California Crackdown


Book Description

More information to be announced soon on this forthcoming title from Penguin USA




The California Crackdown


Book Description

When Cain Parker struck gold, he won a whole mess of trouble. The attacks on his wagons got so bad that he called on his old friend Skye Fargo for help. Skye knows all the signs of a set-up, but not even he could have guessed Cain's own son was in on it. The Trailsman remembers Daniel Parker as a little boy, but now he's about to face him man to man.




The Trailsman #324


Book Description

When gold fever strikes, the Trailsman delivers a dose of lead. When Cain Parker struck gold, he won a whole mess of trouble. The attacks on his wagons got so bad that he called on his old friend Skye Fargo for help. Skye knows all the signs of a set-up, but not even he could have guessed Cain’s own son was in on it. The Trailsman remembers Daniel Parker as a little boy—but now he’s about to face him man to man...




CrackDown Task Force Program


Book Description




Punishment and Democracy


Book Description

"Getting tough on crime" has been one of the favorite rallying cries of American politicians in the last two decades, and "getting tough" on repeat offenders has been particularly popular. "Three strikes and you're out" laws, which effectively impose a 25-years-to-life sentence at the moment of a third felony conviction, have been passed in 26 states. California's version of the "three strikes" law, enacted in 1994, was broader and more severe than measures considered or passed in any other state. Punishment and Democracy is the first examination of the actual impact this law has had. Franklin Zimring, Sam Kamin, and Gordon Hawkins look at the origins of the law in California, compare it to other crackdown laws, and analyze the data collected on crime rates in Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco in the year before and the two years after the law went into effect. They show that the "three strikes" law was a significant development in criminal justice policy making, not only at the state level, but also at the national level. They conclude with an examination of the trend toward populist initiatives driving penal policy. The importance of the subject and the stature of the authors make this book required reading for policy analysts, criminal justice scholars, elected officials, and indeed any American seeking to know more about "get-tough" criminal sentencing.




Democracy in California


Book Description

A readable and thought-provoking textbook, which clearly explains the politics and character of California’s governmental institutions and the dynamics affecting the lives of Californians. In addition to thorough coverage of California’s constitution and development, this book also examines each branch of government as well as local systems. Exploring the nature of public opinion, parties, and campaigns, the author seek to show the effects that the state’s diverse population has on all levels of politics and government.




Venice


Book Description

Nestled between Santa Monica and Marina del Rey, Venice is a Los Angeles community filled with apparent contradictions. There, people of various races and classes live side by side, a population of astounding diversity bound together by geographic proximity. From street to street, and from block to block, million dollar homes stand near housing projects and homeless encampments; and upscale boutiques are just a short walk from the (in)famous Venice Beach where artists and carnival performers practice their crafts opposite cafés and ragtag tourist shops. In Venice: A Contested Bohemia in Los Angeles, Andrew Deener invites the reader on an ethnographic tour of this legendary California beach community and the people who live there. In writing this book, the ethnographer became an insider; Deener lived as a resident of Venice for close to six years. Here, he brings a scholarly eye to bear on the effects of gentrification, homelessness, segregation, and immigration on this community. Through stories from five different parts of Venice—Oakwood, Rose Avenue, the Boardwalk, the Canals, and Abbot Kinney Boulevard— Deener identifies why Venice maintained its diversity for so long and the social and political factors that threaten it. Drenched in the details of Venice’s transformation, the themes and explanations will resonate far beyond this one city. Deener reveals that Venice is not a single locale, but a collection of neighborhoods, each with its own identity and conflicts—and he provides a cultural map infinitely more useful than one that merely shows streets and intersections. Deener's Venice appears on these pages fully fleshed out and populated with a stunning array of people. Though the character of any neighborhood is transient, Deener's work is indelible and this book will be studied for years to come by scholars across the social sciences.




Latino History and Culture


Book Description

Latinos are the fastest growing population in America today. This two-volume encyclopedia traces the history of Latinos in the United States from colonial times to the present, focusing on their impact on the nation in its historical development and current culture. "Latino History and Culture" covers the myriad ethnic groups that make up the Latino population. It explores issues such as labor, legal and illegal immigration, traditional and immigrant culture, health, education, political activism, art, literature, and family, as well as historical events and developments. A-Z entries cover eras, individuals, organizations and institutions, critical events in U.S. history and the impact of the Latino population, communities and ethnic groups, and key cities and regions. Each entry includes cross references and bibliographic citations, and a comprehensive index and illustrations augment the text.




The 'California Effect' & the Future of American Food


Book Description

For several decades, California has been the epicenter of the American food scene. While data show that the state produces one-third of the nation's food supply, California is much more than where the food we eat comes from. One in eight American diners lives in the state, which is home to more than 90,000 restaurants. California is also where eating trends are born, and where fast food, Chez Panisse, Mexican salsa, Wolfgang Puck, organic foods, street food, and Napa Valley wines became durable icons of American culinary culture. The state's place atop the national food chain, though, is in jeopardy. In recent years, California legislators have pursued regulations that negatively impact many important agricultural and culinary trends. State and local governments have banned or severely hampered a veritable smorgasbord of foods, including everything from eggs to French fries, foie gras to tacos, raw-milk cheeses to bacon-wrapped hot dogs. Meanwhile, California Proposition 65 requires proprietors of restaurants that serve olives, bread, and chicken to warn customers that they sell cancerous products. The nation's breadbasket now wants us to fear bread. California's turn against food is worrisome across the country, too, since in addition to its place is the nation's breadbasket and culinary trendsetter, California is the country's cultural and regulatory bellwether. Regulations passed in California often become laws elsewhere, at both the state and federal level. Companies that can no longer market a food in California may be forced to decide whether that product - robbed of twelve percent of its potential market - is still viable. This article explores the bright past, gloomy present, and cloudy future of food in California, and what this means for food in America. Section I describes the nature and history of California's agricultural and culinary development. Section II explores several of California's state and local food bans and restrictive food regulations. Section III analyzes the - California effect and the nationwide impact of California's food crackdown, and describes several ways that burdensome California food laws have impacted agriculture or dining on a national scale. Section IV analyzes the likely causes of the state's burgeoning crackdown on food, and explores several arguments over California's food crackdown. Finally, this article concludes that what California and America need in place of what some critics label - food fascism is food freedom: the right of people to grow, buy, sell, cook, and eat the foods they want.