The LA Times got a hold of a tape of Arnold Schwarzenegger praising Bonnie Garcia’s virtues…and we’re not talking about her personality:

“She maybe is Puerto Rican or the same thing as Cuban. I mean, they are all very hot. They have the, you know, part of the black blood in them and part of the Latino blood in them that together makes it.”

More of the “rowdy movie set” talk again. Umm..no, this was from the current legislative session, in discussions with Susan Kennedy, his so-called Democratic chief of staff.  Is this really the best use of time for the Governor of the largest state in the country.  The kinid of talk that should eminate from the executive of the 5th largest economy of the world.  Hardly, and Phil knows that:

California State Treasurer and Democratic nominee for Governor Phil Angelides issued the following statement today:

“Once again, Governor Schwarzenegger has used language that is deeply offensive to all Californians and embarrassed our state.  His comments reflect a disturbing pattern of behavior.  The Governor has a responsibility to conduct himself with dignity.”

(Rob’s a good guy, and would make a great Assemblyman. – promoted by SFBrianCL)

This is the third part of my interview with Rob Haswell, CA Assembly candidate from the 4th district which stretches from the Sacramento suburbs to Lake Tahoe, for my local blog Turn Tahoe Blue.

You can read part I at Turn Tahoe Blue or the Calitics cross-post.

You can read part II at Turn Tahoe Blue or the Calitics cross-post.

In this part Rob talks about the most pressing issues for the 4th district, preserving Lake Tahoe and gay marriage.

Is there a difference in the concerns of voters in your district between the more rural areas and small towns and the suburbs of Sacramento? What are the most pressing issues for voters in the 4th Assembly District?

  I’m not sure the concerns are all that different. It seems most of the voters from the Sacramento valley towns of Antelope, and Rio Linda, to Roseville and Rocklin and up into the foothills of Sierra like Placerville and Auburn and into the Lake Tahoe Basin people are worried about their quality of life. They are concerned about traffic congestion, the encroachment of suburban sprawl, public safety, keeping the water and air clean enough to drink and breath, keeping quality public schools open and safe. I don’t think those issues are all that different from one community to another. Without question, the number one issue on people’s minds is over development. If Placer and El Dorado counties lose their status as destination spots, you can bet that’s going to negatively impact the economy.

What needs to be done to preserve Lake Tahoe in the future? What do you think you can do in the Assembly?

  First off, we need people in political office that will be advocates for Lake Tahoe. It’s highly problematic to elect officials, such as my opponent, who have taken hundreds of thousands of dollars from developers. Having grown up just a few miles from the lake, I can tell you how much I value it as a natural and recreational resource. We need to ensure that the decision making done in relationship to Lake Tahoe and its surrounding areas for the coming decades is in the service of the preservation of the lake, first and foremost. That means that development in the area must be done with great care and with a defined long-term vision for the lake.

What is your position on GLBT issues, specifically on the gay marriage vs. civil unions issue which has received some attention in California recently?

  I am a supporter of marriage equality. All people should be treated equally under the law.

Rob has also published his statement on the healthcare crisis in California over at the California Progress Report yesterday. Go over there and read it!

You can help Rob get elected. Click on the links below to get more information on Rob and check out what you can do:

Rob Haswell’s Campaign Website

Haswell Campaign Journal

Contribute to Rob Haswell!

Attention:

You can read the 4th and final part of this interview here!

(The Corporatist Agenda at its Finest – promoted by SFBrianCL)

There’s been a lot of talk about the recent rise of violent crime in cities across America. Chuck Poochigian, the Republican candidate for Attorney General of Cailfornia, particularly likes to celebrate the spike of violence in Oakland, California, where rival candidate Jerry Brown has been serving as mayor. But violence has many forms.

To paraphrase Woodie Guthrie, some folks kill with a gun, others with a fountain pen.

  “The race for ‘Top Cop’ is especially critical this year,” says Chuck Poochigian, “important because of the officeholder’s ability to affect public safety, our business climate and quality of life….  California needs a ‘Top Cop’ who will fight crime head-on.  It is imperative that the office be led by someone who respects the rule of law and will always put public safety first.”

Well, I guess leaves ol’ Chucky out – except for the business climate part, of course. Chuck’s been carrying the water for big corporations in the California legislature for quite a while.

For example, the Corporate Criminal Liability Act was signed into law in 1991 by then-Governor George Deukmejian (and boss of Chuck) “as an appropriate law enforcement tool aimed at preventing socially unacceptable acts, such as when a businesses conceals a serious danger that they know is likely to injure or kill a consumer or a worker.” Good for Duke and Chuck – and California consumers!

Next election cycle, corporate America found a new ally when Chuck set up shop in the California Assembly. The bucks rolled in from oil, tobacco and booze producers and Chuck did their bidding.

Meanwhile, somewhere in Sweden, Dr. Viking O. Bjork was having trouble sleeping. Seems the heart valve that he’d help market was making people’s hearts explode. (No kidding). The doc, being a good guy, called the head of Pfizer in New York and told him to stop putting explosive devices in people’s hearts, ”… and if you continue against my advice, this is murder,” said the doc.

“Pshaw!” said Pfizer, “Don’t worry about it – and whatever you do don’t tell anybody.” Then they called somebody who called California State Assemblyman Charles Poochigian (R-Fresno) – because knowingly implanting devices into people that made their hearts explode was a clear violation of  California’s Corporate Criminal Liability Act.  According to the federal government, Pfizer had certainly done all that and more. The Bjork valves were manufactured in Irvine, Cailfornia and Chuck Pachoogian had a reputation for going to bat for giant corporations that were being picked on.

  So after cashing checks from Pfizer and the Chamber of Commerce and the Manufacturers Association (for his campaign) Chuck authored Assembly Bill 675, which would decriminalize the knowing implantation of devices that caused  hearts to explode.

In a curious twist, it took another Swede to put AB 675 over the top. In return for providing “political cover” for every Republican in the Assembly, the state Attorney General at the time, Dan Lungren, raked in about $20K. from Pfizer.  The California District Attorneys Association called that “playing politics and courting business over fellow crime fighters.”

Pfizer wound up paying out more than $100,000 to Poochigian and other Republicans – to basically let them get away with murder.