|
 |
 |
|||
 |
 |
|
|||
Schwarzenegger will pass on Calif. GOP convention -- The Republican governor told reporters Tuesday he would not be attending the three-day convention in Santa Clara because he "can't be in two places at the same time." Schwarzenegger declined to say where he would be. AP -- 3/9/10 Schwarzenegger: Lawmakers must cut more spending -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Tuesday that he vetoed the largest piece of legislation in a package of budget bills because it did not take immediate steps to cut spending. CATHY BUSSEWITZ AP -- 3/9/10 Free Meg Whitman: Media pushes back when Meg avoids questions again (VIDEO) -- Press shy GOP gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman found herself challenged by reporters today after she announced an "open press" stop in Oakland, then refused to take questions from the press -- which was also barred from covering her tour of the port's Union Pacific facility. Carla Marinucci Chronicle Politics Weblog Josh Richman in the Oakland Tribune -- 3/9/10 Whitman defines herself as the un-Schwarzenegger -- Former eBay chief Meg Whitman's campaign for governor of California has a familiar ring to it: She's an outsider from the business world who promises to sweep the Capitol clean of politics-as-usual and deliver fiscal common sense. JULIET WILLIAMS AP -- 3/9/10 PG&E's price tag for Prop.16 could reach $35 million -- Fueled entirely by $15.5 million of its own money, and with another $10 million to $20 million on tap, Pacific Gas and Electric Corp.’s effort to limit the creation of local electricity districts without the approval of two-thirds of local voters is picking up steam – including a $9 million check in one day. John Howard in Capitol Weekly -- 3/9/10 Panel to consider an additional 10% pay cut for lawmakers -- Just months after California lawmakers had their pay and benefits cut 18%, the head of a state panel that sets salaries proposed Tuesday that elected officials lose an additional 10% in response to the state’s continuing economic crisis. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times Steve Wiegand SacBee Capitol Alert -- 3/9/10 Millions for Nonexistent Higher Education Enrollment Growth -- The University of California and the California State University system would receive $112 million in Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposed budget for the state fiscal year beginning July 1 to pay for increased enrollment even though UC, CSU – and the governor’s own spending plan – shows enrollment will decline next year. Greg Lucas California's capitol weblog -- 3/9/10 U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights targets L.A. Unified for investigation -- The federal government has targeted the Los Angeles Unified School District for its first major investigation under a reinvigorated Office for Civil Rights, The Times has learned. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/9/10 Arnold Schwarzenegger defends job impacts of AB 32 -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger defended the state's greenhouse gas reduction law today, dismissing a Legislative Analyst's conclusion that determined the measure would cost the state jobs in the near term. Steve Wiegand SacBee Capitol Alert -- 3/9/10 Is Roy Ashburn more extreme on gay rights than Bakersfield? -- Shortly after Ashburn assigned to himself his own identification as a homosexual person, some critics quickly pointed out that he had in fact not always voted the wishes of his district. Charles Moran, the national spokesperson for the Log Cabin Republicans, noted that Ashburn had crossed party lines to approve a state budget that included tax increases. Robert Salladay California Watch -- 3/9/10 Conservative activist calls for Roy Ashburn to resign -- Randy Thommason, president of SaveCalifornia.com, is calling on the Bakersfield senator to resign, declaring in a press release that: "His lying, cheating ways have boiled over and the public's trust has been shattered." Susan Ferriss SacBee Capitol Alert -- 3/9/10 Schwarzenegger puts stop to destruction of sex offender files -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today ordered state corrections officials to stop destroying the parole files of sex offenders and to move to make public as much of their contents as possible. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee -- 3/9/10 Southern California water company official appointed to new Delta water agency -- A member of the board of directors of Southern California's largest water wholesaler is the first person appointed to a new agency in charge of the Delta ecosystem and water. Gloria Gray, a former hospital administrator and school board member, was appointed last week to a four-year term by outgoing Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, D-Los Angeles. Mike Taugher in the Contra Costa Times -- 3/9/10 And Now, Congress. Maybe. -- In a fall election that's looking like a monumental case of information overload, it appears voters will be asked to revisit the issue of independent political redistricting — as backers of an initiative to add congressional districts to the list say they've collected more than enough signatures for a spot on the November ballot. John Myers Capitol Notes weblog Marisa Lagos Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 3/9/10 Ballot Watch: Bass cuts another check for Prop 