LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A new state report shows that the rate of smoking among California's adults has hit an all-time low, while Lake County's adult smoking rate is nearly twice the state average, which the county health officer called a “glaring problem.”

California Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ron Chapman issued the report late last week, drawing the data from the Centers for Disease Control’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

The state's data showed that, in 2010, 11.9 percent of the state’s adults smoked, down from 13.1 percent in 2009.

Health officials said California was one of only two states to reach the federal Healthy People 2020 target of reducing the adult smoking prevalence rate to 12 percent.

“The drop in smoking means that fewer people will see their lives cut short by tobacco,” Chapman said. “Since the inception of California’s tobacco education efforts in 1990, we have witnessed declines in lung cancer, heart disease and other tobacco-related illnesses.”

While California has managed to reduce its smoking rates, Chapman said the state still has to continue its aggressive efforts.

“While we take great pride in seeing smoking decrease nearly 10 percent in just one year, smoking remains the number one preventable cause of death and disease, killing more than 400,000 Americans each year,” Chapman said.

In 2010, 14.4 percent of men and and 9.4 percent of women smoked in California, down from the previous year, when 15.6 percent of men and 10.7 percent of women smoked, the report stated.

The California Department of Public Health also reported that smoking rates declined among all age groups, with the most significant decrease occurring among adults ages 25 to 44, which fell from 15.2 percent in 2009 to 13.1 percent in 2010.

In Lake County, the state's findings regarding adult smokers were not as positive.

Among the county's estimated 51,000 adults, 10,000 people – or 20.1 percent – smoke, according to data the California Department of Public Health provided to Lake County News.

In neighboring Mendocino County, the state said that adult smokers total 12,000, or 17.6 percent of the population.

“Our smoking rates are not doing so well,” said Lake County Health Officer Dr. Karen Tait.

Those numbers are, however, better than the conclusion arrived at by the 2010 Lake County Community Health Needs Assessment.

That report, drawing on 2007 data from the California Health Interview Survey, showed that 14.5 percent of California adults smoked, compared to 25.9 percent of Lake County adults.

Comparing that data to the newest report, Tait said that while local smoking rates are still high, they may be showing a slight improvement.

“We may be following the trend but I think we're lagging, and we need to do much better,” Tait said.

The state also reported that smoking among high school students decreased from 14.6 percent in 2008 to 13.8 percent in 2010, while middle school student smoking decreased from 6.0 percent in 2008 to 4.8 percent in 2010. The 2010 youth smoking prevalence rate is taken from the biennial in-school California Student Tobacco Survey.

The state did not include specific numbers by counties on children who smoke, but Tait drew on data from www.kidsdata.org to offer a comparison between Lake County children who admitted smoking and the statewide numbers.

Between 2004 and 2008, children in Lake County who admitted smoking included 4.7 percent of seventh graders, 19 percent of ninth graders and 22.6 percent of 11^th graders.

“I find that kind of alarming,” she said.

As for the reasons why Lake County's overall smoking rates are higher, Tait said both poverty and rural settings have been linked to higher smoking rates.

But as to why that is, Tait couldn't say.

“I haven't really heard a scientific explanation for that,” she said. “Some of us have speculated.”

Regarding children, Tait said young people sometimes engage in mind-altering behaviors – smoking among them – which she guesses is to address feelings they have. “But that is just speculation,” she added.

Tait said smoking is the No. 1 preventable risk factor for many diseases – including cancer and heart disease – so smoking cessation is something “that's well worth putting effort towards.”

However, there doesn't appear to be strong interest in smoking cessation in Lake County, according to Glenn Koeppel, who works in Lake Family Resource Center's Tobacco Education Program.

Koeppel said that, despite the fact that smoking is becoming more cost prohibitive, he's found that the worse off people are economically, the more they tend to continue to smoke.

He said he gets very low turnout at smoking cessation classes he leads. At one recent evening class in Lakeport – scheduled so people could make it after work – only one person showed up, and that individual wasn't able to finish the course.

“There doesn't even seem to be a desire in Lake County for people who want to quit,” Koeppel said.

While everyone knows the health challenges connected to smoking, “It doesn't seem to be much of a deterrent,” he said.

