"Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg said Monday he remains committed to putting the state budget to
a vote this week, even though he said 'we don't yet have an agreement,'" writes Shane Goldmacher on Capitol Alert.
"'There is not any deal to announce at this point, but
we're certainly moving in a positive direction,' Steinberg said. 'I'm committed to having a vote this week. I don't know the day because one of the great complications
of all of this is drafting (bills). When you're talking about a solution of this magnitude, the
drafting is complicated.'
"Steinberg said the earliest possible vote would occur
Wednesday, 'but it may even be a day or two later.' He has called back Senate Democrats for a caucus meeting
[Monday night] to discuss plans for the week ahead."
But, before we get into the weeds with budget stuff, we have a semi-official candidate for the sadistic role of the corner office!
"Former eBay chief Meg Whitman on Monday edged toward an almost certain run for California governor
in 2010, setting up a likely clash for the Republican nomination
between two wealthy Silicon Valley entrepreneurs," reports Mike Zapler in the Merc-News.
"Whitman, who retired as eBay's chief executive in March and spent much of the past
year campaigning for Mitt Romney and Sen. John McCain, signaled that she will play up her business bona
fides in the race to succeed Arnold Schwarzenegger
in 2011. Whitman, 52, joined eBay in 1998 when it had just 30 employees and helped transform the startup online
auctioneer into an Internet powerhouse."
"'California faces challenges unlike any other time in
its history — a weak and faltering economy, massive job losses,
and an exploding state budget deficit,' Whitman said in a statement announcing that she has
formed an exploratory committee for governor. 'California is better than this, and I refuse to stand
by and watch it fail.'
"But Whitman brings no elected political experience
to the race, joining a long list of business types
who've tapped their personal fortunes to run for the state's top political office — so far, unsuccessfully. She already is facing criticism
that she is attempting to buy her way into office."
Whitman unveiled a list of early supporters that includes former Gov. Pete Wilson and Congressman Kevin McCarthy. White Republican Steve Poizner has locked up most of the legislative endorsements, Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher is among those who has backed Whitman.
And, Whitman also settled a running dispute with a cybersquatter that had gobbled up a bunch of Whitman-related domain names.
How's that for negotiation skills?
And Antonio Villaraigosa sat down with the AP and alluded to a future gubernatorial run.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said Monday he will consider running for California governor even if re-elected to another four-year term at City Hall next month.
"The remarks represent the clearest signal yet that Villaraigosa will be among contenders next year to succeed Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is prevented by law from seeking a third consecutive term. The long list of potential candidates maneuvering for the open seat includes former eBay Chief Executive Meg Whitman, state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.
"I'm not going to make a promise I can't keep," Villaraigosa told The Associated Press when asked whether he would complete a full term if re-elected. In a wide-ranging interview, he talked with regret about his highly publicized affair with a TV newscaster that ended his marriage and defended his decision not to debate rival candidates for mayor.
Was that last paragraph supposed to be a joke? Talking about not keeping promises while mentioning an extra-marital affair?
Meanwhile, the governor and the controller continue
to work toward becoming BFFs. "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger filed a lawsuit Monday against state Controller John
Chiang, aiming to force the unpaid furlough of 15,600 more state workers two days a month," writes Patrick McGreevy in the Times.
"The lawsuit, filed in Sacramento County Superior Court,
seeks an injunction forcing the state controller to
furlough employees of statewide elected officials such
as the attorney general, the treasurer and Chiang.
Schwarzenegger and Chiang, a Democrat whose office
issues paychecks, have been locked in a dispute over
the extent of the Republican governor's authority to order workers to take time off without
pay to save money.
"Superior Court Judge Patrick Marlette ruled Jan. 29 that the governor has the power to furlough state
workers in an emergency.
"Twice-monthly furloughs began Friday for 238,000 workers in the executive branch, but Chiang has argued
that the governor's power does not extend to the constitutional officers.
He said he would not cut the pay of those employees
unless directed to by court order.
"Schwarzenegger spokesman Aaron McLear said Monday that he believes the court order does
support the governor's position that his powers extend to all state workers."
And from our Trickle Down Files, "California's budget woes will sweep over the state's 58 counties this week when they get promises instead of checks for $89 million in anticipated payments for welfare, food
stamps and other services," writes John Wildermuth in the Chron.
