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Documents detail net loss if California buildings sold -- State documents specifying the amount California has left to pay on the construction bonds for its state office buildings and for ongoing maintenance provide the most detailed financial picture to date of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposal to sell the properties. JUDY LIN AP -- 4/22/10 Dems try to capitalize on Brown’s tax return pledge -- With Attorney General Jerry Brown having signed the Bay Area News Group’s pledge to release his tax returns for the last 10 years, the state Democratic Party sees the issue as a winner. Steven Harmon Political Blotter weblog -- 4/22/10 Whitman, Poizner, PG&E spend $80 million on primary election -- The upcoming June primary election has produced the usual slew of dueling negative ads. But there are two unique things about the way this election is playing out: 1) Lots of money being spent early and 2) the vast majority of that money is coming from just three sources. Phillip Reese in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/22/10 State Supreme Court holds off on wading into furlough legal battle -- The California Supreme Court has decided against stepping into the ongoing legal battle over state worker furloughs, which force employees to take three days off without pay each month. Shane Goldmacher in the Los Angeles Times Jon Ortiz in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/22/10 Ballot measure to alter terms limits turns in 1 million signatures -- Proponents of a proposed initiative to alter legislative term limits delivered more than 1 million signatures to county elections officials today. Torey Van Oot SacBee Capitol Alert -- 4/22/10 Feinstein backs Perata for Oakland mayor -- U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein endorsed former State Sen. Don Perata's bid to become Oakland's next Mayor Thursday, saying he would bring the kind of leadership Oakland needs at City Hall. Kelly Rayburn in the Contra Costa Times -- 4/22/10 Mount Pleasant saga to be featured on 'This American Life' -- GOP gubernatorial candidate Steve Poizner's controversial depiction of Mount Pleasant High School in San Jose will hit the public radio airwaves this week on the show "This American Life," according to show spokeswoman Emily Condon. Jack Chang SacBee Capitol Alert -- 4/22/10 Global warming ballot battle comes to Oakland -- About 50 protestors converged upon a Valero gas station in Oakland’s Uptown section this morning to call attention to a proposed ballot measure backed by oil companies to roll back California’s landmark greenhouse gas emissions law. Josh Richman Political Blotter weblog -- 4/22/10 Whitman's half-hour infomercial and unprecedented cable campaign to hit airwaves -- Republican Meg Whitman -- who recently blanketed 500,000 state voters with informational magazines about her GOP gubernatorial campaign -- is ready to unleash two more mega-watt media efforts this weekend: her much-heralded 30-minute "town hall" infomercial, and an unprecedented "video on demand" TV campaign, sources say. Carla Marinucci Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 4/22/10 Maldonado wins key Assembly vote -- The Assembly voted Thursday to install Sen. Abel Maldonado, a moderate Republican from Santa Maria, as lieutenant governor. Evan Halper and Anthony York in the Los Angeles Times Torey Van Oot SacBee Capitol Alert CATHY BUSSEWITZ AP Marisa Lagos Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 4/22/10 Private prisons operator opens wallet for lawmakers -- A company that operates private prisons – and which is hoping to pluck inmates out of California’s overcrowded lockups and into its for-profit prisons – has donated $1,000 each to 10 state lawmakers, Republicans and Democrats alike, in recent days. Shane Goldmacher in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/22/10 Hundreds of Orange County teachers strike over pay and benefits cuts -- Hundreds of Orange County teachers were walking picket lines Thursday, the first day of a strike protesting pay and benefits cuts in the Capistrano Unified School District. Carla Rivera in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/22/10 Reagan on $50 bill? Americans overwhelmingly opposed -- even in West -- Conservative activists in California and across America have been trying to put Ronald Reagan's name and face everywhere — from Washington's airport to American currency. Richard Dunham Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 4/22/10 Schwarzenegger takes aim at those trying to overturn the state's global-warming law -- He may be a lame duck, but Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger gave notice Wednesday that he's going out fighting -- as in battling the alliance of oil