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Sacha Shea Cooper, 30, was arrested for felony driving under the influence, driving with an expired driver license and felony child endangerment, according to California Highway Patrol Officer Kory Reynolds.

At approximately 6:20 p.m. Tuesday Cooper was driving her 2004 Chevrolet Impala northbound on Highway 29 north of Highway 281/Soda Bay Road when she allowed her vehicle to drift across the center line, according to Reynolds.

As a result of going over the center line, Cooper's vehicle struck the left rear of a 2004 Saturn which was heading southbound on Highway 29, driven by 31-year-old Laura Ewing of Lakeport, Reynolds said.

Reynolds said the collision forced Ewing to go off the west roadway edge and into a ditch.

Ewing sustained minor injuries in the collision but was not transported to the hospital, Reynolds said.

Cooper also went off the west roadway edge onto a dirt shoulder, according to Reynolds.

Reynolds said Officer Dan Frederick and Officer Efrain Cortez responded to the scene.

He said Frederick contacted Cooper who was outside her vehicle with her 1-month-old daughter in her arms.

Cooper was subsequently arrested, Reynolds said.

Cooper’s daughter was not injured in the collision and was in a properly fitted, properly installed car seat. Reynolds said the infant was released to her father.

In addition to the charges of DUI, driving with an expired driver license and felony child endangerment, Cooper's jail booking sheet also recorded a misdemeanor bench warrant.

Cooper's bail was posted at $25,000. Jail records indicated she later posted bail and was released.

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Terry Newmyer will be vice president of Adventist Health as well as president/chief executive officer of the new Northern California Network. He will remain president and chief executive officer of the St. Helena Region. Courtesy photo.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Adventist Health reported Tuesday that it has created the Northern California Network as a way of addressing both growth and new business opportunities for its hospitals.

The new network includes St. Helena Hospital Clearlake, Howard Memorial Hospital in Willits, St. Helena Hospital Center for Behavioral Health, St. Helena Hospital Napa Valley, Ukiah Valley Medical Center (UVMC) and their service sites, according to Scott Reiner, executive vice president, chief operating officer and board chairman of the St. Helena Hospital region.

Terry Newmyer, currently president and chief executive officer of the St. Helena Region – a title which he will retain – assumes the title of vice president of Adventist Health as well as president/CEO of the new Northern California Network, with responsibilities for the five hospitals.

In addition to his current portfolio, Newmyer will focus on ensuring that patient care is well organized within the network.

This new strategic concentration will strengthen operations across the region, as the five hospitals collaborate and work toward a coordinated business model.

As president of the new network, Newmyer will spearhead the executive searches under way for the CEO positions at Howard Memorial Hospital and UVMC, which will report to him.

Bill Wing, senior vice president of Adventist Health, will continue to chair the boards for Howard Memorial Hospital and UVMC.

“Terry’s leadership of the St. Helena hospitals has been exemplary and their successes are well documented,” stated Reiner. “His guidance over the Northern California Network will allow us to expand services to communities throughout the region. Through business collaboration and care coordination, we will ensure patients experience excellence across the continuum of care.”

“I am pleased to begin working with the teams at Howard Memorial Hospital and UVMC,” said Newmyer. “I look forward to expanding Adventist Health’s footprint in the region.”

Before being appointed as president and CEO of the St. Helena region in 2009, Newmyer held key roles at Florida Hospital in Orlando.

Newmyer’s experience also includes being a named partner with KPMG’s National Strategy Practice where he delivered market strategy consultation to hospitals and payers nationwide. Prior to that, he served as senior vice president, corporate development, for Lakeland Regional Health System in St. Joseph, Michigan.

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Selected for the 2011-12 panel include returning jurors Kathleen Bisaccio of Lakeport, Fred Christensen of Lakeport, Judith Stelljes of Kelseyville, Diane Trudeau of Cobb, Gerald Morehouse of Lucerne and Beryl Reeder of Clearlake; and new members Cheryl Engels of Middletown, Brockman Kreiss of Clearlake Oaks, Margaret Maloney of Kelseyville, Karen Miller of Kelseyville, Ken Montoya of Kelseyville, James Neil of Kelseyville, Janice Pankratz of Lakeport, Natalie Parsons of Upper Lake, Conrad Petersen of Kelseyville, William Quigley of Clearlake Oaks, John Sakowich of Lakeport, Gary Smades of Lakeport and Luther Sweigert of Clearlake.