11 repeal -- Former Assembly Speaker and U.S. House hopeful Karen Bass has chipped another $30,000 into an effort to eliminate the Citizens Redistricting Commission established under Proposition 11. Torey Van Oot SacBee Capitol Alert -- 3/9/10 Poizner releases excerpt from upcoming memoir, 'Mt. Pleasant' -- Judging from the chapter of Poizner's book, which is now available online, "Mt. Pleasant" is one part self-righteous multimillionaire looking for a purpose, one part humbling of aforementioned multimillionaire, and of course, one part screed against the state's public education system. Capitol Weekly's Anthony York in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/9/10 Steve Poizner wins endorsement of Rep. Dana Rohrabacher -- Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Poizner made more progress today scoring the support of his party's conservative wing by winning the endorsement of U.S. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Huntington Beach, according to a news release from the Poizner campaign. Jack Chang SacBee Capitol Alert -- 3/9/10 State's policy on parole notes being reviewed -- Three years of field notes from parole agents supervising John Albert Gardner III after his release from prison on a 2000 molestation conviction were destroyed under a state policy that is being reviewed as he faces charges of raping and murdering Chelsea King. Michael Gardner in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 3/9/10 State lawmaker calls for changes to sex offender laws -- Just weeks after the murder of San Diego County teenager Chelsea King, allegedly by a convicted sex offender, Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher announced a top-to-bottom review of state laws governing sexually violent predators. Marisa Lagos Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 3/9/10 Saunders: Day of Action evinces disdain for education -- The biggest problem with last week's March 4 Day of Action to Defend Education, which was organized to protests cuts in California's education spending: The event showed how little educators and students value education. Debra J. Saunders in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/9/10 Shaw: Education Activists Need Strategy Beyond Marches -- Now this budding movement must go from highlighting the problem to solving it. And with California’s economy still in the dumps and the 2/3 vote requirement still in effect, this will not be easy. Randy Shaw Cal Progress Report -- 3/9/10 Eastman for AG gets anti-same-sex-marriage $$$ -- In what seems to be its only California campaign contribution so far in the 2009-10 election cycle, the National Organization for Marriage – a Virginia-based organization that helped support and bankroll Proposition 8 of 2008, the constitutional ban on same-sex marriage – last week gave $5,000 to John Eastman’s campaign for state Attorney General. Josh Richman Political Blotter weblog -- 3/9/10 Governor picks Leonard for administration job -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has appointed longtime Inland lawmaker Bill Leonard as secretary of the State and Consumer Services Agency. Jim Miller in the Riverside Press -- 3/9/10 Feinstein questions fire prevention funding cuts -- Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., this morning raised concerns about an Obama administration proposal to reduce funding for fire prevention efforts on some federal lands by $42.6 million over the coming fiscal year. Ben Goad in the Riverside Press -- 3/9/10 RNC to launch ad on House Dems’ ethics -- The Republican National Committee will start airing an ad tomorrow regarding House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s pledge to run the “most open and ethical Congress in history:” Josh Richman Political Blotter weblog Mark Preston CNN -- 3/9/10 Borenstein: Huge overtime for Concord police union chief -- During the past two years, no one in the Concord Police Department collected more overtime than Ron Bruckert, the president of the police officers association, who took home an extra $101,120. Daniel Borenstein in the Contra Costa Times -- 3/9/10
Letter on Muslim radical roils GOP Senate race -- Terrorism and the Middle East are continuing to roil the Republican Senate contest after a letter written by former congressman Tom Campbell emerged that appeared to contradict statements Campbell and his aides had made about his dealings with a radical Muslim professor. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/9/10 Whitman foes launch site to gather intelligence on her -- A group of Democrats seeking to derail Meg Whitman's candidacy for governor has created an Internet site where people can dish dirt on the former EBay chief – as long as it is factual and well-sourced, the creators say. Michael Rothfeld in the Los Angeles Times Denis C. Theriault in the San Jose Mercury -- 3/9/10 GOP governor candidates to debate in Costa Mesa -- Republican gubernatorial candidates Meg Whitman and Steve Poizner will face off in their first debate on Monday, March 15, at the Samueli Theater at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa. Martin Wisckol in the Orange County Register -- 3/9/10 Challenge could alter primary vote measure -- Saying a June ballot measure that would change how California's primary elections are held won't deliver on its reform promises, opponents are trying to change it -- and