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Settlement Was Paid in Whitman Shoving Incident -- During her 10 years as chief executive of eBay, Meg Whitman, the Republican candidate for governor of California, was known as a demanding leader who did not hesitate to express displeasure with employees who failed to live up to her standards. BRAD STONE in the New York Times -- 6/14/10 A not very subtle reminder about Whitman -- The Courage Campaign, a liberal political committee, released this none-too-subtle video to remind voters that billionaire GOP candidate Meg Whitman was endorsed by former Vice President Dick Cheney. Evan Halper in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/14/10 Pelosi Paying $18K a Month for New San Francisco Office -- Last fall, Speaker Nancy Pelosi moved her district office into the new federal building in San Francisco. The move quadrupled the rent she pays, and her new $18,736 monthly bill is almost double the next-highest rental paid by a Member of the House. Paul Singer Roll Call -- 6/14/10 California committee defeats pension-reform bill -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's drive to cut California's pension costs stalled Monday when a Senate committee derailed a bill that would have reduced benefits for newly hired state employees. DON THOMPSON AP -- 6/14/10 State says recession may have bottomed out -- The state Department of Finance, agreeing with most other economic forecasters, says California's economy appears to have hit the bottom of the recessionary trough and is beginning to recover. Dan Walters SacBee Capitol Alert -- 6/14/10 Villines halves FitzGerald's lead in tight race for insurance chief -- Brian FitzGerald's razor-thin lead in the Republican primary for insurance commissioner has been chopped by more than half through the counting of absentee and provisional ballots since election day. Jim Sanders SacBee Capitol Alert -- 6/14/10 Sen. Dave Cox undergoing cancer treatments -- State Sen. Dave Cox, R-Fair Oaks, is undergoing treatment for prostate cancer that he has been fighting for 13 years, he said today. Dan Smith SacBee Capitol Alert -- 6/14/10 Top lawmakers, Schwarzenegger meet on eve of budget deadline -- On the afternoon before California’s constitutional deadline for lawmakers to pass a state budget, the Legislature’s four leaders gathered with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in his Sacramento office for the first time to discuss California’s spending plan –- or lack thereof. Shane Goldmacher in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/14/10 Sniping from the sidelines as budget deadline nears -- Brown and Whitman criticize the dysfunction gripping the Capitol in the usual budget stalemate. But neither has taken the risky steps of offering a solution to closing the $19.1-billion deficit. Evan Halper in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/14/10 Steinberg wants protections for teachers in poor schools -- Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) introduced legislation Monday that would cap the number of layoffs for teachers in the poorest schools. Anthony York in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/14/10 Democrats take aim at PG&E political spending with new bills -- That $46 million campaign for Proposition 16 may end up costing more than Pacific Gas & Electric Co. bargained for. Marisa Lagos Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 6/14/10 Legislators take on third-rail sacred cow: teacher seniority rights -- For years, decades really, it has been no secret that teacher layoffs hit struggling schools hardest. Jill Tucker Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 6/14/10 California top beneficiary of 'doughnut hole' closure -- Seniors in California will be largest beneficiaries in Medicare payments when the health care bill passed earlier this year goes into effect, according to data from the White House. Emily Cahn Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 6/14/10 CalBuzz: Meyer’s Take: Thelma and Louise Turn Right -- Today, the hotly talented and exquisitely dressed editorial cartoonist and Calbuzzer Tom Meyer brings his singular vision to bear on the history-making primary election that saw California Republicans nominating two women for statewide office a mere 18 years after Democrats first managed the trick. Jerry Roberts and Phil Trounstine CalBuzz -- 6/14/10 California bill would target spouses who hire hit men -- The story behind the legislation reads like a movie pitch. CATHY BUSSEWITZ AP -- 6/14/10 Avlon: Will Boies and Olson Win the Gay Marriage Argument? -- The future of same-sex unions will be determined Wednesday by liberal David Boies and conservative Ted Olson. John Avlon The Daily Beast -- 6/14/10
No break, and no niceties, in general election races -- Days after primary, Carly Fiorina insults her opponent's hair and Jerry Brown invokes Nazi comparisons. Strategists bemoan the ugly words and the focus on style rather than on substantive policy differences. Robin Abcarian in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/14/10 Fiorina Regrets Hair Comment, But No Apology for Boxer -- California Republican Senate candidate Carly Fiorina on Sunday said she regretted comments that she had made earlier in the week about Sen. Barbara Boxer’s hair, but stopped short of offering an apology. Amy Schatz in the Wall Street Journal Felicia Sonmez in the Washington Post Mike Zapler in the Contra Costa Times -- 6/14/10 California gov candidates come from different worlds -- She's chartered jet, he's Southwest. Her mentor was Mitt Romney, he worked for Mother Teresa. She pays her chief campaign consultant $90,000-a-month, his worked for free most of last year. JUDY LIN AP -- 6/14/10 Capitol staffers flocking to the Central Coast for SD 15 race -- Capitol staffers from both parties are blanketing the Central Coast on behalf of the two major candidates hoping to fill the 15th Senate District seat