Capitol Weekly's John Howard reports on continued efforts by Sen.
Kevin Murray to
help out political ally William Burke. It seems that Murray jammed a late amendment into a bill by Assemblyman
Joe Baca, to help out his political buddy -- again.
"Sen. Kevin Murray, D-Culver City, chairman of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, has once again gone to bat for William Burke, chairman of the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD). For the second time, Murray has inserted a provision allowing Burke to serve another term as chairman of the (SCAQMD) into an unrelated bill."
"The move to extend Burke's tenure on the commission was originally part of a measure introduced by termed-out Assemblyman
Simon Salinas, D-Salinas. It was taken out of that bill after a story on the term-limit extension appeared in Capitol Weekly last week."
"But the favor for Burke found its way back into legislation. This time, the unwitting author was another termed-out Assemblyman,
Joe Baca, D-Rialto. The measure was inserted into Baca's AB 1457 Wednesday without Baca's knowledge."
"Murray did not immediately return calls seeking comment."
"The state Democratic Party on Wednesday
unveiled a TV ad they hope will link Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger with one of the most reviled political figures in California: President Bush," reports Steven Harmon in the Merc.
The Majority Report has a
copy of the ad.
"Schwarzenegger is shown in the ad forcefully endorsing Bush at an Ohio rally four days before the 2004 election, with Bush standing beside him."
"The statewide two-week ad buy -- costing nearly $2 million, party officials said -- is central to Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Angelides' strategy of deconstructing Schwarzenegger's image as an independent-minded, bipartisan leader."
"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's agreements this week on a minimum-wage hike and prescription drug discounts solidifies an election-year transformation that
robs his Democratic opponent, Phil Angelides, of coveted middle-class issues," reports the LAT's Jordan Rau.
"'I'm happy that we're making progress on some of the issues that are good for Californians,' [
Phil] Angelides said at a campaign stop Wednesday in Burbank. '
But let's be clear about it: This is happening because the Democrats, we're pushing our agenda forward, and the governor's signing things to save his own job. Think of what we could have if we had a governor who is truly committed to helping middle-class families.'"
Meanwhile, Republicans aren't so sure what they would get in Arnold II.
"What we get for the next four years is anybody's guess,' said
Dave Gilliard, a Republican strategist in Sacramento. '
I don't think there is an Arnold philosophy that you can quantify. I think he makes decisions on the fly.'"
George Skelton looks at the governor's accusations against Angelides, and believes Arnold's been
stretching the truth on Phil's tax plans.
"Dissecting this political perjury: Angelides clearly is not advocating an increase in the car tax, the sales tax, the property tax or the liquor tax — or imposition of a new tune-up tax. He is leaving open the possibility of repealing the five-year-old sales tax exemption on farm equipment, depending on the recommendations of his loophole-closing commission. And his only income tax hike would be on the likes of himself and Schwarzenegger."
After standing up to the schoolhouse bully, Skelton clarifies his position on the race.
"Finally, readers who think this column favors Angelides and sticks it to Schwarzenegger should think again. Almost any discussion of a tax increase — whatever size — tends to help the governor and hurt his tax-crusading challenger."
Huh?
"With just a week to go before the end of the legislative session, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democratic lawmakers remain
divided over key details of legislation that would make California the first state in the country to cap greenhouse gas emissions," reports the Chron's Mark Martin.
"Assembly Speaker
Fabian Núñez said Wednesday there are fundamental differences on
the bill between the governor and Democrats, and Schwarzenegger's lead negotiator said the administration would insist on changes to the legislation before the governor would agree to sign it."
"The disagreements center on specific requirements for how industries should reduce emissions of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and demands by the governor that the law contain provisions for delaying reduction deadlines in case of natural disasters or other circumstances."
"'
I think that we can protect business and also protect the environment if AB32 is written the right way,' Schwarzenegger said."
"'
I am not going to send the governor a bill the environmental community doesn't support,' he said.
...and Phil Angelides would probably be happier if you didn't send anything at all.
But not so for
RV owners, who are on their way to getting a nice little tax break, reports CW's John Howard. "Those RVs that lumber across the Sierra Nevada or zip across the Mojave Desert are looking for more than camp sites. They're also on the prowl for tax breaks--and they're finding them.
At first blush, RVs would seem unlikely candidates to grab the political stage in the Capitol. But in fact, California's $2.1 billion recreational-vehicle industry is at the heart of a debate over whether to allow some $160 million in tax breaks, a move that one critic of the bill said would 'dismantle sales tax law enforcement as we know it.'"
CW's Malcolm Maclachlan reports that
labor has found an unusual ally -- Republican Rick Keene. "Assemblymen Rick Keene, R-Chico, and Paul Koretz, D-West Hollywood, have gotten key Republican support for a labor bill disliked by many business groups. Keene's bill would allow flexible mealtime provisions to unionized transportation companies. A wide variety of businesses have long sought these provisions, but if AB 2593 passes, it will mainly affect one company: United Parcel Service (UPS)."
Shane Goldmacher reports on the
rising costs of ballot statements. "This year, for the first time, down-ticket campaigns are getting slapped with one more small expense: Candidates for statewide office must now pay for their ballot statements--at the rate of
$20 per word--in the state's official voter guide."
"Some activists and candidates are saying the new fee prices them out of what was once their best shot at communicating with a statewide audience."
"Democracy shouldn't have a price tag. Why don't we start charging voters for the cost of voting in elections?" says a sarcastic
Larry Cafiero, the Green Party candidate for insurance commissioner. "I am very dismayed that the state thinks they have to charge candidates for this because it doesn't provide a level playing field, especially for third-party candidates."
Meanwhile, "[a]n initiative to protect gas tax money from raids by the Legislature, which had been purposely crippled and left for dead by its own backers,
is heading to voters anyway," writes Mike Gardner in the Daily Breeze.
"The office of Secretary of State
Bruce McPherson confirmed Wednesday that the initiative qualified for the June 2008 ballot with 605,610 valid signatures."
"The proposal, which strictly bars any non-transportation use of state gas tax money, was originally made last spring and was drafted by an alliance of labor, business and local government interests. Then in May, the governor and legislative leaders struck a compromise in Proposition 1A that, though weaker, was eventually endorsed by those backing the original proposal."
"
Now they will be in the awkward position of opposing their own measure. As part of the compromise, they had tried to prevent the initiative from qualifying by not submitting 300,000 signatures, but were surprised when even a much-smaller sample gave them 7,507 more valid signatures than necessary."
The Bee's John Hill looks at the difficulty the Legislature is having
dealing with pension issues. "Republican Assemblyman
Roger Niello pointed out that the substance of his Assembly Bill 2176 has been approved by both houses and extensively reviewed. The bill needs only Assembly concurrence in some Senate amendments to be sent to the governor."
The bill would make it a crime to lie on disability pension applications.
"'It's a no-brainer. It was sponsored by PERS,' the California Public Employees' Retirement System, he said. 'It's puzzling that it would be pigeonholed.'"
"Democrats say they shelved the bills because they don't want to enact "piecemeal" pension changes and don't know what Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wants in the way of more comprehensive changes."
"'It's unclear where the administration is coming from on pension reform,'
Steve Maviglio, spokesman for Assembly Speaker
Fabian Núñez, wrote in an e-mail. 'Until they send stronger signals,
it doesn't seem appropriate to make a piecemeal attempt to tackle the issue.'"
We're guessing Maviglio might be quoted on the Assembly Floor over the next week as Democrats bring retirement sweeteners up on the floor.
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