Finally, Investigative Reporting
Finally, San Luis Obispo has some real investigative reporting! No, it’s not at the Tribune; it’s at a new site called UncoveredSLO.com. Created and headed up by Daniel Blackburn and Karen Velie, both notable former reporters from the New Times, this five-month old active blog features what has long been missing here: in-depth investigative journalism regarding San Luis Obispo and its Central Coast neighbors.
Really folks, they are really doing our community a enormous service by doing the types of serious investigation that must be turning the “reporters” at the Tribune green with envy. The articles are hard-hitting, well-researched and on controversial issues that others seem afraid to tackle. Make sure to bookmark them and join in the conversation in their comments section of each story.
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Thanks for the heads up on that site. You’re right, it’s a great news source. And I love your blog! Cracks me up.
Thanks for the compliment and the plug; we plan on staying around, and it’s nice to know that we have our share of involved readers. Here’s to changing SLO County journalism for the better!
You might want to look into and article that ran in the Los Angeles Times on 8/10/08 by writers Charles Piller and Lee Romney.
It is in regards to the contract psychologists who evaluate the sex offenders that is required by Jessica’s Law passed in 2006.
‘A 2006 LAW INTEDED TO CRACK DOWN ON SEX OFFENDERS HAS PROVED A BONANZA FOR A SMALL GROUP OF PRIVATE PSYCHOLOGISTS AND PSYCHIATRISTS, 14 OF WHOM BILLED CALIFORNIA TAXPAYERS LAST YEAR FOR A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS OR MORE EACH, A TIMES INVESTIGATION FOUND.”
Top two higest paid psychologists are here. They are Dr. Starr and Dr. Owen. One billed the state $1.5 million and the other billed $1.1 million. The article seems to indicate that perhaps that is a little over billing. The quote was “Yet on a single day, Nov. 13, 2007, No.2-earner Starr billed for five evaluations, On April 23, 2007, she billed more thatn 17 hours for a range of court-related work and still found time to complete and evaluation, according to her invoices, which were reviewed by The Times.
Starr declined to comment . Owen, the top earner, did not return calls for comment.”
Ref; state parks closing articles on the news stations and in the Trib 1- The entire budget for state parks is small compared to the amount needed to fix the budget.
2- Part of the money for state parks comes from the state general fund
3- no one is saying how much Hurst Castle brings in and if that money is put directly into the general fund
4- I can’t help but think that if Hurst Castle and other fee parks had all the funds left in the park system that the parks would be much better fiscally - The park system would stand a better chance of surviving if it kept all it’s funds in house.
5- It seems that Arnold wants to keep only the parks that can put cash in the coffers and close all the rest