Despite
spending $2 million to gather sufficient signatures for a measure to raise property taxes on commercial and industrial property, the California Teachers Association abruptly
dropped the measure yesterday. Instead, the union said it was going to work with business groups on education finance. "'We've agreed that we're going to talk about adequate and equitable funding for our schools, and we have agreed to work together to make that happen,' [
Barbara] Kerr said, flanked by representatives of the California Business Properties Association and the California Manufacturers and Technology Association, two ardent opponents of the proposed measure."
Dan Walters said that the accord was of mutual necessity, and
explores the reasons CTA may have dropped the measure.
The question, in essence, is whether this is part of
a larger detente CTA and the Chamber (and therefore labor and big business, and therefore Democrats and the governor). Is this the beginning of a larger compromise to come that may eventually include the governor's Live Within Our Means Act, and effect the special election? ABC spokeswoman
Robin Swanson told us yesterday that this deal had nothing to do with the special election, but, she added,
"nothing takes place in a vacuum."The Schwarzenegger administration
softened its position on confidential e-mails related to a legislative inquiry into allegations that the California National Guard secretly monitored protestors.
"
Margita Thompson, Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger's press secretary, said lawyers for the National Guard would negotiate on a case-by-case basis with Sen.
Joe Dunn, D-Garden Grove, who is leading a probe into the alleged spying, to determine which documents and e-mails would be released."
Is
the governor hard-up for publicity? That's the suggestion made by Vic Pollard as the guv sends some of his top lieutenants to Bakersfield. "Amid the first signs of possible trouble in raising money for his special election campaign, Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is
sending top administration officials out looking for free media -- beginning with a stop in Bakersfield next Tuesday."
It is a bit odd that the governor's campaign spokesman,
Todd Harris is commenting on a trip by the Director of Finance to Bakersfield. Then again, it's also odd that the chief of staff and legislative secretary were both paid from the campaign payroll, so what do we know?
Continuing the week of strange caricatures, the Economist
checks up on the governor. "And who will win the war? Since most of California has yet to wake up to the coming election, today's opinion polls need to be taken with a large pinch of salt.
Keep in mind, too, that the governor is a proven salesman (how else did Conan the Barbarian make his millions?) and that no one has yet made money betting against him. But he has a lot of work to do."
Antonio Villaraigosa is using his new stage to
try to reduce truancy at L.A. Unified. "On average, more than 48,000 of the district's 742,000 students do not attend school each day, according to district figures. Their absence takes more than an academic toll; school funding in the state is based largely on attendance rates. An absent student costs L.A. Unified about $27 each day."
Yes, that's nearly
$1.3 million per day that L.A. Unified doesn't get from the state because kids aren't going to school.
Speaking of Los Angeles kids getting back on the right track, "[c]onvicted murderer
Stanley 'Tookie' Williams has
received an award for his good deeds on death row, complete with a letter from President Bush praising the notorious gang founder for demonstrating 'the outstanding character of America.'"
"The President's Call to Service Award arrived as Williams, 53, continues to fight his conviction. His case is now being reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court on grounds that racial bias may have influenced jury selection."
DMV Entrepreneurs: "Eight people, including four state Department of Motor Vehicles employees, have been
charged with scheming to provide California driver's licenses and identification cards to more than 200 illegal immigrants in exchange for bribes, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced Thursday."
DMV spokesman
Steve "Haskin said it appears that the brokers initially contacted the employees and 'dangled bribes in front of them.' While the non-U.S. residents paid hundreds and, in some cases, thousands of dollars for the documents, some of the DMV workers allegedly received as little as $100 per transaction, any of which could bring them dozens of years behind bars if convicted."
"'
They weren't very good business people,' Haskins said."
On that note, the Roundup will take its summer recess next week, as we get ready for the triumphant return of the Legislature on August 15. In the meantime, check out how you can support The Roundup
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Tim Foster at 916.444.7665