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Opinion: Prop. HH is a tax increase that wrecks our Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights

Published Thu, 06 Feb 2025 13:59:59 GMT

Editor’s note: This column is part of a pro-con about the Proposition HH which will appear on the ballot for the November 7 election. Read the supporting view here.Proposition HH is the most blatant bait-and-switch scheme ever placed on the Colorado ballot. An examination of its details shows it is cynically crafted, deeply deceptive, and must be defeated.We are faced with Proposition HH at a time when Coloradans’ anxiety about their property tax bills has never been higher. Faced with an average 40% property assessment increase, taxpayers across the state know they will be hit with a tax spike that will be at best burdensome. For many, it will be an intolerable strain on the family budget.That is why it is crucial voters are provided with a candid, thorough analysis of all the details. Let’s look beyond advocates’ specious claims that this is only about local property tax relief – with not even enough money thrown in to backfill local government revenue.The facts are far diff...

Opinion: If passed, Prop. HH can help Colorado avoid a housing catastrophe

Published Thu, 06 Feb 2025 13:59:59 GMT

Editor’s note: This column is part of a pro-con about the Proposition HH which will appear on the ballot for the November 7 election. Read the opposing view here.Another election is just around the corner, and even though we may not be voting for president or senator, we will be voting on a measure that will affect Coloradans for the next decade.The current housing crisis is being fueled by unprecedented increases in population and a housing inventory that has not been able to keep up with demand. As a result, homes that were worth $250,000 in the suburbs of Denver are now worth close to a million dollars – and property taxes are not exempt from this dramatic increase.A few months ago, Colorado homeowners, including myself, were shocked to receive their new property tax assessment – it even sparked a movement of homeowners asking their municipality to lower their property tax. This added expense left many homeowners worried about being able to afford to stay in their homes, es...

Meet Vital Vernacular Painter Manuel López

Published Thu, 06 Feb 2025 13:59:59 GMT

Painter Manuel López expresses himself in a vibrant, vital vernacular inspired by the details that color community life in his native Los Angeles. From the intimate objects and emotional poetics of collected personal treasures, to energetic picnic party tabletop tableaux, to syncopated shapes across urban landscapes and gathering places, López lavishes his painterly attentions on the sites and senses he encounters each day. He begins each work with a detailed observational drawing, and those foundations of shape and line remain even as the images are augmented with rich hues that reach into realism and imaginative abstraction. His evolved style contains traces of influences ranging from cartoons and illustrations to Hockney and art history—but its foundations remain the soul of everyday life in a place he loves.Manuel López: My fathers white shirts (Line drying), Acrylic on canvas, 84 x 60 in, 2023 (Courtesy of Charlie James Gallery)L.A. WEEKLY: What is your short answer to people ...

Top 10 U.S. destinations for fall getaways — including two in California

Published Thu, 06 Feb 2025 13:59:59 GMT

Falling leaves, pumpkin patches, cider doughnuts — it’s fall all right. If you’re craving an autumn getaway, PureWow, the New York City-based lifestyle site, is offering up plenty of inspiration, including a list of 31 vacation destinations for fall. We don’t know why they chose 31 — perhaps a penchant for prime numbers? —  but it includes hot spots that will appeal to leaf peepers, romance lovers and nature enthusiasts alike.California scored four shout-outs in all, including Yosemite National Park at No. 6 and Napa Valley at No. 8. Humboldt County’s Redwood National and State Parks landed at No. 11, thanks to its towering redwoods and serene trails. And anyone heading to San Francisco (No. 19), the site says, can “enjoy days filled with farmers markets, street fairs and football games.” (They were so perky about it, we don’t have the heart to tell them the stadium is in Santa Clara, an entirely different city an hour̵...

Wish You Were Here: Galapagos adventures

Published Thu, 06 Feb 2025 13:59:59 GMT

Fall is upon us, but our adventure-seeking readers have thoroughly enjoyed these last months of travel. They’ve explored Uganda’s Impenetrable Forest, trekked through Portugal and discovered England’s maritime past in Portsmouth. Along they way, they’ve shared their adventures — and some very practical travel tips too.Now, two Walnut Creek readers are reporting back on their Galapagos adventures.Wish You Were HereWildlife sightings on the Galapagos Islands include the Blue-Footed Booby. (Courtesy of the Bradford family) GALAPAGOS ISLANDS: In July, Walnut Creek residents Trudie and Michael Bradford visited Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands with Silversea Origin, a 100-passenger ship, on a weeklong cruise. “A once in a lifetime trip!” Trudie says. “The ship sailed to six islands on the western side and was extremely comfortable. Ten knowledgeable naturalist guides aboard engaged in all the daily activities offered: morning and after...

