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Whitman: No plans to join billionaires' pledge -- California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman has no plans to give at least half her wealth to charity, as 40 of her fellow billionaires pledged to do Wednesday. SAMANTHA YOUNG AP -- 8/5/10 Fiorina takes her U.S. Senate campaign to town hall -- The "Asian American Small-Business Town Hall" saw Fiorina repeatedly criticize incumbent Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer, in a county that voted 66 percent for Boxer in the 2004 election. Eric Messinger in the Contra Costa Times -- 8/5/10 Fiorina splits with Boxer on gay marriage ruling -- Republican U.S. Senate candidate Carly Fiorina says she disagrees with a federal judge's decision overturning California's gay-marriage ban. AP -- 8/5/10 Rasmussen poll finds Cal Senate race tightening -- Rasmussen's latest telephonic poll of likely California voters shows Boxer leading Fiorina 45 percent to 40 percent with 10 percent undecided and 5 percent favoring a third-party candidate. Less than a month earlier, a previous Rasmussen poll Boxer leading 49 percent to 42 percent. Dan Walters SacBee Capitol Alert -- 8/5/10 Prop. 23 is a hot potato for state GOP: confusion reigns on endorsement -- One day after GOP gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman said she's unlikely to support Prop. 23, the controversial November ballot measure, the California Republican Party issued a statement today saying it may not take position on it -- even though the GOP endorsed the measure earlier this year. Carla Marinucci Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 8/5/10 Judge: Prop 25 language can't say it retains two-thirds tax vote -- A Sacramento Superior Court judge ruled today that ballot language for the majority-vote budget initiative cannot claim the measure retains the two-thirds vote requirement for raising taxes. Torey Van Oot SacBee Capitol Alert John Myers Capitol Notes weblog -- 8/5/10 APNewsBreak: Brown uses state-owned plane -- California Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown travels occasionally in a turboprop airplane operated by the state attorney general's office, despite promoting his use of commercial flights and his criticism of Republican rival Meg Whitman for traveling in chartered jets. JULIET WILLIAMS, SAMANTHA YOUNG AP -- 8/5/10 Brown's budget solution: 'Lock 'em up inside the chambers' -- Although Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jerry Brown says fixing California’s budget crisis is the top priority facing the state’s next chief executive, he stuck to generalities Thursday when asked how he would solve the problem. Michael J. Mishak in the Los Angeles Times -- 8/5/10 Budget bickering goes public in dispute over Democratic plan -- Lawmakers and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger bickered publicly over the state budget in May and June. They took those discussions behind closed doors in July. Neither approach yielded much progress. Shane Goldmacher in the Los Angeles Times -- 8/5/10 Union launches new TV attack on Meg Whitman -- The ad, titled "Shameful," portrays the billionaire candidate as a self-serving liar. It hits her on several fronts, including stock "spinning," a now banned practice of investment banks giving clients early access for buying stocks in companies about to go public, and for playing "loose with facts" in her campaign against Democrat Jerry Brown. Torey Van Oot SacBee Capitol Alert -- 8/5/10 Whitman: Illegal immigrants would have to leave for citizenship -- GOP gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman's views on immigration reform were in the spotlight again yesterday, as she told conservative radio hosts John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou that she would not support allowing undocumented immigrants currently in the country to apply for citizenship. Torey Van Oot SacBee Capitol Alert -- 8/5/10 Laird sends mailers featuring Obama endorsement in SD 15 -- Democrat John Laird has hope that President Barack Obama can help him win in the 15th Senate District special election. Torey Van Oot SacBee Capitol Alert -- 8/5/10 Joel Fox writes novel about Abraham Lincoln's grave -- Joel Fox, a veteran California anti-tax campaigner and honcho of the Fox&Hounds political website, has found the time to write a mystery novel centering on questions about whether President Abraham Lincoln's body is actually buried in his Springfield, Ill., grave. Dan Walters SacBee Capitol Alert -- 8/5/10 Elena Kagan joins the U.S. Supreme Court -- The Senate approves her