• How to create your own facts. Arnold’s people and his conservative allies have been going after in-home support services for its supposed 25% fraud rate. Except that the figure is almost certainly false. Where it comes from is a trail of circles with no real answers.
• It looks to me like California will have the same amount of Congressional seats after the 2010 Census, but the possibility exists for us to lose one seat as well. That would be the first lack of increase in seats since the 1920s.
• Yet another national article about states seeking to reduce the cost of maintaining their prisons through alternative sentencing and streamlined parole. Why this is not a part of the conversation in California is absolutely stunning.
• Peter Schrag takes on the flat taxers on the march, and wins. He rightly calls the Parsky Commission “a Trojan horse aimed at California’s progressive income tax policies.”
• CSU Chancellor Charles Reed is a bit upset with the curriculum in California’s K-12 education. He went after the graduation requirements as far too lax and the curriculum being short of what is required by universities. Over half of CSU’s students require remedial math or English courses.
• One more from Brian: A verry talented attorney is suing CitiApartments, one of the biggest landlords in San Francisco for refusing to return security deposits. It is a terrible practice, especially in this economy for people that really need that money back. NBC Bay area had a story about the CitiApartments Lawsuit yesterday.
• 2 of the 3 largest BART unions will vote on the contract offer today, while the third plans on waiting for some additional information.
• At CalBuzz, a termed out Republican Legislator points out that there are negatives of term limits, even from a conservative standpoint. Well, I can’t imagine the flames he would get with that at the right-wing blogs.
• After a report by ProPublica and the LA Times showed drastic failures in the investigations by the CA Nursing Board, Arnold cleaned house and the Chair resigned.
• Meg Whitman just handed her campaign a $15 million dollar present in the form of a personal check. She has obviously corraled the crucial “Meg Whitman” vote. As for the rest of the state’s 23 million voters, we’ll see.
• Some British finance guy hasn’t bothered to look at the California constitution to see that bonds have a very high priority, so he rates them as a high risk of default. Never mind the fact that there is virtually no way that we could skip out on bond payments or that the federal government would let us default. That’s no reason to avoid gouging the state.
• The Cal State system will not take new students in the spring, to save money, part of what amounts to a lowering of enrollment by 40,000. This is an education nightmare for the state of California.
• The City of Santa Clara apparently got a pretty sweet deal on the NFL’s SF 49ers stadium package. Nevertheless, Mayor Newsom and DiFi seem very interested in keeping the Niners in SF. Keep an eye out on this.
• An interesting story out of the race to replace Ted Lieu (AD-53). Apparently two of the candidates were in a relationship years ago.
• One of the less discussed renewable energy sources is geothermal. However, some Californians worry that it will create seismic activity. At this point, it is clear that such projects do cause small earthquakes, but the company testing the idea claims they can limit them to 2.3 quakes.
• For the last few years, toxics in children’s products and some furniture has been a big topic of debate. Those bills have continued to flow, especially from Sen. Mark Leno. It turns out it takes a few years to undo damage that we legislated into existence a generation ago.
• After forcing pay cuts on State workers, now we’re trying to force 15-20% cuts on to state contractors.
• Here we go again with the old blame the brown people response from the xenophobic right in response to an economic downturn and budget issues. If Republicans want to dishonestly start another fight that could lead to them backing a Prop. 187-style solution, go ahead. It cost them dearly in this state the last time. The article at least provides the arguments that immigrants are, in fact, a net positive on the economy.
• Carly Fiorina is having a few record-keeping issues. Apparently, she’s failed to register either her non-profit or her “small business.” Wow, somebody who engages in espionage, can’t keep her records straight, and was fired for incompetence. Where do I sign up?
• Good for Loretta Sanchez from breaking with her Blue Dog counterparts and supporting a robust public plan because it can lower costs. Her colleagues in the Blue Dog Coalition have incoherently argued that they want to lower overall health care costs but not support the kind of public insurance option that could actually do it. This has been an emerging pattern of independence from the conservative wing of the Party for Sanchez.
• Sen. Yee’s bill for more legislative control over the UC system has been shelved, and is likely dead. It was, shall we say, very controversial in the UC community.
• Assemblyman Anthony Adams is still facing a recall for voting for the February compromise. The organizers say they’ll only turn in signatures when they have all of them, rather than turning them in as they go. However, they claim to be having no problem getting signatures. Should the recall move forward, the election could be quite interesting. It would draw some sort of line between the kinda crazies and the real crazies in the GOP.
• BART avoided a strike while unions consider whether to accept a contract proposal from BART management. The old agreement expired yesterday at midnight, but the union says they’ll hold off for a few more days on striking.
• As part of the continuing game of musical chairs resulting from the recent Los Angeles municipal elections, City Council District 2 is currently vacant owing to former Councilmember Wendy Greuel’s successful campaign for City Controller. Assemblymember Paul Krekorian (AD-43) announced his candidacy today for the open seat, which will be filled in a special election on September 22. Tomorrow is the last day to file a declaration of intention for candidacy, so we’ll know next week who Krekorian’s competition is, though current LAUSD Boardmember Tamar Galatzan and Chris Essel, a Senior Vice President at Paramount, are currently rumored to be the other main competitors for the seat. Should a runoff occur, it will be held on December 8.