Fred Christensen was appointed foreperson and the grand jury immediately went into session for the purpose of organization.

The 2010-11 grand jury was discharged after filing its final report earlier.

Along with Bisaccio, Christensen, Stelljes, Trudeau, Morehouse and Reeder, the former panel included Kevin Byrnes, Michael Daugherty, Kenneth Fountain, Jay Gehrke, Dave Johnson, Judith Steele Lanfranco, Nanette Marschall, Mary Moore, Phillip Myers, Mary Nolan and Jack Scialabba.

The major function of the Lake County Grand Jury is to examine county and city government and special districts to ensure that their duties are being lawfully carried out.

The grand jury reviews and evaluates procedures, methods, and systems utilized by these entities to determine whether more efficient and economical programs may be employed.

Grand jurors are officers of the court but work as an independent body.

A grand jury works to ensure that the best interests of all citizens of the county are being served by their governmental bodies.

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The shooting occurred shortly before 8 p.m. at the Bu Shay Campground in Redwood Valley, according to a report from Capt. Kurt Smallcomb of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.

The names of the victims have not yet been released, and Smallcomb said suspects were still being identified.

Smallcomb said that at 7:50 p.m. Wednesday the Mendocino County Sheriffs Dispatch Center was contacted by employees at the campground regarding a shooting which had just occurred.

Deputies, along with the California Highway Patrol, Redwood Valley Fire, California Department of Forestry, REACH and and Cal Star air ambulances, proceeded to and arrived at space No. 8 at the campground, Smallcomb reported.

He said deputies learned that two people at the campsite had been shot.

A 40-year-old man was transported to Ukiah Valley Medical Center with life-saving efforts under way, but the man died from his injuries, Smallcomb said.

The second victim, reported to be in his 20s, was flown via air ambulance to an out-of-county hospital for a single gunshot wound to the upper torso. Smallcomb said that victim's medical condition was listed as critical but stable early Thursday morning.

Smallcomb said sheriff's detectives were investigating the incident and also were in the process of identifying at least three to four suspects responsible for the shootings.

At about 2:30 a.m. Lake County authorities issued an officer safety be on the lookout for a 33-year-old white male subject wanted in connection with the shooting.

The man was reported to be associated with a black Nissan sedan that contained three other white male adults. Officials said he was armed and dangerous, and last seen in Mendocino County at around the time of the fatal shooting.

Smallcomb said an autopsy of the fatal shooting victim is planned for Friday.

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VA officials still see payment challenges ahead if the Restoring GI Bill Fairness Act becomes law this year.

The House approved its version of the bill, HR 1383, in May. The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee endorsed a companion bill, S 277, on June 29. A full Senate vote is expected next.

A few months back, VA officials had opposed the bill.

Keith M. Wilson, director of the VA’s education service, testified that providing relief from a new Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits’ cap to 30,000 students already enrolled in private colleges would require that the VA process those payments manually rather than through a redesigned computer software program.

The administrative burden of doing this would “lead to a significant increase in the average processing time for all claims during the critical fall enrollment period,” Wilson told a House subcommittee.

But VA officials now estimate that fewer than 6000 of the 30,000 students attending private colleges in Arizona, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Texas will need relief from the benefit cap to avoid a sharp drop in GI Bill payments.

This 80 percent drop in the estimated number of student vets who would benefit from the relief bill, and therefore would need to have their GI Bill payments manually processed, lessens the threat of widespread delays this fall, agreed Joshua P. Taylor, the VA’s press secretary.

But passage of the relief bill still will pose challenges.

“VA has been working with the House and Senate for some time to solve issues created for this group of students at higher-tuition schools in certain states,” Taylor said. “It is important that we make sure any change in law that would provide [cap] relief doesn't have the effect of disrupting administration of the program for the larger group of GI Bill beneficiaries.”

VA officials know what’s in the legislation, Taylor added. But “we cannot implement changes in the system based on potential changes in the law. At this point, the processing of fall enrollments has already begun, which complicates the situation. We would have to process all those claims manually now and until the [relief] legislation expires.”

