All right, here we go:
• Apparently SEIU, whose workers stand to be devastated by many of the In-home support services cuts, was involved in lobbying the Obama administration to advise California’s leaders that our IHSS cuts violated the terms of the stimulus. Note to GOP, that is the job of a union, to look out for their members.
• Following up on Dave’s post, Matier and Ross point out that sports teams are donating because the package doesn’t tax services, like, say, sports tickets. Note: I (Brian) work on the No on 1A campaign.
• Speaking of the special, the good folks over at CalBuzz provide their take on why “voters really, really hate the budget props.”
• I’m excited about “Meg Whitman Week,” coined by HuffPo blogger and Bill Maher writer Chris Kelly. In this installment, we learn that Whitman uses the word “actually” a lot, actually. She still needs media training. Actually.
• Elected officials and other leaders on the North Coast are intrigued with the news that Arnold wants to debate the legalization of marijuana. In theory, if the drug was legalized, it is a reasonable possibility that California farmers would be the new Virginia tobacco farmers.
• And speaking of marijuana legalization, the Board of Equalization has estimated that Ammiano’s bill to legalize and tax marijuana would bring in $1.3 billion per annum for the state’s coffers. Mark Kleiman, a UCLA public policy professor who runs the blog Reality-Based Community, says that the math is…a little hazy.
• Long-sought legislation to allow employees laid off from small businesses the same COBRA subsidy in the stimulus package as those laid off from big companies finally passed the Assembly. The Governor is likely to sign AB 23 and allow it to take effect immediately.
• Mendota may finally get a federal prison if Obama’s budget, which appropriates it to the tune of $49 million, passes. Mendota has over 40% unemployment, so while the prison-industrial complex shouldn’t be a means to economic security, they need the jobs.
Very informative, thanks for this. One of issue you have is concerned to Obama’s administration. Did you know what’s up with Pres. Obama new plans and programs? Here’s a hint, the Cash for Clunkers is an interesting program. In a bid to boost auto sales, and perform credit repair with the environment, President Obama has been pushing the Cash for Clunkers program, in which drivers with older cars can get vouchers for greater trade in value when they buy a new one. The program is likely to be included with a further climate change bill, aimed to reduce carbon emissions and perhaps institute cap and trade legislation. A healthier earth is fast becoming a priority among the industrial nations. The Cash for Clunkers program is almost like a cash advance for mother earth. For me this program is worth of all loans and cash advances!
…one could, instead of subsidizing new cars, spend the money on boosting mass transit availability. Particularly since those who drive “clunkers” tend to be those of lower-income, who live in communities that ought to be better served by transit or infill development.
The long-term cost of owning a car is significant, even if cash has been paid for clunkers.