Add the state Legislature to the list of Democratic-run state employers who will not impose the governor's recommended furloughs.
"The Assembly and Senate will not impose the mandatory furloughs required of most other state workers, but both legislative
houses announced plans to cut spending Tuesday," reports JIm Sanders in the Bee.
"The Assembly will trim its budget by 10 percent this year, transferring about $15.1 million to some of the state's most underfunded programs, including fire protection,
Assembly Speaker Karen Bass said.
"The Assembly will "share the pain," Bass said of the fiscal crisis in which the state
projects a $40 billion shortfall over 18 months.
"Senate President Pro Tem
Darrell Steinberg proposed Tuesday that a voluntary furlough program
be created for Senate aides rather than the mandatory
two unpaid days monthly imposed on most state workers
by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
"Steinberg has not publicly committed the Senate to
the 10 percent budget cut sought by Schwarzenegger and agreed
to by Bass, however. Parameters will be decided by
the Senate Rules Committee."
But both leaders released budget cut plans for their
houses Tuesday.
What do the people think? Well, soon, you can find
out answers to questions like this in the new Capitol Weekly/Probolsky Research Poll.
The LAT's Michael Finnegan looks at the developing GOP gubernatorial race between
Meg Whitman and Steve Poizner.
"Both have hired top strategists in recent days. Whitman,
a new arrival to California politics, introduced herself
to lawmakers at the state Capitol last week. And Poizner,
now state insurance commissioner, foreshadowed the
clash ahead with an apparent swipe at Whitman, saying
in an interview that the state cannot rely on "rookies" in a crisis.
"The high-tech rivals are both out-of-state transplants -- Whitman a New Yorker, Poizner a Texan. Each led tech
companies that rocketed to the top of their fields.
Whitman was chief executive of EBay, the Internet auction
giant. Poizner founded SnapTrack Inc., a pioneer in
putting satellite positioning devices in mobile phones.
"They are unconventional Republicans. Neither hails
from the party's conservative wing. Both support abortion rights,
a potential flash point in the primary that leaves
an opening for the type of candidate the party has
most often embraced.
"'If a genuine conservative candidate emerges, I think
they'll have a tough time defeating that person,' said Terry Christensen, a political science professor at San Jose State.
"None has yet surfaced, so for now money makes Whitman
and Poizner the most viable GOP contenders in a state
where campaigns are notoriously expensive. A third
Republican weighing a run, Tom Campbell, represented the Silicon Valley in Congress for nearly
a decade but lacks the money to pose a major threat."
Dan Walters looks at the majority vote plan to raise taxes proposed
by Democrats .
"Finding a way around the two-thirds vote barrier on new taxes has been a holy grail
for those on the political left, while preserving it
has been a bedrock cause for those on the right. And
while many business leaders might accept the particular
plan that Democrats offered as a way to crack the budget
stalemate, they fear it could lead to even more creative
ways to impose new levies on business, such as a "carbon fee" that's been mentioned.
"The legality, however, remains very questionable.
"The business-supported California Taxpayers Association, in a recent
editorial in its weekly bulletin, points out that the
constitutional provision at issue requires a two-thirds vote on "any changes in state taxes enacted for the purpose
of increasing revenues collected pursuant thereto whether
by increased rates or changes in the methods of computation
…"
"Given that wording, a scheme to skirt the two-thirds vote could have an uphill battle in the courts."
The OC Register's Brian Joseph says leaders are keeping their hopes up and mouths shut
about budget negotiations.
"I asked the speaker if she had any timetable for getting
things done
and she said “I think we’re definately progressing and I would guess
we’re going to have about three more days of going through
the fine
details and then we’ll have to see where we are.”
"A few moments later Assembly Republican Leader
Mike Villines and Senate Republican Leader
Dave Cogdill made
their exit and I asked them both about seeing some
resolution in three
days. They scoffed that three days was “optimistic” but said little
more.
"That suggests Republicans might not be as on board
as the Democrats,
but I saw that all four leaders brought their chiefs
of staff to the
negotiations this afternoon, so that could indicate
progress is being
made."
We'll take the over...
Meanwhile,state vendors are beginning to feel the pain.
"The budget standoff in Sacramento threatens to force work crews to shut down construction
on road projects already under way across California, including four
new carpool lanes in the Bay Area," reports the Chron's Rachel Gordon.
"Statewide, $1.8 billion worth of work in progress is in danger of
being suspended because of California's cash flow problems.
"'That has never been done in the history of the state,
certainly not in the transportation program,' Will Kempton, director of the California Department of Transportation,
said Monday.
"Many transportation projects are funded by bonds, which
the state hasn't been able to sell in part because of the nation's credit crisis and also because of the inability of
the Legislature and the governor to agree on how to
balance the deficit-plagued state budget.
"What's particularly frustrating for transportation officials,
they said, is that they are not able to take advantage
of good deals offered by construction firms eager to
secure government contracts by bidding below projected
cost estimates. Added to that is the fact that the
cost to stop projects and restart them later would
add millions of dollars to the bottom line."