Wilson first spoke of 30,000 students potentially impacted because he lacked cost data to make a more accurate call, Taylor said. The 30,000 is total number of Post-9/11 GI Bill “trainees” who attended private colleges in the seven states from August 2009 to July 2010.

Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.), chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, introduced the Restoring GI Bill Fairness Act to address a problem created by the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Improvements Act enacted last January.

That bill improved the new GI Bill in several ways, all to take effect in fall of 2011. This includes allowing benefits to be used for non-degree education and vocational training, and simplifying a complex payment-setting scheme.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill will continue to cover full tuition and fees at any public college or university. But the wide variance in entitlement for students attending private colleges will end.

Benefit ceilings set in every state, based on tuition and fees at the most expensive state college or university, will be replaced by a single $17,500 annual cap. Starting next year, that cap will be adjusted annually by the percentage rise in education costs nationwide.

But the new cap left private college students in seven states facing hefty unplanned out-of-pocket costs.

Individual schools can address this by participating more deeply in the Post-9/11 GI Bill’s Yellow Ribbon feature. That feature requires VA to match in higher payments any portion of uncovered tuition that a private college or university agrees to waive.

At schools not planning to strengthen Yellow Ribbon participation, the Restoring GI Bill Fairness Act would prevent GI Bill payments from falling for veterans already enrolled until they get their degree or exhaust their benefit.

HEALTH COSTS TARGETED – A new report from the Congressional Budget Office brightens the bull’s eye on military personnel accounts for trimming future defense spending, and it takes special note of rising health costs linked to military retirees.

TRICARE, the military’s triple health care option, is becoming more attractive to beneficiaries every year because of “low out-of-pocket expenses” and the rising cost of health insurance alternatives for working age retirees and their dependents, CBO explains in the report “Long-Term Implications of the 2012 Future Years Defense Program.”

At least in part because of low fees, military beneficiaries use inpatient and outpatient health services far more often than do civilian counterparts.

Department of Defense data cited by CBO shows enrollees in TRICARE Prime, the managed care option, use inpatient services at a rate 84 percent higher than civilians in comparable HMOs or health maintenance organizations. The Prime usage rate for outpatient services was 51 percent higher and for prescription drug services 27 percent higher.

CBO said the data comparisons were adjusted for age and gender. There is no mention of any attempt to adjust usage rates to account for hardships of service life including frequent wartime deployments.

The report explains in a footnote that the proportion of military retirees and their dependents who use employer-provided health insurance alternatives to TRICARE hit 27 percent last year, down from 49 percent in 2001 – evidence of a continuing migration among retirees and their spouses away from employer-sponsored health insurance and into TRICARE.

Before wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the biggest cost driver for the defense budgets usually was weapon modernization, says CBO.

But the primary cause of long-term defense budget growth has shifted with “significant increases” now expected in costs for military and civilian compensation, military health care and operation and maintenance activities.

To comment, e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., write to Military Update, P.O. Box 231111, Centreville, VA, 20120-1111 or visit: www.militaryupdate.com.

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Joseph E. Litteral, 40, was identified as the fatal shooting victim, according to Capt. Kurt Smallcomb of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.

The incident was reported shortly before 8 p.m. Wednesday at space No. 8 at Bu Shay Campground in Redwood Valley, according to Smallcomb.

Litteral was transported to Ukiah Valley Medical Center where he died a short time later, Smallcomb said.

The second victim, a Willits man in his 20s whose name was not released, was flown via air ambulance to an out-of-county hospital for a single gunshot wound to the upper torso. Smallcomb said the man remained hospitalized on Thursday and was in stable condition, having suffered a fractured scapula from his gunshot injury.

Detectives are continuing to follow up leads in an effort to identify the suspects in the shooting, Smallcomb said.

Smallcomb said an autopsy of Litteral is scheduled for Friday.

Anyone who may have information into the shooting incident is encouraged to contact Mendocino County Sheriff's Office detectives at 707-467-9159.

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North Coast Congressman Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena), Congress member Nan Hayworth, M.D. (R-NY) and Dan Lungren (R-CA) introduced the PACE Protection Act of 2011.

