"The organizers of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's campaign
convened with some of his staunchest Napa County supporters Wednesday at the home of
Marc Mondavi, one of the owners of the embattled Charles Krug winery," reports the Napa Valley Register's Julissa McKinnon. The gathering was focused on
Phil Angelides's suggestion that the sales tax break for agriculture be repealed.
"Originally planned to be at the Charles Krug Winery, the gathering was moved to Mondavi's estate seven miles up the mountain because as Mondavi put it: '
People were concerned about the labor issues, and asked if there were any other sites.'"
Before we know it, the governor will move from the Hyatt to the Sheraton.
"It's shaping up to be quite the gubernatorial week for Napa Valley since the governor himself is scheduled to visit
Daryl Sattui's Castello di Amorosa Friday afternoon for a private fundraiser, according to
Amanda Fulkerson, Schwarzenegger's regional press secretary."
The Chron's Matthew Yi looks at the governor's resurrection of the Industrial Welfare Commission, which
may pull off an October surprise with an increase in the minimum wage. Friday's "meeting is part of a process that was jump-started by Schwarzenegger in May when he resurrected the previously dormant Industrial Welfare Commission and appointed four of the five members to consider his proposal to raise the minimum wage by $1 to $7.75 an hour. The commission, in turn, appointed a 13-member wage board, which will first hear the matter and make a recommendation," reports the Chron's Matthew Yi.
"One potential scenario is that in the end, the commission would approve Schwarzenegger's proposal roughly a week before the election, because the panel faces an Oct. 31 deadline if it wants the new rate to kick in on Jan. 1, 2007."
"The governor is pursuing the administrative solution at the same time he's negotiating with Democratic lawmakers to strike a deal on a minimum wage bill that could be passed by the end of the legislative session, Aug. 31."
"Whether he strikes a deal with Democratic lawmakers and signs their legislation or the Industrial Welfare Commission increases the minimum wage, it would be another feather in his cap when it comes to reminding voters in November why he needs to remain in office over the Democratic challenger,
Phil Angelides."
"
Bob Mulholland, the Angelides campaign's senior adviser,
called the governor's call to raise the minimum wage after two years of vetoing such bills snobbery."
"'
Judge Schwarzenegger on this issue on what he did last year, not what he does this year,' Mulholland said."
Claremont's
Jack Pitney, however, says voters will care most about the recent actions of the governor. "'
Voters are concerned about what have you done for me lately,' Pitney said. 'I'm sure it's extremely frustrating for Angelides.'"
With both sides alleging Johnny Come Lately, Schwarzenegger campaign communications director
Katie Levinson lashed out at the Angelides campaign, offering some free advice to the Angelides camp. Our favorite was No. 3: "
Come up with some original policy proposals that a) don't involve tax hikes and b) aren't ripoffs of policies the Governor has already introduced and supported."
So, first your boss adopts the Democratic playbook, then accuses the Democrat of being a copycat? Priceless.
The U-T's John Marelius is the latest to look at
the distance the guv is trying to keep from President Bush.
"In recent weeks, Schwarzenegger has taken issue with the White House and congressional Republicans over stem cell research, offshore oil drilling, patrolling the border and global warming.
It was global warming that resulted in the photograph of Schwarzenegger and British Prime Minister
Tony Blair on Monday agreeing in Long Beach that California and Britain would conduct joint research projects into greenhouse gases and clean-burning fuels.
Even before the joint news conference, Angelides denounced it as a meaningless campaign 'photo op.'
'There's nothing solid here, nothing specific that reduces greenhouse gases,' the Democrat said.
We're sure Blair's perfunctory visit with Angelides last week was much more substantive.
Ed Mendel takes a look at Angelides' plan to
take on health maintenance organizations.
Angelides said "that he would curb excessive HMO health plan administrative costs, making care more affordable for families and businesses. The state treasurer said his Republican opponent, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, has failed to use existing law that holds health maintenance organizations accountable when administrative costs, including profits, exceed 15 percent of premiums.
'The governor has the authority to do it, and I'm going to do it,' Angelides said as he proposed a 'crack down' on HMOs during a campaign event at the Clairemont Community Services Center in San Diego.
