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DeVore breaks with consultant linked to RNC story -- California Senate candidate Chuck DeVore has "severed all ties" with Erik Brown, the political consultant who billed the Republican National Committee nearly $2,000 for a visit to a risque Los Angeles nightclub in February. Peter Hamby CNN -- 3/29/10 Conservative women's group takes on RNC over club expense -- A conservative women's group is calling out the Republican National Committee after the party paid for a nearly $2,000 visit to a racy West Hollywood nightclub. Martina Stewart CNN -- 3/29/10 Prop. 14’s Reform Doesn’t Include Money -- Some of the financial moves surrounding the Prop. 14 open primary measure make it clear that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s campaign reform efforts haven’t touched the money side of politics. John Wildermuth Fox & Hounds weblog -- 3/29/10 Cal State Stanislaus keeps Palin speaking fee secret -- The university foundation at Cal State Stanislaus has hired Sarah Palin to speak at a black-tie fundraiser in June, and California Sen. Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) is demanding to know how much the school is paying her. Jack Dolan in the Los Angeles Times Josh Richman Political Blotter weblog -- 3/29/10 Panel exonerates Jerry Brown in complaint filed by Whitman campaign -- Jerry Brown has been cleared of wrongdoing by the state agency that enforces state campaign laws. The letter from the Fair Political Practices Commission exonerating Brown came in response to a complaint filed by Republican Meg Whitman's campaign. Capitol Weekly's Anthony York in the Los Angeles Times Steve Harmon Political Blotter weblog -- 3/29/10 Pelosi on being a GOP target: "I should thank them...it's good for my fundraising" -- Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi -- surrounded by business and labor leaders, senior and health care advocates -- was greeted like a conquering hero Monday at a San Francisco event to highlight the passage of the health care reform bill, which she said succeeded despite a Republican "campaign of fear." Carla Marinucci Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 3/29/10 Mike Reynolds endorses Tom Campbell for U.S. Senate -- Mike Reynolds of Fresno, author of California's "Three Strikes" law, has endorsed Tom Campbell in the Republican U.S. Senate race. Jim Boren in the Fresno Bee -- 3/29/10 Arnold and Meg: TV pitches have a deja vu quality -- Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger first ran for governor in 2003 as a political outsider with a fresh perspective on California's problems -- and former eBay CEO Meg Whitman, with some of same advisers, is using a very similar sales pitch in her TV spots. Carla Marinucci Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 3/29/10 California lawmakers are the highest paid in the nation, survey finds -- California state lawmakers remain the highest paid in the nation by far, according to a survey by a state panel that is considering a 10% reduction in their salary. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/29/10 How many jobs does a budget cut cost? -- All budget cuts are not created equal. And a new report from UC Berkeley says that some budget cuts -- most notably to the state's in-home aide program for the elderly and disabled -- would cause a disproportionate share of job losses. Shane Goldmacher in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/29/10 Carly Fiorina says she's ready for a leader's true job -- helping others overcome their fear of change -- Carly Fiorina grew up afraid that she would lose her parents. Rob Hotakainen in the Sacramento Bee -- 3/29/10 Two proposed ballot measures draw fire from Cal Chamber -- Proposed ballot initiatives to allow California's state budget to be passed by a simple majority of the Legislature and to allow the state Senate and Assembly once again to draw their own district boundaries have drawn opposition from the California Chamber of Commerce. Jim Sanders SacBee Capitol Alert --3/29/10 Marijuana and the ‘Manhattan Madam’ -- Having qualified just last week for November’s ballot, the folks behind the measure to legalize and tax recreational marijuana launched their first radio ad today. Josh Richman Political Blotter weblog -- 3/29/10 Job loss pulls down state's personal income level -- Californians lost their jobs at a faster pace than most Americans. Not too surprisingly, their incomes shrank at a faster pace, too. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee -- 3/29/10 Part-Time Legislature? Not This Year -- The proposed initiative to rescind California's 44-year-old full time Legislature dies an official death today. John Myers Capitol Notes weblog -- 3/29/10 Mentally disabled immigrants remain in detention for years after serving time for crimes, their attorneys allege -- Two mentally disabled Mexican immigrants, facing deportation for criminal assault convictions for which they have already served their time, continue to be held in detention facilities in violation of their constitutional rights, according to separate lawsuits filed in federal court. Andrew Becker in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/29/10 Viral SFO video appears to mock LAX -- Welcome to the "bad airport," an unnamed facility that's spoofed in an online marketing video aimed at luring travelers from Australia and New Zealand to the fresh, modern terminals at San Francisco International Airport. Art Marroquin in the Torrance Daily Breeze -- 3/29/10 Jobless payments going plastic -- The beleaguered agency that provides unemployment insurance benefits to almost 1.5 million jobless Californians is