"California
must swiftly enact budget reforms or suffer a never-ending fiscal roller coaster ride, a relaxed but insistent Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger told East Bay business and elected leaders Wednesday in Pleasant Hill," reports Lisa Vorderbrueggen in the Merc News.
"'I can't reform the budget by myself,' Schwarzenegger said. '
I need the Legislature. And if the people could be behind me and put pressure on the legislators, let them know that it is extremely important not to just think about the budget for the coming year but think about how to never let this happen again.'
"It was the third in a series of town-hall-style budget meetings, one of the governor's trademark strategies to influence public opinion.
"He's pushing his plan to cap state spending at the annual rate of revenue growth and create a reserve to cushion bad fiscal times. The reforms would eliminate the boom-and-bust budget cycles that affect California's schools and public services, Schwarzenegger said."
George Skelton writes that the governor
may have found the right (and last) window for his budgetary and political reform efforts.
"
Schwarzenegger will be morphing into a political pumpkin in 2010, his last year as governor. He'll discover that special interests are far less eager than they have been to bankroll his favorite causes. Lame ducks lose loyalty.
"So his final fat target, for anything requiring voter approval, is this November's election.
Skelton looks at both the redistricting initiative sponsored by Common Cause and others, and the governor's budget reform proposal.
"Schwarzenegger will be rewarded or punished by historians based on the legacy he creates -- much of it this year."
Speaking of legacy, Capitol Weekly takes a look at
the governor's big education report that was released last week. What report, you ask? Our point exactly.
"
It was supposed to the blueprint for the governor's Year of Education Reform. Instead, it has become a metaphor for the fleeting nature of political promises and the state's hummingbird-like focus when it comes to major policy overhauls.
"The once much-anticipated report from the Governor's Committee of Education Excellence was released Friday with a resounding shrug of the shoulders, and it could become the latest in a long line of little-noticed and little-covered policy reports commissioned by the governor's office.
""It's difficult to talk about reform when you're blowing a $5 billion hole in school funding," says coalition spokeswoman
Robin Swanson. "These cuts are very serious. About 20,000 pink slips just went out to teachers and other school employees. We're focused on trying to protect Proposition 98 funding, first and foremost."
Capitol Weekly
looks ahead to the Democratic Party convention (in San Jose, not Denver), and some of the fights that are expected there, and at the ballot box in June.
"As Democrats prepare to gather in San Jose later this month, convention delegates will deal with a handful of bruising primary fights. Many of those fights will come to the convention floor, as candidates busily jockey for a party endorsement in what is expected to be a very low-turnout election.
"A handful of candidates have already received their party's backing. Through an intricate series of party rules, a number of candidates locked up support at Democratic Party pre-endorsement caucuses that took place around the state last week.
"Among the biggest surprises, perhaps, was the success of Cathedral City Councilman
Greg Pettis in securing his party's nod. (Pettis secured the necessary 70 percent support from delegates and Democratic club members in his district but must secure the final endorsement at the convention.)
Pettis faces a tough primary in a seat Democrats desperately want to recapture in November. Current incumbent Bonnie Garcia, R-Cathedral City, is being forced from office by term limits."
John Howard takes a look at
a bill by Joe Coto that could change the way the state's largest foundations do business. "Advocates for the poor are targeting California's largest charitable foundations that donate billions of dollars annually to an array of nonprofits. Next week, the top executives at several foundations are meeting with a San Jose Assemblyman over his bill to require the foundations to disclose the racial, ethnic and gender breakdowns of their staffs and governing boards, as well as a similar breakdown of those who get the money.
"The unusual proposal has received limited attention in California but is high on the radar of the national philanthropic community.
"'The broadest level of concern is that this is a camel's nose-under-the-tent issue,' said
Robert Ross, president of the California Endowment, which donates about $150 million to $160 million annually. "Is this the opening salvo for legislators to dictate the philanthropic work of private foundations? The legislation may seem to be just about reporting data, but what about the next (legislative) session? Where do they go if they don't like the numbers?"
And
Jeff Denham may not be the only one who is recalled this year. Malcolm Maclachlan reports, "Several conservative groups are
discussing a possible recall of a California appellate court judge who issued a ruling that could place significant restrictions on home schooling.
