Don Perata has called the following proposal “Prop 13 for Community Colleges.” It will be appearing on the February ballot

* Guarantees minimum funding for growth
* Guarantees $15 per unit fees that can only rise with the cost of living
* Guarantees a system of independent community college districts

Attorney General Summary:

Establishes in state constitution a system of independent public community college districts and Board of Governors. Generally, requires minimum levels of state funding for school districts and community college districts to be calculated separately, using different criteria and separately appropriated. Allocates 10.46 percent of current Proposition 98 school funding maintenance factor to community colleges. Sets community college fees at $15/unit per semester; limits future fee increases. Provides formula for allocation by Legislature to community college districts that would not otherwise receive general fund revenues through community college apportionment. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: Potential increases in state spending on K-14 education of about $135 million in 2007-08, $275 million in 2008-09, and $470 million in 2009-2010, with unknown impact annually thereafter. Annual loss of fee revenues to community colleges of about $71 million in 2007-08, with unknown impacts annually thereafter.

What do you think? I am undecided

It’s probably too early to fully process all that went on this weekend at Yearly Kos.  Plus, I have to admit that I am exhausted, having stayed up to the wee hours of the morning talking with some amazing individuals, including a number of the tight knit California blogosphere.  It is incredible to me that it was only at last year’s Yearly Kos that I met Todd Beeton and David Dayen.  We have come so far since then, both in terms of friendships, accomplishments and the deployment of many innovative things here at Calitics.  The whole ActBlue staff individually told Brian that they use his Calitics ActBlue page YouTube video in trainings.  I lost track of the number of people that were thrilled to hear that Calitics is now available in Spanish.

I keep trying to start a coherent and hopefully insightful post, but I am just so fried.  However, you really do need to see this SF Chron article from yesterday titled “Local blogs are key to future of politics“:

Tom Mattzie, Washington director of MoveOn.org, the 3.3 million-member online activism hub, said smaller bloggers “are going to gain a lot more importance in the upcoming elections.”

Here’s how: A blogger writes about something going on in his community, say plans for a local development to be built on toxic ground – the kind of story many large newspapers rarely break nowadays. Residents start complaining about the issue at local meetings. Soon, the buzz generated causes the local press and perhaps other larger bloggers to pick up on the issue, and the government is forced to respond to their inquiries.

Something similar happened in the Bay Area. In October 2005, Paul Delehanty, an Oakland resident better known in the liberal blogosphere as Kid Oakland, rallied local progressives to head east through the Caldecott Tunnel to unseat then-Rep. Richard Pombo. Environmentalists had railed against the Tracy Republican for years for his anti-environmental views but had not been able to unseat him.

But many were initially inspired when Delehanty wrote on his blog, “We all live in Richard Pombo’s district” – as in the Earth.

“That line got me really motivated,” said Eden James, who lives in Alameda and is a fan of Kid Oakland.

So motivated that James volunteered for Jerry McNerney, the Democrat who upset Pombo. Now, James is McNerney’s online communications director.

The media is starting to get it no?

We have a strong local blogosphere here in California and we are going to continue to grow.  I may be frustrated at the pace of change, but I have to keep reminding myself that we are a nascent movement.  Where we are now compared to a year ago is incredible.  I expect to feel the same way after next years Netroots Nation Convention (yes they changed the name).  So safe travels home everybody.  I look forward to having the brainpower to write a more detailed post and hear everybody else’s perspective on what they learned and how we are going to move forward.

This is Lucas posting on Dday’s computer from Chicago.  We’ve had a great chance to talk to several California candidates here, and some are getting some big attention at the national level.  Case in point, please go check out the THREE hours of liveblogging at Firedoglake done earlier today by Russ Warner, Democrat running against David Dreier in CA-26. And as always, don’t forget to rekindle your deep love and affection for the great work of Howie Klein and everyone at FDL.

Debra Bowen is doing what we elected her to do.  After her top-to-bottom review of the voting systems in California revealed serious flaws, she acted:

In a dramatic late-night press conference, California Secretary of State Debra Bowen decertified, and then recertified with conditions, all but one voting system used in the state. Her decisions, following her unprecedented, independent “Top-to-Bottom Review” of all certified electronic voting systems, came just under the wire to meet state requirements for changes in voting system certification.

Bowen announced that she will be disallowing the use of Direct Recording Electronic (DRE, usually touch-screen) voting systems made by the Diebold and Sequoia companies on Election Day, but for one DRE machine per polling place which may be used for disabled voters. The paper trails from votes cast on DREs manufactured by those two companies must be 100% manually counted after Election Day. DREs made by Hart-Intercivic are used in only one California county and will be allowed for use pending security upgrades.

The InkaVote Plus system, distributed by ES&S and used only in Los Angeles County has been decertified and not recertified for use after the company failed to submit the system source code in a timely manner to Bowen’s office. LA County is larger than many states, and questions remain at this time as to what voting system they will use in the next election.

Read the whole thing.  Bowen is going up against some really powerful forces and needs out support.  The registrars are going to scream holy hell about this, and we’ll hear that we don’t have the money to up and change everything now.  That dog shouldn’t hunt.  I think everyone in this state, or at least a vast majority, is willing to pay for the security of our democracy.

This is really irksome, especially because we’re in the majority now and there’s no need to confirm these right-wing reactionary activist judges.

Feinstein just voted to confirm a judge who thinks children should be removed from gay parents. And she wonders why so many Democrats hate her.

Republican supporters of Leslie Southwick had a huge victory today when a moderate Democrat, Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California broke with her party to vote for the Mississippi judge’s nomination to the federal bench.

Feinstein had been heavily lobbied by the nominee and Mississippi Sens. Thad Cochran and Trent Lott, both Republicans, as well as the White House.

My relationship with Di-Fi waxes and wanes.  Her leadership on the US Attorney scandal and closure of Guantanamo was admirable.  And then she goes and pulls something like this.  Leslie Southwick has no business being a federal judge.  There’s no argument for her to be one.  Yet this move burnishes moderate credentials and creates a chit that Di-Fi can call in later.

Not happy right now…

Lucas posted a little bit about the beginning of the YearlyKos Convention, but there’s a little bit of California here. In fact, over 200 Californians are registered for this convention. Hey, that’s not too bad considering that Chicago is a long flight away from California. 

So, Kid Oakland worked really hard to get the regional caucuses set up, and Dave and Julia organized the California caucus. So, thanks!  We spent the bulk of the time introducing ourselves, but that’s pretty darn useful. Listen, Blogs are great, but at some point we need to get to know each other in the real world.

We also talked briefly about how important California’s legislature and legislation is to the nation as a whole. Whether that’s for better (the catalytic convertor) or for worse (the anti-tax bug of the late 1970s), California matters. Finally, we wrapped up with a few minutes from some of our great California candidates for Congress. Charlie Brown, Steve Young, Ron Shepston, and Russ Warner each told us a little bit about themselves.  And hey, looky we even have a picture with the four of them (thanks, Dante!).