiced their concerns that the Democrats' revenue package is against California law./p pThey were joined by taxpayers' groups, which threatened several lawsuits hours before the senate or assembly took a single vote./p pa href=http://tomtorlakson.com/node/151 target=_blankread more/a/p
Freshmen start with red ink (Sacramento Bee)
Tue, 12/02/2008 - 20:03pBy Jim Sandersbr / Sacramento Beebr / Tuesday, Dec. 02, 2008/p pFirst there was prayer Monday as California's newest Legislature was sworn in./p pWith the state facing a massive shortfall, it might not be the last heavenly appeal at the Capitol./p pTwenty-five new Assembly members bowed their heads, then opened them to plenty of red – the red carpet treatment followed by dire warnings of red ink./p pIt's an incredible honor and a tremendous responsibility, said Democrat Joan Buchanan, a freshman from Alamo./p pa href=http://tomtorlakson.com/node/150 target=_blankread more/a/p
Dominoes fall as lawmakers prepare to take office for next session (Contra Costa Times)
Fri, 11/28/2008 - 19:51pBy Steven Harmonbr / MediaNews Sacramento Bureaubr / November 28, 2008/p pSACRAMENTO — If there's one upgrade Senator-elect Mark DeSaulnier is looking forward to, it's the daylight he will have in his new office./p pDeSaulnier, a Concord Democrat elected to the Senate after two years with a windowless Assembly office, will finally have a view of the outdoors as he moves to the upper chamber./p pa href=http://tomtorlakson.com/node/149 target=_blankread more/a/p
Torlakson Honored for his Work on the Great California Delta Trail (Associated Press)
Thu, 11/20/2008 - 07:56pAssociated Pressbr / November 20, 2008/p pState Sen. Tom Torlakson, D-Concord, was named the 2008 winner of the National Trails Award for Public Service Monday in recognition of his work in developing plans for the Great California Delta Trail, Torlakson's press office announced Wednesday./p pTorlakson wrote Senate Bill 1556, which Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law in 2006, the first step toward creating a trail system in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta./p pa href=http://tomtorlakson.com/node/143 target=_blankread more/a/p
Senior Volunteer Awards (Contra Costa Times)
Wed, 11/19/2008 - 22:47pBy Jacquie Oliveriusbr / Contra Costa Timesbr / November 19, 2008/p pIt was a full house when the Culture to Culture Foundation held a very special ceremony Oct. 5 at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Walnut Creek./p pThirty-five seniors, ages 55 and older, were nominated, mostly by those who are involved in the area's senior community, for the foundation's first Senior Volunteer Awards for voluntarily serving in the community during the last year./p pa href=http://tomtorlakson.com/node/142 target=_blankread more/a/p
Legislature honors county, T.O. for wellness programs (Ventura County Star)
Tue, 10/28/2008 - 06:47pBy Alicia Doylebr / Tuesday, October 28, 2008/p pRecognizing the value of a healthy workplace, the county of Ventura and city of Thousand Oaks received top honors for establishing wellness programs that benefit their company in many ways, including reduced insurance rates, increased productivity and lower long-term healthcare costs./p pa href=http://tomtorlakson.com/node/138 target=_blankread more/a/p
Times recommends Tom Torlakson for Assembly (Contra Costa Times)
Tue, 10/21/2008 - 03:51pMediaNews editorialbr / October 21, 2008/p pSTATE SEN. Tom Torlakson has made no secret of his plans. Term limits bar him from seeking re-election to the Senate, but allow him to serve one more two-year term in the state Assembly. It's very convenient for Torlakson, who needs a place to land before pursuing his real goal, running in 2010 for state Superintendent of Public Instruction./p pTorlakson faces only token Republican opposition in his race for the Assembly seat representing northern Contra Costa from Antioch to Pinole./p pa href=http://tomtorlakson.com/node/137 target=_blankread more/a/p
Mt. Diablo school district: Management and budget woes top debate in four-candidate race for two open seats (Contra Costa Times)
Sun, 10/12/2008 - 03:53pBy Theresa Harringtonbr / Contra Costa Timesbr / October 12, 2008/p pCONCORD — A contentious school board election is brewing in the Mt. Diablo district, where a longtime trustee and the teacher's union are working to defeat another incumbent amid months of controversy over management./p pThe school board has cut $14 million from the district's budget in the past year and is likely to slash millions more in coming months. It is also facing an expired teacher's contract that could lead to a strike, if it goes unresolved much longer./p pa href=http://tomtorlakson.com/node/136 target=_blankread more/a/p
Shoes represent Golden Gate Bridge suicides (San Francisco Chronicle)
Sun, 09/28/2008 - 20:31pKelly Zitobr / San Francisco Chroniclebr / September 28, 2008/p pShoes representing those who committed suicide by jumping... A pair of boots atop a pile of shoes represents the World... Nina Klehr (right) holds a sign in memory of friends who .../p pWorn oxfords, floral flip-flops, in-line skates, sparkly high heels, fuzzy blue slippers./p pEach pair of shoes placed early Saturday morning in a neat rectangular block on the green lawn of Crissy Field represented a person - teenager, artist, mother, doctor, war veteran - who has taken a fatal jump from the Golden Gate Bridge./p pa href=http://tomtorlakson.com/node/135 target=_blankread more/a/p
Constitutional convention proposed (Contra Costa Times)
Wed, 09/17/2008 - 03:43pBy Steven Harmonbr / MediaNews Sacramento Bureaubr / September 17, 2008/p pSACRAMENTO — Imagine a single act that could clean up the dysfunctions of California government./p pImagine taking the power out of lawmakers' hands to solve perpetually vexing issues such as prison overcrowding, broken water systems, failing schools, budget stalemates and gerrymandering./p pa href=http://tomtorlakson.com/node/134 target=_blankread more/a/p
