Which Way, L.A.?

Inmates, Drivers and Clothing - Hung out to Dry?

Angry California State Senate Democrats have eliminated next year's 28-million-dollar budget for the State Board of Prison Terms, claiming that the board has failed to address a long list of problems. While there's mutual acknowledgment that the board is out of compliance on the timeliness of parole hearings, there's disagreement over the extent of other violations and the "arbitrary and capricious" nature of the board's decisions. Don Spector, of the Prison Law Office, gives us the inmates' perspective. Stephen Green is a spokesman for the state parole board. Newsmaker: Gasoline Price Hike? - As vacation-driving season nears, there's talk of gasoline at 2, even 3 dollars a gallon. Yet Gordon Schremp, of the California Energy Commission, calls Doomsday predictions overblown. He plays down any real effect on gas or diesel from last night's fire at the Tosco Refinery, talks about fuel imports, the gas tax, and California's clean reformulated gas. Reporter's Notebook: Hung Out to Dry? Californians Saying No to Clotheslines - Southern California's sunny climate lends itself to drying clothes on a line. Since electric dryers use more power than air conditioners, it's a great conservation measure too. But Richard Monson, of the California Association of Homeowners' Associations, cautions that neighbors may not applaud conservation efforts that hang property values out to dry.