Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/278161
By Tami Abdollah The Associated Press LOS ANGELES » Thousands of Los Angeles International Airport workers had no idea what to do when a gunman opened fire last year in a ter - minal because they were in- adequately trained to deal with an emergency, accord- ing to a union report. Members of SEIU United Service Workers West — sky caps, baggage handlers, wheelchair attendants and janitors — weren't prepared for an evacuation, were hampered by poor commu - nication, and were essen- tially on their own during the chaos, as panicked, flee- ing passengers ran onto the tarmac and dove onto lug- gage conveyer belts. In some instances, passengers were left alone in wheelchairs during the Nov. 1 shoot- ing that killed one airport screener and injured three others. Many issues outlined in the union report and by the airport itself were identi- fied as deficient in 2011 by a special panel of experts con- vened by the former mayor to review public safety at LAX. Los Angeles World Airports began revamping emergency plans that were to be completed last sum - mer. But in June, the air- port commission gave the contractor 18 more months. Peter G oel z , for mer managing director of the National Transportation Safety Board and an avia - tion safety and security con- sultant, said a lack of coor- dinated planning during an emergency can be a "fatal f law" that endangers the public and workers. "The airline industry and airports in particular have spent hundreds of millions of dollars since 9/11 in emer - gency response prepared- ness and upgrades, and the reality is that for airport service workers they're al- ways the last ones consid- ered in the planning even though they have absolutely the most direct contact with passengers," said Goelz, who had no role in the report. The union report obtained by The Associated Press is the latest to document prob - lems that arose when the gunman entered the airport with a high-powered rifle and began targeting Transpor - tation Security Administra- tion workers. The union con- ducted the study after the airport declined to include its members in a comprehen- sive review of the emergency response expected to be re- leased next week. LAx Union wants emergency training Request on behalf of workers in response to confused a\ermath of November terminal shooting The AssociATed Press in this Nov. 1, 2013 file photo provided to the AP, police officers stand near a weapon at the Los Angeles international Airport aer a gunman opened fire in the terminal, killing one person and wounding several others. The Associated Press FRESNO » A state appellate court has ruled that Cali- fornia water officials cannot go onto private property for soil testing and other stud- ies related to construction of two massive tunnels that would siphon water from the Sacramento River. Na ncy Vogel of the state's Department of Wa - ter Resources said Friday that officials anticipated the ruling and work won't be delayed. The decision handed down Thursday by the state's 3rd District Court of Appeal says an intrusion on private property without permission violates the Cal - ifornia Constitution. If built, the Bay Delta Conservation Plan — esti - mated to cost billions of dol- lars — would send fresh wa- ter around the Sacramento- San Joaquin Delta to Central and Southern California. The ruling stems from a lawsuit filed against the state by more than 150 property owners in Sacra - mento, San Joaquin, Yolo, Solano and Contra Costa counties. The three-judge panel ruled 2-1 in a 44-page deci - sion with the majority opin- ion saying the state must adhere to eminent domain laws, which give property owners the right to a jury trial to determine a fair payment for taking away their land. wATER Court ruling could delay tunnels project The Associated Press SACRAMENTO » The agency overseeing California's high-speed rail project has won permission from a sep - arate state board to begin eminent domain proceed- ings against eight prop- erties in Fresno that are needed to build the line's initial segment. The state Board of Pub - lic Works approved the con- demnations Friday on the properties, all located in downtown Fresno. California High-Speed Rail Authority spokes- woman Lisa Marie Alley says three of the eight are businesses while five are vacant lots or vacant build - ings. The authority must ac- quire 381 Central Valley properties to build the first 21-mile segment. It now has permission to seize a total of 10 properties and has contracts to buy another 47. It has submitted written offers on 166 properties and is in the process of negotiat - ing terms with the remain- ing property owners. hiGh-SpEEd RAiL Board cleared to condemn eight additional properties Jim Brulte, chairman of the california republican