"The day after unveiling $8.2 billion in proposed tax increases mostly on high-income earners and corporations, legislative Democrats
on Wednesday said they have done all they can to trim the state
budget without harming education and health care," reports Judy Lin in the Bee.
"Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata and Assembly Speaker Karen Bass said they were drawing a line in the sand and would
demand the tax increases be part of the solution to
close a $15.2 billion shortfall in the $101 billion general fund.
"Republicans, again, said the tax plan faced certain
defeat because they would not supply the votes to reach
the required two-thirds majority. Raising taxes, they said, would be
a disaster for families struggling in a poor economy
and could force businesses to flee the state.
"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, meanwhile, came down on
both sides.
"'You know, I have always been against tax increases,' he said. 'But I always want to keep everything on the table,
because you cannot go into negotiations and say don't talk to me about this, don't talk to me about that. You have to be open-minded, and that's the only way you can get a compromise done. So I'm open-minded, but I'm against tax increases. All right?'"
Uh, sure.
George Skelton writes: "The real truth is that Sacramento leaders don't have much credibility with the public. Even Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger has lost his clout -- with the public and the Legislature.
"For any tax hike to pass, the governor will need to
execute a perfect flip-flop -- from "guaranteed" veto to "oops, new position" -- and perform politically for Republicans. Some fund-raising for them would help.
"And Democrats will need to give into GOP demands for
budget reforms that would help staunch the bleeding."
Dan Walters writes that the budget is imperfect, but it might be time for a good ol' throwdown.
"The boom-and-bust cycle lies at the root of the current woes. To
fix it, we should not only raise revenues by some amount,
but do so in a way that generates more stability, not
more dependence on the personal fortunes of a few wealthy
people. Taxing the rich may have a populist appeal,
but it's fraught with fiscal peril.
"Alternatively - and this is what Schwarzenegger and Republican legislators
want - the state could impose a spending cap that would smooth
out the spikes. But school unions and other pro-spending groups hate the notion, and they are ramping
up a media campaign to back tax increases.
"If this is the year to have the long-awaited confrontation, so be it. But for heaven's sake, they should do it right or the political blood
that's spilled will have been in vain."
Capitol Weekly reports one of the state's largest labor unions is contemplating bucking the Democratic Party on redistricting.
"As Courtni Pugh takes over as political director of the state council of the Service Employees International Union, her union may be getting ready to make waves. SEIU’s state council is deadlocked over whether or not to back an initiative that would change the state’s redistricting laws, and will take another endorsement vote on the initiative next week.
"If
SEIU does wind up backing Proposition 11, it would be in the face of opposition from Democratic
Party leadership in Washington and Sacramento, and
from some other state labor groups.
"The timing of SEIU’s endorsement vote on the measure and Pugh taking
over
for former political director Dean Tipps is purely
coincidental. Indeed, Tipps telegraphed SEIU’s possible support of the
measure to Assembly Democrats
at their last caucus retreat. But whatever the union’s ultimate
decision on Proposition 11, the internal debate over the issue is
indicative
of the turbulent waters that Pugh is wading into as
she takes the reins of one of the most important and
powerful political organizations in California."
CW's John Howard reports on a fight between Big Sur homeowners and the California Coastal Commission over clearing of brush that is either fire fuel or a protected habitat, depending on your point of view.
"A majestic landscape and homes aren’t the only things on fire in Big Sur: Angry local property owners, who have long chafed at the authority of the California Coastal Commission, contend that state rules protecting maritime chaparral have placed homeowners at risk and exacerbated the fire danger.
"The familiar chaparral--brushy thickets that thrive along the foggy coast between
Santa Barbara and southern Mendocino County--is prime fuel for fires. In fact, experts call the
chaparral “fire dependent,” which means the shrubbery requires fire over time
to keep the species healthy.
"But the problem is that the maritime chaparral is designated
by coastal regulators as an environmentally sensitive
habitat, which means by law it is protected because
“it is susceptible to disturbance or degradation by
human activities.”
CW's Malcolm Maclachlan reports on a war the Schwarzenegger administration is having with itself over legislation demanding the tracking of prescription drugs.
"The State and Consumer Services Agency has come out
against a bill sponsored by one of its own boards,
the Board of Pharmacy.
