"Ballot measures to change the Legislature's term-limit rules and boost the number of slot machines in some Indian casinos
face a tough, uphill slog if they are going to win on Feb. 5, a new Field Poll indicates," writes John Wildermuth in the Chron.
"The news is grimmest for Proposition 93, which would allow current legislators to spend as much as six more years in the Assembly or four more years in the state Senate.
Proposition 93
Yes: 39%
No: 39%
Undecided: 21%Those numbers are not exactly going to increase the persuasiveness of Nuñez and Perata on health reform.
"'
The movement is all toward the 'no' side, which is always ominous in a proposition election,' said
Mark DiCamillo, the poll's director. 'If that trend continues, (Prop. 93) is likely to go down.'
"The numbers are slightly better, but not good, for a quartet of virtually identical Indian gambling referenda -Propositions 94, 95, 96 and 97. The measures, which would confirm gambling agreements that allow thousands of new slot machines in exchange for millions of dollars more in payments to the state,
hold a 42 to 37 percent lead in the poll."
Just close enough to warrant another $10 million or so on each side...
"Those results are only slightly different from the 39 percent to 33 percent spread in the December poll, which means there's no notable trend in the contest, DiCamillo said.
"'The numbers are fairly flat, so it's the 21 percent undecided (in the latest survey) who will determine (the measures') fate,' he said."
"A California Senate committee's crucial vote on the $14.5 billion health care bill negotiated by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez
was delayed Wednesday amid concerns the sweeping plan may not have enough votes.
"Senate Health Committee Chairwoman
Sheila Kuehl, D-Santa Monica, made the announcement nearly five hours into the panel's 11-hour hearing, saying that Senate President Pro Tem
Don Perata, D-Oakland, had asked for the delay until Monday.
"Kuehl told an overflow audience in a Capitol hearing room that a report released Tuesday night by the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office, suggesting the Republican governor and Democratic proponents of the bill may have underestimated the cost of providing care to 3.7 million uninsured Californians, had raised concerns among some committee members."
The Merc News's Mike Zapler writes that Perata
acknowledged the timing on the health reform bill is bad.
"With the economy in shambles and the state budget facing a huge deficit, the state Senate's Democratic leader said Wednesday that he is pessimistic about passing the health care overhaul backed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and other Democrats.
"'When people are losing their homes, losing their jobs, losing their net worth, we need not appear insensitive and out of touch with those realities,' Senate President Pro Tem
Don Perata, D-Oakland, said in an interview. 'You don't instill public confidence by doing things that people don't understand and they don't think is a high priority.'
"'
And I don't think anybody believes anything (is more important) right now but the economy, the economy, the economy.'
"Asked if that means he is pessimistic about the prospects of passing the plan negotiated by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez, D-Los Angeles, Perata said, 'Yeah, I am.'"
Capitol Weekly reports, "Looks like
the health care plan is already having some repercussions in the Third House.
Barry Broad, the Teamsters and HERE lobbyist and vocal critic of Speaker
Fabian Núñez and his health care proposal, has lost some clients who are backing the health care plan. Both the AARP and SEIU have reported dropping Broad’s firm from their lists of lobbyists. We’ll see what other fallout there is..."
Speaking of out, "
Robert Sillen, the powerful and confrontational administrator who was named in 2006 to repair the crumbling health care system at California's 33 state prisons,
was fired Wednesday by a federal judge who said it was time for a more collaborative approach," reports Bob Egelko in the Chron.
"Sillen, a former Santa Clara County health care director, had clashed with state officials, legislators and inmates' lawyers while drawing up ambitious plans to increase staffing and rebuild prison medical facilities.
"As his replacement, U.S. District Judge
Thelton Henderson named
Clark Kelso, a Sacramento law professor and veteran governmental troubleshooter.
"Sillen had no comment."
"Former state Senate leader
John Burton was sued Wednesday for $10 million by the executive director of his San Francisco charitable foundation, who claims he sexually harassed her by swearing at her and making lewd and suggestive comments on an almost daily basis," writes the Chron's Demian Bulwa.
"Burton's attorney called the lawsuit, filed in San Francisco Superior Court, a 'shakedown' and
predicted that Burton's 'character and reputation will win out at the end of the day.'"
That's the end of the motherf$#&$ day to you.
"
Kathleen Driscoll, a 48-year-old San Francisco resident now on stress-related medical leave from the John Burton Foundation, said in her lawsuit that Burton used more than salty language.
"
Driscoll said the former Democratic lawmaker repeatedly remarked on her choice of underwear and the appearance of her breasts, often mimicked masturbation in her presence and told her on roughly 20 occasions, 'I had a dream about you last night,' while raising his eyebrows in a suggestive manner."
Meanwhile, a State Lottery staff recognition dinner that featured $43,629 in prizes
is being investigated by the state's controller's office.
The Bee's Judy Lin writes: "During a Nov. 8 event commemorating the $20 billion the lottery has provided education since its 1984 inception, state officials used lottery administration funds to host a prime rib dinner for more than 300 employees and their guests at the DoubleTree Hotel in Sacramento.
"As part of the evening's entertainment, local celebrity
Jack Gallagher held a mock Big Spin game and handed out the prizes to winners in the audience. A spokesman for the lottery said the prizes were considered "training" expenses so that employees – who are not allowed to play the lottery – could familiarize themselves with games.
"'Employees are certainly worth the recognition, and it was a milestone for the lottery,' said spokesman
Al Lundeen.
"The state controller is now disputing the dinner and prizes and is asking that most of the money be returned to his office. The controller's auditors expect to review all claims from the past five years."
The burglary was all going so well. They snuck in,
stole the cow, put it in the back seat of the car. And then something went horribly wrong.
AP reports after all that work, the thieves "abandoned the animal when the getaway vehicle crashed into a tree, police said Thursday.
The cow, injured in the crash, was slaughtered by villagers."
The cow was not believed to be wearing a seat belt at the time.
