Backed against the deadline to vote on a budget, legislative Democrats are set to propose a budget nearly $750 million over the amount supported by Governor Brown. Chris Megerian, LAT:
“Democratic lawmakers built their budget plan on revenue estimates from nonpartisan legislative analysts that are higher than projections from the Brown administration. Although the governor has allowed some additional spending in previous years, he has always insisted on using his lower revenue targets, even as tax receipts outpace his numbers.
"’It's a dialogue,’ Atkins said. ‘We have to make our case.’
Republicans call the ploy a “risky move.”
And, there’s more than money under negotiation: Brown has proposed consolidating some water agencies as part of the Budget. Jim Miller, Sacramento Bee:
“The Brown administration is pushing late-emerging budget legislation to let state officials force the consolidation of troubled water systems with larger, better-funded agencies, with the goal of improving Californians’ access to safe drinking water after four years of drought.
“Proponents say the measure would help people around the state, many of them poor, who depend on small agencies that have little wherewithal to deal with water shortages and quality problems. The measure could go before the Legislature as early as this week…
“The proposal, though, has generated intense opposition from water agencies and local government groups. Larger water agencies fear absorbing the expenses and liability of other systems, even as their existing customers face tough state-imposed conservation measures. Smaller agencies, some of which have their own governing boards, criticize the loss of local control."
And speaking of water, Adam Nagourney of the New York Times profiles State Water Resources Control Board head Felicia Marcus:
“When Gov. Jerry Brown chose Ms. Marcus to run this powerful if relatively little known board 27 months ago, it seemed a wonky niche of a job, albeit an important assignment for someone whose career has gone from the East Asian studies program at Harvard University to public interest law to working as a regional administrator at the Environmental Protection Agency, appointed by President Bill Clinton. She envisioned herself dealing with problems like drafting a water quality plan for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary.
“That was then. Three months after Mr. Brown ordered a 25 percent statewide reduction in urban water use, Ms. Marcus, 59, has become the face of California’s crackdown on water abusers. She is a drought celebrity — running the board that is setting the rules for homeowners, municipal water districts, farmers, golf courses and people who just want to know whether it is O.K. to water their roses or top off their pool.”
Meanwhile, LAT columnist George Skelton chides the Governor for advising Californians to evolve on their water use habits while refusing to change himself.
“[About] all we've heard from the governor regarding adaptation to less water use are lectures to cut back on lawn sprinkling, taking shorter showers and not flushing as much.
“If we stopped all that completely, it would save less than 10% of our developed water. And we'd be pretty cranky.
“Agriculture accounts for 80% of human water use in California while generating only 2% of the economy. If we really must adapt or perish, why isn't Brown seriously considering regulating which thirsty crops can be grown and where?”
Sacramento Bee columnist Dan Morain looks ahead at the impending Supreme Court decision that could upend California’s Redistricting Commission and chats with the commission’s biggest backer, Charles Munger Jr.
“As soon as Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court will issue a decision that, if it turns out as Munger fears, could lead to the demise of his creation, a voter-approved independent commission that draws district lines for California’s 53 members of Congress.
“No one who wants reasonably fair and honest politics should wish for that unhappy outcome. But Munger is preparing for the worst, and that includes making clear to politicians he will spend whatever he must to protect his baby.
“’I’m not going to take any prisoners. I’m not going to be gentle about it,’ Munger said.”
Labor, meanwhile, is pondering how stern to be with Democrats who have bucked it to back President Obama on trade. Cathleen Decker, Los Angeles Times:
"’It's disappointing that we had a few members vote in a way that we would say was against the interests of working people in California,’ said Steve Smith of the state labor federation. ‘And this is something we're going to remember.’
“Retaliation is always difficult to game out, but in California it would come with a twist: The members labor is angriest at are Democrats who barely won their seats against strong Republican challenges. Damaging a candidate who disagreed on one issue — even a big one — runs a real risk of turning a seat over to a party labor disagrees with almost all the time.”
Sticker shock: private electricity companies charge a lot more than public utilities. Jeff McDonald in the Los Angeles Times:
“In Sacramento, a family using 500 kilowatt hours of electricity last October was charged $58. Customers in Los Angeles, also served by a public utility district, paid $79.
“Pacific Gas & Electric charged $93 for the same amount of power. Southern California Edison billed customers $97. And San Diego Gas & Electric topped the Southern California Public Power Authority survey at $116 for 500 kilowatt hours.”
If you’ve got a few minutes, be sure to check out this epic read on San Bernardino from Joe Mozingo, accompanied by photos by Francine Orr. Great stuff.
And remember that ugly battle for San Diego ‘s 52nd Congressional District? The story is finally coming to an end, with a former staffer for GOP candidate Carl DeMaio pleading guilty to a felony charge of obstruction of justice. Tony Perry, Los Angeles Times:
“[The] final weeks of the campaign focused to a large degree on allegations made by a former DeMaio staff member that the candidate sexually harassed him. DeMaio's campaign seemingly never recovered, and he later blamed his defeat on the charges.
“On Friday, the ex-staffer admitted in federal court that he lied when he claimed to have gotten an anonymous email threatening that he would never work again in politics if he revealed that he had been sexually harassed by DeMaio.
“Todd Bosnich, 29, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of obstruction of justice by lying to the FBI about the email.”
Speaking of trials, here’s a story about a Vermont man’s novel idea to get out of jury duty: show up wearing prison garb.
“James Lowe of Barnet says he was released from jury duty Tuesday when he showed up wearing black and white striped prison wear with a matching beanie on his head.
“The Caledonian Record reports he showed up on time and joined other prospective jurors prior to the start of the selection process. Deputies directed him to an empty first-floor courtroom to meet with the judge, who told him to leave.
“Lowe says the juror instructions do not restrict clothing, but that he’s happy to be released due to his work schedule and family obligations. He returned to work and the court did not try to contact him.”