The San Francisco Citizen

The California State Auditor has a new report about the prices of college textbooks. Unless you are a publisher, this report won’t come as good news. Check it:

“Over the past several years, the State has enacted two state laws to encourage faculty and campuses to mitigate the impact of textbook costs on students.

Assembly Bill 2477 (AB 2477) signed by the governor and effective January 1, 2005, requires CSU trustees and the board of governors of the community colleges, and encourages UC regents, to work with their respective academic senates to encourage faculty to consider the least costly practices in assigning textbooks.”

“Signed by the governor and effective January 1, 2008, Assembly Bill 1548 (AB 1548) also encourages faculty to consider cost in the adoption of textbooks.”

So, read up on Education Code Section 66406 and kissing cousin Education Code Section 66406.7 (the College Textbook Transparency Act). See all that stuff these laws require? Most parties concerned are ignoring these laws.

So hey, why not ask all your new professors at your UC, CSU or community college to see how they complied with these California textbook laws.

Shouldn’t your profs comply with CA law? Shouldn’t your profs be aware of CA law? Mmmmm….

Well the concrete slabs are starting to stack up in the Civic Center - it’s a parking garage/retail space project. The 1200 students at vaunted UC Hastings School of Law (the oldest and largest law school west of St. Louis, or something) have enjoyed discounted parking at the Civic Center Garage for years.

Changes are afoot in front of historic McAllister Tower:

It’s nice to see these kids will be pulling their own weight soon. The whole idea is to make the place more “student friendly.” 

We’ll see.

Fiat justitia

The California Department of Food and Agriculture called it quits today on the issue of spraying for the Light Brown Apple Moth. All of a sudden like.

The family that Stops the Spray together, stays together (or something like that).

This should be gratifying to Senator Carole Migden, who thinks, “Bay Area residents ought not to serve as guinea pigs and have their health jeopardized for an ill-conceived program and an unproven approach.” 

The same with San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera, who says he’s, “glad CDFA appears to have accepted the inevitable.”

So after all these months, that is that.

Here was Senator Carole Migden over the weekend, braving the cold along with about 150 folks who are dead set against the planned spraying against the Light Brown Apple Moth and the people of the bay area.

Read all about it.

The bandwagon opposing aerial spraying for light brown apple moth eradication is gaining momentum.

Last night, San Francisco Supervisors Carmen Chu, Gerardo Sandoval, and Ross Mirkarimi, along with scientists, physicians and organic farmers, all addressed a standing-room-only crowd of hundreds at the Hall of Flowers in Strybing Arboretum.

Senator Carole Migden praises the efforts of the assembled experts.

In related news, the “twist-tie” approach is under new scrutiny in San Mateo County. 

On it goes. Per the Chronicle:

On Saturday, Stop the Spray Marin is holding a march and rally from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the southwest end of the Corte Madera Town Center. More information about the events is at www.sfspraytownhall.org and www.stopthespraymarin.org.

It’s hard to imagine light aircraft buzzing the city with spray canisters firing after seeing all this agitation, but who knows…