The James Logan Courier

By Michael J. Mishak
Los Angeles Times (MCT)

VISALIA — The vast fruit fields, picturesque farmhouses and rolling foothills of Tulare County, Calif., mask an ugly reality: Nearly a quarter of the population in this Central Valley agricultural hub lives in poverty, and one in three residents receives state aid — the largest proportion in the state.

With the Legislature and Gov. Jerry Brown slashing billions of dollars in government services to help balance the state budget, few places will feel the effects more deeply. Local officials fear that when roughly $8 billion in budget cuts take effect, some as early as July 1, the poorest residents will tumble into homelessness.

By Julia Prodis Sulek
San Jose Mercury News (MCT)

SAN BRUNO, Calif. — The week before the giant excavator tore apart her burned-out home in San Bruno, Calif., Carlene Vasquez sat on the front porch and said goodbye.
"Thank you, home," she said. "You've been good to us."

It's been seven months since a Pacific Gas and Electric gas pipeline exploded and a fireball roared through the Crestmoor neighborhood, killing eight people and destroying 38 hillside homes.

Carlene and Art Vasquez know they are two of the lucky ones. They survived. But since the September inferno, this couple in their 60s who raised their three children here have had to come to terms with what it really means to lose not just their house, but their home. In every way, through pain and with hope, they are making their way back.