as the nation's 112th justice on a 63-37 vote, with five Republicans crossing party lines to vote in her favor. For the first time in history, the court includes three female justices. James Oliphant in the Los Angeles Times -- 8/5/10 Prop. 8 foes, backers look to Supreme Court showdown on gay marriage -- A day after Proposition 8 was thrown out in court, both sides in California's debate over gay marriage are focusing on the next fight in a battle that is likely to end up before the U.S. Supreme Court. Maura Dolan, Carol J. Williams and Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times -- 8/5/10 The Vision of Michael LoGrande -- A perpetually unplanned L.A. must survive life under a developer's expediter. BETH BARRETT in LA Weekly -- 8/5/10 Memorial for Sen. Dave Cox draws hundreds -- Dave Cox, who became one of the state's leading Republicans while serving in the Legislature, was remembered during a memorial today for his dedication to public service. The item is in the Sacramento Bee -- 8/5/10
Democrats seek federal probe of Prop. 23 donor -- State Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg and Assembly Speaker John Pérez have asked U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to open an investigation into a tiny Missouri nonprofit organization that has pumped nearly $500,000 into a voter initiative to suspend the state's landmark climate change law. Rick Daysog in the Sacramento Bee -- 8/5/10 U.S. judge strikes down state's gay marriage ban -- In issuing a landmark decision on gay marriage Wednesday, federal Judge Vaughn R. Walker declared that Proposition 8 violated gays' constitutional equal-protection and due process rights. Susan Ferriss in the Sacramento Bee Joe Garofoli, John Wildermuth, Demian Bulwa in the San Francisco Chronicle Howard Mintz in the San Jose Mercury Christopher Cadelago, Matthew T. Hall in the San Diego Union-Trib Matt O'Brien in the Contra Costa Times John Ellis in the Fresno Bee LISA LEFF AP -- 8/5/10 Q&A: What the Proposition 8 ruling means -- A hearing Friday will weigh whether same-sex couples can marry while the case is under appeal. Schwarzenegger praised the ruling, and polls show the public growing more accepting of gay marriage. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times -- 8/5/10 Excerpts from the judge's ruling overturning Prop. 8 -- via the Los Angeles Times -- 8/5/10 Prop 8 lawyers explain how they'll win at the Supreme Court (video) -- The Prop 8 case's winning attorneys -- David Boies and Ted Olson -- are famous for being at opposite ends of the Bush v. Gore 2000 Supreme Court decision. Boies for Gore, Olson for Bush. Joe Garofoli Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 8/5/10 Republican mayor of San Diego "thrilled" by Prop. 8 ruling -- The Republican mayor of San Diego, who defied elements in his party by declaring in 2007 that he supports same-sex marriage, said he is "absolutely thrilled" by the court ruling striking down Proposition 8, the voter-approved measure that banned same-sex marriages. Tony Perry in the Los Angeles Times -- 8/5/10 Saunders: Judge has spoken - whether you like it or not -- "Proposition 8 fails to advance any rational basis in singling out gay men and lesbians for denial of a marriage license," federal Judge Vaughn Walker wrote. Debra J. Saunders in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 8/5/10 Rutten: Prop. 8 and the facts on the ground -- Whatever the final legal outcome, the fact remains that same-sex couples are raising families, with no discernible harm to anyone. Tim Rutten in the Los Angeles Times -- 8/5/10 CalBuzz: Meg Slapped on Radio; Gay Marriage No Big in Gov Race -- You gotta give Meg Whitman credit for sitting down in the studio Wednesday with Calbuzz’s favorite Neanderthal radio yakkers – John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou of KFI-AM in LA – and trying to explain all the contradictions in her positions on immigration and climate change. Jerry Roberts and Phil Trounstine CalBuzz -- 8/5/10 Whitman encounters criticism from protesters and radio show hosts -- The GOP gubernatorial candidate opens an office in East L.A. and visits the 'John and Ken' show. At both stops, her shifting stance on illegal immigration is criticized. