Links for your weekend:
• Susan Kennedy might leave the Schwarzenegger administration to shepherd the water bond through the 2010 election process. Meanwhile, Arnold is doing everything he can to explain away the $11.1 Billion pricetag of the bonds.
• While the initiative system is clearly causing some problems, the Center for Gov. Studies has an interesting point that most of the expensive ones come from the Legislature. Also of note, the most expensive measure to pass since the late 1980s? Yup, Arnold’s Prop 49 for after school programs. Not that it’s not a worthy program, but on occasion, you have to quote the famous philospher Pogo: We have met the enemy…and he is us.
• The Whitman and Poizner campaigns are spitting back and forth about who responded or didn’t respond to calls for debates. It’s a fascinating issue for the electorate, I’m sure.
• Joel Anderson gave back $100,000 at the heart of an FPPC investigation into whether Anderson laundered money improperly though the Placer County Republican Party Central Committee.
• Milken Institute released their rankings for business climates (PDF). No California cities finished in the top ten, and Bakersfield was our top performer at # 36.
• The Capitol Notes podcast is back with KQED’s John Myers and Capitol Weekly’s Anthony York.
And given how badly off the Central Valley is, what does it tell you that the Free Marketeers (“C-a-p i-t-a-l i-s-m For Me!”) name Bakersfield as our local Mecca Of Capitalism?
There are more rumors around regarding the water bonds than you find in a Marine Barracks on a bad night. But, as you know water flow toward money.
Like the big contribution from water mogul Stewart Resnick to Jerry Brown and a smaller one to Rocky Delgallilo. And he made sure to support Steinberg with husband/wife matching donations. Must of been worth something.
I also wonder about just what kind of Republican Whitman is, supporting Enviros with bucks. At least her foundation gave EDF $100K and she is always talking about relaxing ESA requirements for development and water projects. How might EDF have used that money? I don’t know but they seem aligned against the Sierra Club over the recent water legislation.
Will they really sell out the Endangered Species Act for only $100K? Will this give Whitman a little Greenwash like the Gov.? Inquiring minds want to know… and we will dig until we find out.
Any candidate for Governor should be asked whether there will be a role for Susan Kennedy in their administration. If answered in the affirmative, don’t give that candidate money, effort, or your vote. She’s a weasel as well as a discredit to her sex. If one could roll Pete Wilson, Grey Davis and Der Gropenfuehrer into one big disgusting ball, it would strongly resemble Susan Kennedy.
Go ahead, ask me how I really feel about her . . . .