recently vacated by Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado. Their efforts will continue until the June 22 election. Malcolm Maclachlan in Capitol Weekly -- 6/14/10 With just 43 words, FitzGerald is poised to pull an upset in insurance commissioner primary -- The candidate spent little compared with his better-known opponent in the Republican primary. FitzGerald's campaign largely consisted of his voter guide blurb. Shane Goldmacher in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/14/10 Parties face uphill battle in rousing voters -- Even after two Republican candidates for governor spent more than $100 million combined on their campaigns and three GOP candidates battled in the U.S. Senate race, fewer than 30 percent of eligible California voters cast ballots in last week's primary election. Joe Garofoli, Carla Marinucci in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/14/10 Will: Proposition California ensures electoral blandness -- Under the current imperfect administration of the Universe, most new ideas are false, so most ideas for improvements make matters worse. George F. Will in the Washington Post -- 6/14/10 Skelton: Voters are trying to make government work -- Legislative redistricting and open primary measures have become law. Congressional redistricting is on November ballot and legislative term limits probably will be too. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/14/10 Budget cuts equal job losses, Assembly Democrats stress -- Tuesday’s constitutional deadline for the Legislature to pass a budget will come and go without action, as it nearly always does. Timm Herdt in the Ventura Star -- 6/14/10 Saunders: Jerry Brown, California's chameleon prince -- As part of a union-backed "independent" expenditure campaign in support of Attorney General Jerry Brown's gubernatorial effort, the California Nurses Association has formed a retinue that trails GOP gubernatorial hopeful Meg Whitman with a cartoonish figure named "Queen Meg." Debra J. Saunders in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/14/10 Steamed: Tea Party candidate sounds off about taxes, immigration and why he needs to go to Sacramento -- The tea party-backed candidate for the 59th Assembly District Republican primary is in a political dogfight with seasoned politician and former Covina Mayor Chris Lancaster. Three months ago, Donnelly would have never dreamed of being so close. Brian Charles in the San Gabriel Tribune -- 6/14/10 Tea Party's influence felt at the polls -- If there were any doubt that Tea Party groups could have an impact at the ballot box, the case of Tim Donnelly should lay it to rest. James Rufus Koren in the Inland Daily Bulletin -- 6/14/10 Ballot count confirms defeat of Riverside County DA -- What seemed unlikely just a few weeks ago now has become reality: Riverside County has elected a new district attorney. JOHN F. HILL and RICHARD K. DE ATLEY in the Riverside Press -- 6/14/10 Schwarzenegger makes media rounds in D.C. -- Fresh from his open primary ballot victory, he keeps the focus on his final year as governor, not what's next for him. Shane Goldmacher in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/14/10
Peninsula seniors face unique challenges in finding work -- It's hard enough finding a job these days; imagine doing it with a résumé that hasn't needed updating in 30 years. Sean Maher in the San Jose Mercury -- 6/14/10 Court rules workers' comp furloughs illegal -- About 7,900 state workers' compensation employees were furloughed illegally by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger last year and are entitled to $25 million in back pay, a state appeals court ruled Friday. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/14/10 Borenstein: Lawmakers do more harm than good on pension spiking -- When it comes to curbing abusive pension spiking, state legislators are still falling short. While claiming they want to fix the system, they're actually perpetuating it. Daniel Borensteinin the Contra Costa Times -- 6/14/10 Teens find competition from older workers in summer job hunt -- Patrick Confer wants a cheap and easy part-time job for the summer – stocking shelves or serving fries. Melody Gutierrez in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/14/10 49ers' win at polls boost for A's move? -- Buoyed by local voters' overwhelming endorsement of a San Francisco 49ers stadium last week, supporters of a proposed baseball park in San Jose are optimistic about their plan's prospects — but focused on a critical next few months. Tracy Seipel in the Oakland Tribune -- 6/14/10
Fensterwald: Symantec Chairman calls for Prop 13 reform -- This was not your typical after-dinner acceptance speech by a corporate honoree. John Fensterwald educatedguess.org -- 6/14/10 For-profit colleges draw attention from regulators and millions of students -- A year ago, Joseph Carrillo Jr. had to fight to get into crowded classes here at the public American River College. He couldn't find a guidance counselor, and he felt lost. So he switched to the private University of Phoenix. There, everything fell into place -- at 17 times the cost. Elaine Korry and Liz Willen in the Washington Post -- 6/14/10 Fensterwald: Grad rate falls 5 percentage points in a decade -- Fifteen states saw a decline in their high school graduation rates from 1997 to 2007, and California, with a drop of 4.7 percentage points, from 67.4 to 62.7 percent, was the second worst, behind Nevada, according to Education Week’s latest Diplomas Count. John Fensterwald educatedguess.org -- 6/14/10 Hope for hungry students at UCLA -- The student-run Food Closet and Swipes for the Homeless reach out to the campus' needy, many of whom prefer to remain hidden during hard times. Carla Rivera in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/14/10 California universities consider adopting the T-word: tuition -- Since 1960's master plan for public higher education, which had the goal of tuition-free schooling for all, the word has been eschewed in favor of "fees." But recent realities argue for a change. Larry Gordon in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/14/10 California Community colleges give firms an education -- Workers are receiving free or low-cost training in a variety of subjects to keep them up to speed on fast-changing technologies or productivity-boosting methods. Cyndia Zwahlen in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/14/10 Lawsuit challenges school funding system -- State officials have about a week to respond to a lawsuit that could force lawmakers and the governor to overhaul California's school finance system and policies. Canan Tasci in the Inland Daily Bulletin -- 6/14/10
