"After signing the state's timeliest budget in six years and running $12 million in post-primary campaign ads,
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger leads Democrat Phil Angelides by 8 points in the governor's race, according to a
new Field Poll," reports the Bee's Kevin Yamamura.
"The findings contain additional good news for the Republican incumbent: More voters believe California is headed in the right direction than the wrong direction for the first time in 22 months, while Schwarzenegger has his first positive job approval rating since February 2005."
"Last October, state Treasurer Angelides led Schwarzenegger, 47 percent to 41 percent, when voters were asked about a potential head-to-head matchup. The latest poll
shows 45 percent of likely voters back Schwarzenegger and 37 percent support Angelides, while 15 percent are undecided and 3 percent prefer other candidates."
The Chron's Carla Marinucci
talks to the Field Poll director, Mark DiCamillo about Angelides's problems. "'
What's surprising is the weakness of his support among Democrats, and the lack of confidence Democrats have that Angelides will win,' DiCamillo said of the treasurer."
"
Only 49 percent of Angelides supporters polled said they believe the Democrat will win the 2006 gubernatorial election -- compared to 86 percent of Schwarzenegger voters who believe their candidate will win."
"
Less than two-thirds of Democrats considered likely voters in California support Angelides, compared to an overwhelming 85 percent of Republicans who are behind Schwarzenegger; independent voters favor Schwarzenegger 36 to 35 percent, with 1 in 5 still undecided, according to the poll."
A new Zogby poll was a bit more favorable to Angelides, showing
the treasurer in a statistical dead heat with Schwarzenegger.
In a memo to reporters, Angelides strategist
Bill Carrick said, "The Governor’s Race remains very competitive despite the expenditure of $15 million in negative ads by Arnold Schwarzenegger. By comparison, the Angelides Campaign has spent $1.4 million in the same period. As the campaign moves forward, the Angelides Campaign will be competitive in our advertising expenditures. The Schwarzenegger Campaign advertising advantage came to an end this weekend.
Clearly, the Schwarzenegger Campaign attempted an immediate post primary knockout punch of Angelides. They swung and missed."
Despite a record-tying heat wave and record-setting electricity usage, California eked through the day yesterday without state-ordered rolling blackouts. "The grid operator declared this year's first Stage 2 emergency Monday, triggering voluntary cutbacks among some big energy users. Power usage peaked shortly afterward at 50,270 megawatts --
setting a record well above what had been the ISO's worst-case scenario for this summer," repors the Bee's Carrie Peyton Dahlberg.
"In Sacramento, temperatures peaked at 108 degrees, according to the National Weather Service, tying a record for nine consecutive days of 100 or above, and raising the prospect that the record could be broken today."
Dan Walters writes "Angelides desperately needs for Schwarzenegger or fate -- in the form of a big natural or manmade crisis -- to give him an opening because
he has been utterly unable to gain any traction since winning the Democratic nomination last month. A new statewide Field Poll underscores his dilemma, showing that Schwarzenegger enjoys an eight percentage point lead -- just about where other private and public polls have the contest."
"Does that mean that in his heart of hearts, Angelides hopes the heat wave will morph into a gigantic natural disaster that will damage Schwarzenegger's standing and slow what has become a political juggernaut? Only he could answer that question."
We're looking forward to someone asking that question at the next Angelides press conference.
Today, Angelides will be in Los Angeles to "outline his energy strategy to attract more power to the state and discuss Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s failure to keep the state free from energy shortages," according to a statement from the campaign.
"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger brought together corporate executives, doctors, medical administrators and academics Monday in what he said was an attempt to find common ground on healthcare policy — and in the process
exposed a divide among organized labor," reports the LAT's Joe Mathews.
"Outside, the California Nurses Assn. ran a picket line of 40 people. '
Any union leader that crosses is a scab,' said
Rose Ann DeMoro, the union's executive director."
"Inside,
the national presidents of three prominent unions — the Service Employees International Union, the United Farm Workers and the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America — took seats around a long table with the 50 summit participants, and thanked the governor for convening the session."
"(
Don Attore, a top staffer of the California Teachers Assn., joined the summit late and spoke during a lunchtime discussion about Schwarzenegger's proposal, announced Monday, to install new medical clinics in as many as 500 elementary schools.)"
