"A majority of voters -- 53 percent --
approve of the way that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Legislature are working together, according to a post-election survey of 2,000 people by the Public Policy Institute of California. A year ago, a mere 14 percent had the same view," writes Steven Harmon in the Merc News.
Here's
the poll.
"And most voters -- 58 percent -- are confident Schwarzenegger and the Legislature will be able to work together and 'accomplish a lot' in 2007."
Sounds like about the right justification for them to try that wacky term limits extension plan.
"'They have their hopes up,' said
Mark Baldassare, director of the PPIC survey. 'Now, they feel the governor and Legislature are on a roll and want to see it continue. But, if voters get a sense that things are going back in the direction of gridlock and partisanship, they'll change their tune.'"
And, just in case, the blame for gridlock is already being directed.
"Assembly Speaker
Fabian Nunez, D-Los Angeles, said it is Democratic lawmakers and the Republican governor -- but not Republican lawmakers -- who deserve the credit for bipartisan cooperation.
"'The question is do they get on the bipartisan bus or do they veer off to the right in that conservative agenda,' Nunez said. '
This bipartisanship really has been between the governor and the Democratic legislators.'"
Tell that to
George Plescia.
George Skelton writes "The bipartisan cooperation -- resulting in a $37-billion infrastructure bond package, an on-time budget and several landmark bills --
has led to increased job ratings for both the governor and Legislature. Schwarzenegger's job performance now is approved by 60% of voters, compared to 39% a year ago. The Legislature's approval still is a relatively low 36%, but it's way up from 20%."
"In the survey, 58% of voters were confident that the governor and Legislature "will be able to work together and accomplish a lot in the next year." Just 31% didn't think they would."
"One more finding: Voters now trust politicians in the Capitol as much as themselves at the ballot box to make wise public policy. Baldassare's explanation: 'It was a good year for representative government in California.'"
Dan Weintraub writes "One reason for that pessimism is a lack of confidence in the
ability of state government to deal with the problems brought on by population growth. Just 7 percent said they had a "great deal of confidence" in the state to plan for the future, while 46 percent had some confidence and 46 percent had little or none at all."
"
For the governor and the Legislature, then, the poll seems to carry a mixed message: Californians like what they did this year, and voters are confident that the state's leaders can do more of the same in 2007. The progress to date has given people a sense of hope for the near-term future.""But the electorate is far from convinced that the state and its leaders can cope with the growth on the horizon."
Capitol Weekly reports that
it wasn't just Dick Ackerman who was relieved when Jim Battin's coup attempt failed this week.
"After two hours of deliberation and "several votes," Ackerman once again fended off a challenge from Sen. Jim Battin, R-La Quinta. But it wasn't just a victory for Ackerman. It was also a victory for Senate President Pro Tem
Don Perata, D-Oakland."
"Perata actively sought Ackerman's re-election. Sources close to the pro tem say Perata was engaged in the machinations of the GOP leadership struggle, directing staff to keep him up on the latest gossip and plot twists in the fight to oust Ackerman."
"Sen.
Abel Maldonado, R-Santa Maria, who cast the swing vote for Ackerman, is expected to be rewarded with a chairmanship."
"Though Ackerman did not punish Battin for trying to oust him last year, there is an expectation that Battin will lose his vice-chairmanship of the powerful Senate Rules Committee, and that other Battin loyalists could lose out on plum committee assignments when they are announced in January."
"Maldonado, meanwhile, is in line to become chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, a post previously held by Battin supporter
Jeff Denham, according to Senate sources."
CW's John Howard reports that former Assemblyman
Juan Vargas, a past chairman of the Assembly Insurance Committee,
is now working for the industry.
"Vargas, a Democrat who unsuccessfully ran this year to unseat incumbent Rep.
Bob Filner, D-San Diego, will head Safeco's public policy strategy in California and serve as Safeco's main liaison with state officials. He likely will be based in San Diego, where he lives with his wife and two daughters."
But hey -- lots of free Mariners tickets, we bet!
"But Vargas' job change drew a critical response from
Doug Heller, the executive director of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, who said Vargas appeared to favor the insurance industry during his stint as chairman of the Assembly Insurance Committee.
"This is exactly what we're saying is wrong in Sacramento," Heller said. "It casts a cloud over his entire chairmanship of that committee. It's as if he was interviewing for that job for four years, and presented his credentials by attacking consumer protections in order to defend the insurance industry." Heller noted that two of Vargas' committee consultants also took jobs in the industry."
CW's Colin Rigley
profiles incoming freshman Republican Anthony Adams, the new Dennis Mountjoy for those of you keeping score at home.
"While conservatives like Assemblyman
Chuck DeVore, R-Irvine, have admired Adams "ideological purity," Adams is clearly a child of his generation. "The vast majority of Californians are represented by a younger group of people. � [People] that want to know why Myspace is so important to their lives; they want to understand what it means to have somebody suggest that they can't have their iPod at school. How are you gonna talk to somebody who's 55 years old about these things and have a common frame of reference?"
"During his campaign, Adams received endorsements from 17 prominent Republican state legislators including, George Runner, Russ Bogh, Kevin McCarthy and Ray Haynes. '
I chose to endorse him because he's a good, solid conservative. Anthony has a good sense of politics and an understanding of how to push the conservative agenda on a political level,' Haynes said."
CW's Malcolm Maclachlan looks at
where the Republican Senate Fellows have gone. "Add another item to the ways Republicans feel they get shortchanged in the California Legislature: Only three of 18 Senate Fellows in the 2007 class will be working in GOP offices."
"Officials with the Capitol Fellows program and some Republican senators said the disparity represents an ongoing problem with recruiting Republican candidates, combined with an unusual number of late drop-outs from the program."
"Still, representatives of the Fellows programs acknowledge that the disparity had some Republicans grumbling. Since 1992, Republicans have averaged six Senate fellows per session, nearly in line with a legislative body where they hold 15 of 40 seats."
"The Fair Political Practices Commission is
seeking $94,600 in fines from campaign committees for state Sen.
Carole Migden, charging that she failed to properly disclose contributions in bids for office in 2002 and 2004," writes Peter Hecht in the Bee.
"The administrative penalties, which the FPPC board is to consider at its Dec. 14 meeting, stem from Migden's successful race for the state Board of Equalization in 2002 and her election to the Senate two years later."
"The state's political watchdog agency charges that Migden's campaigns committed 22 violations of state election reporting rules in 2002 and another 21 violations in 2004 by failing to meet deadlines for filing campaign statements and disclosing more than 150 campaign contributions."
"In a statement Wednesday, Migden, D-San Francisco, said the proposed fines were the result of 'technical violations' that "arose from inadvertent errors made by campaign volunteers."
