The Bee's Jim Sanders
takes a look at the latest Field Poll results. "The
Field Poll targeted five major propositions on the Nov. 7 ballot and found that:
Proposition 83, known as Jessica's Law, leads by a ratio of nearly 7-1, with massive bipartisan support.
Proposition 85, abortion notification, trails by one percentage point after a nearly identical measure was narrowly defeated last year.
Proposition 86, the cigarette tax, enjoys a comfortable lead of nearly 2-1 -- though smokers firmly oppose it.
Proposition 87, the tax on oil companies, leads by 21 percentage points, but a majority of Republicans plan to vote no.
Proposition 90, eminent domain, has far more support than opposition but remains four percentage points shy of the 50 percent threshold needed for passage.
"
Mark DiCamillo, Field Poll director, said the poll provides an early snapshot of voter trends."
"'It really hasn't yet been affected by any kind of yes or no campaign advertisement or appeals,' he said. 'Those will come. But it's important to track the same measures, over time, to see what those effects are.'"
The Boat Guy
looks at the bipartisan support behind Prop. 90. "Perhaps the most intriguing example of cross-party solidarity this year is Proposition 90, which would make it more difficult for local and state governments to seize private property through eminent domain and require governments to compensate property owners for any 'substantial economic losses' from land use restrictions."
"The 51 percent support among Republicans is not surprising, but Democrats at 42 percent and independents at 43 percent are not far behind, and the "no" side trails among both of the latter groups. Only self-identified liberals oppose the measure, and then by just a scant margin."
"What's happening here? Although they may come at it from different perspectives, and with differing definitions, members of both parties tend to value individual rights, and Proposition 90's cross-party support may reflect that common view. In fact, Sandefur and other property rights advocates contend that the most egregious cases of property seizure tend to affect property owners on the lower end of the economic scale, not the rich."
"The California Republican Party
has raised $12.3 million this year, most of it in unlimited donations, according to campaign finance reports reviewed Tuesday," reports Laura Kurtzman for the AP.
"That is nearly twice what the Democratic Party has raised this year, although Democrats still have more in their bank account heading into the November general election. As of June 30,
the Republican Party had $3 million in cash on hand, while the Democrats had $9 million. That includes money the party raised in previous years."
CW's John Howard reports on Team Schwarzenegger's call for
Angelides to return more than $18,000 in donations from applicant attorneys. "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's campaign demanded that Democratic rival Phil Angelides give back $18,500 in disputed campaign donations from members of the California Applicant Attorneys' Association. Although the governor's political staff decried the donations, they declined to file a formal complaint with the state's political watchdog."
"'He should return the contributions that are inappropriate,' said
Tom Hiltachk, a Sacramento lawyer and Republican legal adviser, 'and he should look through his campaign reports for any other (similar) contributions.'"
Good luck with that.
Meanwhile, the Dems got a boost from an old friend last night.
"Former President
Bill Clinton campaigned for Democratic gubernatorial nominee Phil Angelides Tuesday night at a $5 million fundraising dinner, giving the candidate a much-needed financial -- and morale -- boost in his race against Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger."
"'
This guy's got the heart of a lion,' Clinton told supporters inside the swanky Beverly Hilton, standing alongside Angelides and former pro basketball great
Magic Johnson. '
Please stick with him. He will win this thing.'"
"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
will ask lawmakers this month to spend nearly $6 billion on new prison construction projects that, unlike his proposals to build new roads, levees and schools, would not go to voters for final approval," writes the Chron's Mark Martin.
"Administration officials on Tuesday released a final price tag for a major expansion of the prison system that could add more than 40,000 beds during the next decade. The proposal is in response to what corrections officials have conceded is dangerous overcrowding in the state's 33 prisons."
The plan to use revenue bonds to avoid the ballot faces opposition. "'Taxpayers are on the hook for every nickel, and that being the case, they have the constitutional right to vote on it,' said state Sen.
Tom McClintock, R-Thousand Oaks."
"Assembly Speaker
Fabian Nuñez, who is carrying legislation that could lead to new prison construction, was more blunt in assessing why both his proposal and the governor's rely on lease-revenue bonds.
