"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
declared Thursday he will not raise taxes if re-elected as governor, establishing a fundamental contrast in his November race against Democrat Phil Angelides, who wants to boost taxes on the state's highest earners and corporations to balance the budget," reports Kevin Yamamura in the Bee.
"In an hourlong interview with The Bee editorial board, Schwarzenegger did not promise to balance the budget but said he would "chip away" at the state's structural spending gap by controlling costs and expanding California's economy."
"He said new taxes are not an option."
"'I totally rule it out,' Schwarzenegger said. '
I will not raise taxes.'"
"State Treasurer Phil Angelides on Thursday said California's sprawling prison system was suffering a 'meltdown' and
vowed to declare a state of emergency for corrections if he was elected governor in November," report Gary Polakovic and Jenifer Warren in the Times.
"Accusing Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of standing by as overcrowding, inmate healthcare and other problems in the state's 33 adult prisons worsened, the Democratic nominee released a plan that he said would rescue the $8.2-billion system from the brink of collapse."
"'Our prisons are powder kegs putting our communities and the public safety at risk,' Angelides said at a news conference at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank. '
It's a crisis of competence, a crisis of safety.'"
The Schwarzenegger campaign responded by calling Phil a copy cat.
"'Phil Angelides' reform rhetoric is yet another desperate 'me-too-ism' from his campaign,' spokesman
Matt David said. 'It seems each time Gov. Schwarzenegger works with the Legislature to move California forward, Angelides offers empty partisan echoes.'"
The Chron's James Sterngold writes "
Joan Petersilia, a prison expert and professor at UC Irvine, said that it was disappointing that neither Angelides nor Schwarzenegger were focusing on what she said was the
most important issue in reducing the overpopulation -- parole reform."
"She said that there are probably 20,000 nonviolent offenders in prison at any one time just for technical parole violations and that these people should be diverted to treatment or rehabilitation programs instead."
"'The truth is, it's only words if you can't reduce the population, and you can't get the population down until you get some of the nonviolent offenders, the parole violators, out,' Petersilia said."
Two reports released by the Dept. of Homeland Security Thursday have
not quelled concerns about the state tracking the activities of anti-war protestors, reports the Times' Peter Nicholas. "State intelligence reports released Thursday by the Schwarzenegger administration include material suggesting that the governor's anti-terrorism operation was interested in the actions of the Minuteman volunteer border patrol group.
The reports also include a cryptic reference to "
suspicious conversations at a mosque" in San Diego.
State officials released more than 80 intelligence reports prepared for the state Office of Homeland Security, in response to The Times' disclosure that two reports carried information about domestic political protests ranging from antiwar gatherings to protect-the-seals rallies."
Kate Folmar reports in the Merc News "For some extra fundraising glitz, the governor
will appear at a soiree later this month with former President George H.W. Bush, where a platinum sponsorship will run $100,000."
Having him
throw up in your lap is extra.
"Today, Angelides will rely on some star power of his own by attending a San Francisco fundraising breakfast with U.S. Sen.
Hillary Clinton, a likely 2008 presidential candidate. And aides say she won't be the last brand-name Democrat to help Angelides."
The LAT's John Balzar spends time with
Gray Davis, who is
rested, relaxed and human.
"'Whenever Arnold sees me,' he says, 'he asks how come I look so good. I tell him it's because he's got the responsibility.'"
Arnold's got something else now--a motorcycle license. The NYT's Mireya Navarro reports "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California has
finally gotten a motorcycle license after riding his Harley-Davidsons for years in movies and off without one."
"A spokeswoman for the governor,
Margita Thompson, said he passed both a written and a riding test and got the required permit on Monday, nearly six months after he crashed one of his Harleys into an S.U.V. pulling out of a driveway while riding near his Los Angeles home with his 12-year-old son in a sidecar."
"The governor, who needed 15 stitches on his upper lip, said at the time that he had not bothered to get the proper license because he had 'never thought about it.'"
Looking for
a 56,000 square foot house? We may have just the place for you. "Despite denials by those involved, speculation persists that
Candy Spelling, the widow of the recently deceased TV mogul
Aaron Spelling, is planning to place the family's famous 56,500-square-foot Holmby Hills mansion on the market. The price for the 45-room, six-acre property? According to one gossip website: $150 million."
What a bargain.
And finally, we provide something to do while all those legislators are on recess. The new updated salary base from Capitol Weekly is online, and ready for your perusal. Search away by clicking
here.