Party, speaks during a media conference Friday at the california republican Party 2014 spring convention in Burlingame. BeN MArgoT — The AssociATed Press California GOP plots fu tu re i n bl ue s ta te pOLiTiCS By don Thompson The Associated Press SACRAMENTO » Three com- munity assistance organiza- tions sued Gov. Jerry Brown and other state officials on Friday, alleging the state improperly diverted nearly $370 million that was in - tended to help homeowners struggling with foreclosures. The lawsuit filed in Sac- ramento County Superior Court says the money was si- phoned off to the state's gen- eral fund as California wres- tled with a massive budget deficit and has never been repaid. The money was part of the $25 billion settlement between major banks and nearly every state in 2012, with California receiving the largest share. H.D. Palmer, a spokes - man for the Department of Finance, said in a statement that the administration is confident that its budget ac - tions are legally sound. The suit was filed by attor- ney Neil Barofsky, who previ- ously was inspector general for the federal bank bailout. The suit alleges the money is needed to help affected homeowners "weather the economic storm that contin - ues to sweep so many fami- lies out of their homes." "As a result of these di- versions, large numbers of homeowners who are eligi- ble for loan modifications or other relief have been left stranded, and count- less fiscally imperiled Cali- fornia homeowners remain unaware of the full scope of their rights," the lawsuit states. Barofsky filed the suit on behalf of three California- based community organiza - tions that the suit says have helped thousands of home- owners: National Asian American Coalition, COR Community Development Corporation and National Hispanic Christian Leader - ship Conference. The suit says the state can now repay the money because it is projecting budget surpluses in com - ing years. It asks a judge to order that the state put the money into a special ac- count to be administered by California Attorney General Kamala Harris. Harris helped negotiate the national bank settlement and secure extra funding for California. She objected at the time to the money be - ing used for other purposes, but spokesman Nick Pacilio declined to comment on the lawsuit. hOMES La ws ui t: Mortgage mo ne y misused By Juliet williams The Associated Press BURLiNGAME » California Republicans are gathering in the San Francisco Bay Area this weekend to plot the future of the party in a state where their registra - tion and influence have been sliding. Former state Senate Mi- nority Leader Jim Brulte, who took over as party chairman last spring, has brought the state GOP out of debt, with the most re - cent financial reports filed with the state showing it has nearly $1.4 million in the bank. "This is a party that, whether we like it or not, has been in decline for over two decades in this state," Brulte told reporters Fri - day. "When I was elected to the Assembly in 1990, we were 39 percent of the elec- torate. We're now less than 29 percent. So we have a significant rebuilding oper- ation on our hands." Brulte said he has been focusing the party's limited resources on races that are winnable and where there are viable candidates. He said he has held more than 200 meetings with Repub - lican groups, encourag- ing them to get out of their comfort zones and talk with people they normally wouldn't. Still, turning around years of losing will be an uphill climb. All statewide elected officials are Demo - crats, both chambers of the Legislature have large Dem- ocratic majorities, and GOP registration has continued to slide. "It's not going to happen in one election cycle and it's not going to happen in two election cycles, but we're laying the groundwork," Brulte said. Some Republican groups also are ramping up efforts to recruit candidates who more closely match Califor - nia's demographics. They include GROW Elect, which is targeting Latino candi- dates to run in local races, and California Trailblazers, which is hosting a candidate "boot camp" on "ideas and solutions that voters sup - port." The Trailblazers held a press conference Friday to introduce a diverse slate of candidates, including Lati - nos and Asians. Brulte said venturing into communities where Republicans might not feel comfortable is part of his plan to push members "out - side their comfort zone." "I do not buy the nar- rative that we can't win votes in ever y commu- nity," Brulte said. "We have ceded far too much terri- tory to the Democrats be- cause we've failed to even show up to try to compete. And that's on us." www.redbluff.mercy.org /veincare Get a Leg up on Your Health With the St. Elizabeth Center for Vein Care. 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