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July 1 Open Thread

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* The Prop 11 commission cut the pool down to 309 candidates.  Most of the people cut were missing something on their extensive application.  So, in summary, only 300 people really cared enough to fill out this ridiculous application. In a state of nearly 40 million, we can only muster 309 people. Wonderful plan…

* CalPERS is fighting the Lehman bankruptcy plan.

* Sen. Steinberg cancelled the summer recess until the budget is done.

* Jerry Brown likes that he’s leading in a new poll, and talks some smack.

5 thoughts on “July 1 Open Thread”

  1. but from looking at the 600 applicant pool it seemed as though everyone was either a city planner or an accomplished retired CEO.

    I guess that when dealing with the vague (and in my view impossible) mandate of finding the “most qualified” applicants it is perfectly defensible to choose people with either a planning background or individuals who have an extremely impressive background as the “most qualified.” But I thought that the point of this whole citizens’ redistricting commission was to choose average citizens; a commission filled with citizens with extraordinary resumes may be impressive, but it isn’t representative. It also makes we question why the state needed to spend all that money on outreach when they probably could have done zero outreach and ended up with the same final applicant pool.

  2. Plan B would be to let legislators select their own districts so that Republicans can have the most Republican district possible and Democrats can have the most Democratic district possible.  If ever there was a conflict of interest, this is it.  Conflict of interest laws focus almost exclusively on money, but in politics, incumbency in a safe district is gold.

    I understand that finding a competitive district in San Francisco isn’t possible–we have to a large extent self-segregated.  But our reapportionment process has turned democracy into a joke.  

    This commission is far from perfect, but at least we have a shot at a real democracy.

  3. I am usually here to slur and vandalize.  I love reading the site and comments as it usually falls into the realm of the left parodying itself.  But you are correct, smoker is often a measured and trenchant.

    You know, with a name lie “smoker”, he may actually lack the antipathy towards liberty the editors display.

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