Taking a page from
Karl Rove's book, the Schwarzenegger administration is distributing a
taxpayer-funded faux news broadcast extolling the virtues of his plan to end mandatory lunch breaks for hourly workers.
Labor leaders call the plan "an assault on the lunch hour," while the video extols the proposal as one that would allow workers to "eat when they are hungry, and not when the government tells them."
The fabricated news probably doesn't announce that the plan to eliminate defined benefit pensions would erode the
clout of CalPERS in the marketplace, and "could gradually erode their ability to pursue activist shareholder agendas." We're guessing
Michael Eisner wouldn't mind.
Speaking of throwing their weight around, the Business Journal takes a look at just who is spending all the big money to influence state lawmakers.
"Every session brings wins and losses at the state Capitol, but lobbying remains
big business. Interests spent more than $422 million in the last legislative session to influence lawmakers, the bills they carry and vote upon, and the regulations that dictate how new laws are put into practice.
"At the very top, the
Western States Petroleum Association -- a Sacramento-based trade association representing oil producers, refiners, transporters and marketers -- edged
Pacific Telesis by a nose. Overall, the top 25 spenders include six oil/gas/energy companies or trade associations, five union groups, three city or county interests and the usual suspects such as trade groups for trial attorneys, doctors and hospitals."
Speaking of millions of dollars,
Bill Gates calls U.S. high schools obsolete and governors from 13 states respond by adopting goals for reform; California is not among them.
As Republican Conference Chairman, and likely 2008 presidential candidate
Rick Santorum told
Tim Russert that he wasn't cool with the idea of allowing immigrants to become president,
Schwarzenegger said he was never really considering running anyway. "You've got to have a little bit of sense of humor about all this," the governor told
George Stephanopoulos over the weekend.
The Mercury News
writes the bio of Finance chief Tom Campbell, in which
Ray Haynes explains the difference between himself and the Director of Finance.
"'If I step in and say the whole world's going to hell because taxes are too high and government is too big, you know, that's just right-wing tripe. It's a messenger thing,' said conservative Assemblyman Ray Haynes, who lost the 2000 U.S. Senate primary to Campbell. 'Tom steps in and they say, 'Yeah, maybe we ought to listen to him.'"
Speaking of the budget, Dan Walters offers a
sunny message about the budget outlook. While Walters calls resistance to the governor's reform package "shrill," the Chronicle's Jennifer Nelson says the governor's opponents are
playing the gender card to drum up opposition to the governor's plans.
"Because they disagree with his budget and policy proposals, the nurses' union's bosses are charging that Schwarzenegger is taking these positions because he is anti-woman."
Since that pesky car tax thing seems to be going nowhere, Assemblywoman
Betty Karnette wants to
slap a new tax on bicycle buyers. Under
AB 1103 "Buyers would pay an extra $7 for bicycles next year under proposed legislation to encourage recycling and reuse of old two-wheelers."
If you're looking for one of the
new members, better check the roof. The Bee checks in with the newbies to find out how they're finding their way in the Capitol "Up is down, and down is up," says Assembly member
Sam Blakeslee, a Republican from San Luis Obispo. "It's only in Sacramento you go downstairs to go from the third floor to the fourth floor."