The PACE program – currently available in 27 states and the District of Columbia – allows property owners to finance energy efficiency and renewable energy projects for their homes and commercial buildings – without any government subsidies or taxes. More important, it means lower utility bills for property owners and job creation in the hard hit construction industry.

“PACE promotes energy efficiency in ways that are good for our country, our economy, and our environment,” said Thompson. “It saves property owners money by lowering energy costs and, perhaps more important, creates jobs without taxes or government subsidies. Congresswoman Hayworth, Congressman Lungren and I are committed to protecting PACE for the future, which is why we introduced legislation to continue to allow property owners to finance innovative energy projects through these innovative, affordable, and responsible programs.”

The PACE Protection Act addresses adverse action taken by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and their regulators at the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) which has prevented communities nationwide from harnessing PACE benefits.

The PACE Protection Act of 2011 is meant to protect PACE programs from federal overreach by the FHFA and allow them to continue reducing energy consumption, boosting our economy, and creating jobs, without mandates from the government or taxpayer funds.

“PACE programs in our states have allowed homeowners to make energy-saving modifications on their houses through a voluntary assessment on their own property, at no cost to local taxpayers,” said Hayworth.

“PACE programs create jobs and help Americans to conserve energy, saving on those costs and protecting our environment,” she added. “Unfortunately, interference by the Federal Home Finance Administration has prevented states from enabling all of their homeowners to take advantage of PACE. Our bill addresses the concerns of FHFA and facilitates participation by homeowners in every state with a PACE program, which will in turn promote conservation, energy savings, and job creation.”

With unemployment hovering around 9 percent, legislation that focuses on creating jobs at the local level all across America is paramount.

Independent studies have shown the benefits of PACE to be substantial to homeowners, the economy, the environment, and federal, state and local governments.

“My colleagues and I are fighting for a common sense program that would both increase the value of homes involved and help create jobs in our region. The time is now, more than ever to pass legislation that will accomplish this goal,” Lungren concluded.

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The 14 individuals were arrested in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Florida, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Mexico and Ohio on charges contained in an indictment unsealed Tuesday in the Northern District of California in San Jose.

In addition, two individuals were arrested on Tuesday on similar charges in two separate complaints filed in the Middle District of Florida and the District of New Jersey.

Also on Tuesday, FBI agents executed more than 35 search warrants throughout the United States as part of an ongoing investigation into coordinated cyber attacks against major companies and organizations.

Finally, the United Kingdom’s Metropolitan Police Service arrested one person and the Dutch National Police Agency arrested four individuals Tuesday for alleged related cyber crimes.

According to the San Jose indictment, in late November 2010, WikiLeaks released a large amount of classified U.S. State Department cables on its Web site.

Citing violations of the PayPal terms of service, and in response to WikiLeaks’ release of the classified cables, PayPal suspended WikiLeaks’ accounts so that WikiLeaks could no longer receive donations via PayPal.

WikiLeaks’ Web site declared that PayPal’s action “tried to economically strangle WikiLeaks.”

The San Jose indictment alleges that in retribution for PayPal’s termination of WikiLeaks’ donation account, a group calling itself Anonymous coordinated and executed distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks against PayPal’s computer servers using an open source computer program the group makes available for free download on the Internet.

DDoS attacks are attempts to render computers unavailable to users through a variety of means, including saturating the target computers or networks with external communications requests, thereby denying service to legitimate users. According to the indictment, Anonymous referred to the DDoS attacks on PayPal as “Operation Avenge Assange.”

The defendants charged in the San Jose indictment allegedly conspired with others to intentionally damage protected computers at PayPal from Dec. 6, 2010, to Dec. 10, 2010.

The individuals named in the San Jose indictment are: Christopher Wayne Cooper, 23, aka “Anthrophobic;” Joshua John Covelli, 26, aka “Absolem” and “Toxic;” Keith Wilson Downey, 26; Mercedes Renee Haefer, 20, aka “No” and “MMMM;” Donald Husband, 29, aka “Ananon;” Vincent Charles Kershaw, 27, aka “Trivette,” “Triv” and “Reaper;” Ethan Miles, 33; James C. Murphy, 36; Drew Alan Phillips, 26, aka “Drew010;” Jeffrey Puglisi, 28, aka “Jeffer,” “Jefferp” and “Ji;” Daniel Sullivan, 22; Tracy Ann Valenzuela, 42; and Christopher Quang Vo, 22. One individual’s name has been withheld by the court.

