As the deadline set by Secretary of State Bruce McPherson of 5 p.m. today approaches, the
governor was back to gimmicks yesterday, this time in Elk Grove.
"On Thursday, the governor traveled to the Sacramento suburb of Elk Grove, where he
tore red tape from a lawn to illustrate his call for stripping state lawmakers of the power to draw boundaries for legislative and congressional districts. The governor argues that the arrangement has allowed incumbents in both parties to win easy reelection because legislators stack each district.
'
The politicians have divided a neighborhood,' Schwarzenegger said as he announced that petitions on the measure were being submitted. "They've divided cities, towns and people. And this is what we want to eliminate. This is why we need redistricting.'"
While the tape was a typical Schwarzenegger prop, the LA Times reports that the governor's staff acknowledged they were actually in a solidly Republican neighborhood located entirely within
Guy Houston's safe Assembly seat.
But the lactose-intolerant among you, beware.
Dan Weintraub reports "my colleagues on the Bee's editorial board think this event qualifies for one of their
"Cheese Index" awards as a cheesy political stunt. Watch Sunday's Forum Section to see how many wedges the governor is awarded."
Meanwhile
paycheck protection continues to inch toward the ballot, and Citizens to Save California co-chairman
Joel Fox talks about the strategy behind the initiative. "I don't know to what extent the unions have the ability to have
a full-on assault to the Uhler initiative while also attacking some of the governor's other initiatives." Fox said.
The Mercury News reports: "Three more initiatives -- on redistricting, energy regulation and prescription drugs --
now look certain to be on the ballot, if Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger follows through on his threat to call a special election this fall."
"The final piece of the Republican's reforms, an
initiative restricting state spending and giving the governor broader authority over the budget, is
due to be turned in next week. It's unclear if that will force the governor to consider a later election date or if the measure could still qualify in time for Nov. 8."
We may have to wait for an answer, as McPherson is in Washington
explaining the state's use of federal election funds. "'There were some real concerns,' McPherson said after the meeting. 'Understandably, they want some answers, and they want information. And we want to give it to them.'"
Meanwhile,
Phil Angelides is
stumped in the "nation's capital this week as he tried to line up support for his 2006 gubernatorial campaign:
a 12-page color brochure touting his candidacy and an
eight-minute biographical DVD."
Angelides got
a little national ink for his troubles, as the Washington Post sat down with the anti-Arnold. And they provide all of us with this important reminder. "Angelides, a wealthy real estate developer --
once described on the television show "The Simpsons" as vice president for calendars and fake IDs for (Homer's favorite) Duff Beer -- questioned Schwarzenegger's honesty and portrayed him as beholden to special interests.
Angelides explains his Simpsons appearance this way "Apparently what happened -- we looked into it -- is they ["Simpsons" writers] were in a writing session and they were coming up with names, and someone said, 'Let's call him Phil Angelides,' " he said. "They just liked the name."
Funny, that's how we cast out last three votes for governor.
Joe Nation may need to borrow some slick paraphernalia from Angelides in his bid to unseat incumbent
Lynn Woolsey. Meanwhile, he's stuck running to the right of her in Marin County. In his announcement yesterday with education supe
Jack O'Connell, "Nation said it would be 'a mistake to unilaterally and unconditionally withdraw forces from Iraq ... It would lead to destabilization.'"
Sold! The deal between car dealers and consumer advocates was
quickly approved in the State Assembly yesterday. Republicans objected that they hadn't had time to read
the bill, and the governor wouldn't commit, "'If it's something that protects the consumer, and if it also makes sense, then I will sign it. I've always said that. But if it's unfair and unreasonable, I will not sign it,' the GOP governor said."
Leland Yee's bill to restrict sales of violent video games to minors was
unexpectedly revived on a reconsideration vote in the Assembly's Arts, Entertainment and Everything Else committee. Actually, nobody reconsidered their position. Apparently,
Jerome Horton was replaced on the committee by
Dave Jones, who became the bill's deciding vote.
Are you sure you want to permanently delete this message? The Bee reports: "Federal investigators have
initiated a broad Capitol inquiry into state Senate leader
Don Perata, requesting copies of all e-mails sent by the Oakland Democrat and eight legislative staff members during his first six years in the upper house, according to a subpoena released Thursday."
Spokesperson
Jason Kinney "'To say this subpoena is a fishing expedition is an insult to fishermen,' Kinney said. 'All along, this inquiry has been a mile wide and an inch deep with no clear target or momentum. It's normal and expected that (federal investigators) would in the
normal course of business ask for e-mails from state employees with no connection whatsoever to this case.'"
Huh? Feds normally collect e-mails from state employees?
Stem Cell Vote Today Today is the day that members of the Institute for Regenerative Medicine makes its
final vote on where to house the stem cell institute. San Francisco has been ahead in the balloting, but Sacramento and San Diego are also in contention.
Meanwhile, the feds
lowered the boom on former
Kevin Shelley fundraiser
Julie Lee, who was charged with "on charges of diverting $125,000 from a taxpayer-funded grant to Shelley's campaign coffers."
Finally, from the bankers down south:
Antonio Villaraigosa is
far outpacing Jim Hahn in fundraising, raising "more than $2.8 million for the runoff campaign through the end of last month compared with less than $1.2 million for Hahn."
