City News

A comprehensive survey of Asian American voters in California released last week found that a majority of Asian Americans oppose Proposition8,the constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage.Professors from Rutgers University,UC Berkeley,UC Riverside and USC conducted the study.

San Francisco MayorGavin Newsom was at UC Davis on Wednesday for meetings with campus Democrats as well as area agriculture leaders.

At their meetingTuesday,the Yolo County Board of Supervisors received a presentation and report on how the statewide measures on the November ballot will affect the county from a fiscal standpoint. County staff analyzed each measure to determine whether it would have a negative fiscal impact on the county by taking away funding from county programs and services,according to the report. The county has struggled to preserve services in the face of significant cuts coming from the state. “Staff recommends supporting only new programs with a dedicated revenue source,” said deputy county administrator DirkBrazil in a memo to the board. The following is a summary of the staff findings.

Gangs,guns and meth:They’re problems inextricably tied to street crime in California. Backers of Proposition6,also known as the Safe Neighborhoods Act,say the way to combat these problems is to guarantee a certain level of funding for police and prosecutors.Opponentsattack the measure’s lack of an identified funding source.

Since1996UC Davis has been working closely with the Department of Energy to clean up the off-campus Laboratory for Energy Related Health Research Center andrid it of all toxic chemicals.

THURSDAY Soccer moms revolt Two mini-vans were abandoned for several weeks onHanover Drive.

Blame it on the “war on drugs,” blameiton insufficient funding for rehabilitation programs,blame it on whatever you want – most Californians agree that the criminal justice system for drug offenders is broken. The problem is finding a solution.

Twelve people were arrested Wednesday in a sting operation to put unlicensed and uninsured employers out of business,according to a District Attorney’s Office press release.Seven were fined civil assessments totaling$9,500for not having workers‘ compensation insurance or for paying their employees under the table. The operation is aimed at contractors who are not complying with labor and contracting laws.Wednesday’s arrests were part of a broader operation that has resulted in112people who have been cited,arrested or fined for operating without a license,not providing workers‘ compensation insuranceand paying employees under the table,authorities said.

Religious leaders from around Davis came together Thursday at the Davis United Methodist Church to speak in opposition to Prop8.If approved by voters,Prop8would amend the California Constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman.Historically a controversial issue,the bill has elicited both support and opposition from religious and secular groups.

Higher education policy hasn’t exactly been a hot-button issue this election season,but it finally came up after Wednesday’s presidential debate. In the last of three presidential debates this fall,Democratic candidate Barack Obama and Republican candidate John McCain briefly touched on the issue of college affordability at Hofstra University inNew York.

SATURDAY Bike bandit A UC Davis police officer noticed a suspicious pickup truck driving on campus on Saturday night with a truck bed full of bicycles.The officer made a traffic stop on the vehicle and determined that the bikes had recently been stolen on campus. The driver,a resident of Hercules,was arrested and booked at the Yolo County Jail on charges of grand theft,possession of stolen property,possession of burglary tools and violation of probation. The UC Davis Police Department has stepped up enforcement in response to bike theft on campus,including plainclothes officers patrolling on campus,according to a press release.Prior to this weekend’s arrest,there have been twice as many reports of bike theft this year as there were last year.UCDPD asks the community to report any suspicious activity on campus.

The battle betweenabortion rightsandanti-abortionis back on the California ballot. Proposition4would require a doctor to notify at least one parent before performinganabortion for minors.The pregnant teenager can choose to notify certain adult relatives instead of a parent,but the law would require the doctor to report the parent to law enforcement or Child Protective Services.