At issue is a technology, known as ePedigree, designed
to track prescription drugs from factory to pharmacy
using a system of electronic or bar-coded tags. The California Board of Pharmacy has sponsored
legislation—SB 1307 from Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas, D-Los Angeles—that would set a schedule for fully phasing in ePedigree
by 2015.
"Now the board’s parent agency, Consumer Services, is actively opposing
AB 1307. On June 13, the agency proposed a set of amendments to the bill.
After Ridley-Thomas rejected the amendments, the agency sent representatives
to testify against the bill when it was heard by the
Assembly Business and Professions committee on June
24."
"A state worker recently married to a member of the Mexican Mafia who is in Corcoran State Prison for a gang murder is herself under investigation for downloading more than 5,000 names, addresses and Social Security numbers belonging to Department of Consumer Affairs staff, The Bee has learned," reports Andrew McIntosh.
"The Department of Consumer Affairs disclosed that it
suffered a data security breach last month, but at
the time released few details about the incident.
"Officials sent a letter to employees, warning them
to watch their credit for signs of identity theft,
offering them free credit reports and $25,000 worth of fraud insurance.
"Court documents obtained by The Bee show the department's own investigators have raided the Sacramento home
of Rachael Rivas Dumbrique, a 32-year-old former Consumer Affairs personnel specialist, as
part of an ongoing criminal investigation.
"Investigators are looking at why Dumbrique copied a
confidential data roster with employee names, addresses
and Social Security numbers and then shipped it to
a private e-mail account on her last day of work at Consumer Affairs
in June. They also want to know if her gang-linked husband had any involvement, the court documents
show."
"All California eighth-graders in public school will have to take Algebra 1 beginning in 2011 under a policy approved Wednesday by the state Board
of Education in an 8-1 vote," reports Nanette Asimov in the Chron.
"The board decided to make algebra testing mandatory
in the eighth grade over the strong objections of Jack O'Connell, the state's elected schools chief.
"O'Connell accused the board of demanding high standards
while failing to tie them to extra resources needed
to fix a shortage of math teachers and prepare thousands
of disadvantaged kids for the rigorous class.
"'I fear that we're setting our students up for failure,' O'Connell said. 'I pray that I'm wrong.'
"But board President Ted Mitchell said the move shows there is "unequivocally one set of standards for all kids, no
matter their ZIP code, race or income level."
"Ordered by the federal government to bring California's eighth-grade math testing into compliance with No Child Left
Behind, the board endorsed the mandatory Algebra 1 testing over a more moderate approach urged by O'Connell, math instructors from around the state and
the California School Boards Association.
"But the board members sided with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger,
who appointed them, and in a rare move overruled the
strong recommendations of the state superintendent.
The governor had asked the board to make algebra mandatory
and he expressed satisfaction with the result."
Meanwhile, a "state senator is suggesting that the California Lottery expand its prize offerings to include free gasoline," reports the AP.
"Democrat Dean Florez says offering the gas prize would entice more people to buy lottery tickets and raise more money for schools. In a letter to the director of the California Lottery, Florez says that now, in the middle of the summer travel season, is an ideal time to offer the awards.
"But lottery director Joan Borucki said California can't afford to award free gasoline because state law restricts how much money can go to prizes."
"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law Tuesday
a bill that will boost local nonprofits’ fundraising efforts by allowing them to apply for
additional permits to serve and auction wine," reports Jillian Jones in the Napa Valley Register.
"The bill, co-authored by Assemblywoman Noreen Evans, D-Santa Rosa, and state Sen. Patricia Wiggins, D-Santa Rosa, increases from one to three the number
of temporary alcohol licenses that nonprofits can obtain
each year from the Department of Alcoholic Beverages
Control to conduct wine dinner and wine auction fundraisers.
"'Californians have a generous spirit and a love of wine,' Evans said. 'With so much need in our state, we need to expand partnerships
between nonprofits and their supporters in the wine
industry. The governor’s signature on this bill enables the wine industry
to be even more generous in its support of many worthy
causes.'
"According to Evans’ office, the California wine industry made more than
$115 million in charitable contributions in 2006, the most recent year for which data is available."
And finally, "Police in Bethlehem, Pa. said someone stole nearly
200 boxes of pills used to treat male sexual dysfunction.
"Someone stole 197 boxes of Levitra from a car sometime between Friday
and Saturday. According to Bayer Pharmaceuticals, Levitra
is used by
men who experience problems with erectile function."
Guess they were hard up for cash...
If the thieves are caught, there's sure to be a stiff punishment...