companies, conservative activists and fellow Republicans who are gathering signatures for a November ballot initiative to overturn California's landmark global warming law. Margot Roosevelt in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/22/10 Private prisons operator opens wallet for lawmakers -- A company that operates private prisons – and which is hoping to pluck inmates out of California’s overcrowded lockups and into its for-profit prisons – has donated $1,000 each to 10 state lawmakers, Republicans and Democrats alike, in recent days. Shane Goldmacher in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/22/10 Tom McClintock: Guv race is fight for soul of Republican Party -- As polls show the race for the GOP gubernatorial nomination tightening, conservative U.S. Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Elk Grove, called the primary contest between former eBay CEO Meg Whitman and Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner a "fight for the soul of the Republican Party." Jack Chang SacBee Capitol Alert -- 4/22/10 Union marchers propose $40 billion in tax hikes, other revenue raisers -- The public employee-union backed marchers arrived at the Capitol this week after 48 days on the road from Bakersfield, and Thursday presented lawmakers with their state budget recommendations -- $40 billion in tax increases and loophole closures they said will avoid service cuts and balance the budget for years to come. Dan Smith SacBee Capitol Alert -- 4/22/10 Quinn: The Real Story Behind the Attempt to Kill Redistricting Reform -- Sacramento Bee columnist Dan Morain let the cat out of the bag last Sunday. In his Bee column, he discussed the sudden passion of billionaire entertainment mogul Haim Saban for getting rid of the Citizens Redistricting Commission that is supposed to draw new legislative district lines in 2011. Tony Quinn Fox & Hounds weblog -- 4/22/10 Fox: An Attempt to Stymie Pension Reform -- One major battle to reform the public pension system is being played out over an assembly bill that would restrict the power of local governments to declare bankruptcy. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds weblog -- 4/22/10
Campbell, Whitman hold wide leads in Republican primary races -- Former Rep. Tom Campbell has opened up a double-digit lead over his two rivals for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination, while Meg Whitman maintains a wide margin over Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner in the GOP gubernatorial battle. John Howard and Anthony York in Capitol Weekly -- 4/22/10 CalBuzz: New Polls: Poizner Inching Up, Tom Beating Carly -- It’s not much to bank on, but Steve “The Commish” Poizner appears to have knocked eMeg Whitman down below 50% of the vote in the race for the Republican nomination for governor, according to a new public poll. Jerry Roberts and Phil Trounstine CalBuzz -- 4/22/10 California Watch: From the right and left, Whitman is hit for ties to Goldman Sachs -- For her part, Whitman has declined to comment on her association with Goldman. She left the board in 2002, but has kept part of her $1.2 billion fortune with the New York investment bank, records show. With the candidate silent, her opponents had the debate to themselves. Lance Williams California Watch Carla Marinucci in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/22/10 Brown agrees to post decade's worth of tax returns on website; Poizner, Whitman balk -- Pledging to post 10 years of personal tax returns on the Internet, Democrat Jerry Brown on Wednesday became the only major candidate for California governor to answer a call from Bay Area News Group to end a weeks-long dispute about the release of returns. Ken McLaughlin in the Contra Costa Times Joe Garofoli Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 4/22/10 New data shows more state workers exceed vacation caps -- Thousands of additional state workers accumulated more vacation and annual leave time last year than state law is supposed to allow, according to new data provided to California Watch this week by the state's Department of Personnel Administration. Chase Davis California Watch -- 4/22/10 HealthyCal.org: Truck rule based on flawed data, ARB staff admits -- A computer model that the Air Resources Board used to justify historic restrictions on diesel emissions from off-road construction equipment may have attributed twice as much pollution to those heavy trucks as they actually produce, according to interviews with ARB staff. Daniel Weintraub HealthyCal.org -- 4/22/10 Capitol fight erupts over renewable energy -- Call it a clash of the bureaucratic titans. Last year, the Legislature and Gov. Schwarzenegger wrestled over renewable energy until the closing hours of the legislative session. John Howard in Capitol Weekly -- 