Pac-12 power ratings: The Oregon-Washington brawl starts an epic series of Saturday showdowns

Published Thu, 06 Feb 2025 13:59:59 GMT

The final Pac-12 football season is at the midway point and just getting started.Oregon’s hotly-anticipated trip to Washington this weekend marks the onset of an unprecedented barrage of conference matchups between ranked teams over the final seven Saturdays.In fact, it’s not even the only game of its kind this week.Once the No. 7 Huskies and No. 8 Ducks are finished with their 12:30 p.m. blood feud, No. 18 UCLA and No. 15 Oregon State take the stage on FOX for a primetime showdown.Expecting a stellar season long before they knew it would be the last season, Pac-12 executives in charge of the schedule crafted a lineup that would offer one premier game each week for ESPN and Fox.Turns out, there could be more than one.Over the next seven weeks, the Pac-12 has 12 conference games scheduled between ranked teams, based on the current AP top-25 poll.Oct. 14No. 8 Oregon at No. 7 WashingtonNo. 18 UCLA at No. 15 Oregon State(Also: No. 10 USC at No. 21 Notre Dame)Oct. 21No. 19 Wa...

100-year murder sentence: Dog bite led to fatal shooting on Humboldt County porch

Published Thu, 06 Feb 2025 13:59:59 GMT

A man who said he fatally shot a drinking buddy to protect his dog was sentenced to 100 years to life in prison.Last month, a jury found that Jake Combs committed first-degree murder with viciousness, callousness and a high degree of cruelty when he shot Trevor Earley, 25, at point-blank range in the head on Jan. 6, 2022, at a home in the Humboldt County community of Alderpoint. Combs, 31, was sentenced Friday by Judge Kaleb Cockrum, who told him, “I understand this case catches you on the worst night of your life as well, but (the killing) was cruel and callous. The sentence is just.”Earley’s family members and other loved ones, who filled every seat in the courtroom with many also watching proceedings over Zoom, spoke at length about their loss. When it came time for Combs to address the court, nearly everyone in the room walked out and waited in the hall until he finished speaking.During his time to talk, Combs apologized for killing Earley, bringing up a letter he wr...

Jill On Money: Shutdown-o-nomics

Published Thu, 06 Feb 2025 13:59:59 GMT

Here we go again…although Congress voted to keep the government open, averting a shutdown, it’s just for 45 days.Related ArticlesBusiness | The best home remodels for aging in place: making modifications to fit your needs as a senior Business | An Airbnb, Vrbo or other rental host ghosted you. Now what? Business | Don’t expect the same raise you got last year Business | How to spot — and avoid — personal loan scams Business | Will mortgage rates change in October? Experts weigh in We should be used to the dysfunction – there have been 21 government shutdowns since 1976. Here are questions that I have fielded about these recurring events:How would most Americans experience a shutdown?Federal workers would bear the brunt of the stalemate, with about 500,000 furloughed, and 500,000-1,000,000 being forced to work temporarily without pay. More than one million active-duty military personnel could forego...

Lincoln Ave, Marin St. closed due to downed pole, power lines in Napa

Published Thu, 06 Feb 2025 13:59:59 GMT

(BCN) -- Napa police are warning residents and motorists to avoid the area of Lincoln Avenue and Marin Street due to a downed power pole and power lines early Monday morning.The Napa Police Department issued an alert at 5 a.m. Monday regarding the downed power lines, saying Lincoln Avenue and Marin Street were closed to traffic. Emergency crews were on scene to clear the roadway, officers said. Had enough heat? Wet weather returning to Bay Area It would take some time before the roadway is fully open due to the extent of the damage in the area, Napa police said, adding that motorists should use alternate routes.Copyright © 2023 Bay City News, Inc.

Matt Fitzpatrick wins weather-hit Dunhill Links Championship for 1st European tour title in 2 years

Published Thu, 06 Feb 2025 13:59:59 GMT

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP) — Matt Fitzpatrick captured his first European tour title in two years by winning the weather-affected Dunhill Links Championship by three strokes on Monday.The 2022 U.S. Open champion shot 6-under 66 on the Old Course at St. Andrews to finish on 19-under-par overall for an event that was reduced to 54 holes after heavy rain wiped out play on Saturday and Sunday.Play was only possible on Monday after remarkable efforts from the greenkeepers at the three storied Scottish courses hosting the pro-am event — St. Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns — to make them playable. Large parts of Carnoustie, in particular, were unrecognizable on Sunday and there were still huge swathes of water on some fairways.Ryan Fox, a recent winner at the BMW PGA Championship, shot 65 on the Old Course and was tied for second place with Matthew Southgate (66 at St. Andrews) and Marcus Armitage (66 at Carnoustie).Fitzpatrick, who won the RBC Heritage on the PGA Tour in April, hadn...