"After months of being pummeled by Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger over his plan to raise taxes, Democratic gubernatorial nominee
Phil Angelides called Wednesday for
$1.4 billion in tax cuts, mainly for middle-income Californians, reports the LAT's Michael Finnegan.
"The tax breaks were the centerpiece of a broad fiscal agenda that Angelides laid out Wednesday in an effort to blunt the Republican governor's attacks and reinvigorate his campaign, which has struggled to recover from a vicious Democratic primary. Aides said the proposal would form the campaign's foundation for the final three months of the race."
Schwarzenegger's campaign team immediately dismissed the move as Angelides "pandering" to voters.
Hey, isn't that what politicians are supposed to do?
Capitol Weekly's John Howard reports on a bill that would
benefit the husband of LA County Supervisor Yvonne Burke. "
A behind-the-scenes effort targeting the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) would eliminate term limits for board chairman
William Burke and boost the clout of two-dozen cities in western Los Angeles County. The dispute has prompted a full-court press by blue-chip lobbying firms, and highlights Burke's powerful allies in Sacramento.
"This is the biggest fight in the Capitol that no one knows about," said one ranking legislative staffer."
CW's Shane Goldmacher reports on a
little difference of opinion between Gov. Schwarzenegger and Speaker Fabian Nuñez.
At issue is "whether or not a deal was struck between Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez to place two new legislative appointees on the influential California Transportation Commission (CTC).
The debate devolved into a he-said, she-said spat on the Assembly floor Tuesday as the floor manager for the bill, Assemblyman
Pedro Nava, D-Santa Barbara, said the legislation was part of the bond deal negotiated between Schwarzenegger and Núñez, while former Assembly Republican leader
Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, said it was not part of any deal he knew about.
Núñez insisted there was a deal, while the governor's office said that there wasn't.
One of Hollywood's major Capitol critics is now on board with
offering tax breaks for film production -- for a price, reports CW's Malcolm Maclachlan.
"It's a got a jet fighter, a movie deal, a price tag that could top $70 million, and a catchy title: "Escape from the Suspense File." But does it have a chance?
According to Sen.
George Runner, R-Antelope Valley, Legislative Republicans are preparing a package of tax incentives they would like in return for supporting Speaker Fabian Núñez's "runaway production" incentives for the film industry. However, several Democrats said they are unlikely to support the tax breaks for Hollywood, let alone a whole raft of Republican ideas, they have already opposed in the past."
Speaking of big deals that go nowhere, perhaps someone can explain this one to us. One day, legislative leaders all get together to say they want to take their time on redistricting reform. Then, the very next day, the Senate passes
SCA 3 dealing with ... drumroll, please ... redistricting reform! Good to see they decided to take their time.
Nancy Vogel and
Don Perata offer this explanation. "Wednesday's vote to surrender redistricting authority was unprecedented in the California Legislature, but voters won't decide the issue until at least 2008 and the odds are long for such a measure even on that year's ballot.
"I don't think our whole idea was so much to get it on this year's ballot as much as it was to show people that there was a determination to have an alternative method to draw the lines," said Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata (D-Oakland).
But the move only gets the Silver in our
Political Stunt of the Day Award. The winner goes to the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, who encouraged people yesterday to
crash as many fundraisers as possible. The Bee's Judy Lin has the story.
Former teacher
Margie Metzler isn't the type of lady who crashes parties.But at age 62, she's making an exception for a cause.
Metzler became one of the first three contestants in the "Crashing the Dash for Cash" contest outside the Capitol on Wednesday and got kicked out of three fundraisers, including one held on behalf of her own assemblyman.
'That's the whole point,' Metzler said later with a smile after being asked to leave an art gallery on 11th Street. Sponsored by a group advocating a campaign finance measure on the Nov. 7 ballot, the "Dash for Cash" contest takes a reality TV-style approach to highlight the need for stricter contribution limits.
The sponsor, the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, is giving away a pair of Sacramento Kings tickets to the person who can crash the most political fundraisers between now and the end of the legislative session Aug. 31."
Irwin Nowick is not eligible to win.
