NewsWatch: Cities and Counties -- Municipal Pensions in Trouble

Municipal Pensions in Trouble
The nation's largest municipal pension plans are carrying a total unfunded liability of $574 billion, which comes on top of as much as $3 trillion in unfunded pension promises made by the states, according to a report released Tuesday. Washington Post

Legalizing Marijuana in California Won't Hurt Drug Cartels
Legalizing marijuana in California will not dramatically reduce the drug revenues collected by Mexican drug trafficking organizations from sales to the United States, according to a new RAND Corporation study. The only scenario where legalization in California could substantially reduce the revenue of the drug trafficking organizations is if high-potency, California-produced marijuana is smuggled to other U.S. states at prices that are lower than those of current Mexican supplies, according to the study from the RAND Drug Policy Research Center. Rand Corp.

County Accidentally Displays Flag of Chile on Ballot
For the past few years, at least, officials in Atascosa County, Texas, south of San Antonio, have been sending out absentee ballot packages that include a page with a flag proudly displayed in a wavy motion. The only trouble is, it's the Chilean flag, not the Texas flag. Austin American-Statesman

Electronic Parking Meters Stolen
Irate drivers may have found one way to deal with Chicago's new parking meters. Twenty of the 200-pound electronic parking pay machines have been stolen throughout Chicago since Sept. 17, police department spokesman Roderick Drew said in an e-mail. It isn't known how much cash may have been taken from the stolen machines, he said. Chicago Breaking News

Offshore Wind Power Line Wins Backing
Google  and a New York financial firm have each agreed to invest heavily in a proposed $5 billion transmission backbone for future offshore wind farms along the Atlantic Seaboard that could ultimately transform the region’s electrical map. New York Times

Another City Under Fire for Lavish Salaries
The city of Vernon,Calif., is facing scrutiny by the state attorney general and L.A. County prosecutors following revelations in The Times of lavish salaries, benefits and expenses enjoyed by top Vernon officials. Media reports said that some Vernon officials were paid more than $1 million a year, and that an administrator had received consulting fees through his wife's company. Los Angeles Times

San Francisco's Vagrants Target of Sit-Lie Law
The homelessness industry has pulled off some impressive feats of rebranding over the years. But for sheer audacity, nothing tops the alchemy that homelessness advocates and their government sponsors are currently attempting in San Francisco. City Journal

Another City Bans Plastic Bags
Joining a growing list of U.S. cities, Telluride became the first town in Colorado this week to ban plastic shopping bags. Its town council approved a new law that prohibits grocers and other retailers from distributing most types of disposable plastic bags to customers beginning in March 1, 2011. USA Today