"The move will be a devastating blow to the counties,
which must serve more and more people looking for government
help as the economy craters and jobs disappear, said
Paul McIntosh, executive director of the California Association
of Counties.
"With local governments every bit as battered as the
state, little cash is available to cover the deficit.
"'It's a huge concern,' McIntosh said. 'There are counties that only have a couple weeks of
cash on hand and could have trouble meeting payroll.'
Not to mention no lawmaker per diem is being paid!!!!
"While state Controller John Chiang insists that social services money is only being delayed for a month and will be repaid in March, a spokeswoman for the controller said the normal March payments might then have to be delayed for a month if no budget agreement has been reached."
Wyatt Buchanan looks at what's next on the hit list.
"Nearly 300 state-funded public works projects will go forward through Friday, but they could be stopped cold if state leaders cannot find a solution to California's budget crisis by the end of the week.
"The remaining projects include building improvements at UC Berkeley and UCSF as well as transportation improvements such as carpool lanes on Highway 101 in Sonoma County and on the Sunol grade in Alameda County. Bay Area transit officials have said they will buy state bonds to ensure that some projects go forward.
"Meanwhile, construction workers plan to hold rallies today outside the offices of legislative leaders in Fresno, Los Angeles and Sacramento. Workers want the Legislature to pass a budget now to avoid stopping the remaining projects."
The Chron's Peter Fimrite looks at the proposed elimination of the California
Conservation Corps.
". . . Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's latest budget proposal would eliminate the iconic
state agency that employs 3,300 people, many of them teenagers and young adults down
on their luck, who provide services to 250 communities and organizations statewide.
"The idea is to save $17 million and replace the nation's oldest group of its kind by funneling money into
12 local nonprofit conservation corps programs in the
state.
"Last week, four former governors - Jerry Brown, Pete Wilson, George Deukmejian and Gray Davis - signed a letter protesting the proposed move and urging
the governor to reconsider. The letter outlined the
many services the corps provides and pointed out that
President Obama supports and is likely to provide funding
for such programs.
"'We appreciate and respect the opinion of the governors
and we know the corps has a long and storied history
in California, but in an attempt to close a historic
budget gap of $42 billion we had to make some extremely difficult decisions,
and the CCC is one of them,' said H.D. Palmer, spokesman for the state Department of Finance."
Meanwhile, the Bee's Susan Ferriss looks at why cost increases in the in-home supportive services (IHSS) program have become a major issue in the state budget.
Dan Walters tries to separate the meaningful wheat from the superficial chaff in the budget fight, and finds a jab at Jerry Brown in the process.
"The chaff is the public noise that various pressure
groups are making, including implicit and explicit
threats to end the careers of legislators who stray
from the ideological reservation. Some conservative
groups are threatening to banish any Republican who
votes for taxes while some liberal groups and unions
are threatening to punish any Democrat who votes for
changing work rules and limiting spending.
"It took a bizarre turn last week when labor and environmental
groups asked Attorney General Jerry Brown to investigate
whether Republican leaders, by conditioning a budget
deal on changes in labor and environmental laws, were
selling their votes.
"Brown, a Democrat, said in a statement, 'It's a serious question, and we're reviewing the matter carefully.'
"While he's at it, Brown might review his own history, as governor
30 years ago, of using judicial appointments and public
works projects to persuade recalcitrant legislators
to vote his way on his legislative agenda."
We thought the judicial appointments of that administration were made by Mike Curb.
"A special panel of federal judges tentatively ruled yesterday that California will have
to reduce its prison population by tens of thousands of inmates to relieve overcrowding
over the next several years," reports the AP's Don Thompson.
"The judges said no other solution will improve conditions
so poor that inmates die regularly of suicide or lack
of proper care.
"The San Francisco-based panel, which said it may hold more hearings before
making the decision final, wants the state to present
a plan to trim the population of the nation's largest state prison system in two to three years."
And as we do so often in this publication, we close this morning with news from Florida.
"Authorities said a man, 66, was arrested after calling 911 on Saturday to complain that a fast food restaurant ran out of lemonade . After a drive-through employee failed to respond to the man's threat of contacting the police, the irate diner called 911, a police report alleges.
"He spent about 5 minutes talking to the 911 operator about his complaint.
Turns out the lemonade delivery was suspended by John Chiang...