"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
was released from a Santa Monica hospital Saturday, four days after he underwent surgery to repair a fractured leg suffered while skiing," reports the Associated Press.
"Schwarzenegger, 59, expects to walk with crutches when he is sworn in Friday to begin his second term as California’s governor. In a statement released by his office Saturday night, Schwarzenegger said the injury hadn’t dampened his optimism for the coming year."
The LAT's Evan Halper
checks in on the inauguration plans. "
Donna Summer will sing at the black-tie gala. Tony award-winner
Jennifer Holliday will croon at the swearing-in ceremony. A 20-foot-long fresh-water aquarium will grace the Capitol lawn. And construction firms, insurance companies, developers and other private donors — most with business in the governor's office — will pick up the tab of at least $1.4 million for a lavish party to kick off Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's second term."
An oversized aquarium? Who does this guy think he is,
Darius Anderson?"Schwarzenegger's inaugural committee Friday announced the plans for next Friday's celebration, along with a list of donors. Campaign finance watchdogs have called the whole affair unseemly. Unlike other donations from special interests with business before the state, contributions to the inaugural committee are not subject to legal limits. Nine donors contributed at least $50,000 each to the event, which earned them the designation of "Gold Sponsor." Half the $1.4 million raised came in during the last two weeks."
"Among the Gold Sponsors of the event, which the inaugural committee says will highlight the state's environmental innovations, is Chevron. The oil company has long been at odds with environmental groups and helped lead the effort to defeat a ballot initiative in November that would have spurred billions of dollars in state-financed investment in alternative energy. Schwarzenegger joined the oil company in opposing it."
"Another Gold Sponsor is
Martin Matich, an Inland Empire construction magnate who earlier this year had part of the 210 Freeway named in his honor by the state. His firm, the Matich Corp., will be in contention for a chunk of the $37 billion in public works borrowing authorized by voters in November — and which will be doled out by lawmakers and the governor."
"Among other Gold Sponsors are E&J Gallo Winery, the California Chamber of Commerce, the California Grocers Assn. and a state realty group."
The Bee's Kevin Yamamura
looks at inaugurals of yesteryear, and reminds us that
Jerry Brown ate Chinese food for his.
"As he starts his second term, the Republican governor
is intent on taking his message of bipartisan cooperation to the rest of the country as part of an ambitious effort aimed at shaping politics on both sides of the aisle," reports Carla Marinucci in the Chron.
"Schwarzenegger wants to press Republicans and Democrats for more "action, action, action" -- with particular attention to appealing to the growing ranks of decline-to-state and independent voters increasingly turned off by partisan politics."
"For the California governor, the issues open to bipartisan solutions are as diverse as
redistricting, health care and prison reform. But Schwarzenegger doesn't intend to stay within state boundaries as he addresses such matters, planning to make his case in states that will play center stage in presidential politics -- New Hampshire, Ohio and Iowa among them."
"'He's always looking to build something: his body, his movie career, his business.
And now he's looking to build on being the governor of California,' said
Karen Hanretty, a former state Republican Party spokeswoman and now a consultant and television commentator."
The Bee's Aurelio Rojas reports that the governor is
turning to the New America Foundation for ideas on health care reform. "As the governor prepares to unveil his health care plan in his Jan. 9 State of the State speech, New America's proposals on how to increase access for the nearly 7 million Californians without insurance may shed some light on the biggest guessing game in the Capitol."
"Schwarzenegger has rejected a single-payer health care system that would diminish the role of the private sector and adamantly opposes new taxes."
New America's
Len "Nichols said that leaves the governor with only two choices -- "shared responsibility or a lick and a promise" -- if he intends, as he has said, to provide universal access."
"And like New America, the governor believes individuals, government, employers, medical providers and insurers must all be involved, said
Kim Belshé, Schwarzenegger's secretary for health and human services."
Dan Walters writes "California
has misplaced a million people -- or not, depending on which group of demographers one believes."
"Just before Christmas, the state's demographic unit released new population estimates for the 2005-06 fiscal year that ended June 30, declaring that California's population had risen by 462,000 souls during the year, to 37,444,000."
"A day later, the U.S. Census Bureau released its own population data for the same period, showing that California had expanded by just 303,402 persons during the same period and stood at 36,457,549 on June 30, or nearly a million fewer."
"However many people actually live in California today, there are several salient facts about its growth -- starting with the simple fact that the state continues to expand by hundreds of thousands of people a year, largely due to foreign immigration and a continuing baby boom. That growth, whatever it may be, imposes huge demands on our infrastructure of highways, schools, water supplies and so forth, and requires California to create upwards of a quarter-million jobs each year and construct around 200,000 units of housing to keep pace."
"State Assemblyman
Mark Leno, D-San Francisco,
got a holiday mistreat from Board of Supervisors President
Aaron Peskin -- one that will surely complicate Leno's plans to try to unseat state Sen.
Carole Migden from her perch in District Three," report Matier and Ross.
"Leno called the Napoleon of North Beach to get his opinion on running against Migden."
"Peskin's response: Don't."
"And if you do, Peskin warned, watch out -- because I might jump into the race as well and pull votes away from you."
Steven Harmon reports on
the new power of the Mod Squad in the Senate. "Four business-backed moderate Democrats are expected to play a pivotal role in the upcoming legislative session by helping block any legislation considered onerous by business leaders — such as laws intended to protect consumers and the environment, or health insurance reforms that place a heavy burden on employers."
"Southern California Democrats
Lou Correa, Gloria Negrete McLeod, Ron Calderon and Alex Padilla were elected to the state Senate in November after receiving millions of dollars in campaign donations and independent expenditures from corporate political action committees."
"'There's no question the Senate will have more members we certainly hope will be sensitive to the needs of employers,' said
Vincent Sollitto, spokesman for the California Chamber of Commerce. 'When you have more moderates in the majority party, you're likely to ensure ... we don't end up with bills that are extreme or hostile to business.'"
And a belated Roundup hello to the governor's new press secretary,
Aaron McLear, a former RNC spokesman and more importantly for our readers,
a former Ohio State Buckeye mascot.
You knew he had to be a nut to want the job. Da-dum-dum. See, a Buckeye is a nut, get it? Anyway, moving on...
Finally, emptying out our holiday rumor mill, LA Observed's Kevin Rodrick reports on
one of the potential candidates to replace Sunne McPeak as
Secretary of Business, Housing and Transportation. "A source with connections at Los Angeles World Airports says that
[LAX] executive director Lydia Kennard hopes to leave in January and has put a rush on the search for her replacement ... Kennard, the city's second-highest-paid department head, may be headed north to be Secretary of the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency in Gov. Schwarzenegger's next term."
