Dear Roundup Readers: In the next few days, you'll start to notice small changes in your daily Roundup. The vitals will still stay the same -- still the same bad jokes written at the same ungodly hour. But small design changes (the new logo, for instance) will begin to be implemented as we try to integrate the Roundup with the new, redesigned Capitol Weekly, which will be on the street on Aug. 17.
One of the changes in the Roundup will be the introduction of advertising. For the last seven months, we have woken up before the sun to try to entertain and inform you with a rundown of the state's political news. And now, it's time to pay. In a short amount of time, we have built the Roundup into a must-read for California political junkies. We currently e-mail the Roundup to almost 2,500 people daily, with more people signing up every single day. Several hundred more come to our Web site to read the Roundup daily, and many of you print it out to hand around the office.
Advertising in the Roundup will allow you to reach an elite group of California political insiders, every weekday morning, directly in their email inbox. Your ad will also be an endorsement of bad humor everywhere, and will allow us to retain the resources to keep the Roundup going.
For more information on advertising in the Roundup, email us at ads@capitolbasement.com. And bear with us as we make some other minor changes along the way.
xo,
The Roundup
He's baaaack...The governor was on the road in Redding yesterday,
the Bee reports, and back on the rhetorical and fundraising offensive. "Every time the big spenders in Sacramento get into trouble, what do they do?' Schwarzenegger was quoted as saying by the Associated Press. 'They
raise taxes and steal money from local government.'"
Marty Wilson, the governor's chief fundraiser, told reporters yesterday that the governor's California Recovery Team will report
a debt of $1 million for the filing period ending June 30. However, Wilson "says the money is flowing even beyond projections - nearly $2 million the past two weeks."
Hard to believe the governor projected having a $1 million debt less than four months before Election Day, but who are we to judge?
The governor's reelection committee will report "a 'modest' cash reserve because most of the money being raised is going for the special election initiatives."
In response to
Lew Uhler's Proposition 75, which would require public employee unions to seek permission from members before using dues for political contributions, labor groups (through the Alliance for a Better California) this week began the process to
circulate an initiative that would
require corporations to seek shareholder permission before contributing to political candidates and causes.
The LA Times reports "Business leaders said the proposal seemed riddled with constitutional violations and probably would face a court challenge.
Allan Zaremberg, president and chief executive of the California Chamber of Commerce, said it would stifle corporations trying to fight ballot measures that could 'put them out of business.'"
"'
It would be inappropriate to deny them the ability to participate in the political process,' he said."
You can check out the
measure for yourself on the Attorney General's Web site.
Fueling the summer-recess rumors that
Gray Davis is planning a comeback next year, the former governor called in to the
Eric Hogue show on KTKZ and
endorsed redistricting reform, although not until after the 2010 census. Hogue initially reported on
his blog that Davis endorsed Proposition 77, but later posted
the transcript showing that the governor opposed a mid-decade redistricting.
"'I believe it's a mistake to have the Legislature and the governor draw the district lines,' Davis said. '
It's basically a conflict of interest.'"
Something he just might know something about.
In
Worst Kept Secret in Sacramento news, Los Angeles City Council President
Alex Padilla formally announced his run for state Senate yesterday. His run sets up a possible showdown with Assemblywoman
Cindy Montaņez in the June 2006 Democratic primary.
Padilla's senate bid will set up a fight for the council presidency as well. Despite rumors that a deal was in place to make
Herb Wesson the new council president, smart money is still on Mayor Villaraigosa backing
Wendy Greuel for the gig. Councilman
Eric Garcetti, who backed
Jim Hahn in the mayor's race, also covets the council presidency.
Back to the ballot: The board of the Los Angeles Unified School District unanimously voted to go back to the ballot in November with
a $3.98 billion school construction bond, adding to the $9.5 billion in approved bond funds over the last seven and a half years (including one 1.5 years ago). The board shelved a plan to seek a parcel tax for operating costs.