streamlining its antiquated payment system by introducing electronic debit cards to replace printed checks. Marc Lifsher in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/29/10 Schrag: UC’s Clouded Vision For The Future -- In releasing its first round of ideas about the future size and shape of the University of California last week, a high-level UC commission did what such academic panels often do best – brought forth a modest list of proposals that were as safe as they were predictable. Peter Schrag Cal Progress Report -- 3/29/10 'Math wars' over national standards may erupt again in California -- Hold on to your graphing calculators: The passionate, contentious debate over how California students should learn math is ready to erupt again. Sharon Noguchi in the San Jose Mercury -- 3/29/10 ‘Zombies’ cloud housing recovery -- The U.S. economy is probably recovering right now, but significant concerns still mar prospects for the future, the director of the UC Irvine Center for Real Estate told a homebuilding conference in Costa Mesa. Jeff Collins in the Orange County Register -- 3/29/10
Meg-mentum has some Democrats nervous -- Patience is a tough virtue to uphold for Democrats following the gubernatorial race, especially as Republican Meg Whitman's unfettered run on radio and TV has catapulted her to the center of California's political universe. Steven Harmon in the Contra Costa Times -- 3/29/10 Whitman pulls away from Schwarzenegger -- Arnold Schwarzenegger was a political newbie and Hollywood star who ran for governor in 2003 as the Sacramento outsider who could "give California back its future." Carla Marinucci in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/29/10 Republican Senate candidate's professorial style may be out of step -- In his third try for the Senate, Tom Campbell, who holds a law degree from Harvard and a doctorate, may not have the fire that the party's primary voters crave this year. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/29/10 Skelton: Schwarzenegger orchestrates a compromise -- Each party gets a little something -- and the governor gets his way. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/29/10 Tea Party backstage: Andrew Breitbart tells us about the egg throwing -- Just like the real Woodstock, the venue was overloaded and surrounding roads jammed for miles with folks headed here for what the Tea Partiers called The Harry Reid Retirement Party. Joe Garofoli Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 3/29/10 In Berkeley, Yoo feels at home as a stranger in a strange land -- The Bush administration lawyer who gave legal cover to enhanced interrogation methods says he's happy teaching at Boalt Hall School of Law, despite calls for his ouster and protests by liberal groups. Carol J. Williams in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/29/10 Reform: To Look Forward, Look Back -- Fixing what's broken with government in California is very much in vogue these days. And while consensus may not yet exist on what should be fixed and how, here's something undeniable: it's been tried before, and the results sometimes might have made things worse. John Myers Capitol Notes weblog -- 3/29/10 Pelosi basks in health care victory in San Francisco -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, celebrating the passage of the health insurance overhaul, said in San Francisco on Sunday that she's not worried about Republicans' plans to take over Congress this fall by campaigning for a repeal of the law. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/29/10 CalBuzz: Why Killing AB32 is a Long Shot and Other Bad Bets -- We happen to have in our hot little Calbuzz claws some summary results from a February poll by FM3 (Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz) for the defenders of AB32 that found that after voters are read the Attorney General’s title and summary for the measure to repeal AB32 they oppose it 46-37%. Jerry Roberts and Phil Trounstine CalBuzz -- 3/29/10
L.A., Long Beach ports need a rising tide of exports -- The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, long known as America's gateway for imported goods, are trying to generate more export business as the international trade sector struggles to regain its sea legs. Ronald D. White in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/29/10
Bigger class sizes seen as a step backward -- After 14 years and more than $10 billion spent for smaller class sizes, many California classrooms in the fall will move in the opposite direction. Canan Tasci in the Inland Daily Bulletin -- 3/29/10 Borenstein: West Contra Costa school district fails to disclose true cost of bonds -- As West Contra Costa school officials push yet another school construction bond proposal, they need to come clean about how property tax rates are increasing far beyond expectations to cover payments for four previous voter-approved measures. Daniel Borenstein in the Contra Costa Times -- 3/29/10 Fensterwald: San Jose teachers extend day gratis -- The teachers in San Jose Unified have agreed to extend the school day without extra pay permanently, starting next year. John Fensterwald educatedguess.org -- 3/29/10 Parents fear students may lose placement outside L.A. Unified -- Cortines wants to limit out-of-district permits to help curb budget shortfall. More than 12,200 students now use them. Carla Rivera in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/29/10 Protesters feel stifled by UC Berkeley crackdown -- A campus crackdown on protesters has brought relative calm to UC Berkeley this semester, but it's provoking accusations that administrators are intimidating students with vague charges and quelling free speech with an arbitrary application of rules. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/29/10 Student-run store gets hard lesson in lost profit -- Net income at Tiger's Den, a snack bar at South Pasadena High School, has fallen more than 50% from a year earlier since a state law banning the sale of junk food on campus went into effect. Cyndia Zwahlen in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/29/10 San Diego Schools Zig on Reforms While Obama Zags -- As President Barack Obama has unveiled many planned school reforms, San Diego Unified has steadily steered in the opposite direction from many of the controversial changes the feds seek. EMILY ALPERT Voiceofsandiego.org -- 3/29/10