"The decision by the state's Second District Court of Appeal came out of a dispute between the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services and Philip and Mary Long of Lynwood. The department had accused the couple of abuse and neglect involving at least two of their eight children. In an event few in the home-schooling movement saw coming, the court ruled that home-schooled students must be taught by teachers certified by the state."
"California lawmakers
are considering granting special parking privileges to women in the final three months of pregnancy and the first two months after birth," reports Jim Sanders in the Bee.
"The legislation would apply to more than a half-million women who give birth every year in California.
"Assemblyman
Chuck DeVore's bill would qualify pregnant women for "temporarily disabled" parking placards from the Department of Motor Vehicles.
"'Let's be reasonable here: There are challenges, physical challenges, that arise as a natural part of life,' DeVore said of pregnancy.
"The Irvine Republican said it makes little sense to force a pregnant woman who has trouble getting out of her car, and might have a toddler in tow, to park in the outer reaches of a parking lot."
However, those mean "you'll recover faster if you get out of bed" doctors aren't crazy about the bill.
"'
We really want pregnant women to be active, to be moving, to be walking,' said
Shannon Smith-Crowley of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' California chapter, which opposes AB 1940."
"California's
policy of granting property-tax relief only to nonprofit agencies that primarily work within the state won't be changed, a divided tax board determined yesterday in resolving a sticky question raised out of San Diego County," writes Michael Gardner in the U-T.
"The Board of Equalization's 3-2 ruling came as a blow to the International Community Foundation, which is based in National City but does much of its work in Mexico.
"The foundation had filed an appeal of the property-tax bill for its National City headquarters.
"Success would have set a precedent for other charities seeking the same exemption by overturning a law passed by voters in 1944. The revenue lost to counties could have been as much as $500,000 a year."
"The University of California
is close to naming a new president for the 10-campus system, and a recommendation of its top choice could come as early as today from a special selection committee, The Chronicle has learned," reports Tanya Schevitz in the Chron.
"According to sources who spoke on condition of anonymity, a leading candidate to replace Dynes is
Mark Yudof, chancellor of the highly regarded University of Texas system, which has 185,000 students on nine campuses plus six health institutions.
"Yudof has led the University of Texas system since August 2002. His academic biography shows he holds a law degree, has taught law since 1971, and is an expert on education and constitutional law, as well as freedom of expression. He also has broad administrative experience. In addition to being head of the Texas system, he was president of the University of Minnesota system from July 1997 until he left for Texas, according the University of Texas Web site. Before that, he was the executive vice president and provost at the University of Texas, Austin for three years and dean of the campus's law school for 10 years."
Meanwhile, the U-T's Tanya Sierra reports: "The University of California regents
will decide in May whether to raise student fees by 10 percent as a way to deal with $332 million in recommended budget cuts, officials said yesterday.
"Students who traveled to the UC regents meeting in San Francisco to hear the cost-cutting discussions said they're tired of being the plug for a gaping hole they didn't create. Several asked regents to seek other ways to increase revenue."
"A
man who pretended to be a CEO complaining about his fast-food order in a taco scam was sentenced to 30 days in jail after authorities saw the prank in an online video.
"Rialto police said it was an easy case to crack because the video, called "How to Scam Del Taco" and
posted on YouTube.com, shows
Robert Echeverria, 32, calling the restaurant about 50 miles east of Los Angeles on Feb. 19.
"In a friendly tone he claims to be a CEO named "Robert Kennedy" who has already spoken to the store's manager and corporate office about some unwanted sour cream and the lack of a receipt in a previous order.
"'I love your guys' tacos,' he said.
"One of his two 18-year-old co-stars is later shown walking into the restaurant and claiming the food. The video ends with the three men feasting and laughing.
"Echeverria even provided a pair of personal phone numbers in the video, Rialto police Lt. Joe Cirilo said.
"A Rialto resident saw the video online last month and called police, authorities said.
"On Tuesday, Echeverria pleaded guilty to misdemeanor burglary and received a sentence of 30 days in jail, three years' probation and one special condition: a ban from the Rialto Del Taco."