"The labor officials said they went to Schwarzenegger's event because of the urgency of the issue, and not to help him politically."
"
Arturo Rodriguez, the UFW president, noted that 85% of farm workers lack health coverage. 'People's lives are more important than what the election politics are,' he said."
Meanwhile,
Phil Angelides held a town hall of his own at UCLA. "'No governor in recent California history has cared less about healthcare or done less to expand and improve it than Arnold Schwarzenegger,' Angelides told the gathering."
"Angelides said if elected he would introduce legislation requiring companies with more than 200 employees to provide health insurance. It would, he said, be modeled after a law that California voters overturned in 2004, which required companies to offer insurance or pay fees into a state system that would provide coverage."
"In addition, Angelides said he would
'force' drug companies to lower their costs and require HMOs to devote more money to healthcare and 'not excessive profits and executive pay.' The governor's campaign said such measures would amount to a multibillion-dollar tax increase on business."
"The largest state employees union has
ratified what union officials called their biggest contract ever, a package that could be worth $500 million over three years," reports the AP.
"The contract was approved by 94 percent of Service Employees International Union Local 1000’s 85,000 members after a monthlong vote, the union said Saturday."
"SEIU 1000 includes about half of all state unionized employees in nine bargaining units representing state accountants, agriculture inspectors, custodians, counselors, engineers, nurses, printers, teachers and technicians."
In San Francisco, the state's top court
issued two decisions on Proposition 64. "An initiative that prohibited a once-common variety of lawsuit in California is retroactive, the state Supreme Court ruled Monday, clouding an untold number of consumer and other public-interest cases -- as well as many suits that could profit only the lawyers who filed them," reports the Bee's Claire Cooper.
"In a split pair of rulings, the justices unanimously decided one issue in favor of businesses and the other in favor of some of the lawyers who sue businesses." The court decided that Prop. 64 applies to cases pending when during the November 2004 election when voters approved the measure, but also ruled that trial judges may add injured plaintiffs to pending cases.
"Election officials Monday recounted 130 ballots from the 30th Senate District election that were incorrectly tabulated during the June 6 primary, but the
re-tally did not affect the race's outcome."
"There were no problems with the recount, and the re-tabulated votes will go before the Board of Supervisors next week for certification, said
Eileen Shea with the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk's office."
"The error was discovered last week during a recount requested by Assemblyman
Rudy Bermudez, D-Norwalk, who ran against Assemblyman
Ron Calderon, D-Montebello, for the nomination in the 30th Senate District."
"Bermudez lost by 305 votes, so the error will not affect the outcome of that race or any other race, said Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk
Conny McCormack."
Why is
Chuck Poochigian embracing
Don Perata? To take a swipe at
Jerry Brown, of course. Perata was in Oakland yesterday announcing his "to-do list" to help stem murders and street violence in Oakland. Poochigian used it as a chance to take a dig at his rival for attorney general.
"I commend Senator Perata for acknowledging that Oakland is in the midst of a serious public safety crisis, and for taking steps to fight back against those terrorizing the streets. Perata and other local and law enforcement officials are filling a void left by those with the most direct control over Oakland's rising crime, and seem to realize that city leaders who ignore the problem or deny that it exists only make things worse."
Whomever could that be?
Finally, the Modesto Bee
checks in with Gary Condit, and his ongoing legal battles. Sure, he's got that defamation suit going against an Arizona newspaper, but Michael Doyle also reports
"Baskin-Robbins is challenging him over his ice cream business".
"Late last week, contending that Condit and his family members 'have been evading service of process,' Baskin-Robbins secured a federal judge's order that U.S. deputy marshals serve legal papers on Condit, his wife and two children.
The legal papers are part of a federal lawsuit that Baskin-Robbins filed in Phoenix. The company claims Condit, Carolyn and their children,
Chad and Cadee, breached their contract to run two ice cream stores in Glendale, Ariz.
"By February 2006, BaskinRobbins claims, the Condits had defaulted on their financial reporting and payment obligations. The company terminated the two franchise contracts in March,
claiming the Condits owe at least $14,221.29. The company also claimed the Condits have kept operating the store under the Baskin-Robbins name even after losing the franchise."