"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose budget already makes
dramatic cuts in education, is proposing to withhold billions of dollars from schools that were guaranteed by a measure approved by voters
two decades ago," write Matthew Yi and Nanette Asimov in the Chron.
"School officials and education advocates railed Tuesday
against Schwarzenegger's proposal, which would go into effect after 2010, arguing that it would make permanent reductions in
school spending that would eliminate programs and increase
the size of classes.
"'The vast majority of the education community in California
believe that we're underfunded already,' said Nancy Waymack, a policy director for San Francisco's public schools. 'So when the state defers money, that's one more year that we don't have to spend on our students. If they're never going to pay it back, then that just makes
the picture even worse.'
"But Schwarzenegger's finance officials say the administration is simply
abiding by the rules of Proposition 98, a 20-year-old initiative that sets minimum education funding
obligations for the state.
"'We don't think this is a gray area,' said H.D. Palmer, a spokesman for Schwarzenegger's finance department.
"At issue is which Prop. 98 formula should be used to set base school funding,
a calculation that is dependent largely on the state's revenue."
Meanwhile, the Bee's Laurel Rosenhall reports:
"During a special meeting by teleconference this afternoon,
UC regents will consider a proposal to cut the number of freshmen
the university will accept next year. They're looking at admitting 2,300 fewer freshmen for the fall of 2009, compared with fall 2008."
In more doom and gloom news, "[n]early 800 advocates for California's "working families" gathered in downtown Sacramento on Tuesday , and they had plenty to talk about," reports Cynthia Hubert in the Bee.
"Deep cuts to programs that fund food and health care
and affordable housing for the state's most vulnerable people. Rising unemployment and demand
for social services. Alarming school dropout rates.
"It was enough to tear Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg away from budget negotiations at the Capitol to rally
the group of nonprofit staffers, policymakers and others
at the Sacramento Convention Center.
"Steinberg, six weeks into his new job, admitted that
he has not been getting out much lately.
"'I've been mired in trying to solve the most difficult
budget challenge in the most difficult economic crisis
in my lifetime,' he said, admitting that he is humbled by the task.
'We have to make sure we do everything we can to protect
the vulnerable, and at the same time make the painful
decisions required to balance this budget.'"
"A state panel is urging the governor and legislators to change "Jessica's Law," saying its restrictions on where sex offenders can
live are counterproductive and calling the nearly $25 million a year spent to house them a poor use of taxpayers' money," writes Michael Rothfeld in the Times.
"The residency restrictions, passed by voters more than
two years ago in Proposition 83, have never been shown to prevent new crimes and may
reduce public safety, the panel says.
"Since 70% of voters approved the initiative, "the availability of suitable housing has plummeted," the state's Sex Offender Management Board said in a report sent
to lawmakers this week.
"The state previously had more modest residency limits
that applied only to certain sex offenders. Jessica's Law expanded the restrictions to all sex offenders
and greatly reduced the locations where they could
reside.
"Barring sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of schools, parks and other areas where children
gather has driven many into homelessness, an unstable
situation that can propel them back to crime, according
to the board."
"State Sen. Dean Florez is sticking up for a felon in the man's tussle with the state over his family's business – a Bay Area card room that has donated to the senator's political campaigns," reports E.J. Schultz in the Bee.
"Rene Medina sold Lucky Chances Casino in Colma to his two sons
before pleading guilty in 2007 to felony tax evasion charges valued at more than
$1 million. Last year, the state Gambling Control Commission
banned Medina from entering the gambling floor of the
card room.
"Felons are not allowed to hold gambling licenses. The
commission has discretion on how to deal with casino
lenders who face legal trouble, said commission spokesman
Anna Carr.
"Florez, D-Shafter, defended Medina in a Dec. 29 letter to the commission. He said Medina is being
kept off the gambling floor "despite the fact there is no evidence to indicate (Medina) has done anything to attempt to influence the operations
of the Lucky Chances casino."
"Medina loaned $48 million to his sons for the casino purchase. They
still owe him $40 million, according to the gambling commission."
Meanwhile, it looks like Florez's mother, Fran, lost her Assembly seat, but landed an appointment from Gov. Schwarzenegger on the
high-speed rail authority.
And don't forget, tonight is the big Back To Session Bash at Mason's. Be sure to hound your favorite legislator for tickets...
Finally, in good news for your Roundup authors: "Researchers believe that we may be amused at being
let down by the humour - and that we laugh at how bad a joke can actually be.
"Dr
Nancy Bell made her findings after a team of colleagues
told this joke
to almost 200 people: "What did the big chimney say to the little
chimney? Nothing. Chimneys can't talk."
"The most common reaction
was to laugh, a response given by 37 percent of people. The
second-most likely reaction was to respond in a mildly negative
way, by
saying something like 'That's not very funny.'
We'll take what we can get.
