A lot of bad ideas have been kicking around Sacramento as lawmakers have made half-hearted attempts to balance the state budget. But the one to save money by shortening the school year by a month or more is our nominee for the worst one so far.

Bill Bassitt knows about the problems here in Stanislaus County.

Gov. Jerry Brown has shown real courage in handling two politically charged issues that hang over the state prison system:

THIS WEEK

The Modesto City Council does not meet this week, but its three-member Finance Committee will have its hands full today with a public discussion about what to do about the operating losses at the three municipal golf courses. The committee's recommendation will be forwarded to the full council, which has the final say.

The mammoth ethanol plant along Highway 99 in Keyes is scheduled to go back into operation this week, after sitting idle for more than two years.

Editor's note: Our second-quarter visiting editors share thoughts on a topic of their choice.

Officials in Riverbank are upset at the prospect of long, slow-moving trains rumbling through their city carrying rock from a quarry proposed in Tuolumne County. What are they going to do about it? The City Council has voted to sue, to force a full environmental impact report before the quarry can be developed.

The Modesto City Council, meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, will review sewer rates and whether to stick to a multiyear plan, adopted in 2010, that calls for a steady climb in monthly bills through 2014.

Through two state propositions in recent years, California voters said very clearly they wanted citizens rather than politicians drawing the boundaries for state legislative and congressional districts.

The Legislature has passed and Gov. Jerry Brown is likely to sign a bill requiring California utilities to get one-third of their electrical energy from renewable sources by 2020.

There's no compelling reason why local party central committee contests should clutter California ballots — and on the public's dime.

While rising pension obligations for public employees have caught the public's attention, health care obligations for retirees represent another fast-growing cost that neither the state nor local governments have adequately prepared for.

Locally, there are two very different scenarios regarding the cost of retiree health care among public employment systems:

Our first-quarter visiting editors share thoughts on a topic of their choice.

The long-term budget outlook may be the most important issue on the Modesto City Schools' board agenda tonight, but several recommended changes in the conduct code will have a much more immediate impact on students.

Guard needs real leader

Revenue from property taxes has plummeted, the outlook for sufficient state funding is uncertain and enrollment continues a slow, steady decline.

Japan's road to recovery from the massive earthquake and tsunami has been complicated by releases of radioactive material from nuclear reactors in the disaster zone. And while Japan is getting international help, this tragedy will test the perseverance of the island nation.

Over the next five months, the 14 members of the new California Citizens Redistricting Commission will use 2010 Census numbers to draw new boundaries for Assembly, state Senate and congressional districts, effective for the 2012 elections.

The public's business is the public's business. People have a right to know what government is doing with their money and in their name.

It's been a wild ride for our county's largest public pension fund, but thankfully there are welcome signs of improvement and stability.

Unwilling (in the case of most Republicans) or unable (in the case of most Democrats) to approve new taxes, state lawmakers are squeezing citizens to raise revenues in less obvious ways.

West Park extension wise

We want to acknowledge the passing of David S. Broder, a nationally syndicated columnist whose opinions appeared in The Modesto Bee for more than three decades. He died Wednesday at age 81 from complications related to diabetes. Broder was known for his thorough reporting. He wrote with a level of expertise and a long-term perspective that few of today's opinion writers offer. As The Associated Press reported, a 1990 survey of newspaper editors conducted by Washingtonian magazine rated Broder as "Best Reporter," "Hardest Working" and "Least Ideological" among more than 100 columnists.