The LAT's Jordan Rau writes that the
opposition campaign to the spending cap is slow to
materialize.
"The fate of the spending cap, as well as five other
propositions that lawmakers voted to place on the ballot,
may be determined by whether any well-funded opposition emerges. Unions representing teachers,
nurses, firefighters and others defeated Schwarzenegger's 2005 ballot effort to limit state spending, and they drove
down the governor's public-opinion standing in the process.
"This time, the California Teachers Assn. -- which provided much of the money to defeat Schwarzenegger's 2005 agenda -- is supporting a companion measure, Proposition 1B, that provides extra payments starting in 2011 for schools and community colleges to compensate for
cuts lawmakers made last week. David Sanchez, the union's president, said their board of 800 teachers and school officials would decide next month
what position, if any, to take on the spending limit."
Of course, Proposition 1B is contingent on Proposition 1A's passage, as sort of a $9.3 billion sweetener.
"The Service Employees International Union, which represents
healthcare workers and others and also wields influence
in Sacramento, opposed the spending cap when it came
before legislators but has not taken a position on
the ballot measures.
"The California Faculty Assn., which represents workers
in the California State University system, is opposing
the measure. Along with two consumer groups, it provided
the ballot arguments against Proposition 1A."
Actually, the stated opposition has come from conservative
groups, like the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association.
Their opposition to the cap stems from the fact that
the cap's passage would ensure the tax increases passed last
week stay on the book for three extra years.
"California opinion leaders who turned out Tuesday at
a forum on government reforms said their top priority is getting rid of the Legislature's requirement for a two-thirds vote to approve state budgets and taxes, which has been blamed for record-long budget delays.
"The supermajority rule and the mammoth effort it took
the Legislature
to find the needed votes last week to pass the new
budget dominated the
all-day summit, which looked at possible reforms to government
in the
state and the best way to bring them about.
"'We have to drop the two-thirds rule,' said Mark Paul, a senior
scholar with the New America Foundation, a nonpartisan
public policy
institute. 'It's been a social science experiment for the past 75 years
for the budget and the last 30 years for taxes, and it has failed
utterly.'"
Meanwhile, the LAT's Steve Lopez uses his column to dispel myths about state government fueled by the budget
impasse, while Dan Walters defines spending cuts for the benefit a U-T editorial writer.
"This is not some conspiracy to fool the public; it's a reflection of
the reality of state budgets – unless you prefer to ignore the law."
"The Senate confirmed Rep. Hilda L. Solis (D-El Monte) as Labor secretary Tuesday, more than two months after President Obama nominated
her for the post," reports Rebecca Cole in the Times.
"Solis, 51, had faced a series of problems, including revelations
of $6,400 in outstanding tax liens owed on her husband's auto repair business. But her path to confirmation
was cleared when Republicans ended plans to invoke
a rule that would have forced a filibuster-proof 60 votes for confirmation.
"Instead, in an up-or-down confirmation vote, the Senate voted 80 to 17. All Democrats supported the nominee, and they were
joined by 24 Republicans.
"Solis' nomination initially stalled over her role in a nonprofit
entity that lobbied for the much-contested Employee Free Choice Act, a bill that would
make it easier for workers to form unions."
Now that that's over, we can get back to the fight between Gil Cedillo and Judy Chu for the seat.
CW's Malcolm Maclachlan reports that Sen. Dean Florez has ensured himself a lot of press attention
in the coming weeks.
"Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, has introduced one of the most controversial
ideas from the last legislative session: a bill that would encourage spaying/neutering of most dogs and cats in California.
"Florez's SB 250 requires adult animals to be fixed unless the owner
obtains a license to have an "unaltered" animal over six months of age. Owners of unaltered
cats would be required to keep them indoors. The license
could be revoked at any time, and would also need to
be transferred to the new owner if the animal was sold
or given away."
The New York Times' Felicity Barringer takes a look at how the state's slowing economy will impact the implementation of
AB 32 and other environmental regulations.
"California was one of the first states to enact legislation
to
tackle global warming, with legislators passing a 2006 measure to curb
carbon dioxide emissions in all economic sectors, including
manufacturing, transportation and real estate development.
But the
state is also providing a lesson in how contentious
carrying out such a
law can be, especially at a time of economic crisis.
"What
happens in California — and in other states that have taken steps to
reduce emissions — is being closely watched in Washington, where
lawmakers will soon debate federal climate legislation.
The Obama
administration has said it plans to push for a cap-and-trade bill this
year.
"California’s law, like federal proposals, has stirred
intense fighting over whether its benefits outweigh
its costs and what
those costs will actually turn out to be.
"'We’re talking about
a transformation of the way of life,' said
Greg Freeman, an economist
with the Los Angeles Economic Development Commission.
'There’s going to
be transitional costs. We can’t have the debate about whether the cost
is worth paying unless we have a realistic idea of
what the cost will
be.'"
"The bill for California's state retiree health and dental benefits stands at
$48.2 billion – and the government's shortsighted payment plan is making the obligation
far more costly than it needs to be, according to a
new report," writes Jon Ortiz in the Bee.
"Retired state workers who receive their health coverage
through the California Public Employees' Retirement System will cost the state – and by extension, taxpayers – $3.7 billion for the 2008-09 fiscal year.
"And unless California starts paying more than the bare
minimum needed to cover retiree health costs each year,
the annual obligation will rise to $5.3 billion by 2017-18, according to an analysis by Chicago-based actuarial firm Gabriel Roeder Smith & Co. The state's total obligation, the report says, will rise to $71 billion in 10 years."
"The Hearst Corp. on Tuesday announced an effort to reverse the deepening operating
losses of its San Francisco Chronicle by seeking near-term cost savings that would include "significant" cuts to both union and nonunion staff.
"In a statement, Hearst said that if the savings cannot
be accomplished "quickly," the company will seek a buyer, and if none comes forward,
it will close The Chronicle. The Chronicle lost more
than $50 million in 2008 and is on a pace to lose more than that this year,
Hearst said."
Meanwhile, Gov. Schwarzenegger has been chosen as an extra in the movie adaptation of the sequel
to his life.
AP reports, "Art will imitate life when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger spends a few
hours playing himself later this year in a movie by Sylvester Stallone.
"Shooting on the film, "The Expendables," will begin March 28 in Brazil
and move to New Orleans for two months. Main says the
governor will
shoot his scene in Los Angeles.
"His role will be a familiar one: California governor.
"Stallone writes, directs and stars in the movie, a
film about a group
of mercenaries trying to overthrow a South American
dictator. It also
stars Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Eric Roberts, Mickey
Rourke and Forest
Whitaker."
Finally, from the Dept of Corrections:
Yesterday, we referenced Rocky Delgadillo as Los Angeles
District Attorney.
Of course, Delgadillo is Los Angeles City Attorney,
a position we know nothing about because Dick Wolf
hasn't created a teevee series about it yet.