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times -- 8/5/10 After Meg Whitman's grilling on radio, Poizner says she's "still misrepresenting my track record" -- Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman, in a brutal grilling with Southern Califonria radio hosts John and Ken Wednesday, again criticized her GOP challenger Steve Poizner for not implementing state worker furloughs, saying he should have done "what his Republican governor asked him to do to solve the budget crisis." Carla Marinucci Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 8/5/10 Whitman Commits on Prop 23--Sort Of --- The mystery of whether Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman does or does not support Proposition 23 would appear to be solved. After weeks of steadfastly refusing to take a stand one way or the other on the ballot measure to freeze the state's climate law known as AB 32, Whitman conceded on a radio broadcast that "In all likelihood I will vote 'No' on Prop 23." Craig Miller KQED Climate Watch Wyatt Buchanan in the San Francisco Chronicle John Myers Capitol Notes weblog -- 8/5/10 Campaign Notebook: Money reports detail Whitman’s record spending -- This week was money week in California, and once again we were reminded of one central fact of this govenror’s race: Meg Whitman is rich. Anthony York in Capitol Weekly -- 8/5/10 Ad buys, 56 consultants account for bulk of Whitman's spending -- By now, we all know Meg Whitman has spent enough on her gubernatorial campaign to run some small countries – $99 million and counting – while Jerry Brown, playing the pauper, has spent a little more on his entire campaign than Whitman has spent on postage (yes, really). Chase Davis California Watch -- 8/5/10 Fiorina says Kagan doesn't have her support -- Republican Senate hopeful Carly Fiorina announced Wednesday that she would not support President Barack Obama's pick for U.S. Supreme Court. Torey Van Oot in the Sacramento Bee -- 8/5/10 Oakland Mayor Dellums won't run for re-election -- Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums announced Wednesday that he would not run for re-election, marking a quiet end to a mayoral term that began with great promise but eventually led to criticism that he was often an absentee leader. Matthai Kuruvila in the San Francisco Chronicle Kristin Bender and Angela Hill in the Oakland Tribune -- 8/5/10 Alarcon, wife indicted in voter fraud -- L.A. councilman is accused of living outside his district. He and his wife plead not guilty and he says they will be exonerated. David Zahniser and Jack Leonard in the Los Angeles Times -- 8/5/10 Bill limiting debit card fees goes to Assembly -- When you use plastic to pump gas or to buy a bag of chips at a convenience store, you're likely to hear the rote question: "Credit or debit?" Choosing the debit option, however, will sometimes cost you. Marisa Lagos in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 8/5/10 Ken Richman remembered as 'champion of reform' -- Keith Richman, the former California assemblyman and San Fernando Valley secessionist who died last week, was remembered Wednesday by nearly 1,000 mourners as a down-to-earth citizen-politician whose brief public career left a long legacy. Kevin Modesti in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 8/5/10
Budget panel approves Democrats' controversial tax plan -- The legislative budget conference committee approved the Democrats' controversial tax plan today (Wednesday) on a majority vote, although some lawmakers acknowledged that the analysis is incomplete. Kevin Yamamura SacBee Capitol Alert -- 8/5/10 California to receive about $500 million less from Washington -- The U.S. Senate signaled today that it will pass legislation providing $16 billion in additional aid to states, including about $1.28 billion for California in Medicaid dollars, according to the Department of Finance Kevin Yamamura in the Sacramento Bee -- 8/5/10 The budget impasse and a broken door -- The impact of California's budget impasse boggles the mind with big numbers. Jon Ortiz in the Sacramento Bee -- 8/5/10
Lawyer who OKd lavish salaries in Bell won't be interim city attorney -- The City Council decides against appointing Edward Lee to the post and instead picks James M. Casso with the Meyers Nave firm. Ruben Vives in the Los Angeles Times -- 8/5/10 Salary, pension scandals no surprise to WatchOurCities.com -- Long before the main stream media picked up on the corruption in Southeast cities like Bell, Los Angeles County had its own watchdog snarling in the margins. Jennifer Chaussee in Capitol Weekly -- 8/5/10 La Opinión: The people will go to fund Bell -- During a heated special session of the municipal council Bell , community members gave four of the five councilors in office official notification that start collecting signatures to impeach, as dozens of residents were demanding his resignation. Pilar Marrero La Opinión -- 8/5/10 Translated by Google Translate (good, but not perfect).
