It’s been a busy day around the state. Here are a few links:
• Arnold Schwarzenegger thought better of eliminating survivors’ benefits for police and firefighters who died in the line of duty, calling it a “terrible screw-up.” You know, one thing you can’t pin on Arnold, he doesn’t really mind admitting that he was wrong. Trouble is that he’s wrong a lot more than he’s right.
• Rep. Pete Stark (D-Fremont) thinks President Obama’s faith based initiatives might be unconstitutional. There certainly is a strong argument that the state shouldn’t be dealing so closely with religious institutions.(h/t Carla Marinucci) Incidentally, what is up with Politico and their crazy Obama headlines?
• Because Curren Price is moving to the Senate, here are the changing Assembly Committee rosters.
• A terrific column on the misry created by the budget and economic crisis, from Peter Shrag.
• Arnold wants you to tell him where the government waste is. Terrific, isn’t this what that whole California Performance Review was for?
“Current Price” is how much Arnold wants for the L.A. Coliseum today.
Arnold’s “terrible screw-up” is that he got caught for the second time trying to do this. In 2005 he backed a proposed ballot measure which would have ended survivor pension benefits as part of an attempt to end public pensions. Once his plan was discovered by the media he backed down.
Every time I see him honoring fallen police or firefighters I remember this, and am reminded of what he really thinks of them.