The Merc News reports "The Schwarzenegger administration and California National Guard are
refusing to make public a series of 20 e-mails between two of the governor's spokesmen and a Guard official regarding a Mercury News story in June that revealed the existence of an intelligence-gathering unit.
"'Given the evasive position that the governor's office has taken, it raises one critical question: 'Governor, what are you hiding?' [Senator
Joe] Dunn said. 'Knowing that invoking executive privilege is a very serious consideration and that the governor could take a big political hit for this, I have to believe there is something more in play here."
What ever happened to innocent until proven guilty?
The governor
returned a $50,000 contribution yesterday "after learning from a reporter that it came from a company trying to build a tribal casino in Yuba County."
"When the check from
Yuba County Entertainment LLC arrived about 10 days ago, officials were not aware the casino was part of the company's proposed hotel and entertainment complex,
Marty Wilson, the governor's chief fundraiser, said Wednesday."
It's unclear whether the reporter used ElectionTrack to
spot the contribution, but we're happy to tell you that our partner site now has
cash on hand amounts through June 30 for all of the committees that are currently monitored.
The governor will bring his fundraising blitz to Sacramento later this month at an
August 18 fundraising dinner at the Sutter Club. For the
low, low price of $100,000, you too can have two seats at the party's head table and get
three photos with the guv himself!If you thought the governor's political props were cheesy, check out the
cheese sculpture of the governor by cheese sculptor
Sarah Nep. A legislative counsel opinion obtained by the Roundup found that if legislators eat the cheese sculpture, they can cancel this fall's special election.
The Bee's John Hill reports that the Department of General services found
eight or nine cases of conflicts of interest in its review of its employees involved in contract approval. The investigation was initiated after
Gregory Dills, the son of former state senator
Ralph Dills participated in the awarding of a contract for CHP motorcycles to a dealership. Dills did some work for the dealership as a disk jockey.
The Sacramento News and Review's Jeffrey Barker provides a good read on the
history of the Big Five, if you can get through the five very disturbing caricatures that accompany the article.
"'The conference committee basically stopped making tough decisions. You know, why make the tough decisions when you can pass the buck?' [former state senator and Big 5 member
Jim] Brulte said."
Speaking of stopped, the Roundup will take its summer recess next week, as we get ready for the triumphant return of the Legislature on August 15.