"Former eBay chief executive Meg Whitman has donated $1 million to her exploratory campaign for governor," reports the AP.
Regardless what happens, we're sure it's a better investment than eBay.
"The committee reported the contribution to the secretary
of state's office on Tuesday. It's the second donation from Whitman, whose net worth
was once reported to be more than $1 billion. She gave the committee $150,000 last month.
"Whitman announced formation of the committee on Feb.
9.
"Her chief rival for the GOP gubernatorial nomination,
state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, has reported raising more than $890,000 for his exploratory committee.
"That includes $500,000 from the fortune he amassed after selling his Silicon
Valley company, SnapTrack, which developed global-positioning chips for cell phones."
While would-be successors planned their campaigns, "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger took his crusade to curb global warming to the world's largest technology trade show this week, urging international business leaders to create jobs
with green innovations that reduce energy use," reports Eric Marx for the Chron.
"Swarmed by onlookers as he toured the CeBIT conference
in Hanover, the governor promoted California companies
represented at the fair and told executives that going
green will save them money, expand business and help
the planet.
"'I've always said the answers are in technology for us
to really hit our goals,' Schwarzenegger told The Chronicle. The governor three
years ago signed a landmark law to sharply reduce greenhouse
gas emissions in California.
"'Our challenges in using less water and electricity
in California will be accomplished without any doubt
through technology,' he added. 'It's really the only thing that will save us in the end.'"
Meanwhile, Matier and Ross note that the Field Poll shows that Republicans and Democrats equally dislike the job performance of the governor -- truly becoming "post-partisan."
"'He's reached his goal. Both sides view him the same way,' said Mark DiCamillo of the Field Poll. 'Negatively.'
"Overall, the action-star-turned-budget-bedraggled-compromiser scored a 38 percent approval rating in a statewide Field Poll
of 761 voters taken after the recent budget deal was reached."
"Three Assembly Democrats who broke with their caucus
by voting against a state spending cap and other budget
trailer bills have been stripped of committee chairmanships. Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers who supported the
party majority have gotten promotions," writes Peter Hecht on Capitol Alert.
"Those losing out are Assembly members Sandré Swanson of Alameda, Tony Mendoza of Artesia and Warren Furutani of Gardena. All three voted against a key budget compromise
to put a state spending cap before voters. Now, following
a flurry of new assignments by Bass, all three are
former chairs of Assembly committees."
CW's Malcolm Maclachlan reports the octomom is now inspiring lawmakers to regulate fertility clinics.
"'OctoMom' Nadya Suleman didn't just give birth to eight babies. She's now given birth to legislation.
The bill, SB 674 from Sen. Gloria Negrete McLeod, D-Chino, would place fertility clinics and cosmetic surgery providers under the jurisdiction of the Medical Board of California for the first time. The bill was introduced on Feb. 27, a month and a day after Suleman gave birth to eight babies after seeking fertility treatments.
"'It is alarming that the State of California has no one watching out for patients who go to these fertility clinics or surgical centers,' Negrete McLeod said. She added: 'Patients have the right to know if their physician has even been trained or board certified in the specialty he or she is attempting to perform.'"
"The California Supreme Court may reveal Thursday whether it intends to uphold Proposition
8, and if so, whether an estimated 18,000 same-sex marriages will remain valid, during a high-stakes televised session that has sparked plans for
demonstrations throughout the state," reports the LAT's Maura Dolan.
"By now, the court already has drafted a decision on
the case, with an author and at least three other justices
willing to sign it. Oral arguments sometimes result
in changes to the draft, but rarely do they change
the majority position. The ruling is due in 90 days.
"Chief Justice Ronald M. George, who wrote the historic May 15, 2008, decision that gave same-sex couples the right to marry, will be the one to
watch during the hearing because he is often in the
majority and usually writes the rulings in the most
controversial cases.
"Most legal analysts expect that the court will garner
enough votes to uphold existing marriages but not enough
to overturn Proposition 8. The dissenters in May's 4-3 marriage ruling said the decision should be left to
the voters."
"Several of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's investments suffered in 2008 as the multimillionaire actor joined thousands of Californians who watched their
financial bets get whipsawed by plunging stock and real estate markets," writes the Bee's Andrew McIntosh.
"Still, the governor and his businesses generated more
than $1 million in gross income in 2008, according to the annual Form 700 conflict of interest disclosure report he filed with
state ethics officials. His wealth has been estimated
in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
"Five of the governor's 16 major investments in a mix of public and private stocks,
and public and private equity funds declined in value
during 2008 compared to what his trustee said they were worth
in 2007, the report shows."
Treasurer Bill "Lockyer is boosting his $169,743 annual salary as the state's official banker and asset manager by earning an additional $2,000 per month from a personal-injury law firm.
"The former legislator and attorney general is one of
more than two dozen state elected officials with outside
jobs or investment interests, according to disclosure
statements filed this week.
"Bob Stern, a co-author of the state's Political Reform Act who now heads the Center for
Governmental Studies in Los Angeles, said Lockyer's side job clearly is legal but likely to raise eyebrows.
"'When you're getting more than $165,000 from the state, I think there should be a rule – no outside earned income,' Stern said.
"'When you're making that (much) money from the state, then why don't you be full time for the state?' he asked.