No movement on the budget today, just dueling press conference. Also…
• Andrew Pugno, the repugnant man who was the go-to guy for Proposition 8’s every legal and other need, is running for Assembly to replace the termed out Roger Niello. His “fame” from his quest to take away the rights of LGBT Californians has netted him some early cash. Incidentally, no other Republican has signed up for the race. However, the stats for a possible pickup in this seat are solid. Registration is only at a 1% Republican advantage, and Obama won by over 4 points.
• A new poll shows over 70% support for a tobacco tax of $1.50 per pack. The Republicans will fight it, but it looks like another good shot on a ballot fight.
• The Marijuana Policy Project has launched a new TV ad asking for the legalization and taxation of marijuana, something about 54% of Californians support. It’s time for more than discussion of the regulation of marijuana and time to start moving forward.
• Tom Campbell got a few minutes to bloviate on Dylan Ratigan’s new MSNBC show, and the network never saw fit to mention that he was a Republican. So on the “liberal” MSNBC, the range of debate on the California budget moved from Tom Campbell… to Tom McClintock.
• If you want to know the boilerplate conservative solution for California’s problems, this Wall Street Journal editorial from Hoover Institution senior fellow Henry Rowen is a good place to start. He basically wants to execute an IMF-style “reform” of California, and thinks the 2/3 requirement is a “crucial defense against uncontrolled spending.” Do Californians get a say?
• Hey, please check out Firedoglake’s citizen whip count, trying to get House Democrats on the record that they will not accept a health care bill without a public insurance option. Lynn Woolsey and Maxine Waters are on board, but there ought to be far more California Dems on that side of the ledger. Health Care for America now has a whip tool as well. Keep the calls coming.
World Wide Web Hyperlinks about California political topics:
• This is a couple of days old, but it’s definitely worth noting. In Walnut Creek signature gatherers are being paid $4 per signature for a measure having to do with some malls there. For some signatures, they’re getting $10. This is outrageous; it’s not the way representative democracy was supposed to work.
• George Will loves loves loves him some Meg Whitman. Maybe someday she’ll speak to a reporter within 2,500 miles of California. One of her reform items I never knew: reduce the number of members in the Assembly, down from 80. If there’s ever anything we need, it’s less accountable government, right?
• Joe Matthews thinks we’re heading for a federal receivership. He says that we are just doing it slow-motion style, pointing to the threatened takeover of some of teh state parks by the National Park Service and the prison system.
• Just to reiterate, we are just a few days from banks refusing California IOUs. That’s when this crisis gets kicked up a notch. In slightly better news, the Franchise Tax Board will take the IOUs for payment of income and corporate taxes.
• Pfizer is pulling out of UCSF’s Mission Bay campus. The move is a big blow to what was shaping up to be a great place for biotech business. It’s not clear to what extent this will harm the campus, as there other companies there, but that’s 100,000 square feet of space not being used by a high-profile company.
• Teenagers are being hit hard by the recession. In markets like Sacramento, where labor is everywhere, employers are turning away from seasonal labor.
• Vanity Fair has a long piece about the Bohemian Grove. It’s a super-secret club for titans of industry, but only men, up in the Russian River area. Apparently, the group has been harvesting old-growth redwoods in a rather sketchy manner.
• The State Senate will resume policy committee meetings, after temporarily suspending them in light of the Governor’s ridiculous smear job attempting to criticize the Senate for doing their job. They should have never stopped the policy committees to begin with, but good for them for restarting them.
• There are additional threats from the National Park Service that they would elect to take control of six parks if the Governor and the Legislature seek to close them. These include Angel Island in San Francisco Bay, Point Sur State Historic Park in Big Sur and Point Mugu State Park near Malibu.
• Steve Benen has a very good rundown of the alleged murder of August Provost, a gay Navy Seaman found dead at Camp Pendleton last week. The case raises all kinds of issues, not the least of which is the vulnerable position LGBT members of the military have been put in thanks to Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. Rep. Bob Filner (CA-51) has called for a full investigation.
• Das Williams announced his candidacy for AD-35. He’s been endorsed by former Assembly member Hannah-Beth Jackson, and he’ll face Susan Jordan, an environmentalist and the wife of the current Assembly member Pedro Nava.
• By Brian: I occasionally do a bit of non-political writing, so I’ve started a new site, leubitz.net. Here’s the first post about a trip exploring the wonderful Bay Area for a weekend.
* Apparently the Governor’s latest bugaboo is his old bugaboo: waste, fraud and abuse. Arnold thinks it is time to bring that up, despite the fact that his own California Performance Review showed that there really isn’t that much waste, fraud and abuse. At a time when we need real action, Arnold is dithering around the edges.
* The annual summertime revenue anticipation notes will be even more complicated due to our budget crisis. Further complicating the issue is Arnold’s petulance by revoking Controller John Chiang’s ability to issue revenue anticipation warrants, which have a longer time horizon.
