A stroll through California politics today…

• We had a post on the first radio commercials yesterday, but Arnold’s Budget Reform Now ad didn’t make the cut.  It talks about stabilization over a background newsy tone about cuts for senior citizen health care.  Enjoy.

• It does appear the Governor will use stimulus funds for education for their intended purpose, to fund education, instead of filling the budget gap.  That’s the right move.

• Hmm, what’s this? A catfight between Jerry Brown and Anna Nicole Smith’s Rasputin character, Howard K. Stern. Brown is involved in the prosecution of Stern, so I guess it’s not so surprising.

• Some hard medicine from CalBuzz to John Garamendi and his governor’s campaign. They go through the possibilities of where his votes go if he leaves the race for the CA-10 race, and end up with “it doesn’t matter.” Ouch.

• The LA City Council was poised to approve higher water rates for those who don’t conserve at least 15% in the midst of the drought today, but at the last minute the measure was temporarily scuttled until the Council has time to study it.  I hope this will be combined with an intense education campaign, since those who don’t know a thing about the conservation initiative are highly unlikely to conserve.  At that point you’re just raising water rates.

• Laura Richardson, Barbara Lee, and Fidel Castro.  Is there a group picture?  Hopefully this greases the wheels for continued engagement with Cuba and an end to the failed isolation policy.

• Another hurdle in bringing an NFL team back to LA has been cleared. Diamond Bar has settled its lawsuit over a proposed stadium in City of Industry.