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Jerry Brown: I once was an Angeleno... -- A few more tidbits from our chat Monday with Jerry Brown about LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa deciding not to chase the governor's chair Monday. As we were chatting, Jerry talked up his LA roots. Joe Garofoli Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 6/22/09

GOP gubernatorial candidates in Orange County endorsement derby -- GOP gubernatorial hopeful Steve Poizner got off to a quick start in the race to rack up endorsements in Orange County, but Meg Whitman has been coming on strong. Both have key O.C. politicos on their respective wagons. Martin Wisckol in the Orange County Register -- 6/22/09

Caltrans chief hits the road -- Caltrans director Will Kempton, who has been generally credited with inheriting a floundering agency and putting it on the road to respectability, is leaving at the end of July, the governor's office announced today. Steve Wiegand in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/22/09

Poll: Americans Less Upbeat About Stimulus Bill's Impact -- Expectations for President Obama's stimulus package have diminished, with barely half of Americans now confident the $787 billion measure will boost the economy, and the rapid rise in optimism that followed the 2008 election has abated, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. Dan Balz and Jon Cohen in the Washington Post -- 6/22/09

State Senate to take on gays in military policy -- "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" could ignite some verbal fireworks in the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Tuesday. Michael Gardner San Diego Union-Trib weblog -- 6/22/09

A Quick Look at the Tax Proposals in the Democratic Budget Plan -- While much of the attention about taxes in the budget-balancing plan presented by Democrats on June 18 has focused on creation of an oil severance tax and boosting the tax on a pack of cigarettes to $1.50, there are 11 other tax increases, accelerations and changes. Greg Lucas California's capitol weblog -- 6/22/09

Lopez: Antonio Villaraigosa has himself to blame for not running for governor -- Right now, he knows he can't win, given all the self-inflicted damage he's done. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/22/09

First lady touts volunteerism in San Francisco -- First Lady Michelle Obama, standing beneath a mural at a San Francisco school bearing the slogan - "Yes, we can" - made famous by Cesar Chavez and her husband, called on the nation today to rededicate itself to public service. Matthew B. Stannard in the San Francisco Chronicle Michelle Locke AP -- 6/22/09

Villaraigosa bows out of California governor's race -- Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced on national television today he would not be running for California governor in 2010 after flirting with a bid for higher office for months. Phil Willon and Maeve Reston in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/22/09

Villaraigosa says he won't run for governor -- Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa took himself out of the race for governor of California today, telling a national television audience that he wants to concentrate, instead, on solving his city's problems. Dan Walters SacBee Capitol Alert -- 6/22/09

First, Do No Harm -- As a measure to change the rules for ballot initiatives wends its way through the Legislature, its supporters should remember that in politics, as in medicine, the most important rule is always, “First, do no harm.” John Wildermuth Fox & Hounds weblog -- 6/22/09

A preview of 2010 campaign for lieutenant governor? -- A dustup over some remarks by a Merced County supervisor about air quality may be an opening salvo in the 2010 campaign for lieutenant governor. Dan Walters SacBee Capitol Alert -- 6/22/09

No health reform without a public option, Lee vows -- Progressives must keep demanding a single-payer health care system to ensure that the reform package Congress eventually votes upon at least has a robust public option, Rep. Barbara Lee told local health care and community leaders Monday. Josh Richman in the Oakland Tribune -- 6/22/09

One crisis, two plans -- Two plans have emerged to close the budget deficit, one proposed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and another passed by the Democratic-controlled conference committee. Here's how some provisions in the two plans compare and contrast. Dan Smith in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/22/09

Skelton: California has no money and few options -- There's no time this year for the ritual denunciations and feigned anger. Republicans and Democrats have work to do. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/22/09

Budget magicians use sleight of hand to help close California's giant deficit -- The menu of options to close California's massive deficit is short and seemingly clear: Cut spending, raise taxes or borrow. Mike Zapler in the San Jose Mercury -- 6/22/09

California budget Q&A: How did we get here? Where are we going? -- This is usually the time of year when state legislators begin sparring in earnest over the adoption of a new state budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. Steve Wiegand in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/22/09