"Lockyer lists himself as "of counsel" for the Hayward law firm of Furtado, Jaspovice and
Simons, whose personal-injury litigation ranges from medical malpractice to
government liability and defective products."
Dan Walters looks at the extra income collected by Los Angeles Superior Court judges, which had been ruled illegal before a budget trailer bill made the continued practice possible.
"The biggest extra pops for the judges are the same
"Megaflex" benefits, 19 percent of their salaries, that county employees get,
even though judges are now considered state employees.
"That's $33,970 per judge. It's supposed to be used to buy medical, dental and disability
coverage, but anything not spent for those benefits
can be taken as extra taxable income. And as state
employees, L.A.'s judges already are supplied with health benefits
from another source.
"In addition, each judge gets a $6,876 "professional development allowance," which can be spent on almost anything related to the
job, such as attendance at judicial conventions. Finally,
each judge gets up to $6,880 for a private retirement plan over and above the ordinary
pension system.
"Los Angeles County has 439 Superior Court judgeships, so those extra payments
amount to about $21 million a year, more than 10 percent of its deficit. County officials contend the
extra compensation is needed to attract qualified judicial
candidates.
"That's always the excuse when someone gets an extra bite
of the public apple."
"With Academy Award-winner Sean Penn on hand to provide Hollywood star power, state Sen.
Mark Leno launched a new effort Tuesday to recognize May 22 in California as Harvey Milk Day in honor of the slain San Francisco supervisor and
gay rights leader," reports John Wildermuth in the Chron.
"In September, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a similar
bill, which would have made Milk's birthday "a day of special significance" in the state's public schools. The governor argued that Milk's contributions should be "recognized at the local level."
"But Milk's cause took a huge leap in visibility when Penn received
an Oscar last month for his portrayal of Milk, one
of the nation's first openly gay elected officials, in the movie
of the same name.
"With the Castro district camera shop owner's name back in the headlines 30 years after his death, Leno, a San Francisco Democrat,
is trying again with a new bill, SB572."
"'If there's one thing Arnold Schwarzenegger understands, it's box office,' Leno said. 'And Harvey Milk now has box office.'"
"Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa secured a second four-year term in Tuesday's election. But one of his closest allies, Councilman Jack Weiss, was headed for a May 19 runoff in the contest for city attorney," reports the Times.
"With about half of the votes counted, Villaraigosa
avoided a runoff against the second-place candidate, attorney Walter Moore.The mayor had been expected to secure the needed majority,
given that he had appeared in television commercials
for himself and two other campaigns -- and had outspent Moore by a ratio of 15 to 1.
"In other contests, Councilwoman Wendy Greuel was drawing enough votes to avoid a runoff in her
bid for city controller, holding a commanding lead
on businesswoman Kathleen "Suzy" Evans and engineer Nick Patsaouras, according to early results. City attorney candidate
Jack Weiss, a Westside councilman, appeared headed
for a May 19 runoff against Carmen "Nuch" Trutanich, although early returns showed Deputy City Atty. Michael Amerian narrowly in third place."
Also, former Assemblyman Paul Koretz is headed to a run-off against David Vahedi for a seat on the LA City Council.
"Villaraigosa had been hoping to use Tuesday's election to expand his political reach at City Hall, ushering Weiss and Greuel into citywide office. Having those two in such powerful posts would represent a dramatic break for the mayor, who frequently disagreed with City Atty. Rocky Delgadillo and had an increasingly distant relationship with City Controller Laura Chick. Both Chick and Delgadillo are being forced out by term limits."
"In a hard-fought display of political tenacity, San Jose Councilwoman
Madison Nguyen on Tuesday triumphed against a fervent recall effort — born from outrage over a shopping district's name — that pitted her against many in the Vietnamese community
who first elected her three years ago," writes Denis Theriault in the Merc News.
"The stunning result was all but certain soon after
the polls closed at 8 p.m., when the results of more than 9,500 votes cast in the weeks before Election Day were released.
With all precincts counted a few hours later, and fewer
than 1,200 late and provisional ballots left to tally today,
voters had favored Nguyen by a wide 55 percent to 45 percent.
"With their decision, voters in Nguyen's District 7 have put a firm end to the "Little Saigon" saga — a bruising fight that caused a rift within the city's large Vietnamese community, alienated other residents
and came to dominate local politics for months.
"'I am just overwhelmed with joy,' Nguyen said amid a crush of supporters celebrating
at the San Jose Police Officers' Association hall."
And finally, from our, I'd Buy That for a Dollar Files, the LA City council is liquidizing assets, and it's starting with Bubba the horse.
"The
City Council voted today to sell 12-year-old Bubba to Hollywood
hairdresser Laini Reeves for just one dollar because it would cost more
to keep the horse than he's worth.
"A report compiled by city
officials showed it would cost $6,000 a year to care for Bubba, who was
recently retired from the mounted unit of the Los Angeles
Department of
Recreation and Parks because he wasn't the best horse for the job, said
department spokeswoman Jane Kolb.
"Councilman Tom LaBonge
originally proposed selling Bubba as a cost-cutting measure. Carolyn
Ramsay, a spokeswoman for LaBonge's office, says two more horses will
be sold in coming weeks."
Get in line now, sports fans...