Long Beach may tax recreational marijuana -- Recreational marijuana, if California voters legalize it in November, may end up being taxed in Long Beach, but medical marijuana won't. Paul Eakins in the Long Beach Press -- 8/5/10 New hotel fee sought to promote L.A. tourism -- The 1.5% assessment, supported by hoteliers, would raise an estimated $10 million to $11 million a year. Hugo Martín in the Los Angeles Times -- 8/5/10 Sales tax headed to the ballot -- A proposed half-cent increase to the city of San Diego's sales tax will appear on the Nov. 2 ballot as part of a comprehensive package that includes changes to employee pensions and city operations. Craig Gustafson in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 8/5/10 Colton preps for loss of tax -- The city will look to employee concessions, operational changes and the possibility of increased revenue to help offset next year's potential loss of about $5 million that a utility users tax extension could have produced. Michael J. Sorba in the San Bernardino Sun -- 8/5/10
Governor says state workers must share economic pain -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says his attempts to cut state workers’ pay to the minimum wage level pose “no real burden” on state employees because banks are offering loans to state workers whose pay is cut. “So, I think we all have to make certain sacrifices,” the governor said. John Howard in Capitol Weekly -- 8/5/10 Index points to fourth-quarter job growth in state --- A Chapman University center's index of leading indicators suggest an anemic uptick compared with a year earlier. Alana Semuels in the Los Angeles Times -- 8/5/10 Millionaires are showing resiliency in rebound -- A study of 10 metropolitan areas in the U.S. shows the number in Los Angeles in 2009 rose 13.3% to 235,800. That's second only to New York but below the city's prerecession level. Nathaniel Popper in the Los Angeles Times -- 8/5/10 California consumers carry massive debt loads into bankruptcy -- In these tough economic times, a map released by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts shows a grizzly amount of consumer debt owed in California, Arizona and Nevada. Agustin Armendariz California Watch -- 8/5/10
3 supes head to DC to sell Race to the Top -- To emphasize its bottom-up, district-led approach, California will send three superintendents to Washington next week to lead its five-person delegation that will make the final pitch for the state’s Race to the Top application. John Fensterwald educatedguess.org -- 8/5/10 UC Davis gives US Bank marketing access, perks in exchange for royalties -- This fall, University of California Davis students, faculty and staff will get new photo ID cards emblazoned with the US Bank logo. They can use the cards to check out books from the library and, if they choose, withdraw money at an ATM from a new US Bank checking account. Erica Perez California Watch -- 8/5/10 More Orange County Latinos than whites enroll in state-run colleges -- Latino students who graduate from public high schools in Orange County are enrolling in California's public colleges at a higher rate than their white counterparts, according to a newly released study from the Orange County Department of Education. SCOTT MARTINDALE in the Orange County Register -- 8/5/10
Dems, enviros won’t abandon legislation for Green Chemistry initiative -- Since 2007, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has cited his Green Chemistry initiative as a reason not to pursue “chemical-by-chemical” bans. Malcolm Maclachlan in Capitol Weekly -- 8/5/10 Delta water users dismiss call for steep cutbacks -- A powerful state board on Tuesday for the first time adopted criteria defining how much water must flow through the Delta to the Bay to maintain a healthy ecosystem. Mike Taugher in the San Jose Mercury -- 8/5/10 Wind Picks Up Nationally, California Lags -- Wind power generators added nearly 40% to their total capacity in the US last year, as several states blew past California, according to a new report from the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. Craig Miller KQED Climate Watch -- 8/5/10
Board looks at doctor in 2nd death -- State medical regulators have begun another investigation into the Rancho Cordova doctor who has faced two wrongful death lawsuits in the past four years, according to an attorney involved in one of the cases. Carrie Peyton Dahlberg in the Sacramento Bee -- 8/5/10 Local elder-care ombudsmen revolt, call for independent leader -- A group of a dozen elder advocates and local ombudsmen called for an independent statewide elder-care ombudsman office during a legislative hearing Tuesday, saying the political appointee has failed as an advocate for seniors. Christina Jewett California Watch -- 8/5/10
Bay Area wealthy sign up to give money away -- In a highly unusual joint statement, 40 of the nation's wealthiest individuals -- including Oracle CEO Larry Ellison and "Star Wars" filmmaker George Lucas -- said Wednesday that they will give at least half their assets to charity. Brandon Bailey in the San Jose Mercury -- 8/5/10 Google and Verizon in Talks on Web Priority -- Google and Verizon, two leading players in Internet service and content, are nearing an agreement that could allow Verizon to speed some online content to Internet users more quickly if the content’s creators are willing to pay for the privilege. EDWARD WYATT in the New York Times -- 8/5/10 California chief justice nominee brings people together -- It's difficult to find anyone with a gripe against Tani Cantil-Sakauye. Even two former boyfriends couldn't think of one negative thing to say about the woman destined to become California's next Supreme Court chief justice. Gina Kim in the Sacramento Bee -- 8/5/10
Obama exhorts unions to step up election efforts for Democrats -- President Obama on Wednesday asked labor leaders to set aside their disappointments with his administration’s progress so far and rally around Democratic Party candidates ahead of the midterm elections. Kevin Bogardus The Hill -- 8/5/10 Obama courts wealthy donors -- Four times in the last week, President Barack Obama has quietly departed from his official White House schedule and slipped into private, exclusive Democratic Party fundraisers around town, glad-handing well-heeled donors away from the eyes of the press – and contradicting his pledge to run the most transparent administration in history. MATT NEGRIN Politico -- 8/5/10 |
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