Scientists find clues of Sierra dry spell -- The researchers studied tree rings on dead giant sequoias, the largest trees on Earth. They found that during a warm, dry period between A.D. 800 and 1300, fires were more frequent, suggesting more fires may be ahead for a Sierra facing similar conditions today. Mark Grossi in the Fresno Bee -- 3/29/10 Between farm and table, a broken chain -- Between that abundant supply and the strong demand, the market has broken down. There is no good way to get those crops from the farms to the people who want them at a price consumers are willing to pay. Daniel Weintraub HealthyCal.org -- 3/29/10
For universal health care, but not on his shoulders -- Daniel Scherotter, a restaurant owner and chef, is leading the fight against Healthy San Francisco. It is not that he opposes the health care program. He simply thinks the city’s businesses, particularly restaurants, should not be required to finance universal health care. Richard C. Paddock HealthyCal.org -- 3/29/10 Mobile clinic's return puts focus on follow-up care -- Doctors and other medical personnel who volunteered last August at the largest free health clinic ever held in Los Angeles could practically watch as their patients slipped through the holes in the county's safety net. Molly Hennessy-Fiske in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/29/10 Proposed budget cuts would end thousands of health service jobs -- State budget cuts under consideration in Sacramento could lead to losses of well over 400,000 jobs, many held by workers most likely to spend their earnings in state, an analysis by the UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education. Christina Jewett California Watch -- 3/29/10 Coverage Now for Sick Children? Check Fine Print -- Just days after President Obama signed the new health care law, insurance companies are already arguing that, at least for now, they do not have to provide one of the benefits that the president calls a centerpiece of the law: coverage for certain children with pre-existing conditions. ROBERT PEAR in the New York Times -- 3/29/10
Obama brought cool campaign persona to healthcare battle -- President Barack Obama and Democrats missed repeated deadlines, fought back cries of "death panels" and watched healthcare reform nearly die more than dozen times. Sam Youngman The Hill -- 3/29/10 Barack Obama gains steam, plows ahead -- President Barack Obama has in one week gone from a man begging for votes from freshman congressmen to a globe-trotting commander-in-chief parachuting into a war zone. CAROL E. LEE Politico -- 3/29/10
After Gang Crackdown, Police Become Targets -- By the time four city trucks were set ablaze next to Hemet City Hall last week, the police here had become familiar with their new life under siege. REBECCA CATHCART in the New York Times -- 3/29/10 Oakland church tagged with racially charged graffiti on Palm Sunday -- It was the last thing members of a Greek Orthodox church expected to find — especially on one of their holiest days of the year. Paul Burgarino in the Contra Costa Times -- 3/29/10 16 years after failed attempt, Oakland again seeks gang injunction -- Oakland City Attorney John Russo caused a stir last month when he filed a request for an injunction against the Northside Oakland street gang. Ali Winston California Watch -- 3/29/10 L.A.'s 'jobs czar' may be Villaraigosa's pick to run DWP -- Austin Beutner, who has been working to lure businesses to the city, may replace S. David Freeman, who is scheduled to step down in weeks as interim director of the utility, sources say. David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/29/10 U.S. companies export values along with tech -- As companies such as Google, Facebook and Twitter push their technologies around the world, recent events show that they're not just exporting the latest in online tools, but a basic tenet of the American way of life - freedom of speech. Benny Evangelista in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/29/10
Tea-Party Candidates Face Hard Reality of Campaigns -- Jason Meade of New Franklin, Ohio, is among hundreds of political hopefuls looking to ride the "tea party" wave to Washington this year. Like most, he's finding it a tough go. NEIL KING JR. and DOUGLAS BELKIN in the Wall Street Journal -- 3/29/10 Democrats Cheer Now, but Grim November May Lie Ahead -- In politics, as in sports, the thrill of victory sometimes pales alongside the agony of defeat. In 2010, Democrats remain on track to experience both. JOHN HARWOOD in the New York Times -- 3/29/10 Health-care overhaul leaves Democrats in stable condition -- After steering the landmark health-care reform bill through Congress, the Democratic Party's leaders have emerged mostly unscathed, according to a new Washington Post poll, but they have not received a notable boost in approval ratings. Jennifer Agiesta and Jon Cohen in the Washington Post -- 3/29/10
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