4/22/10 T-Ridge: Not So Fast, Says Maldo -- But comments today from Maldo, as well as the positions of other prominent challengers for the job this fall, don't bode well for backers of a limited — but controversial — plan for new oil drilling off the Central Coast. John Myers Capitol Notes weblog -- 4/22/10 Maldonado up again for state's No. 2 job -- He's back. After a couple months of letting "cooler minds prevail," state Sen. Abel Maldonado made a return trip Wednesday to the Assembly Rules Committee, hoping that Democrats had softened their opposition to his nomination as lieutenant governor. Steven Harmon in the Contra Costa Times -- 4/22/10 Panel to consider new pay cut for California legislators -- The commission that regulates California legislators' salaries will consider a proposal Thursday that could slash lawmakers' pay by at least a quarter in less than a year. Susan Ferriss in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/22/10 Schwarzenegger: No 'crazy' fire sale of state properties -- California's plan to sell and lease back state buildings has come under fire from critics who point to long-term costs of the move, which was intended to raise cash. Torey Van Oot SacBee Capitol Alert -- 4/22/10 Schwarzenegger appoints ex-lawmaker Greg Aghazarian to state job -- Arnold Schwarzenegger announced Wednesday he appointed former Republican Assemblyman Greg Aghazarian as deputy secretary for legislation and special assistant to the Department of Food and Agriculture secretary, a $115,000-a-year post. Kevin Yamamura in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/22/10 Skelton: A little proposition with big potential -- Prop. 15, on the June 8 ballot, would permit public financing of elections for secretary of state — and it could be a first step toward reducing the influence of special interests. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/22/10 Bill on casino distribution fund advances -- An Assembly committee gave quick approval Wednesday to the latest legislative attempt to free up $30 million in tribal casino revenue for Inland communities and other parts of the state. JIM MILLER in the Riverside Press -- 4/22/10 Capitol Weekly's Top 100 List -- The final installment: 1-50 in Capitol Weekly -- 4/22/10
Hollingsworth introduces bill to overhaul pensions -- His proposal, SB 919, would raise the retirement age for non-safety employees from 55 to 65. It would increase the retirement age for CHP officers, firefighters and other safety employees from 50 to 57. Jim Miller in the Riverside Press Jon Ortiz in the Sacramento Bee Evan Halper and Phil Willon in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/22/10 Morain: Reining in pensions should start at top -- And here is an open secret: It's not just public employee unions and their members who seek to protect pension benefits. Members of both parties and many of their patrons benefit from the system as it is. Dan Morain in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/22/10 Box-office futures are dealt a blow -- A Senate committee dealt a big blow to the plans of two trading firms looking to create a box-office futures exchange that would allow the movie industry as well as investors to wager on movie ticket sales. Joe Flint in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/22/10 When Silicon Valley speaks, Sacramento still listens -- As lunchtime arrived Wednesday, the group headed for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's inner sanctum instead of the cafeteria. In visits to more than four dozen legislative offices Tuesday, they had face time with lawmakers — not their staffers. Denis C. Theriault in the San Jose Mercury -- 4/22/10 Military’s bootprint in region a big one -- What the movies are to Hollywood and finance is to Wall Street, so the military is to this county, according to a report released Wednesday by the San Diego Military Advisory Council. Jeanette Steele in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 4/22/10 San Francisco Saves $50 Million in New Deal With Unions -- Mayor Gavin Newsom of San Francisco has struck a two-year deal with major unions representing city employees, staving off more than 1,000 planned layoffs, city officials said. GERRY SHIH in the New York Times -- 4/22/10
Local school districts dismiss class-size reductions -- Remember class-size reduction – the push for classes of no more than 20 students per teacher that swept California public schools in the 1990s? Diana Lambert in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/22/10 Fensterwald: All agree on value of EAP -- Seven years ago, the California State University system developed a test in math and English language arts to help inform high school juniors whether they are on track to attend one of their campuses. The Early Assessment Program – EAP – has become a national model, and many high school students use the results in deciding whether to seek extra math and English help in their senior year. John Fensterwald educatedguess.org -- 4/22/10 School plans raise fears; drastic changes coming to 11 campuses -- Tension was high among employees of the San Bernardino City Unified School District on Wednesday, a day after trustees voted to overhaul 11 struggling schools and increase scrutiny of teachers. Debbie Pfeiffer Trunnell in the San Bernardino Sun -- 4/22/10
