Santa Monica Daily Press, January 06, 2009

Page 1

INSIDE SCOOP

OPINION

AUTO

REMEMBERING A TRUE ACTIVIST PAGE 3 VETS DESERVE BETTER PAGE 4 AUTOMAKERS TAKING A HIT PAGE 6

TUESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2009

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Volume 7 Issue 357

Santa Monica Daily Press MONARCHS MEET THE QUACKERS SEE PAGE 7

Since 2001: A news odyssey

THE LOOKING FORWARD TO A TAX CUT ISSUE

Obama pushes for $300B tax cut plan

Pier drain project moving forward BY MELODY HANATANI Daily Press Staff Writer

BY PHILIP ELLIOTT CITY HALL One of the dirtiest beaches in the

Associated Press Writer

President-elect Barack Obama, commencing face to face consultations with congressional leaders Monday, is embracing an unexpectedly large tax cut of up to $300 billion. Obama said the country faces an “extraordinary economic challenge.” Besides $500 tax cuts for most workers and $1,000 for couples, the Obama proposal includes more than $100 billion for businesses, an Obama transition official said. The total value of the tax cuts would be significantly higher than had been signaled earlier. “The reason we are here today is because the people’s business cannot wait,” Obama said as he arrived on Capitol Hill in late morning for talks with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. “The speaker and her staff have been extraordinarily helpful in working with our team so we can shape an economic recovery plan and start putting people back to work.” Obama will be sworn in as the nation’s 44th president in just over two weeks. The tax cuts for individuals and couples

TRASHY: Debris found on the Santa Monica beach following a rainstorm in December. More

state is finally set to get cleaned up. Facing criticism over the lack of completed projects funded under Measure V more than two years after it was approved by voters, City Hall is expected to commence the replacement of the Santa Monica Pier storm drain in the late winter. “We are moving forward on a very aggressive schedule,” Lee Swain, the director of public works, said. Construction bids for the estimated $2 million undertaking, which includes replacing deficient storm drain pipes, opened last week and will conclude on Jan. 13. The City Council is scheduled to award a contract at its meeting on Jan. 27, beginning construction several weeks thereafter. The storm drain replacement has been identified as the highest priority for City Hall, mainly because the current infrastructure has led to poor water quality beneath the pier for years, earning it the perennial distinction of being home to one of California’s dirtiest beaches. The project, which is estimated for completion in June, also includes the construction of a

SEE TAX CUT PAGE 8

than two years after voters approved Measure V, which would pay for efforts to clean up Santa Monica Bay, the first major project will go before the City Council for approval later this month.

SEE MEASURE V PAGE 8

WASHINGTON

photo courtesy Mike Vaughn

Former eBay CEO considers political run BY JUDY LIN Associated Press Writer

SACRAMENTO Former eBay Inc. chief executive Meg Whitman has edged closer to a potential run for office in California, with a spokesman confirming on Monday that she has resigned from three corporate boards. Whitman has been considered as a

Republican contender for California governor once Arnold Schwarzenegger’s term ends after 2010. The seat of Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer also will be up for election in two years. Whitman’s spokesman, Henry Gomez, said she stepped down from the boards of eBay, Proctor & Gamble Co. and DreamWorks SKG as of Dec. 31. He said it was for “personal reasons and time commit-

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ments” but would not elaborate. A person who is knowledgeable about Whitman’s potential political aspirations told the AP that the 52-year-old Silicon Valley leader made a decision about her political future while spending time with family over the holidays but is not ready to announce it. The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to

speak about her future on the record, says Whitman’s resignations are “a strong indication” that she wants to get clear of any commitments that might interfere with a run for political office. She will announce her intentions in four to six weeks, he said. In a statement, John Donahoe, eBay’s SEE WHITMAN PAGE 8

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