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http://www.capitolbasement.com/awards/lostballot.htmlThe Chron's Tom Chorneau asks
whether Phil Angelides is having problems raising money and whether major Democratic donors are sitting on their hands.
"People such as Los Angeles-based home builders
Eli Broad and
Bruce Karatz, former studio chief Sherry Lansing and Beverly Hills developer
Alan Casden -- each of whom has either given to or helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for Democrats in recent years but have yet to give to Angelides this year."
"Billionaire investor
Ron Burkle, a long-time Clinton pal, gave former Gov.
Gray Davis more than $200,000 for his campaigns between 2000 and 2003, but nothing so far to Angelides. Burkle also was notably absent from last week's event because of a business trip."
"Media entrepreneur
Haim Saban, who gave $200,000 to help defeat the recall and $150,000 to re-elect Davis in 2002, has endorsed Schwarzenegger."
"And the treasurer is still waiting for signs that two other major Democratic supporters -- Indian gambling tribes and the state's prison guards union -- will launch independent campaigns in support of his candidacy."
"Angelides' campaign mangers insist he is having no trouble raising money and that the Democratic base is solidly behind him."
"'When compared with anyone, we are doing very well,' said
Dan Newman, campaign spokesman, noting that Angelides has raised more than $10 million so far this year for the primary and general elections. 'His support is fueled by tens of thousands of real Californians -- not the corporate special interests, the HMOs, tobacco giants and oil companies that are buying favors with Gov. Schwarzenegger.'"
"'You don't normally raise money by just being the party nominee,' said former San Francisco Mayor
Willie Brown. 'Campaign contributions are usually the end product of a major personal effort made by the candidate and some of his supporters.'"
"Brown guessed that Angelides and his staff have not had time yet to corral key donors -- but Brown said the treasurer may be running out of time."
"'
He's already lost two months,' Brown said. '
I don't know if he's got the time -- I do know that if I was running the campaign, there would be no sleep until after November.'"
Or, until
Brooklyn. Whichever came first.
Speaking of song titles, file this one under
California Dreamin."Californians this fall
could vote on a single plan to revise term limits and the way legislative districts are drawn after lawmakers formed a committee Thursday to examine both issues," reports the Register's Brian Joseph.
"The bipartisan conference committee, composed of senators and Assembly members, is expected to debate proposals for the Nov. 7 ballot that would take away the Legislature's power to adjust the boundaries of legislative districts while also changing the number of years lawmakers may serve in the Capitol."
The Bee's Jim Sanders reports "The Assembly and Senate
voted to waive procedural rules and create a joint, six-member conference committee, which is expected to meet today in a frenetic attempt to reach agreement before the legislative session adjourns Aug. 31."
"Assembly Speaker
Fabian Núñez, D-Los Angeles, said he hopes that proposals can be developed for the November ballot."
"'(But) I'm not placing any bets that the conference committee will come up with a final product,' he said."
Well, that makes two of us.
"Assembly Republican leader
George Plescia of La Jolla placed the odds of reaching consensus at '50-50.'"
"Senate President Pro Tem
Don Perata said only that creating a conference committee allows all sides to air their views."
"'
This is not an endorsement of anything, it's not a commitment to anything,' Perata, D-Oakland, said."
Both sides seem bought into the concept of linking redistricting and term limits.
"'We're willing to link the two together, because we think they're both important,' said Senate Republican leader
Dick Ackerman of Fullerton."
"As both sides prepare for a fateful debate in Sacramento over the future of Los Angeles public schools, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Thursday
picked up the endorsement of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, which announced its backing for his proposal to enhance mayoral authority over local education," writes the LAT's Jim Newton.
"The chamber's support was somewhat hedged — the bill in the state Legislature, it said, "is not a cure" for all of the Los Angeles Unified School District's problems — but it placed a widely recognized and respected business group on the record in support of Villaraigosa's efforts. That could have special weight because the bill is seen in some quarters as being driven by union interests, notably United Teachers Los Angeles, which also has endorsed it."
"An audit of the California Highway Patrol, including its purchase of pistols and handling of permits to gather petition signatures,
will not be done this year because Assembly Speaker
Fabian Núñez called a halt to new audits," reports John Hill in the Bee.
Now what are the CHiPs
going to do?
"The Joint Legislative Audit Committee, which commissions the reports, was scheduled this week to consider nine requests from legislators."
"But Núñez decided that State Auditor
Elaine Howle and the Legislature were both too busy to take on the new work this year, spokesman
Steve Maviglio said."
"Hoping to appeal to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's immigrant roots, educators and legislators Thursday
called on the Austrian-born leader to support the use of special textbooks geared toward students born outside the United States," reports the Bee's Judy Lin.
"'
You're also an immigrant. You still know exactly what I'm talking about, governor,' Sen.
Martha Escutia, D-Whittier, said during a news conference promoting her bill aimed at bridging the gap between native and non-native students."
"
Senate Bill 1769 would require the state Board of Education to develop an approach to teaching reading and writing that incorporates English instruction for non-native speakers. Advocates envision textbooks and teaching materials that help build vocabulary in a relevant context, such as names of the elements in a chemistry class."
"The Republican governor's spokeswoman,
Margita Thompson, said Schwarzenegger is open to working with the Legislature. However, she said he doesn't want to compromise the same high learning standard expected of all California schoolchildren."
"'He doesn't want students segregated just because English isn't their native language,' Thompson said."
"Without debate, the state Senate on Thursday
sent Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger a bill that would make California the first state to prohibit college and university administrators from censoring student newspapers."
"Sen.
Debra Bowen (D-Marina del Rey) said the bill would give college journalists the same free-press rights as high school reporters and their professional colleagues. Schwarzenegger has not taken a position on the measure, a spokeswoman said."
"The bill came in response to a ruling last year by the U.S. 7th District Court of Appeals in Chicago. The court said administrators at Midwestern universities could review student articles before publication if their student-run newspapers were published under the auspices of the college."
"Emergency legislation to
protect consumers from unsanitary nail salons passed a state Senate committee Thursday," reports Elizabeth Fernandez in the Chronicle.
"The measure by Assemblyman
Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) would allow the state Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, which oversees more than 290,000 manicurists and cosmetologists, to immediately suspend a license, if necessary, to protect public health."
"The bill follows the recent death of a 43-year-old Sunnyvale woman that may have been connected to an infection she acquired from a whirlpool pedicure treatment at a Mountain View nail salon. A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed in the case, the first such suit in California."
"California would
build two new state prisons, a correctional-officer training academy and 10 small 're-entry program facilities' under legislation authored by state Sen.
George Runner to deal with crowded, problem-plagued state prisons," reports Charles Bostwick in the Daily News.
"Introducing the measures as part of Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger's prison reform package, Runner said he doubts that the new prisons would end up in the Antelope Valley but said the high desert would be a good location for the training academy."
"'I think it depends on what community steps up,' Runner said of where the new prisons might be built."
From our international desk, officials in the UK foiled what may have been a major plot to blow up planes leaving from Heathrow Airport. As a result, US officials have cracked down, banning liquids such as hair gel from passengers' carry on luggage.
With these new guidelines, just how will
Dario Frommer get through airport security?