they appear to have allies in lawmakers who helped put it on the ballot. Evan Halper in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/9/10 Poiz scores more conservative love despite Whitman's "aggressive" courting of conservatives, hard-right turn -- California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner is smiling as he holds the weekend endorsement of the California Republican Assembly -- for those who don't follow this level of minutiae, call them the state's conservative cousins. And he's about to announce the endorsement Tuesday of conservative SoCal Rep. Dana Rohrabacher. Joe Garofoli Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 3/9/10 Poizner says he’s a ‘true conservative’ -- State Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner yesterday explained his shift on two key issues as he positions himself as the “true conservative” in the campaign for the Republican nomination for governor. John Marelius in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 3/9/10 9th Circuit candidate's career marked by rapid ascent, wide-ranging roles -- Berkeley professor Goodwin Liu, son of immigrants, would be youngest judge on the appeals court. He clerked for Ruth Bader Ginsburg and worked in government offices during the Clinton administration. Carol J. Williams in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/9/10 Budget veto: Schwarzenegger rejects bill seeking $2.2 billion in cuts -- Rejecting a key piece of last month's push to trim California's deficit, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger late Monday vetoed a bill that called for more than $2 billion in spending reductions starting this summer. Denis C. Theriault in the San Jose Mercury Michael Rothfeld in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/9/10 Automatic 'yes' votes allow time for back-room dealing at City Hall -- Thanks to voting software, City Council members can hold meetings, give interviews, even grab a smoke while deciding the day's issues. David Zahniser and Maeve Reston in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/9/10 Legislators OK exemptions to furloughs for state workers -- Gov. Schwarzenegger is expected to veto measure that affects employees paid with federal funds or license and usage fees. Jack Dolan in the Los Angeles Times Jon Ortiz in the Sacramento Bee -- 3/9/10 State should restart offshore oil drilling, analyst says -- The state's nonpartisan budget analyst says the state should resume oil drilling off the coast of California. Capitol Weekly's Anthony York in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/9/10 Legislative analyst: California greenhouse gas law could cost some jobs -- The Legislature's nonpartisan analyst says California's landmark greenhouse gas reduction law could cost jobs in the near term, while its long-term impact is uncertain. Steve Wiegand in the Sacramento Bee -- 3/9/10 Torrico leads in tribal casino campaign money -- Attorney General candidate and Assembly Majority Leader Alberto Torrico, D-Newark, has received the most in this election cycle of any candidate – $74,124.82 – in either of these races, by far. Next-closest in either race is Democratic gubernatorial candidate and current state Attorney General Jerry Brown, who got $47,000; next closest in the AG’s race is Assemblyman Ted Lieu, D-Torrance, who got $36,400. Josh Richman Political Blotter weblog -- 3/9/10 Brushing and flossing in SD37 -- Recent campaign-finance reports suggest that the California Dental Association is taking a two-is-better-than-one approach when it comes to trying to influence the outcome in Riverside County's 37th Senate District special election April 13. Jim Miller in the Riverside Press -- 3/9/10 Sacramento County keeps campaign finance reporting murky -- Want to know who has been funding Roger Dickinson's campaign for state Assembly? No problem. Check out the secretary of state's Web site and scroll through his list of donors. You can even sort by ZIP code or occupation. Want to know who funded Dickinson's campaigns for Sacramento County supervisor? Good luck. Robert Lewis in the Sacramento Bee -- 3/9/10 GOP state senator comes out of closet in aftermath of drunk driving arrest -- Sen. Roy Ashburn has been on personal leave since his arrest early Wednesday morning in his state car not far from the Capitol. The arrest touched off rampant speculation about his sexuality after a Sacramento television station reported he had been at a gay nightclub in Sacramento just before he was pulled over by California Highway Patrol officers. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times Torey Van Oot SacBee Capitol Alert Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times Robin Hindery AP E.J. Schultz in the Fresno Bee Susan Ferriss in the Sacramento Bee CHRISTINE BEDELL and GRETCHEN WENNER in the Bakersfield Californian Wyatt Buchanan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/9/10 Walters: Coming out of the closet is best for all -- When Art Agnos was representing San Francisco in the state Assembly during the 1980s (he later became mayor), he would annually introduce legislation to end anti-gay discrimination, but never gained enactment. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 3/9/10 CalBuzz: Guest POV: Arnold Is the Elephant in the Room -- With all the hype about the California governor’s race, and insider jabber from outfits like Calbuzz, the media is paying insufficient attention to Governor Schwarzenegger’s final months in office. Susan Rose CalBuzz -- 3/9/10
