"Over the next seven days, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, new crutches close at hand,
will give a series of speeches that lay out his policy ambitions for the next four years: broader access to healthcare coverage, cleaner skies and improved roads," writes Peter Nicholas in the Times.
"The governor, still recovering from a broken right leg suffered in a holiday skiing accident, will deliver his inaugural address outlining a long-term vision for California when he is sworn in for a second term Friday. He is also expected on Monday to put forward his plan for revamping the state's healthcare system."
"The next day, he will make his annual State of the State speech, and his budget proposal is scheduled the day after."
"In these four speeches, Schwarzenegger will offer his most concrete proposals yet for insuring the millions of Californians who lack healthcare coverage, the centerpiece of his 2007 agenda. But he also hopes to establish a legacy as a builder on a par with former Gov.
Pat Brown."
"'If things go well for him in the next term,' said
Daniel Mitchell, professor of management and public policy at UCLA, 'that would give him a strong place to run for senator.'"
Or emperor, for that matter.
Actually, Variety's
Peter Bart has another idea. "
Yes, we're talking secession here. With the Gubernator firmly at the helm
under Plan B, California will secede from the Union, declaring its sovereignty as the world's sixth-biggest economy.
"All this may sound like a return to the "nullification movement" of Civil War days, but consider the historical precedents. The Israelite tribes seceded from the Davidian kingdom after the death of Solomon in 933 B.C. and prospered. Venezuela has done pretty well having seceded from Colombia in 1830. Some of the Russian states have prospered having been liberated from the fast-sinking Soviet Union. Canada's clearly going to let Quebec go some day soon, and those folks don't even want to speak English."
"California is too vital and free-thinking to be dragged down by the U.S. any longer. As you well know, Governor, all Texans want to do is declare war on obscure countries, and we haven't won one of those in 60 years. The evangelicals own the South, and California isn't ready for their social agenda. The mandarins of New York and Boston have lost their political muscle -- all they can bring to us is more Clintons and
John Kerry."
"
Meet the Capitol's freshman class, a record 34 newcomers who arrive for today's opening session with big dreams, a new state car and a trail of campaign promises -- but no legislative experience," writes the Bee's Jim Sanders.
"'Every freshman class comes to Sacramento thinking that they're going to change the way business gets done here,' said
Dan Schnur, GOP political strategist."
"'What usually happens, though, is that Sacramento ends up changing them.'"
"Bucking those odds are numerous rookies viewed as Capitol leadership timber, including Sen.
Alex Padilla, D-Los Angeles; and Assembly members [
Fiona] Ma, D-San Francisco;
Kevin de León, D-Los Angeles;
Cameron Smyth, R-Santa Clarita;
Jim Silva, R-Huntington Beach;
Mike Feuer, D-Los Angeles;
Mike Eng, D-Monterey Park;
Jim Beall, D-San Jose; and
Laura Richardson, D-Long Beach."
No Anthony Portantino? Who's making this list, anyways?
"Núñez and Senate President Pro Tem
Don Perata will be termed out in 2008, but they have no plans to step aside this year."
"'I'll sound the gun off at the right time -- middle to end of 2008 -- as to when the race for my replacement begins,' Núñez said."
"'
Until then, there will be nobody jockeying for it. I'll guarantee you that.'"
The AP
previews the legislative session. "After putting together deals on several major issues in 2006, the state's bipartisan approach will be tested in the coming legislative session."
"On the table: a series of issues that could polarize the two parties and plans by Republicans to push harder for their agenda."
"The new Assembly minority leader,
Michael Villines, R-Clovis, says Republicans don't intend to 'just come in and be obstructionists.' But he says his caucus wants to have influence in drafting simple-majority-vote bills or it may not provide the votes needed to put together two-thirds majorities – such as the one needed to pass a state budget."
"'You can't come to us when you only need six' votes to reach two-thirds majorities, he said in an interview. 'You've got to include us in the whole debate, all the time throughout the year.'"
"More than eight in 10 California voters think government should guarantee that everyone can get affordable health care coverage,
according to a Field Poll released Tuesday," writes Clea Benson in the Bee.
"
The poll shows half of voters are generally satisfied with the current health care system. But 10 percent are uninsured themselves and nearly 40 percent are worried that they or someone close to them could be without coverage in the near future."
"And nearly 40 percent expect the problems to get worse."
"'The poll dispels the notion that health care coverage issues are a low priority concern to voters,' said Field Poll Director
Mark DiCamillo. 'When you ask about the future, there's this sense of foreboding.'"
But we're still betting nobody wants to pay for it to get better.
"California has
made some strides in bettering the lot of its children over the past year, but the state still received middling to low marks for kids' health care, education and overall well-being, a local advocacy group said in a report card released today," reports Michelle Maitre in the Oakland Tribune.
"The report card, issued by Oakland-based Children Now, gave the state mostly B's and C's in health care and education. But California got a D-plus in obesity rates despite increased state spending on physical education and another D-plus in family well-being, which measured poverty, hunger and child abuse and mistreatment."
"'There was some progress last year, and we highlight that,' said
Ted Lempert, president of Children Now and a former state legislator. 'But when you measure that against the big picture, we've still got a long way to go.'"
"A spokeswoman for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said children are a priority for him and he will continue to work to help them."
"'As the report notes, the governor has taken significant steps to help our children,' spokeswoman
Sabrina Lockhart said, noting an expansion of preschool programs at low-performing schools, health clinics at schools and money for before- and after-school programs."
Dan Walters
lays out the state's budget dynamics. "It is, in practical effect, a triple whammy. Increasingly, revenues depend on a narrow base of taxpayers whose incomes are increasingly volatile while at the same time, the spending side of the public ledger is increasingly rigid, thanks to decrees by voters and politicians, and unable to adjust to the system's inevitable peaks and valleys."
"That's why we developed a state budget deficit in the first place seven years ago and why, fiscal forecasters believe, it will continue as a chronic headache even if the economy continues to expand -- which is not at all certain."
"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and lawmakers have voiced all sorts of grandiose schemes they want to pursue this year. Their first priority, however, should be to address the state's dangerous fiscal predicament, whatever that may take. And it will take much more than getting a few rich scofflaws [like the tax amnesty program brought in last year] to cough up."
(See Dan Schnur's comments above).
"New federal accounting rules
could put governments, and maybe taxpayers, all across the country in financial binds because they'll have to report billions of dollars of previously unaccounted-for pension debt," reports the North County Times' Gig Conaughton.
"County officials have said that the new rules could hurt their bond rating, which is a little like an individual's credit score and determines how much governments pay to borrow money.
"Standard & Poor's analyst Parry Young also said last week that governments will have only a few options: cut pension benefits, find the cash to pay for newly reported debt or, maybe, cut services to the public."
And finally, from our
Honeymoon's Over Files, "A man who proposed to his girlfriend at a New Year's party allegedly
knocked her out with a steering wheel lock just hours after she said yes, police said."
Wonder what would have happened if she said no...
"
Stephen Mujerm, 40, of Lanham, Md., and new fiancee
Victorine Taboh began arguing about 6 a.m. Monday as they drove home from the party in northern York County.
"Taboh, of Laurel, Md., and another passenger were complaining that Mujerm was driving recklessly, police said. He then stopped the vehicle beside Interstate 83 in Springfield Township, where he and Taboh got out and began to argue.
"As the confrontation escalated, Taboh began breaking the windows of Mujerm's car with a steering wheel lock, police said. Mujerm then punched Taboh and hit her in the head with the lock, knocking her unconscious, said police."
