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Thursday, June 30, 2011 – Daily News 5A Death Notices Ruth Etzler Ruth Etzler died Wednesday, June 29, 2011, at Brentwood Skilled Nursing in Red Bluff. She was 96. Hoyt-Cole Chapel of the Flowers is handling the arrangements. Published Thursday, June 30, 2011, in the Daily News, Red Bluff, Calif. Albert Tanner Albert Tanner died Sunday, June 26, 2011, in Red Bluff. He was 82. Newton-Bracewell Funeral Home in Chico is handling the arrangements. Published Thursday, June 30, 2011, in the Daily News, Red Bluff, Calif. BUDGET Continued from page 1A ing than it would have been this year or during the June primary next year. ‘‘We enacted a plan that preserves our oppor- tunity for economic recovery, and look for- ward to giving Californi- ans the chance to vote on making that recovery even stronger,’’ said Sen- ate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D- Sacramento. Brown’s office had not released details about when he will sign the budget package. The budget for the fis- cal year that begins Fri- day relies on further spending cuts to close a remaining $9.6 billion deficit, an amount that had been reduced from a $26.6 billion deficit at the beginning of the year. It also imposes new fees on vehicle registra- tion and rural property owners for fire protec- tion, levies that are almost certain to be chal- lenged in court because they did not get the two- thirds vote required for tax increases. Democrats also assume the state will take in some $10 billion more in tax revenue than originally projected, largely because the rich are doing so well. The budget package also shifts responsibility for low-level offenders from the state to coun- ties, and includes deeper spending cuts to schools, higher education and social services if the rev- enue assumptions fail to materialize. School dis- tricts, for example, would be allowed to reduce their school years by seven days. The changes come on top of billions of dollars in cuts to welfare, in- home support services and Medi-Cal programs passed in March. Brown has indicated that he will pursue anoth- er ballot measure for November 2012 but so far has given no details on what taxes he would include. Some of the state’s most influential unions had grudgingly backed Brown’s proposal to extend the tax increases but were concerned the move would not address the state’s long-term financial problems even if voters approved. Unions also were reluc- tant to support a special election that would have included pension reforms and a spending cap — the demands Republicans were making. Now that Brown’s plan for a special elec- tion this year has failed, the unions are free to pursue other options. The California Feder- ation of Teachers has launched a campaign to add a 1 percent income tax surcharge on Califor- nians who make more than $500,000 a year — about the wealthiest 1 percent. That would bring the state taxable income rate to 10.3 per- cent for the richest Cali- fornians and net about $2.5 billion a year for the state, based on current returns. ‘‘Our polling shows us clearly that this is a win- ner, that very high num- bers of the public and likely voters agree that the wealthiest Californi- ans should contribute more,’’ said Fred Glass, the federation’s commu- nications director. ‘‘I think there’s a growing recognition that it’s not that California’s broke. We have plenty of money in this state; it’s just in other pockets.’’ An Orange County community college pro- fessor is circulating a proposal to impose a 15 percent per-barrel tax on oil extracted in Califor- nia and send the money to schools. Most other states where oil is pumped impose just such a fee. Nearly half the esti- mated $3.6 billion in annual revenue would go to community colleges, about a third to public schools and the rest to the University of Califor- nia and California State University systems. That proposal hits the high notes for a Califor- nia electorate that shows much greater propensity to support taxes on the wealthy and on corpora- tions. Proponents have until September to col- lect an estimated 500,000 signatures to qualify it for the ballot. Voters also are far more likely to back tax increases that go toward specific programs they support, such as schools and local law enforce- ment, said Mark Baldas- sare, president of the Public Policy Institute of California. ‘‘K-12 always polls the best, and local rather than state services, so the more that it appears that new taxes are aimed at schools and at local com- munities, the more likely that voters would support those types of taxes,’’ he said. ‘‘In general, Cali- fornians are not eager to see additional tax monies go to the state govern- ment without any specif- ic purpose.’’ Union opponents are also gearing up for a fight, including a propos- al known as paycheck protection that would restrict the funds public employee unions could collect, said Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Associ- ation. ‘‘On our side of the ledger, you’re going to see some labor reforms like paycheck protection, a hard spending cap and pension reform,’’ he said. ‘‘I think there’ll be a number of interests lined up on both sides ... Peo- ple are saying it’s going to be a pretty aggressive initiative battle in 2012.’’ One of the state’s most influential and wealthy unions, the California Teachers Association, isn’t yet willing to back any of the specific tax ideas being floated. The CTA instead is hoping to pursue major structural reforms to the state’s tax system. ‘‘We would much rather look at the tax structure in a global way, as a fairness issue. ... Who should be paying what and why?’’ said CTA President Dean Vogel. ‘‘The ideal is that public education is fund- ed a level that is adequate to do the things we’re being asked to do.’’ ’Get it done,’ Obama challenges GOPon deficit cuts WASHINGTON (AP) — In a blis- tering rebuke of Republicans, President Barack Obama on Wednesday pressed lawmakers to accept tax increases as part of a deal to cut the nation’s deficits and avoid a crippling government default. ‘‘Let’s get it done,’’ Obama challenged, chiding Congress for fre- quent absences from Washington. Senators from Obama’s own Democratic Party quickly said they’d consider canceling next week’s July 4 recess to work on a possible agree- ment. In a White House news conference, Obama offered one fresh wrinkle to try to give the economy and pessimistic voters a lift, calling on Congress to pass a one-year extension of the Social Security payroll tax cut that employees got this year. But he used most of the hour-long session to try to sway public opinion his way on the debt debate consuming Washington. Obama accused Republicans of intransigence over tax hikes, compar- ing their leaders to procrastinating chil- dren and painting them as putting mil- lionaires, oil companies and jet owners ahead of needy students. The Republican House Speaker, John Boehner of Ohio, shot back that the president was ignoring reality. Greece backs austerity measures ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece fended off a bankruptcy that threatened to roil global financial markets, approv- ing severe spending cuts and tax increases Wednesday in the face of vio- lent protests by Greeks who say they have suffered enough. The package of austerity measures would keep bailout money flowing to Greece from the rest of the world. It would free $17 billion in fresh loans, although the money will only be enough to see the nation through Sep- tember. Investors around the world cheered the news, but protesters, fighting tear gas, hurled whatever they could find at riot police and tried to blockade the Parliament building. ‘‘This is bad. The country will be sold for a piece of bread,’’ said insurer Dimitris Kostopoulos. ‘‘There were many other more appropriate alterna- tives to this. Parliament has once again betrayed us.’’ have been cut in the past year, and unemployment is above 16 percent. By comparison, it is about 9 percent in the United States. Cities hope to push 2010 census counts upward to get federal dollars WASHINGTON (AP) — With jobs and federal aid at stake, U.S. cities are lining up to contest their 2010 census counts as too low. A decade ago, there were 1,200 challenges filed by cities, towns and counties. The U.S. Confer- ence of Mayors is predicting a big jump in that number, due in part to tighter budgets that make local officials more sensitive to potential drop-offs in federal money for Medicaid and other programs. Nearly $450 billion in federal aid is distributed to states based on popula- tion each year, or roughly $1,500 per person. Cities have two years to contest their counts under the Census Bureau’s appeals process, which began this month. ‘‘Along with federal funds, there’s a psychological impact when a city loses population, because people and busi- nesses want to be in a vibrant region where things are growing and happen- ing,’’ Cincinnati mayor Mark Mallory, who chairs the U.S. mayors’ task force on the census, said in an interview. ‘‘There will be a dramatic increase in the number of city challenges, I guarantee it,’’ he said. Federal appeals court upholds health overhaul CINCINNATI (AP) — In the first WOMAN Continued from page 1A Kelly resisted and tried to pull away. The officer pulled her away from the vehicle and laid her on the ground on her stomach to put handcuffs on her, the release said. Kelly then told the officer she was pregnant, the release WORLD BRIEFING ruling by a federal appeals court on President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul, a panel in Cincinnati handed the administration a victory Wednes- day by agreeing that the government can require a minimum amount of insurance for Americans. A Republican-appointed judge joined with a Democratic appointee for the 2-1 majority in another milestone for Obama’s hotly debated signature domestic initiative — the first time a Republican federal court appointee has affirmed the merits of the law. The White House and Justice Department hailed the panel’s affirma- tion of an earlier ruling by a federal court in Michigan; opponents of the law said challenges will continue to the U.S. Supreme Court. At issue is a conservative law cen- ter’s lawsuit arguing on behalf of plain- tiffs that potentially requiring them to buy insurance or face penalties could subject them to financial hardship. The suit warns that the law is too broad and could lead to more federal mandates. The Thomas More Law Center, based in Ann Arbor, Mich., argued before the panel that the law was unconstitutional and that Congress overstepped its powers. Cain says his plan would create jobs GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Her- man Cain rolled out an economic plan in this pivotal primary state Wednesday firmly believing it would drop unem- ployment to no more than 5 percent, but he acknowledged he was still crunching the numbers. Cain’s first campaign stop in this early-voting state was greeted with applause by about six dozen people at the NEXT Innovative Center, which supports high-tech start-ups and entre- preneurs. The former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza advocated a maximum tax of 25 percent on company profits and per- sonal income, and end to the capital gains tax. He said the U.S. must get its debt under control and that companies should not pay taxes on overseas prof- its that