Safeguards against new farm chemical too weak, scientists say -- California pesticide regulators plan to approve a new agricultural chemical to sterilize the soil of strawberry fields, but state records and interviews with scientists raise questions about whether workers and nearby communities can be adequately protected from the highly toxic chemical. Amy Standen California Watch -- 6/14/10 More Bay, less Area -- From Antioch to North Richmond to Redwood City, a slow rising sea level could endanger the properties of as many as 270,000 Bay Area residents and cause some $56.5 billion in damage by the end of the century unless measures are taken to protect them, experts say. But is anyone doing anything about it? Julia Scott in the Contra Costa Times -- 6/14/10 Stater Bros. CEO labels plastic bag bill unfair -- A bill that would ban the use of plastic bags at grocery stores isn't fair to the grocery industry, Stater Bros. chief executive Jack Brown said. James Rufus Koren in the Inland Daily Bulletin -- 6/14/10 Utilities brace for electric cars -- The gleaming, squeaky-clean future promised by electric cars comes with a burden: The region's electricity infrastructure will have to be ready to charge all those big, thirsty batteries. ERIC WOLFF in the North County Times -- 6/14/10
First 'doughnut hole' checks go to seniors to help with Medicare prescription shortfalls -- But what Weiner, 84, has not quite figured out is a problem she shares with many other seniors — how to pay the steep costs for prescription medication under their Medicare plan. Julie Chang in the San Jose Mercury -- 6/14/10 Law to limit waning practice of rescission in state -- Of all the concerns facing the Simoes family in 2004, health insurance wasn't one of them. Jim Steinberg in the Inland Daily Bulletin -- 6/14/10 State audit: Women denied mammograms because of mismanagement in program -- The California state auditor's report of the Every Woman Counts program revealed that data were not reported properly and funds were not well-managed. Melissa Evans in the Torrance Daily Breeze -- 6/14/10
Walters: Viral e-mail on illegal immigration enforcement merely a fountain of ignorance -- We've all gotten them – e-mails that breathlessly report that some important event or fact is being covered up by the government, the media or both and urge the recipient to pass on this vital information. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/14/10
Borenstein: As trustee hits the road again, travel policies questioned -- This time, "Traveling Jim" was in Chicago. Last week, I told you about the extensive travel expenses of Sgt. James Remick of the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office. Remick is also an alternate member of the board of the Contra Costa County Employees' Retirement Association. Daniel Borensteinin the Contra Costa Times -- 6/14/10 Matier & Ross -- BART spending $800K to define three words -- Believe it or not, BART is spending $800,000 to come up with a definition of just what constitutes a "major service change." Phillip Matier, Andrew Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/14/10 Unions balk at Johnson's strong-mayor plan -- Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson is still short of persuading most of the city's influential labor unions to get on board with his retooled charter overhaul and strong-mayor proposal. Ryan Lillis in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/14/10 Morrison: Roy Ashburn: Out and about -- The state senator discusses California politics, his anti-gay legislative record before being outed and more. Patt Morrison in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/14/10
Obama Plans First Oval Office Speech to Put Pressure on BP -- President Obama will use his first Oval Office speech Tuesday night to outline a plan to legally compel BP to create an escrow account to compensate businesses and individuals for their losses from the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, administration officials said on Sunday. JACKIE CALMES in the New York Times David G. Savage and Richard Fausset in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/14/10 First Lady: Support 'heroes' at Camp Pendleton -- First Lady Michelle Obama on Sunday challenged all Americans to support U.S. troops and their families in ways as simple as a care package or as heart-felt as a thank-you. DOUG IRVING in the Orange County Register Tony Perry in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/14/10 Obama: Gulf spill 'echoes 9/11' -- Sounding reflective as he heads into a bruising electoral season, President Barack Obama told POLITICO columnist Roger Simon that the Gulf disaster “echoes 9/11” because it will change the nation’s psyche for years to come. The item is in Politico -- 6/14/10
Olson surprises many conservatives by seeking to overturn gay-marriage ban -- Cocktails had been served on the terrace, the ubiquitous Washington buffet of tenderloin and salmon consumed, and the gay law students settled in to hear from the famed legal mind who is leading the battle to make sure they have the right to marry whomever they want, wherever in the United States of America they live. Robert Barnes in the Washington Post -- 6/14/10 |