The defendants are charged with various counts of conspiracy and intentional damage to a protected computer. They will make initial appearances throughout the day in the districts in which they were arrested.

In addition to the activities in San Jose, Scott Matthew Arciszewski, 21, was arrested Tuesday by FBI agents on charges of intentional damage to a protected computer. Arciszewski is charged in a complaint filed in the Middle District of Florida and made his initial appearance this afternoon in federal court in Orlando, Fla.

According to the complaint, on June 21, 2011, Arciszewski allegedly accessed without authorization the Tampa Bay InfraGard Web site and uploaded three files.

The complaint alleges that Arciszewski then tweeted about the intrusion and directed visitors to a separate Web site containing links with instructions on how to exploit the Tampa InfraGard Web site. InfraGard is a public-private partnership for critical infrastructure protection sponsored by the FBI with chapters in all 50 states.

Also on Tuesday, a related complaint unsealed in the District of New Jersey charges Lance Moore, 21, of Las Cruces, N.M., with allegedly stealing confidential business information stored on AT&T’s servers and posting it on a public file sharing site.

Moore was arrested Tuesday morning at his residence by FBI agents and is expected to make an initial appearance Tuesday afternoon in Las Cruces federal court. Moore is charged in with one count of accessing a protected computer without authorization.

According to the New Jersey complaint, Moore, a customer support contractor, exceeded his authorized access to AT&T’s servers and downloaded thousands of documents, applications and other files that, on the same day, he allegedly posted on a public file-hosting site that promises user anonymity.

According to the complaint, on June 25, 2011, the computer hacking group LulzSec publicized that they had obtained confidential AT&T documents and made them publicly available on the Internet. The documents were the ones Moore had previously uploaded.

The charge of intentional damage to a protected computer carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Each count of conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

An indictment and a complaint merely contain allegations. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

To date, more than 75 searches have taken place in the United States as part of the ongoing investigations into these attacks.

These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern District of California, Middle District of Florida, and the District of New Jersey. The Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section also has provided assistance.

Tuesday’s operational activities were done in coordination with the Metropolitan Police Service in the United Kingdom and the Dutch National Police Agency. The FBI thanked the multiple international, federal, and domestic law enforcement agencies who continue to support these operations.

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“Big tobacco continues to use its vast financial resources for campaign contributions and lobbying expenditures to oppose bills and ballot initiatives that would benefit public health by reducing tobacco use,” said Jane Warner, president and chief executive officer of the American Lung Association in California.

“Tobacco Money in California Politics” shows that tobacco interests contributed more than $6.56 million to candidates and members of the California Legislature, constitutional officers and political committees and spent $2.76 million on lobbying expenditures during the 2009-10 election cycle.

The data used in producing “Tobacco Money in California Politics” is derived from the semiannual contribution reports and the quarterly lobbying reports filed by the tobacco interests with the Secretary of State that cover the period Jan. 1, 2009 through Dec. 31, 2010.

It showed that, of the 122 state legislators, tobacco interests made campaign contributions to 59 members, or 48 percent, similar to the total from previous election cycles.

A searchable database of campaign contributions that the public can use to learn if their own state assembly member or senator received campaign contributions is available at www.Center4TobaccoPolicy.org/database.

A review of the database showed that Lake County's current state legislators – Assemblyman Wes Chesbro and Sen. Noreen Evans – have received no money from tobacco interests. Nor did previous North Coast legislators Sen. Patricia Wiggins or Assembly member Patty Berg.

The report also shows that 60 percent of the total contributions made during the 2009-10 election cycle were to political committees in support of Proposition 26 and in opposition to Proposition 25, which were both passed by California voters in the November 2010 general election.

Proposition 25 changed the vote requirement for passing a state budget from a two-thirds vote to a simple majority and Proposition 26 reclassified many types of fees as taxes, subjecting them to a two-thirds vote requirement.

In addition, Philip Morris USA Inc. spent more than $750,000 on lobbying in the second quarter of 2009 – April through June – a record amount for lobbying expenditures in one quarter by any tobacco interest over the last decade.

