Capitol Weekly tells
the saga of the last day of the legislative session.
"The story of the last-minute push for a new contract for the California Correctional Peace Officers Association is a sordid and twisted tale that remains mired in a legislative fog one week later.
It dramatically illustrates of the meta-language of politics, the fluidity of the last-minute deal and the fine line between clerical "mistakes" and a vast conspiracy.
"Were amendments switched? Were promises reneged? Was the bill's demise the result of a deliberate legislative maneuver or a simple blunders--or both?
"
What is clear is this: In the closing hours of the legislative session, California politics was turned on its head. The conservative Senate Republican caucus, which had held out on the budget for more than a month to reign in frivolous spending, was promoting a $300 million pay increase for one of the state's most powerful labor unions, amid skepticism from the liberal Republican governor and union-friendly Democratic leaders."
"
There is no shortage of theories about what exactly happened that night. But at least publicly, CCPOA leaders say they are reserving judgement. "We are not prepared to blame anybody,' says CCPOA executive vice president Chuck Alexander. 'We'd hate to make allegations about who's to blame without having all the facts.'"
"Perata spokeswoman
Alicia Trost dismisses any theory that implicates her boss in deliberately derailing the bill. She says Perata consulted members on the 6.1 percent pay increase, and that the Senate appeared ready to approve that raise."
More from our
Things Fall Apart Files. CW's Malcolm Maclachlan reports on
the crumbling of a legislative deal on eminent domain.
"Republicans were able to head off a Democrat-backed eminent domain measure in the closing days of session last week, despite a huge lobbying blitz by the League of California Cities and other proponents. The measure's supporters say Republicans got most of what they wanted in amendment negotiations--and probably shot themselves in the foot by rejecting it.
"The two sides will now be heading into a ballot initiative battle next year. The League is pushing a narrow measure what they say would protect homeowners. A competing initiative from the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association would make more far-reaching changes--such as abolishing rent control in California."
"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
said Wednesday that a healthcare overhaul would not be derailed by "Mickey Mouse"-type concerns about covering illegal immigrants.
He also compared California's Republican Party to an obese person in denial, and predicted that
Rudolph W. Giuliani would be his party's nominee for president," reports Jordan Rau in the Times.
"The comments came in an eclectic discussion with The Times' editorial board in which the governor championed his $9-billion plan to expand water storage efforts and promoted his proposal to require everyone in the state to have health insurance.
"'If I see you gaining weight and gaining weight and gaining weight, I would eventually -- if I cared at all about you -- I would say: 'You know something? If you continue this way, you may get into serious trouble,' ' he said. ' 'You may get a heart attack or have problems with diabetes and stuff like that and can't move around as quickly and get tired.
" 'But here is what I would do if I were you: I would go and exercise every day, stop eating at night, eat only two meals, be disciplined and blah, blah, blah, all of those kind of things. I will give you a plan and you can follow it or not.
" '
So it's not I'm criticizing you. It just really means I care about you, and I want you to live and feel as good as I do and do as well as I do.' And that's what I basically did with the Republican Party."
George Skelton describes how
legacy is motivating the governor and the speaker in the health care talks.
"Schwarzenegger is searching for the truly colossal. Any California healthcare reform must open the nation's eyes, he tells legislators. People across America must look to this state as the healthcare leader, to its plan as the national model.
But, he warns, "In all their maneuvering and dealing over healthcare, the politicians should heed the admonishment of the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates: 'At least. . . do no harm.'"
Dan Weintraub outlines
the major obstacles to a health care deal.
"The biggest issue keeping Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democrats in the Legislature from reaching agreement on a health care plan is the governor's proposal to require all Californians to have insurance.
"Schwarzenegger has said that the requirement -- known in wonk-speak as an individual mandate -- is a crucial ingredient in any plan he will consider supporting.
"Without it, he says, everything else falls apart. But Democrats have said they won't support requiring people to buy insurance unless the state somehow guarantees that the plans will be affordable, a difficult standard to define and meet."
Meanwhile, Aurelio Rojas
goes over the special session FAQs.
As part of their corrections issue, CW previews a Monday hearing of
a three-judge panel that may rule on capping the state's prison population.
"As the panel meets for what is expected to be predominantly an organizational meeting, opponents are beginning to coalesce in hopes of boosting public awareness.
"A group of district attorneys, county sheriffs, victim's rights groups and Republican lawmakers are hoping to stop three judges from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals from imposing a population cap in the state prison system. A cap, they say, could lead to the release of up to 35,000 inmates.
"'The order's already been written,' says Assemblyman
Todd Spitzer, R-Orange, who chairs the select committee on prison construction. '
I think as a courtesy, the three-judge panel is going through the motions, but I know the opinion is already written. They've already written the order for a cap. It's all, in my opinion, pro-forma.'"
LAT's Tim Reiterman reports on the
shoddy prison health care system that has led to the three-judge panel's review of the prison system.
"As many as one in six deaths of California prison inmates last year might have been preventable, according to a study of medical care in 32 state lockups that will be used to help rebuild the troubled system.
"One inmate, who reported extreme chest pains in the middle of the night, died of a heart ailment after waiting eight hours to see a doctor.
"Another who complained for days of severe abdominal pain died of acute pancreatitis after medical staff did not believe his pleas were credible.
"A third died after a two-year delay in diagnosis of his testicular cancer."
"The gap between the diversity of students at the University of California and that of state high school graduates
has risen to its highest level in nearly 20 years, and action must be taken, UC's governing board of regents declared yesterday," reports Eleanor Yang Siu in the Union-Tribune.
"
About 20 percent of freshmen attending UC undergraduate campuses last year were black, Latino or American Indian. Meanwhile, about 47 percent of public high school graduates in California fit that description."The
difference between those figures has more than tripled since 1989, when UC started keeping track of the numbers. To address what some described as unacceptable numbers, a committee of regents approved three recommendations aimed at holding the administration accountable for boosting diversity."
"The governing Board of Trustees of California State University gave approval Wednesday for
executive pay increases ranging from 9 percent to 18 percent for Chancellor Charles Reed, his four top deputies and 23 campus presidents," reports the Chron's Jim Doyle.
"Reed, whose salary will go from $377,000 a year to $421,500 (plus a $30,000-a-year retirement bonus), said the latest salary increases are needed to begin to bridge a salary gap with other comparable institutions, public and private.
"As of now, Reed's salary is more than double that paid to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who earns $206,500 annually. The governor's pay will go to $212,174 in December."
We thought the gov's salary was $1...
San Diego's Republican mayor had
changed his mind on gay marriage.
"Mayor
Jerry Sanders reversed his position on gay marriage Wednesday, supporting it in emotional remarks punctuated by pauses, shaking sips of water and his wife's hand resting one time reassuringly on his back.
"Sanders' wife,
Rana Sampson, stood next to him as he acknowledged publicly for the first time that his daughter, Lisa, is a lesbian.
"'
I've decided to lead with my heart, which is probably obvious right now, to do what I think is right and to take a stand on behalf of equality and social justice,' Sanders said.
Dick Cheney could not be reacheed for comment.
Could your
Lysol be headed for federal regulation? A group of heavyweight environmental organizations is asking the federal government to crack down on air fresheners, products that scientific studies show can aggravate asthma and pose other health risks," reports the Chron's Jane Kay.
"In response to the groups' petition filed Wednesday with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Walgreen Co. quickly pulled three of its air fresheners off the shelves of its 5,850 stores nationwide.
