After the last two subdued inaugurations, "Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger has begun raising money for what appears to be a more festive -- and expensive -- celebration to kick off his second term, judging by his early solicitations in $50,000 and $15,000 increments," reports the Bee's Kevin Yamamura.
"After cruising to re-election this month, the Republican governor will have his inauguration Jan. 5 at Memorial Auditorium, for which donors can obtain reserved and general seating tickets, according to inaugural spokeswoman Julie Soderlund."
"The governor also plans to host a "Legislative Lunch" and "California Celebration" the same day in Sacramento. Donors can attend a special reception on the eve of Schwarzenegger's inauguration."
"It remains unclear how big Schwarzenegger's second inaugural budget will be. "Gold Sponsor" donors who give
$50,000 can receive 10 tickets to a Jan. 4 reception, as well as 10 tickets to the ceremony split between general and reserved sections. Also included is a table at the "Legislative Lunch" and 10 tickets to the "California Celebration." At
$15,000, "Silver Sponsor" donors receive two tickets to each event."
So if you're looking for that holiday gift to give that special someone...
The Bee's Aurelio Rojas writes that
the governor received 39% of the Latino vote. "That threshold has not been reached by a GOP gubernatorial candidate in California since 1990. And it was reached as Republicans with more strident views on illegal immigration were being punished by voters around the country."
"Latinos accounted for only 12 percent of the voters, according to the Los Angeles Times exit poll. Perhaps troubling for the future of the GOP in California was how poorly two conservative Republicans running for constitutional offices fared with the fastest-growing share of the state's electorate."
"State Sens.
Tom McClintock, R-Thousand Oaks, and
Chuck Poochigian, R-Fresno, tallied only 23 percent and 20 percent of the Latino vote, respectively, in their losing bids for lieutenant governor and attorney general."
"The lone bright spot for the Republican Party in down-ballot races was
Steve Poizner, the Silicon Valley billionaire who easily beat Lt. Gov.
Cruz Bustamante to become the state's insurance commissioner."
"Running against the state's high-ranking Latino officeholder, Poizner -- a social moderate who spent more than $13 million of his fortune on his campaign --
received 35 percent of the Latino vote, according to GOP pollster
Steve Kinney."
"Democrat
Lou Correa emerged Monday as the undisputed winner of the intensely fought 34th state Senate District race, leading Republican
Lynn Daucher by 1,302 votes with a handful of additional ballots remaining," reports the Register's Martin Wisckol.
"Daucher acknowledged that Correa had won, while Correa said he will wait until the final ballot is counted before declaring victory."
"Monday's tally diffused the attack that Correa only won because of Republican
Otto Bade's decoy candidacy. Correa's margin of victory was 392 votes more than Bade received."
"Nonetheless, Senate GOP Leader
Dick Ackerman of Irvine said his party will look into possible wrongdoing associated with Bade's campaign."
"'The chance of us getting a different (election) result is highly unlikely,' he said. '(But) we're not going to just walk away.'"
We're going to stay here and be bitter!
Judy Lin
reports in the Bee: "With the decision, no legislative district changed party hands in this election. Had the GOP pulled out the win, Republicans would have picked up a seat and trailed Democrats 24-16 in the upper house."
"Assemblywoman
Bonnie Garcia moved even closer to an election victory Monday following the count of thousands of Riverside County absentee ballots," writes Keith Matheny in the Desert Sun.
"Garcia, R-Cathedral City, widened her narrow edge over Democrat
Steve Clute after the count of about 100,000 absentee ballots Monday, including about 17,000 affecting the 80th State Assembly District. The Riverside County tally has Garcia edging Clute by 688 votes - 29,014 to 28,326."
"The vote count still isn't complete. County officials planned to conclude the counting of about 2,000 provisional ballots by today or Wednesday. And Imperial County was expected to announce the results of about 5,100 absentee and provisional ballots today."
"...After a laugh that she's still working as other lawmakers vacation before the new session, Sen.
Jackie Speier broke her silence,
foreshadowing what she said will be a difficult, emotional farewell news conference on Thanksgiving eve in San Francisco," reports Steve Geissinger.
"'It's tough to leave,' said the termed-out Peninsula Democrat, who has been an Assembly member and senator during three decades in politics."
"Speier, 56, indicated she will continue her consumer advocacy and other work in the private sector until she runs again for elected office. Analysts say she's eyeing bids for everything from another run for statewide office, to U.S. Congress, to mayor of San Francisco."
"The California Correctional Peace Officers Association may be miles away from getting a new labor contract with the state, but its members
appear to be in line for a pay raise sooner rather than later, thanks to the union's victory in a grievance it filed a year ago," writes Andy Furillo in the Bee.
"In a decision dated Saturday, an arbitrator ruled that the CCPOA's 31,000 members are
entitled to a pay raise based on compensation increases the state gave to the California Highway Patrol. The prison officers' pay is linked to the CHP's union contract, and the arbitrator ruled that health insurance and holiday leave-time bumps the state gave over the years to the patrol must translate to more salary for the CCPOA members."
"Arbitrator
Alexander Cohn of Napa gave the state 20 days to recalculate the prison officers' pay formula to bring it in line with the CHP's benefit boosts. The arrangement would work out to
a $100 million to $200 million pay raise for CCPOA members out of taxpayer coffers, according to the Department of Personnel Administration."
The state
helped the voter-approved stem cell agency stay in business with a cash loan yesterday. "California's $3 billion stem-cell institute, financially hamstrung for more than a year by two lawsuits, is about to get a $181 million infusion to keep it running through the end of next year, officials said Monday.
"The money includes a new $31 million loan from nine philanthropic groups and individuals, and a $150 million loan that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced in July."
We've got an idea for
Phil Angelides. Maybe he can
follow the example of the runner-up in Mexico's presidential election. "Defeated leftist presidential candidate
Andrés Manuel López Obrador inaugurated himself as Mexico's 'legitimate president' yesterday during a symbolic ceremony aimed at rallying millions of Mexicans to his cause of disrupting president-elect
Felipe Calderón's administration."
And in good news for Roundup readers, the California Supreme Court has ruled Web sites
cannot be sued for the behavior of their readers. OK, maybe that's good news for Roundup
writers. Anywho, Bob Egelko has the details:
"Internet providers can't be sued for allowing people to post libelous messages, the California Supreme Court ruled Monday, saying federal law protects free speech online by shielding carriers from liability."
"The unanimous ruling, overturning an appeals court decision, was issued in a small-scale local case -- a dispute in Alameda County between an advocate of alternative health care and two doctors who said they had been smeared by messages the advocate relayed to online news groups."
And you thought
Bill Lockyer had
bad taste in art. A hardware store in Ohio is getting some heat for its
display of gingerbread Nazis.
"
Charlie Palmer covered the gingerbread men during the weekend and said he wanted them out by of his business by Tuesday."
"'He's gone way overboard this time,' Palmer said of artist
Keith McGuckin. 'A few of his other displays were on the edge, but never that crazy.'"
"McGuckin said he chose the subject to provoke thought, not to offend."
"'I can differentiate between real Nazis and that the atrocities they performed compared to these little gingerbread men, but I guess some people can't,' said McGuckin, 50."
"Palmer left one of McGuckin's displays uncovered: a depiction of a suicidal snowman sitting under a hairdryer.""
Ah, 'tis the season...