* For your consideration this weekend: The SF Mime Troupe kicks off their summer show “Too Big to Fail” tomorrow in Dolores Park in SF. I (Brian) saw the sneak preview today, and it was quite enjoyable.
• A very rare bit of good news: yesterday the EPA finally granted the official waiver for California to implement its tailpipe emissions law, which will allow the state to mandate an average fuel economy of 35mpg for all vehicles sold by 2016. This is a major, long-overdue win for environmentalists who have been working on this for years. One of them, Clean Air Act amendments author Henry Waxman, was admitted to Cedars Sinai Hospital yesterday, so hopefully this will brighten his mood. We at Calitics wish Rep. Waxman well.
• Among other laws that take effect today, Los Angeles inaugurates its half a penny sales tax increase to pay for public transportation projects. Because of the recession, the revenue from this is expected to be lower than at first advertised, and that may affect federal matching dollars.
• Asm. Noreen Evans has a good rebuttal to the Governor’s press conference today. Here’s a hint: he wasn’t exactly telling the truth.
• Here’s a good report on yesterday’s public hearing over the death penalty, which turned into a day-long debate. Hey wait, didn’t the Governor’s Department of Corrections put together that public hearing? During a BUDGET CRISIS! That’s not leadership…
• A great organization, The Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks, has released a video of people around California opposed to the closing of the state parks. Enjoy –>
• Speaking of Newsom, his campaign reports that they raised $1.6 million from over 3,600 donors in the first half of the year. Jerry Brown, who has not yet announced as a candidate, raised significantly more.
• Dr. Howard Dean hits California tomorrow in support of his new book “Howard Dean’s Prescription for Real Healthcare Reform.” As debate on heath care reform moves forward, this is a vital perspective to include and promote. He’ll be at Warwick’s in La Jolla at 5pm signing books and meeting with bloggers, so be there or be square. If you can’t make it, he’ll be back to visit Hollywood and San Francisco later this month.
• A military board in Syracuse recommended a discharge for Lt. Dan Choi, an Arabic linguist, from the National Guard, due to the discriminatory Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy. On the flip, CA-10 candidate Anthony Woods, who has been endorsed by Choi, offers his reaction.
“Today, a Military Administrative Board recommended the discharge of my friend, West Point Classmate, and fellow Iraq War Veteran Lt. Dan Choi for refusing to lie to his fellow soldiers, and for refusing to violate the Honor Code to which all Army officers are bound. Lt. Choi is an experienced combat leader and Arab linguist-two things our military desperately needs– who is ready and willing to re-deploy with his unit. Today’s decision only highlights the fact that the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Policy” is undermining the strength of our military and the security of our nation.
Having served two combat tours in Iraq and brought all 81 of my soldiers home alive before being discharged under the policy last year, I understand what Lt. Choi is going through all too well.
Since 1993, the careers of tens of thousands of soldiers have ended prematurely because of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”—-at a cost of more than $400 million to taxpayers, the safety of combat soldiers deprived of experienced leaders and specialists, and the readiness of a force already stretched thin by two wars and repeated, extended deployments. More than 70% of Americans support its repeal because Americans understand that in a time of war, America ‘s security is far more important than political expediency.
I applaud Lt. Choi’s resolve to appeal this wrong-headed decision, and look forward to leading the effort to repeal this misguided policy as the next Congressman from California ‘s 10th District.”
Stay tuned for what could be another wild legislative session tonight. Links:
• Interesting story on “Sale-in, Lease Out” deals for transit agency in StreetsblogLA. Apparently, these deals, which were outlawed in 2005, might be preventing transit agencies from replacing old cars.
• Another structural reform idea: vetting initiative ideas through the Legislature. Indirect initiatives are already used in eight states, and it would hopefully allow us to avoid some of the nasty drafting errors that usually come along with law by ballot box. There are currently three proposals in the Legislature that would have initiatives go through the Legislature in some form. One would allow the Legislature propose changes to the measure before it hits the ballot, two other bills would force the Legislature to act on an issue if a petition gathers a lower numbers of signatures than a new, higher initiative threshold.
• The Prop 8 case brought by Ted Olson and David Boies gets its first hearing on Thursday. Judge Vaughn Walker will rule on an injunction against Prop 8. Given the legal standard necessary for an injunction, a victory seems unlikely. However, this is a very preliminary hearing, and there is a long way to go before any substantive decision.
• There were hearings about the prison system’s execution process in Sacramento yesterday. There’s been a moratorium on executions for a few years due to questions surrounding the lethal injection process used. In addition to the moral aspects of the death penalty, a state Senate commission estimated that the death penalty costs us $137 million per year over what it would cost us for permanent incarceration.
• Two more school district parcel tax elections in Los Angeles County today: La Canada USD and Rowland USD. These elections are vote-by-mail only, so if precedent holds, we should get semi-final results around 8:15, with the late drop-offs and mailed ballots counted in the final tally on Friday. To see the election results in detail, you can go to the election results page, or to be the first to know, follow @lacountyrrcc on Twitter and turn on mobile updates to get the semi-final results in your SMS inbox.
