SHRINKING DONKEYS & ELEPHANTS

VOTER REVOLT:

California voters are growing increasingly frustrated with traditional political parties…according to new registration numbers just released by California Secretary of State Debra Bowen.

Democrats still dominate with nearly 6.6 million party members but their numbers are down by 135,000, compared to September 2003. The Republicans now have close to 5.3 million members, a decline of nearly 200,000 voters in the past four years. And yet California’s population has grown an estimated 2 million people in that same time span. The only category where Republicans win is in geography, as 36 out of California’s 58 counties have more Republicans registered than Democrats…but most of those are rural, whereas the Dems dominate the more urban counties like San Francisco and Alameda.

VOTE FOR INDEPENDENCE:

The fastest growing political party in California is “Decline to State” – the category for independent minded voters who don’t want to be Donkeys or Elephants. Four years ago, there were 2,484,275 “Decline to State” voters in California – or roughly 16% of the electorate. Today, there are 2,980,622 “Decline to State” voters …a jump of half a million – now comprising 19.2% of all voters.

A POX ON BOTH YOUR HOUSES:

The decline in major party registration has actually been a trend for several decades, according to political analyst Steve Swatt, who says, “People generally don’t like the polarization” that both parties represent. He adds, “they like the idea of being independent.” Perhaps that explains the popularity of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who appeals to many independent minded voters.

JURY DUTY BLUES

STICKING IT OUT:

I’ve been missing in action much of the week because I’ve been stuck on jury duty. Yes I know it’s my civic duty to serve, but I really do feel stuck because for the past week I’ve been forced to trade my TV life for a new role as Juror #11 in Sacramento County Superior Court. So instead of covering sharks at the Capitol, I’m watching piranhas in pinstripes at the courthouse. You know, lawyers in love – with themselves. And they do love to hear themselves talk.

The case I’m on is a juicy one that shows the seamy side of American life with sordid details that would make even a sailor blush. I’d love to tell you all about it, but the judge has sworn us to secrecy.

THE WAITING GAME:

What I can tell you is how much waiting around there is at the courthouse. The trial is supposed to start at 9am every day , but typically the doors don’t open until 9:15 or even 9:30. Then there’s a 15 minute recess at 10:30, followed by a lunch break at 11:45 that lasts until 1:30pm. Really! I mean how many working people do you know who get nearly two hours for lunch every day? In news, I usually work through lunch to make sure my story is written, edited and on the satellite feed each day by 4pm. Sometimes, I’ll wolf down a sandwich in the live van on the way to a story, if I’m lucky. I miss the adrenaline rush of news deadlines. In court, the tortoise pace is driving me nuts. It’s like watching paint dry, only slower.

GIVE ME A BREAK

Ok so now we’re back in court for the 1:30 afternoon session that doesn’t really start until 1:45. And then there’s a 15 minute recess at 2:30. And when you come back from that, it’s nearly time to call it a day because at 4:30 it’s over. In news, that’s when my day is heating up with a live shot or two, but in court, it’s time to head home. That means as jurors, we’re actually hearing the case less than 5 hours a day Monday – Thursday. And don’t get me started about Fridays because in court they are oh so special.

TGI FRIDAYS:

You see on Fridays, the courtrooms are typically “dark”, meaning the court takes care of internal matters. As jurors, we can actually head to the office and get some work done on Fridays, but the case we’re hearing is stuck in limbo for another wasted day. Think about it…jurors are actually “on” for just 20 hours in a typical 40 hour work week. How many private companies could survive with their employees working only half-time? Most would be out of business in a hurry.

All I’m saying is let’s streamline the system….cut out half the breaks so it doesn’t take ten days to hear a case that should really take just six or seven. Lady Justice is supposed to be blind. But she’s also limping with a leg cramp. I say it’s time to kick it in gear girl and put some petal to the medal. Let’s put things on the fast track in court…who knows, maybe more people would jump at the opportunity to serve instead of dreaming up reasons to get excused. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

BLACK BEAR WARS

FEEDING THE BEARS

There’s a growing controversy at Lake Tahoe where some people are feeding wild bears in the woods. Coming up this Monday night at 11, only on NBC11, you’ll see exclusive video of animal activists hiking into the forest to drop off food supplies for the bears…bears that are very hungry because of the drought and recent wildfires.

At Lake Tahoe there’s been a spike in home invasions – not from people, but black bears. Many bears are breaking into homes and cabins in search of food – we visited one home near Emerald Bay where a wild bear had busted through the front door and raided the refrigerator, leaving a massive mess behind.

We also met a caretaker for dozens of vacation homes near Tahoe City, where bear invasions are happening every week. Jimmy Nichols told me, “Black bear invasions – I’ve done probably 50 repair jobs in here.”

In California, it’s illegal to feed wild bears, even on private property. But we found some Tahoe travelers willing to let us document their secret feedings because they believe they are retraining the bears to find food in the forest.

On the day we came to visit, it only took only a few minutes to find some wild bears attracted to the food buried in the woods. One of the bears we saw up close and personal weighed about 500 pounds – another was a 150 pound cub.

But are the secret feedings helping or hurting the bears?

We’ll let you be the judge.

Check out the war over Black Bears, at 11pm on Monday, October 8.

And in the meantime, you can check out this slide show of black bears at Lake Tahoe.

http://www.nbc11.com/slideshow/news/14230918/detail.html?qs=1;s=1;p=news&dm=ss&tn=b