During those three months, the California Legislature voted on two budget bills that contained a tobacco tax increase and another tobacco tax bill that was moving forward in the legislative process.

“The numbers in this report are clear, Big Tobacco is spending to protect their vast financial interests in California,” said Paul Knepprath, vice president of advocacy and health initiatives, American Lung Association in California. “Despite the tobacco industry spending millions, smoking rates continue to drop and the state and local governments continue to pass policies that reduce tobacco’s impact on our state.”

A full copy of Tobacco Money in California Politics is available at www.Center4TobaccoPolicy.org/tobaccomoney. It also can be viewed or downloaded below.

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Tobacco Money in California Politics (2009-2010 Election Cycle)

“My auditors found the CDCR has grossly inadequate procedures in place for collecting overpayment of salaries and travel advances made through the agency’s office revolving fund,” Chiang said. “This is the latest in a series of agency audits conducted by my staff that point to the waste and abuse of state funds due to the lack of attention to collecting overpayments. Gov. Brown and I are working together to identify the causes of these problems and to protect public funds.”

In response to Chiang's report, Paul Verke, a CDCR spokesman, told Lake County News, “We agree with the recommendations in the audit report.”

Verke said CDCR's own internal audit launched last year identified many of the same issues that Chiang's office did.

“So it's not something that we take lightly and we've been working really hard to get it under control,” Verke said.

The CDCR review looked at records from July 1, 2009, through July 31, 2010.

The audit found inadequate collection efforts resulted in delays in collecting millions of dollars in overpayments for employee salary and travel advances.

Of the more than $6 million in outstanding receivables related to salary and travel advances, more than $4 million – or 65.6 percent – were outstanding for longer than 60 days, and $465,000, or 7.5 percent, had been outstanding for more than three years.

One employee who was terminated in May 2010 received a lump sum check for $14,950 from the office’s revolving fund to meet the time line for paying employees separating from state service.

But the audit found that CDCR did not take the steps necessary to offset the employee’s final check, resulting in the former employee receiving both a salary advance and a full, final check. Six months later, there still was no effort to recoup the overpayment of $14,950.

In another case, an employee received a salary advance of more than $8,000 in January 2008, plus a regular payroll check. As of November 1, 2010, almost three years later, the advance still had not been collected, even though the employee still works for CDCR.

The audit also found that serious internal control deficiencies put the agency at risk for fraud and abuse. CDCR was tardy or noncompliant in attempting to reconcile bank accounts to ensure the accuracy and completeness of recorded transactions.

As of June 30, 2010, the bank reconciliation of CDCR’s major account showed $27 million in unresolved funds on their bank balance, while CDCR’s records showed unresolved funds totaling more than $31 million on their book balance.

Without reconciling these funds, anyone who has access to the fund’s check stock could fraudulently issue checks with little chance of being detected.

In addition, although state accounting procedures require two authorized signatures for payments of more than $15,000, the Controller’s review found two separate checks exceeding that amount without dual signatures.

In another finding, the audit determined that CDCR used its revolving fund to spend more than the department’s appropriation under the State Budget.

While the majority of those payments appeared to be for legitimate purposes, the department has no legal authority to make such payments without an appropriation from the State Legislature.

As of Nov. 30, 2010, CDCR still had not received reimbursement for more than $3.5 million in payments made from its revolving fund prior to June 30, 2010.

In his response, CDCR Undersecretary for Administration and Offender Services Martin Hoshino said the agency agrees with the findings and already has implemented 22 of the 36 recommendations made by the controller.

In a July 5 letter to the State Controller's Office, Hoshino explained, “We have now prioritized the vigorous collection of outstanding debts,” succeeding in decreasing the outstanding balance by $2.2 million since November 1, 2010.

“We will continue in our efforts until we have surmounted the issues identified in this audit,” Hoshino said.

The Controller’s auditors will revisit CDCR in 12 months to assess the agency’s progress in implementing corrective actions.

CDCR is the state's largest agency, with 66,000 employees, Verke said.

Since taking office in January 2007, Chiang’s audits have identified more than $2.59 billion in waste, abuse and misspending of taxpayer dollars.

