On the scale of concerns with the Legislature, too much transparency would seem to be pretty low down on the list.  Yet in a story that seemed more like a slightly edited press release than actual journalism, Michael Gardner writes down the GOP theory that when it comes to transparency, the cost is around $33.

To make a long story short, some Legislative Democrats have decided to do something of a roadshow around the state to discuss the budget.  This is an undisputed good idea.  Now, the Republicans apparently would like more control in how they are conceived, but, you know, try winning a few more seats before you start whining.  So, instead of actually doing something to further the budget talks, the Republicans decide to attack the costs of the roadshow.  It seems they have found some expenses that they think would make the state furious!

The Legislative Dems spent $16,000 on these budget hearings!!! Can you believe it, that could, oh wait…that’s 16 thousand? Not million? For 12 hearings around the state? That seems like a pretty reasonable tally, all things considered. But, apparently they should have been more thrifty.

That $16,000 in tax dollars was spent on staff airfare, hotels, rental cars and meals as they assisted lawmakers who held sessions on the state’s grim financial situation, including a stop May 8 in San Diego. The bills included four $19.99 bar stools, $500 audiovisual equipment rentals and a $35 cab ride. (San Diego U-T)

Really? This is what the Republicans are going off about? Some $20 bar stools? Frankly, that seems like a bargain. A quick search of Target’s website gives me a cost of $54.99 for the cheapest stool.  $500 in A/V rental is basically the cost of renting a mic and a multi-box.  And a cab ride? Really?  This sentence closes the story:

In another, an employee took a $35 taxi to the airport instead of the $2 bus.

Is this really all we have to fill our newspapers with? Look, I don’t know how to tell Mr. Gardner and his friends in the Republican caucus this, but the employee’s time also holds value.  Him sitting in the bus also costs the state money. We lose his productivity that we could be gaining were he to sit at his desk.

Honestly, if this is where we are headed, fighting over a cab ride to the airport, the tone of the budget talks is way ahead of last year.  I mean, we didn’t get to this petty stuff for at least another month in 2009. Well, actually, I’m not sure if we even got this bad last year.

In the end, while I understand the desire to reduce expenses, there is being economically prudent, and then there’s just being cheap. And this one is clearly on the counterproductive side.

Remember back to early June when Carly Fiorina called climate change “the weather”? Well, it seems that while Carly might have impressed the GOP base with that message, it’s not really a winning message for the general electorate.

PPIC just released its “Californians and the environment” poll, and while the numbers could be better for Boxer, who is leading Fiorina by a 39-34 tally, there is still a lot to like here.  A few tidbits:

• The Weather: Two-thirds (67%) favor AB 32. However, 42% would favor Prop 23’s goal of holding off until we hit better job figures(53% oppose). Of course, this is why Dan Logue’s measure plugs in this ridiculous 5.5% unemployment number for several quarters. He wants to kill AB 32, but doesn’t want to say that flat out.  So, he’ll use some artificial threshold (actually below what most economists consider to be equilibrium for unemployment) and put lipstick on that pig.

  In the end, even the lipstick is only producing a modest uptick.

• More Climate Change: Also of concern to Logue must be the numbers of Californians that think AB 32 will not hurt our jobs numbers. 45% think it will result in more jobs, with only 23% saying fewer jobs.  Further, 48% of Californians say the state isn’t doing enough to combat climate change (52% for the feds). This electorate flat out does not look prepared to overturn AB 32.
• Carbon Tax: It turns out that most people haven’t heard the details of the proposals. But when they do, they know how the world really works.  After hearing brief descriptions of cap and trade and a carbon tax, 60% said they would support the carbon tax, with only 50% supporting the cap and trade.
• Off-shore Drilling: Rather unsurprisingly, this is where Mother Nature made her biggest public opinion gains.  Most Californians now oppose more offshore drilling (59% oppose, 36% favor)-a 16-point increase in opposition from last year (43% oppose, 51% favor). Also coming from the land of Obvious, very few people trust the government’s response to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Of course, PPIC also did some political numbers. I mentioned Boxer’s 39-34 lead, but Brown also holds a small lead at 37-34.  I’ll have to say that these numbers should start concerning Whitman soon.  Brown hasn’t really done much to combat all of her TV spending, and he’s still got himself in a decent position.  When Brown goes up, you have to figure these numbers only move in his direction. Oh, and the state still really dislikes Arnold (25% approval) and the Legislature (15%).

There is a lot of work to do not only for November, but also for the greater theme of protecting the environment. But, all in all, I am rather encouraged by these numbers.  If we are able to muster some sort of a field campaign, California might just end up as a bright spot for Democrats in the 2010 elections.

In Rumsfeld-ian lingo, sometimes Arnold Schwarzenegger is a complete “known-unknown”. That is we know he is a wildcard.  He pulls shenanigans through his puppet Abel Maldonado (see the 2009 Budget Fight) and plays games of brinksmanship.  It’s annoying, but by now we have grown used to it.

On other topics and occasions, I can see Arnold coming from miles away.  And thus is the case with his recent stance on Prop 25, the majority vote budget measure (aka “the on-time budget act”).  Today, he essentially announced his opposition to the measure by saying how much he loves the supermajority.  But then, you have Prop 26 (2/3 on fees), where he even jumps the sketchy “logic” of Rumsfeld and becomes a category unto himself.  First, here’s what he said:

The Republican governor spoke during a “budget roundtable” he convened at the offices of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. In response to a question on ballot initiatives, he first said taxes and fees should not be increased by a majority vote, a restriction the California Chamber of Commerce  is attempting to strengthen in Proposition 26. He then said he’s not only against approving taxes and fees on a majority-vote basis, but also a state budget.

“Even doing the budget, I even don’t believe in doing the budget by a simple majority,” Schwarzenegger said. “Because if you do a budget by simple majority, again, there is one party that will make all the decisions. I think it needs the input of both of the parties because you can see the first thing (Democrats) did was come up with borrowing or a tax increase.”(SacBee)

Of course, we shouldn’t be surprised that he chose a Chamber forum, as his time in government has been almost entirely dictated by the whims of the business community generally and the dictates of the Chamber specifically.  The hundreds of millions of dollars that they have funnelled to the action hero has served them well. He has held the line while building a bulwark of supposed moderation that appears to create some sort of middle ground. In the end though, Arnold is really no different than the extreme right-wing that is represented in the Legislature’s GOP caucus.

But by signaling that he supports Prop 26’s goal of increasing the supermajority restrictions to cover fees, he is attacking a practice that he tried to use himself on a number of occasions. Sometimes successful, and sometimes not. Most notably, Arnold tried to tack on a fee for firefighting to all homeowner’s insurance policies.  

The fact is that if Prop 26 passes, the last avenue for the legislature to attempt to fund services for the state will be closed.  And the government-haters will have won.  Think the Legislature sucks? Then terrific, take away all their authority, and then see how well they do.  Ours is a system that was created to fail, and this is just one more step.