Deals raised CalSTRS pensions, cut state costs -- In exchange for boosting CalSTRS payments to retirees, the state has saved money by cutting its annual contribution to the pension fund with two different legislative deals during the last dozen years. Ed Mendel Calpensions.com -- 3/9/10 California legislators vote to extend tax relief for home short sales -- Legislation to prevent the state from taxing forgiven mortgage debt cleared the state Assembly early Monday, offering potential tax relief to thousands of Californians who lost their homes in 2009. Jim Wasserman in the Sacramento Bee -- 3/9/10 Lazarus: Citi to taxpayers: Thanks for the bailout, now pay up -- The banking giant is showing its appreciation for a $45-billion infusion from the U.S. by slapping a $60 annual fee on many credit cards. David Lazarus in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/9/10 Napa wineries fall under foreclosure crush -- As many as 10 wineries and vineyards in Napa, where the most expensive U.S. wines are produced, will change hands in distressed sales or foreclosures this year and next, up from none in 2008, according to Silicon Valley Bank. Dan Levy Bloomberg -- 3/9/10 Local firms planning to add workers -- For the first time in six months, more local companies say they plan to hire than to fire employees in the coming quarter, according to a private survey released today. Stephanie Hoops in the Ventura Star -- 3/9/10 Venture-Capital Firms Caught in a Shakeout -- The technology bubble popped a decade ago, but the venture-capital industry that helped finance the boom stayed largely intact. Now venture-capital firms are going through their own brutal culling. PUI-WING TAM in the Wall Street Journal -- 3/9/10
State releases list of 'worst' schools -- A new list of California’s lowest-performing schools includes 39 from Los Angeles County, and a few surprises are among them. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/9/10 Sacramento-area schools fared well; 3 on low-performing list -- Three schools made the roster, a big improvement over places such as San Joaquin County with nine, San Francisco County with eight and Los Angeles with 35 on the list. Diana Lambert in the Sacramento Bee -- 3/9/10 Fensterwald: Imperfect list of ‘worst’ schools -- State education officials are still tinkering with the list of 188 of the “worst” schools two days before the State Board of Education is required to approve it. John Fensterwald educatedguess.org -- 3/9/10
Another water project could divide the state -- San Joaquin Valley farmers hope for $3.3-billion dam and reservoir at Temperance Flat, but they need help paying for it. Bettina Boxall in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/9/10 Los Angeles is expected to announce it's dropping Green Path North power line through the desert -- Open-space preservationists are staging celebrations in Oak Glen and Yucca Valley this week to mark assurances by the city of Los Angeles that it is withdrawing its application to construct electrical transmission lines across desert and scenic hilltops. JANET ZIMMERMAN in the Riverside Press -- 3/9/10
Hospital Foreclosure? -- Prime Healthcare Services Inc. today is expected to move toward foreclosure against Parkview Community Hospital Medical Center which has been trying for months to secure a loan to pay off its debt. LORA HINES in the Riverside Press -- 3/9/10 Jerry Brown's office backs off on elder abuse prosecutions -- But a release issued yesterday about the money recovered by his office’s Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse Unit made no mention of another trend in that unit: It has backed off on filing elder abuse cases. Christina Jewett California Watch -- 3/9/10
Kidnapped, smuggled and worse -- A Mexican mother wanted only a better life for her daughter, 4, but the trip north took a terrible turn. Anna Gorman in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/9/10 Nearly 300 illegal immigrants arrested in San Diego, Calexico -- Nearly 300 illegal immigrants, some with criminal records, were arrested during the weekend attempting to enter the United States from Mexico in the San Diego and Imperial Valley areas, authorities said Monday. Robert J. Lopez in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/9/10
Early releases of inmates from L.A. County jail now top 340 -- More than 343 inmates have received early releases from the L.A. County jail system in the last six days, officials said Monday, up from about 200 reported last week. Andrew Blankstein in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/9/10 Momentum for Armenian genocide measure is fading -- Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the resolution’s main sponsor, won’t insist on a vote until he’s certain he has enough support for it to pass, an aide said Monday. There are no plans to bring the measure to the House floor anytime soon, a Democratic leadership aide said Monday. Kevin Bogardus The Hill -- 3/9/1 Rape, sexual assaults of juvenile inmates lower in California -- Compared to the rest of the nation, California ranks relatively low in the number of sexual assaults among its juvenile wards, according to a first-ever national report on the problem. Robert Salladay California Watch -- 3/9/10 |