Constitutional overhaul would omit Prop. 13 property tax changes -- The main group advocating for an overhaul of California's constitution is circulating draft initiative language that would bar a constitutional convention from changing the property tax portions of Proposition 13. Malcolm Maclachlan in Capitol Weekly -- 6/22/09

Democrats may be posturing on proposed tax increases -- When asked last week about what kind of fight he expected from Democrats over their proposed tax increases, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger smiled and said with a slight wink and nod, "Well, what is being said and what is being done, as you know, are sometimes two different things." Steven Harmon in the San Jose Mercury -- 6/22/09

Walters: Pension hike of a decade ago backfires -- A milestone on California's meandering journey toward fiscal insolvency occurred exactly a decade ago when the Legislature enacted a massive increase in state employee pensions on the expedient assumption that it would cost taxpayers nothing. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/22/09

State budget crisis: Prepare for finger pointing -- On paper, Democrats and Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger aren’t worlds apart in their proposals to close the state’s huge budget deficit. DEREK MOORE in the Santa Rosa Press -- 6/22/09

San Francisco D.A.'s program trained illegal immigrants for jobs they couldn't legally hold -- As she runs for state attorney general, prosecutor Kamala Harris faces questions over a program that trained illegal immigrant drug felons for jobs, kept them out of jail and expunged their records. Michael Finnegan in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/22/09

CalBuzz: Who Would Get the Tony V Voters? -- With time running short for Antonio Villaraigosa to enter the 2010 governor’s campaign, strategists for Jerry Brown and Gavin Newsom are coveting the L.A. mayor’s political base in the event the Democratic primary race becomes a two-man contest. Jerry Roberts and Phil Trounstine CalBuzz -- 6/22/09

Hollywood gets behind candidates -- With the state running perilously close to running out of money, and a byzantine system of perpetual budget fights and confusing ballot initiatives, even those in the entertainment industry's hefty donor community exhibit a greater degree of skepticism as a new field of 2010 candidates pushes an agenda of reform. TED JOHNSON Variety.com -- 6/22/09

Matier & Ross: Joe Montana's new teammate has a history -- San Francisco 49ers legend Joe Montana and his Connecticut-based development partner say they need $47 million in California state bonds to kick-start a 12-acre, mixed-use development around the South Hayward BART Station. Phillip Matier, Andrew Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/22/09

Candidates for San Gabriel Valley seat aren't backing down -- As favored Democrat Judy Chu downsizes her headquarters, Republican Betty Tom Chu for the first time opens a campaign office and Libertarian Christopher M. Agrella touts himself as 'fresh blood.' Jean Merl in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/22/09

BART bosses, unions work to meet pact deadline -- Four years ago, BART contract negotiations came down to the wire, as workers prepared to strike. But about an hour before the threatened shutdown, the rail agency's labor unions and management brokered a predawn deal that dodged a commuters' nightmare. Rachel Gordon in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/22/09

Valley dairies join others to challenge milk-pricing rules -- California's complicated milk pricing rules have endured for decades as a way to stabilize dairy revenue. But the state-managed "milk pool" is coming under a fresh attack by an unlikely coalition. E.J. Schultz in the Fresno Bee -- 6/22/09

Lower home values mean lower tax revenue -- Hundreds of thousands of Bay Area residents will receive a pleasant surprise in the mail this summer - a notice that their property taxes are being cut because real estate values have dropped. Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/22/09

CalPERS: Would aiding labor hurt profits? -- CalPERS is under pressure to change its real estate policy, making it easier for labor unions to organize workers. But opponents say that could conflict with the CalPERS duty to maximize profits. Ed Mendel Calpensions.com -- 6/22/09

City College seeks sponsors to save courses -- Got a spare $6,000? Chancellor Don Griffin at City College of San Francisco suggests using it to rescue an endangered community college class. Contribute and the class will be named for you. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/22/09

Two students, two schools -- 20 miles and a world apart -- Meet Kyle Gosselin and Henry Ramirez. Kyle attends La Cañada High; Henry was at South L.A.'s Jefferson High before moving to Texas. Their backgrounds may be worlds apart, but their dreams are similar. Mitchell Landsberg in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/22/09

Education Chief to Warn Advocates That Inferior Charter Schools Harm the Effort -- The Obama administration has made opening more charter schools a big part of its plans for improving the nation’s education system, but Education Secretary Arne Duncan will warn advocates of the schools on Monday that low-quality institutions are giving their movement a black eye. SAM DILLON in the New York Times -- 6/22/09