are invested back home. A national sales tax should replace the federal income tax, he said, giving individuals and companies ‘‘certainty’’ about making purchases and invest- ments. He wants a ‘‘restructuring’’ of Social Security so people can invest in their own retirement funds. Public sector salaries and pensions Knox appeals trial expert review ROME (AP) — Amanda Knox won a crucial legal victory Wednesday as an independent forensic report said that much of the DNA evidence used to convict the American student and her co-defendant in the murder of her roommate is unreliable and possibly contaminated. The review’s findings that DNA testing used in the first trial was below international standards will undoubted- ly boost Knox’s chances of overturning her murder conviction. The review by the two court- appointed independent experts had been eagerly awaited: With no clear motive for the brutal murder of Mered- ith Kercher and contradicting testimo- ny heard in court, the DNA evidence was key to the prosecution’s case. Knox was convicted in 2009 of sex- ually assaulting and murdering Kercher — a Briton with whom she shared an apartment while both were exchange students in Perugia — and sentenced to 26 years in prison. Her co- defendant and ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito was also convicted and sen- tenced to 25 years. Both have denied wrongdoing and are appealing. A verdict in the appeals trial is expected in the fall. Casey Anthony’s father breaks down crying in Florida ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Casey Anthony’s father wrote in a suicide note that he had unanswered questions about what happened to his grand- daughter, a revelation that undercuts defense claims that the toddler drowned accidentally and he helped cover it up. Casey Anthony is on trial for mur- der in central Florida, accused of suffo- cating 2-year-old Caylee with duct tape said. He put her on her side and called for emergency personnel. Kelly was taken to St. Elizabeth Community Hos- pital for medical clearance before she was arrested and booked into the Tehama County Jail. Kelly was charged with failure to yield to an officer, resisting or delaying an offi- cer and petty theft. in the summer of 2008. Her remains were found in the woods in December of that year. Defense attorneys, who have been trying to paint the Anthony family as dysfunctional, say Caylee drowned in her grandparents’ backyard pool and Casey’s father, George, disposed of the body. On Wednesday, lead defense attor- ney Jose Baez asked George Anthony about his January 2009 suicide attempt. But when prosecutor Jeff Ashton later asked Anthony if he had bought a gun five months before that, Baez objected. With the jury out of the room, George Anthony said he planned to use the gun to try to get his daughter’s friends to tell him what happened to Caylee. Israeli scholars say 2,000-year-old burial box linked to Bible’s high priest is genuine JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli scholars have confirmed the authentic- ity of a 2,000-year-old burial box that appears to bear the name of a relative of the high priest Caiaphas mentioned in the New Testament, the Israel Antiqui- ties Authority said Wednesday. The find offers support for the exis- tence of the biblical Caiaphas, who appears in the New Testament as a tem- ple priest and an adversary of Jesus who played a key role in his crucifix- ion. The ossuary — a stone chest used to store bones — is decorated with the stylized shapes of flowers and bears an inscription with the name ‘‘Miriam daughter of Yeshua son of Caiaphas, priest of Maaziah from Beth Imri.’’ The ossuary was seized from tomb robbers three years ago, the govern- ment antiquities body said in a state- ment. Because it ‘‘was not found in a controlled archaeological excavation and because of its special scientific importance,’’ the statement said, it has been undergoing lab tests since then. The tests, which used powerful microscopes to inspect layers of buildup on the box and inscription, were carried out by two scholars, one from Tel Aviv University and the other from Bar Ilan University, the statement said. The research indicated that the inscription is ‘‘genuine and ancient.’’ Charlie Sheen says taking steroids helped fastball NEW YORK (AP) — Turns out Wild Thing’s fastball had a little extra juice. Actor Charlie Sheen tells Sports Illustrated in its latest issue that he took steroids ‘‘for like six or eight weeks’’ while filming the 1989 movie ‘‘Major League.’’ He adds that the perfor- mance-enhancing drugs helped his fastball go from 79 mph to 85 mph. Sheen played fireballing relief pitcher Ricky ‘‘Wild Thing’’ Vaughn, whose wayward pitches were often ‘‘jussst a bit outside,’’ as Bob Uecker’s character, radio broadcaster Harry Doyle, sarcastically announced during the hit comedy. Sheen, who has made recent head- lines for erratic behavior and his firing from the show ‘‘Two and a Half Men,’’ says it was the only time he took steroids and they made him a bit more irritable than normal. Judge: Prison can forcibly medicate Tucson suspect SAN DIEGO (AP) — A judge ruled Wednesday that prison offi- cials can forcibly give the Tucson shooting rampage suspect anti-psy- chotic drugs in a bid to make him mentally fit for trial. U.S. District Judge Larry Burns’ decision came after Jared Lee Loughner’s attorneys filed an emer- gency request last week to prevent any forced medication of their client without approval from a judge. The judge said he did not want to second guess doctor’s at the federal prison in Springfield, Mo., who determined that Jared Loughn- er was a danger. Defense attorneys said Loughner had been forcibly medicated since June 21.