"Political mailers
bankrolled by the Latino Caucus, which linked Democratic Assembly candidate
Paul Krekorian to a terrorist and played the race card against Democratic contender
Mike Eng, are being denounced by community leaders and Caucus members who say they want to know who approved the attacks," reports Capitol Weekly.
The anti-Krekorian mailer was produced by political consultant
Sandi Polka, who has close ties to Senate President Pro Tem
Don Perata.
Assemblyman Albert Torrico said some of the responsibility for the mailer lies with Coto, the vice chairman of the Latino Caucus.
"It was part of the fund-raising effort of [San Jose Assemblyman]
Joe Coto. He's been the principal fundraiser for the Latino Caucus. I have not been involved with that," said Torrico.
There was also an anti-Krekorian campaign also included a phone call raising the terrorism charges. You can
listen to the phone call here.
Despite Article 12, Section 4(c) of the state constitution, which requires that the budget bill be passed by the Legislature by midnight tonight, hopes of meeting the requirement for the first time since 1986
were dashed over a partisan showdown.
The LAT's Evan Halper reports "The Legislature is expected to once again blow its deadline for passing a state budget today as Republican lawmakers vow to block any spending plan that expands state-funded healthcare for children in the U.S. illegally."
"'
It is reprehensible to offer services to individuals who come to California illegally' when there are legal residents who don't have health insurance, Senate Budget Committee Vice Chairman
Dennis Hollingsworth (R-Murrieta) said after the joint legislative committee approved the plan over the weekend. 'This proposal will continue to exacerbate the illegal immigration problem.'"
Assembly Republican leader
George Plescia stated Wednesday that his caucus was concerned with the method by which Democrats plan to pay down the state's debt. However,
Fabian Nuñez blasted Republicans for stalling the plan.
"'They're looking for something not to like in the budget,' Nuñez said. 'So we're going to use the immigration issue, which is a hot topic of debate in a political year, to wave the flag of 'This is for the illegals.' And maybe it helps you during the campaign.'"
"'
As a consequence, we're not going to have a budget on Thursday,' he said."
The Bee's Daniel Weintraub looks at the
areas of dispute in the spending plan. "Whether they do it on time or in a few days, however, it's clear that the two parties in the Legislature and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger agree on the broad parameters of what state spending should look like next year."
"Still in dispute is about $1 billion in spending -- or about 1 percent of a $101 billion general fund budget."
"Democrats want to spend more than the governor has proposed on foster care and higher education, public transportation, grants to the aged and disabled, children's health care and state park maintenance."
Meanwhile, now that the primary battle is behind him,
Phil Angelides is
moving to the center for the general, writes Michael Finnegan in the Times.
"Trying to reach beyond his liberal base, Angelides argued in a television ad released Wednesday that Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger had burdened taxpayers with too much debt. He also vowed to balance the state's books and 'put a stop to tax hikes on middle-class families,' taking a swipe at Schwarzenegger for increases in college tuition and fees."
"'Angelides has got to claim back some of that middle territory that Schwarzenegger's been trying to get his hands on,' said
Samuel Popkin, a UC San Diego political science professor."
Angelides is running a
new campaign ad, which responds to a Schwarzenegger ad that claims that Angelides would take the state backward.
Stephen Harmon gets the
response to the ad for the Merc News. "The statewide $1 million ad buy -- which was to begin airing Wednesday for seven or eight days -- ensures that Schwarzenegger's opening salvo doesn't go unanswered, said
Jason Kinney, a Democratic strategist."
"'
It's not a show-stopper, but it keeps the governor from owning the airwaves and defining Phil to the full general electorate before Phil could define himself,' Kinney said. 'The governor was hoping to get Phil while Phil was recovering from a bruising primary.'"
"Another Democratic strategist said the quick response showed Angelides is not going to get 'pushed around' by Schwarzenegger."
"'
If you're able to put $1 million into early TV for this kind of aggressive push-back,' said
Darry Sragow, who worked with Schwarzenegger and Controller
Steve Westly on the 2004 bonds and balanced budget initiatives, 'then, that's a good sign.'"
"'If the centerpiece of our campaign was $10 billion in new taxes,'
Matt David said, '
I'd do anything I could to change the subject, too.'"
The
pro-Angelides independent expenditure committee is also staying in gear, reports CW's Malcolm Maclachlan. "Angelides' longtime business partner and political benefactor Angelo Tsakopoulos set up Californians for a Better Government in April with $5 million from himself, daughter Eleni Tsakopoulos-Kounalakis, and their company, Sacramento-based AKT Development. They have since upped that total to $8.7 million.
Other groups and individuals--all of whom have also given to Angelides campaign--have added almost another $1.3 million. This includes groups like the California Teachers Association (CTA) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), as well as individuals like developer Michael D. Ray and attorney Joseph Cotchett."
Meanwhile, CW's Chane Goldmacher reports
a pair of familiar faces have been hired to advocate for the cable industry.
California's cable companies have turned to two termed-out legislative lions, former Senate leader
John Burton and former Appropriations Committee chairwoman Sen.
Dede Alpert, to push their agenda as the Senate considers legislation that would transform the state's cable industry.
But the hiring of two former lawmakers that are non-registered lobbyists to, in essence, lobby the Legislature
has raised the question of where policy discussion ends and lobbying begins."
"Lawmakers on Wednesday
rejected one of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's appointees to the state parole board, adding to the controversy surrounding the panel that decides when California's most serious offenders are rehabilitated and should go free," writes Jenifer Warren in the Times.
"After a string of witnesses questioned
Terry Farmer's performance as a parole commissioner — and, previously, as chief counsel for the board — the Senate Rules Committee voted 3 to 1 against his confirmation."
"Republican Sen.
Roy Ashburn of Bakersfield joined Democrats
Don Perata of Oakland and
Gil Cedillo of Los Angeles in rejecting the nominee. Sen.
Jim Battin (R-La Quinta) voted for him."
From our
Keep on Digging Files, "
Enrique Mora was convinced that his neatly trimmed lawn in a Montclair cul-de-sac topped a modern-day mother lode — so two weeks ago, he
started digging for gold."
"And digging and digging and digging, until the
60-foot shaft so alarmed neighbors that someone alerted the city Fire Department, which shut him down this week."
"Mora's flirtation with residential treasure began about a month ago, when he celebrated his retirement from a company that retrains injured workers by dropping nearly $600 on a metal detector."
"As a test, Mora, 63, swept his frontyard.
The detector went bonkers, he said. This was a conundrum: ignore the beeping or tear up the lawn?"
"'It was like the next shovel would reveal gold and [Mora] got carried away,' said Deputy Fire Chief
Troy Ament."