Under House energy bill, coal won't be going away -- A proposal to limit greenhouse gas emissions makes concessions to the industry in effort to attract support from congressional Democrats who represent coal-dependent areas. Jim Tankersley in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/22/09

State upping mandates for green building -- California — and the Coachella Valley in particular — could have some of the most energy-efficient buildings in the nation come Aug. 1. K Kaufmann in the Desert Sun -- 6/22/09

Critics fault climate-change legislation -- At the Joseph Farms dairy in Atwater (Merced County), farmers aren't just transforming milk into cheese. They've also figured out how to turn manure into fuel - and a paycheck. Jennifer A. Dlouhy in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/22/09

Road repairs may be delayed if governor goes ahead with plan to take city gas taxes -- With the chance looming of losing nearly $5 million in gas tax funds, Ontario officials said they will find it nearly impossible to do much road repair in the coming year. Liset Marquez in the Inland Daily Bulletin -- 6/22/09

Billboards go up in Inland area warning of 'death by cell phone' -- A national campaign to remind motorists of the dangers of driving while using cell phones has reached the Inland area. ERIN WALDNER in the Riverside Press -- 6/22/09

Prop. 2 fallout: Must laying hens be cage free? -- California egg farmers got trounced at the ballot box last year while opposing a state initiative that in six years will ban their chicken cages. ROBERT DIGITALE in the Santa Rosa Press -- 6/22/09

Huge hurdles ahead for effort to restore fisheries above Folsom, Shasta dams -- The American River once hosted thousands of steelhead migrating upstream from the ocean in three separate runs. Today it's down to just two runs of a few hundred fish. Matt Weiser in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/22/09

Swine flu puts summer camps, families on edge -- t's officially two days into summer, Bay Area weather is finally warming up, families are planning vacations, and kids are off to camp - or maybe not. Erin Allday in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/22/09

Republicans question cost of healthcare reform; Feinstein expresses doubt -- Sen. Lindsey Graham calls a cost analysis report a 'death blow' to 'a government-run health plan.' Sen. Dianne Feinstein says there might not be enough votes among fellow Democrats to pass a plan. Christi Parsons in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/22/09

Cuts likely, but not elimination, for state adult day health care program -- One state program designed to keep thousands of elderly and mentally and physically handicapped residents out of nursing homes still faces a large cut, but lawmakers say they will not allow it to be eliminated, as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed. LORA HINES in the Riverside Press -- 6/22/09

Maybe next year? San Jose officials push back plans for A's stadium measure -- San Jose officials have decided not to seek voter approval of a new A's baseball stadium in November, after the team's co-owner said he'd rather wait for baseball officials to indicate whether the A's would be allowed to move to the South Bay. Denis C. Theriault in the San Jose Mercury -- 6/22/09

Memorial bike ride honors pair killed by sheriff's deputy -- They pedalled up winding Stevens Canyon Road on Sunday morning, slowly rounding a gentle bend before gathering around the "ghost bike" perched on a small bluff in the Cupertino foothills. John Boudreau in the San Jose Mercury -- 6/22/09

LAPD gains new approval from the public -- The strong endorsement of the department, expressed in a June poll, cuts across racial and ethnic lines. Other aspects of life in the city do not fare so well. Joel Rubin in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/22/09

Armstrong laps most of field to reign as king of foothills -- It was a bike race, a festival, a tourist town's promotional dream. But most of all, the Nevada City Bicycle Classic was the Lance Armstrong show, from the moment he arrived in town Sunday until he crossed the line in first place, arms extended overhead, his muscular legs glistening in the early evening sun. Blair Anthony Robertson in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/22/09

West Covina Muslim man jailed after spies infiltrate mosque -- A Diamond Bar man is being held in a secretive federal prison and his family believes he was targeted for investigation by authorities because of his faith. Bethania Palma Markus in the San Gabriel Tribune -- 6/22/09

Southern California churches prepare in case gun violence shows up at the altar -- Made wary by recent events, church leaders are turning to security companies for help and even asking members to carry guns for security reasons. Kate Linthicum in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/22/09