Some see Canal’s fingerprints on disputes with Contra Costa County -- Remember that old saying, “Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you?” That might be a good description of some people’s feelings in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta — specifically on Bethel Island and other parts of a proposed Peripheral Canal route. Malcolm Maclachlan in Capitol Weekly -- 4/22/10 Bay Area has seen results since first Earth Day -- The air is cleaner. The water is cleaner. There are more acres of protected parkland and fewer toxic emissions from industry. Paul Rogers in the Contra Costa Times -- 4/22/10 Atherton opposes Cargill development -- The Atherton City Council on Wednesday night joined with Menlo Park and Belmont in taking a firm stand against a proposed massive development on the Cargill salt lands in Redwood City. Jessica Bernstein-Wax in the San Jose Mercury -- 4/22/10 Senate panel OKs Lake Tahoe preservation funds -- Lake Tahoe is on track to get $415 million in federal funds, on top of $1.4 billion already spent to save the "Jewel of the Sierra" from what Sen. Dianne Feinstein has called its "imminent destruction," after Senate committee approval of the plan Wednesday. Carolyn Lochhead in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/22/10
HealthyCal.org: Federal reform won’t mean end of Healthy San Francisco program -- The federal health care overhaul signed last month by President Obama will not prompt significant changes in the short term for Healthy San Francisco, the city program that provides medical care for more than 51,000 low-income residents. Richard C. Paddock HealthyCal.org -- 4/22/10 California Watch: State nursing home funders announce proposal, then fall silent -- A few weeks ago, Medi-Cal officials released a report with a clear proposal for linking nursing home pay to quality of care. But they’ve been silent on the issue since. Christina Jewett California Watch -- 4/22/10 Medical pot group sues L.A. over new law -- The collectives, which would be closed under the ordinance, contend the law ‘arbitrarily and capriciously’ makes their operations illegal. John Hoeffel in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/22/10
Tough enforcement against illegal immigrants is decried -- Advocates say the deportation case against one Nevada couple highlights the continued harassing of many who pose no threat – despite Obama’s promises to target bad actors and help legalize others. Ken Dilanian in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/22/10 Arizona immigration bill may have broad implications -- The strict immigration enforcement bill that Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer could sign this week is likely to have repercussions beyond the state, not only in terms of political precedent, but in shifts it might prompt in the immigrant population. Leslie Berestein in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 4/22/10
Costa Mesa offers to buy Orange County Fairgrounds from state -- The Costa Mesa City Council has proposed that the city purchase the Orange County Fairgrounds from the state for $96 million, the minimum price state officials had been looking to fetch from a sale as a way to help close the state budget deficit. Mona Shadia in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/22/10 PG&E to run SmartMeter vs. analog test -- Pacific Gas and Electric Co. announced Wednesday that it will test its controversial SmartMeters side by side with older analog meters at 150 homes, in the utility's latest effort to defuse public suspicions about the new devices. David R. Baker in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/22/10 Sebastopol crowd decries PG&E's SmartMeters -- What was intended as a “balanced format” discussion about PG&E's SmartMeter installation in Sonoma County became a hatefest against the utility Wednesday night when it pulled out at the last minute. LORI A. CARTER in the Santa Rosa Press -- 4/22/10
The tea party's exaggerated importance -- 2009 was the year when many journalists concluded they were slow to recognize the anti-government, anti-Obama rage that gave birth to the tea party movement. 2010 is the year when news organizations have decided to prove they get it. JONATHAN MARTIN & BEN SMITH Politico -- 4/22/10 |