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070511 CDCR Letter to State Controller(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src="http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })();

Clockwise, from top left, Eric Nevarez, Kathleen Rodello, Joyce Adams, Michelle Posner and Gert Rutherford were arrested on various drug-related charges on Friday, July 15, 2011, following search warrant services around Lake County, Calif. Lake County Jail photos.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The service of three separate search warrants by the Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force on Friday resulted in a total of five arrests, seizures totaling over an ounce of methamphetamine, narcotics sales and manufacturing paraphernalia, and the seizure of nearly $6,400 in currency for asset forfeiture.

Arrested were Eric Lee Nevarez, 34, of Lakeport; Kathleen Sue Rodello, 49, of Upper Lake; Joyce Sue Adams, 66, of Clearlake; and Kelseyville residents Gert Alexander Rutherford, 55, and 43-year-old Michelle Annette Posner, according to Capt. James Bauman of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

Bauman said that at 7 a.m. Friday, July 15, narcotics detectives served a search warrant for Nevarez's person, his vehicles and his Soda Bay Road home. Deputies with the Sheriff’s Special Enforcement Detail and officers with the Lakeport Police Department assisted with the warrant service.

Special Enforcement Detail deputies and Lakeport Police officers secured the main residence while task force detectives announced themselves at the door of another detached building on the property, Bauman said.

After getting no response at the door, detectives forced entry into the building and detained Nevarez and Rodello, both of whom were determined to be under the influence of a controlled substance.

During a search of the detached building, narcotics detectives located approximately one-eighth of an ounce of methamphetamine concealed beneath a pile of clothes on a bed. Bauman said the search also revealed several digital scales, packaging materials used for the sales of controlled substances, and other narcotics sales paraphernalia.

He said detectives also seized $300 in currency, the suspected profits of narcotics trafficking, for asset forfeiture.

Nevarez was arrested for possession of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance for sales, and being under the influence of a controlled substance, with bail set at $10,000. Rodello was arrested for being under the influence of a controlled substance, with bail set at $3,000. Bauman said both were transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked.

At approximately 10 a.m. that day, narcotics detectives served a second search warrant on Adams at her 32nd Street home in Clearlake. Bauman said detectives entered the home and detained Adams without incident.

During a search of the residence, detectives located approximately three-quarters of an ounce of methamphetamine and narcotic medications including Hydrocodone, Oxycodone and morphine, concealed in a computer desk in Adams’ living room, Bauman said.

Digital scales, packaging materials, and other items of narcotics sales paraphernalia were also found in the desk. Bauman said a further search of the home revealed a total of 85 bags of processed marijuana found throughout the home. More than $900 in currency was seized from Adams as the suspected profits of drug trafficking.

Adams was arrested and transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility. Bauman said she was booked for possession of a controlled substance for sales, possession of a narcotic controlled substance for sales, and possession of marijuana for sales. Her bail was set at $10,000.

At approximately 11:30 a.m., narcotics detectives served a third search warrant on Rutherford at his Fairway Drive home in Kelseyville. Rutherford was not home at the time of the warrant service and detectives entered the residence through an unlocked door, Bauman said.

A search of the home revealed methamphetamine, a glass “meth” pipe, and other narcotics paraphernalia concealed in a bedroom dresser. Bauman said several digital scales, glassware, acetone and other materials used in the manufacturing and sales of methamphetamine were also found in the home,and $5,174 in currency was also seized for asset forfeiture as the suspected profits of drug trafficking.

At approximately 1:30 pm, narcotics detectives located Rutherford traveling in a 1993 Nissan on Soda Bay Road in Lakeport. Bauman said Rutherford was stopped and arrested for the items found during the search warrant. Posner, riding as a passenger in the vehicle, was determined to be under the influence of a controlled substance and arrested as well.

Rutherford and Posner were both transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility. Rutherford was booked for possession of a controlled substance for sales, manufacturing a controlled substance, and possession of narcotics paraphernalia, with bail set at $50,000. Posner was booked for being under the influence of a controlled substance, Bauman said. Her bail was set at $3,000.

Jail records indicated that all five of the suspects later posted bail and were released.

The Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force can be contacted through its anonymous tip line at 707-263-3663.

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