Today, Angelides will appear at the California Nurses Association to make "a major announcement" about campaign finance reform, according to a campaign press release.
The suspense is killing us...
Today's
Field Poll release finds that
Dianne "Feinstein leads 56 percent to 34 percent over former state Sen.
Richard Mountjoy, according to Tuesday's Field Poll," writes Judy Lin for the Bee.
"'Whenever an incumbent is above 50 percent in a re-election poll, the general consensus is that the seat is fairly safe,' said Field Poll Director
Mark DiCamillo."
"The poll shows that Feinstein's colleague, Sen.
Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., also enjoys favorable ratings, though to a lesser degree than Feinstein. Currently, 45 percent of voters approve of Boxer's job performance, compared with 34 percent who disapprove."
From our
Auditing the Obvious Files: "An audit released Wednesday
found widespread mismanagement and overspending in the state prison health care system, costing taxpayers millions of dollars," reports Mark Zapler in the Merc News.
"State procedures for contracting health services are so poor as to practically invite abuse, said Controller
Steve Westly, who was joined at a news conference by Robert Sillen, the court-appointed receiver of the prison medical care system."
Today's
Thank you sir, may I have another response comes from the Dept. of Corrections. "
Terry Thornton, a spokeswoman for the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, did not dispute the audit's findings but said the problem cuts across many state agencies. The rules for contracting medical services and hiring physicians, for example, involve other departments.
"'We agree there have been deficiencies,' Thornton said. '
That's why we welcome the involvement of the receiver so we can fix all of this.'"
"California, still seeking to recover money spent on electricity during the energy crisis,
won a split court decision Wednesday that puts another $900 million worth of potential refunds on the table," writes the Bee's Dale Kasler.
"But the ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco put another set of potential refunds -- totaling about $1.8 billion -- out of reach."
"'The 9th Circuit gave and it took away,' said
Tom Dresslar, spokesman for California Attorney General Bill Lockyer. 'The court took away more than it gave.'"
"Revisiting an issue that has defined the face of city government in Los Angeles for more than a decade, the City Council on Wednesday
unanimously approved a ballot measure that would extend from two to three the number of terms a council member can serve," report Steve Hymon and Juliet Chang for the Times.
"Among other items that would change the City Charter, the measure also would impose new restrictions on campaign contributions by lobbyists. Proponents say the new rules are intended to clean up local politics, but critics contend they are being included simply to entice voters to approve the package."
While unanimously supported by the council, LA City Attorney
Rocky Delgadillo is opposed. "'I'm going to continue to say I cannot support an end-run around our Ethics Commission and neighborhood councils' with '
a package designed to hide from voters a scheme to extend term limits,' Delgadillo said."
Does that mean someone is waiting for a council seat to open up?
From our
TransBay Terminal, Anyone? Files: "The Bay Area Rapid Transit District, whose trains carry about 330,000 passengers each weekday in subways and on elevated tracks, is considered among the top terrorist targets in California."
"Yet the district has
received less than 1 percent of the $131.2 million the federal government has doled out since 2003 to three Bay Area cities to buy new emergency response equipment and improve security."
"Officials from BART contend this is because they have no say in how grant money is distributed, and that city and county officials who control the funds perceive their priorities as more important than the rail system."
"About $4.3 million was requested by BART from the cities in the first three years of the grants,
but it received only $111,000. This year, BART first asked for $20 million, later revising that to $3.2 million. But
the regional authority is expected to provide BART only $300,000 from a total of $28.3 million sent to the Bay Area -- minus $5.7 million the state will take."
"Over the past four years, two other Bay Area icons also thought to be at risk have won somewhat more money. Operators of the Golden Gate Bridge have received $2.1 million, and expect another $200,000 this year, a spokeswoman said. The Port of Oakland has received $650,000."
Finally, from our
Somehow, We Doubt It Files, "Diamonds are no longer a girl's best friend, according to a new U.S. study that found
three of four women would prefer a new plasma TV to a diamond necklace."
The study also found they'd much rather watch the Giants game than Project Runway.
