The governor issued a proclamation yesterday
opposing tribal casinos in cities with a population greater than 100,000 and smaller cities that have, together with a neighboring city, have a total of 100,000 people. "'If the governor is going to make a proclamation it should be something that is fair to all the tribes in the state of California,' [California Nations Indian Gaming Association chairman
Anthony] Miranda said."
Self-reliance ads returning to television in 3-2-1...
George Skelton
wonders why the governor insists on calling the education community liars, instead of continuing the message that he was trying to protect other programs without raising taxes. Dan Weintraub
asked the same question in his blog yesterday, concluding "Diving back into the morass over his broken promise is only going to remind voters that there was a promise, and he broke it."
Can't they just
fight it out like adults?Today, Weintraub focuses on
Mike Murphy and his Alfred E. Newman approach to the special election. "Listening to Mike Murphy,
sometimes it's hard to tell if he is one of the most brilliant men in politics or simply an engaging talker who is making it up as he goes along."
What are you doing for your summer vacation? Fresh off their invitation from the governor,
James Gilchrist and
the Minutemen are coming to California in August."More than 500 volunteers have signed up to patrol areas of the California-Mexico border in August, including former Border Patrol agents, retired police and military personnel and pilots. He said yesterday that at least 2,000 more applications from volunteers nationwide are still being reviewed," the Washington Times reports.
Then again, you may not get a summer vacation this year if you are dependent on a quick budget resolution. Senate Republican leader
Dick Ackerman is
digging in for a long budget fight. "Senate Republican leader Richard Ackerman on Wednesday said his caucus is less likely to acquiesce to Democrats' demands during budget talks this year because a long fight could benefit Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's political position in a special election."
Expect Democrats to pounce all over this one today.
And just for good measure, Ackerman said Prop. 98 was driving the state toward bankruptcy. " "Proposition 98 is basically a formula for disaster," Ackerman said. "We put tons and tons of money in education and it's never enough."
Looks now like Prop. 98 is becoming to Republicans what Prop. 13 is to Democrats.
Ward Connerly and his American Civil Rights Coalition
agreed to pay a $95,000 fine to settle a lawsuit yesterday by the FPPC. The suit stems from the Proposition 54 campaign, and Connerly's efforts to avoid disclosing donors of $1.7 million in funds by passing them through the Coalition, a nonprofit organization.
The Sacto News and Review has a cover story
profiling Arnold's Willie Horton. "
Royce Timmons didn’t know it at the time, but when he was paroled and then allegedly went on a horrendous crime spree involving multiple victims, he became the poster boy for opportunistic tough-on-crime politicos and for public-employee unions hoping to bring down the governor of California. ... Timmons started the first day of his six-day run in an argument with his girlfriend, and the dispute quickly escalated. He allegedly reacted by
stabbing his companion multiple times in the neck and face, and she nearly died. Later the same day, he supposedly
kidnapped a woman who was sitting in her car at a fast-food restaurant and drove her to three different places, stopping to rape her at each, before she finally managed to escape."
Students at Taft High School in Woodland Hills yesterday greeted mayor-elect
Antonio Villaraigosa with a large student brawl. The LA Times reports "Initial reports suggested that Taft High, which serves some black students bused from South Los Angeles, was experiencing the same kind of racial brawling between blacks and Latinos that had inflamed some South Los Angeles schools in recent weeks."
Mr. Mayor, are you sure you want to take responsibility for the schools?
Meanwhile,
Gil Cedillo says he's
"mulling" a run for Villaraigosa's city council seat.The News and Review
gets the interview with former Bee columnest
Diana Griego Erwin, who was forced out after the paper began questioning the validity of her anonymous sources.