"'
If you put it before voters, it will go down,' Nuñez said. Statewide polls have consistently shown voters do not favor spending money on new prisons."
The LAT's Steve Lopez
gets a chance to smoke cigars with the governor. "The conversation lasted for an hour, and so did the cigar, and the governor invited me up to Sacramento to continue the conversation."
"I told him I'd bring the smokes, and he said not to bother. He knows what he likes."
"OK then, I said, I'll pick up the tab here for the bottled water and the few snacks he ordered."
"Schwarzenegger looked me square in the eye."
"'It's about time,' he said."
Matier and Ross
look at the judicial appointment of Jim Rogan. "What makes the Rogan appointment all the more interesting is that in 1999, Schwarzenegger told George magazine that the uproar over the Clinton-Monica Lewinsky affair was a waste of time and energy and something '
I will never forgive the Republican Party for. I was ashamed to call myself a Republican during that period.'"
"Guess that was then."
"Asked about those remarks Tuesday, Schwarzenegger spokeswoman
Margita Thompson would say only, 'Jim Rogan is a well-respected leader in California, and the governor is proud to have nominated him.'"
"Mayor
Antonio Villaraigosa's school reform plan
received one more public airing Tuesday courtesy of two Republican lawmakers who favor a breakup of the Los Angeles Unified School District."
"The hearing, at Granada Hills Charter High School, allowed Assemblyman
Keith S. Richman (R-Northridge) and state Sen.
George Runner (R-Lancaster) to remind constituents — and Villaraigosa — that they oppose the current form of the bill that would give him substantial authority over the city's public schools."
"The Republican lawmakers would, however, support a version that would give Villaraigosa clear authority over the school system for five years — and then allow voters to pass judgment on breaking up the nation's second-largest school system."
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles "City Council
declined Tuesday to put a measure on the November ballot that would have opened the door to a pay raise for members of the Los Angeles Unified School District's elected board but also imposed term limits and campaign finance restrictions.
"The vote on the motion to put the proposal on the ballot was 6 to 7, two votes short of the eight required for passage."
"'Do we need to do this right now? Is this properly vetted?' asked Councilman
Herb Wesson. 'Should we not wait to see what is going to happen with the mayor's plan? Maybe after more discussion we can place this on a future ballot.'"
"Union leaders representing 6,400
California Highway Patrol officers
reached a tentative agreement Tuesday on a new state contract that requires employees to pay for their retirement like other state workers and provides a 3.5 percent pay increase for activities conducted before and after work hours."
"The four-year contract would cost the state an additional $30 million annually and must be ratified by the Legislature and the union's members, according to
Lynelle Jolley, a spokeswoman for the Department of Personnel Administration."
With his new buddy
Tony Blair about to be unemployed, Gov. Schwarzenegger has an idea, according to the New York Post. "'I think whatever job he wants he will get because he's got such a good success rate at home and he's done such a remarkable job in Europe and England and in the world as a leader.
If he wants a job in Hollywood I could get him to play Terminator 4,'" the governor told reporters.
"Blair, who is expected to stand down as Prime Minister before the next British elections by 2010, says, ""That's definitely the best offer I've had.
'Actually, the sad thing is, it's the only offer I've had.'"
He may
f**king own Malibu, but last week's little tirade pretty much eliminates any Mel Gibson for Governor talk, reports Josh Richman. "Not that he was ever really running, anyway. The conservative, grassroots California Republican Assembly had floated the actor/director's name — and even launched
www.melgibsonforgovernor.com — in December while angry at Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for naming Democrat Susan Kennedy as his chief of staff. But Gibson never went for it, and that Web site now is dead."
Yet
www.draftmelgibson.com remains.
The site contains real quotes from Gibson on key issues. Here's Mel waxing poetic on evolution: "I think it's bullshit. If it isn't, why are they [monkeys and apes] still around? How come apes aren't people yet? It's a nice theory, but I can't swallow it. There's a big credibility gap. The carbon dating thing that tells you how long something's been around, how accurate is that, really? I've got one of Darwin's books at home and some of that stuff is pretty damn funny. Some of his stuff is true, like that the giraffe has a long neck so it can reach the leaves. But I just don't think you can swallow the whole piece."
Well, maybe he can run for Superintendent or Public Instruction instead...
