State of the State

Jan 6, 2010

 

Well, it's talk time, ladies and germs. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is set to give his final State of the State address this morning, setting the tone for his final year in office.

 

And the message is clear. Budget reform! Er, solving the state's budget crisis! Er, political reform. You get the idea...

 

"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today will lay out plans to spend $500 million on worker training in an effort to create 100,000 jobs, along with other measures to stimulate the economy, as a centerpiece of his policy agenda for his final year in office," the LAT's Michael Rothfeld reports.

 

The Chron's Wyatt Buchanan adds, "Sources familiar with the jobs package the governor will unveil today said it includes a proposal to eliminate some environmental regulations that have been targeted by Republicans in past negotiations."

 

Now if we could only take care of Intuit, the people of California could sleep well at night...

 

Rothfeld adds, "On Tuesday, [Schwarzenegger] extended an invitation to every state lawmaker to have lunch with him at a restaurant near the Capitol after the speech.

"We can accomplish great things together over the next year, and I want to get that important work started off with a bang," his invitation said."

 

The AP's Juliet Williams reports, "After six full years in office and numerous failed efforts at budgetary reform, the Republican governor is confronting the reality that he has largely failed to achieve the fiscal reforms he promised when he took office in 2003. His chances of securing them are waning.

 

"His final year in office is likely to be overshadowed by the economic misfortune that has plagued the state in recent years and sent tax revenue plunging.

 

"There is something very wrong with our budget, with our tax system. There is also something very wrong with our budget system, since we don't have a rainy day fund to cover some of these downturns and so on," he told reporters during an education event in Sacramento. "So I've been talking about that since I came into office and I will continue talking and fighting for those kind of issues."

 

Capitol Weekly akes a gander at what may be in the budget proposal Friday. Here's a hint: cutbacks on public pensions, pay cuts for state workers, delays on tax breaks for large corporations, and praying for more federal dollars.

 

"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger intends to call the Legislature into emergency session to confront a nearly $6.3 billion budget gap in the current fiscal year. The governor is expected to outline his proposed solutions by Friday – when he will unveil his new budget for the 2010-11 fiscal year that begins July 1.

 

"The emergency declaration, authorized under voter-approved Proposition 58, requires lawmakers to act within 45 days on his proposals or pass their own combination of cuts and revenue increases. There is no penalty if the Legislature fails to perform, although lawmakers are barred from adjourning or considering other issues until they act on the governor's plan.

 

"Politically, the time line is critical because the emergency session will unfold as lawmakers consider the politically charged confirmation of Schwarzenegger's choice of Sen. Abel Maldonado, R-Santa Maria, for lieutenant governor. Maldonado will automatically become lieutenant governor unless the Assembly or Senate rejects his nomination before Feb. 22. Is confirmation date could be accelerated if both houses confirm Maldonado before that date."

 

Meanwhile, Steve Poizner unveiled his own budget yesterday, reports Steve Harmon. "Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Poizner vowed Tuesday to turn the state's fortunes around by slashing welfare rolls, freezing state spending, hiring and borrowing, and cutting taxes."

 

Assemblyman Anthony Adams gave up the ghost, announcing he will not seek reelection this year. Jim Miller reports, "Inland Assemblyman Anthony Adams , a Republican whose budget vote earlier this year angered many conservative activists, will not run for re-election, the two-term lawmaker said Tuesday.

 

The unexpected announcement comes less than two months after Adams' critics botched a petition drive to qualify a ballot measure to recall him over his support for a February budget plan that temporarily raised taxes. But a tough primary campaign loomed, with two Republicans so far lining up to challenge Adams, of Hesperia, in June."

 

Conservatives responded by doing their version of the Superior Dance ...

 

Meanwhile, the bleed from the Schwarzenegger administration continues. "Mike Chrisman said Tuesday he is leaving his job as Natural Resources Agency secretary in February for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation," Kevin Yamamura reports. "Lester Snow, director of the state Department of Water Resources, will succeed Chrisman, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced Tuesday."

 

And after all that, the Legislature finally came to terms on Race to the Top legislation to go after some education stimulus dollars. The Merc's Sharon Noguchi reports, "Legislators on Tuesday passed two education reform bills, including a cutting edge proposal that allows parents at failing schools to force wholesale changes. But overall, the trumpeted bills could fall short of their key goal: making the state competitive toward billions in federal education dollars known as Race to the Top.

 

"Lawmakers are scrambling to reform the state's education code in the face of a Jan. 19 application deadline for a share of the $4.35 billion stimulus pot. The state Assembly passed SBX5-1 and SBX5-4 to help qualify California for the funds after daylong hearings and debates Tuesday. The bills will go back to the Senate today and, if approved, then to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's desk."

 

If by scrambling you mean trying to run out the clock to get a half-hearted application in just to say they did, then we totally agree...

 

Marc Lifsher reports a CalPERS member is facing investigation. "California's political watchdog agency announced it has found "probable cause" to accuse a two-term board member at the California Public Employees' Retirement System of violating the state's Political Reform Act.

"Priya Mathur, the chairwoman of CalPERS' health benefits committee and vice-chairwoman of the investment committee, allegedly failed to file a statement of economic interests for 2007, the California Fair Political Practices Commission said Tuesday."

 

And Shane Goldmacher reports Facebook's privacy officer Chris Kelly has given $2 million to his campaign for state attorney general. "With incumbent Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown expected to run for governor, no fewer than six Democratic politicians have lined up to replace him.

 

"Kelly, 39, has been traveling the state for months to gain support. But the infusion of his personal cash, announced today, will allow the Facebook executive to compete with better-known candidates such as San Francisco District Atty. Kamala Harris, who has raised more than $1.5 million, and former Los Angeles City Atty. Rocky Delgadillo, who has collected more than $1.1 million.

 

"I think we have a chance to help reduce crime and reinvent California government," Kelly said. "I'm willing to invest some of my own capital to make sure it happens."

 

And finally, we haven't been to driving school in a long time, but we're pretty sure there was something on there about not passing out while cooking meth in the back seat. One woman apparently didn't get the memo.

 

"Police say a driver passed out in his car at a Tennessee gas station while a batch of methamphetamine was cooking in the back seat.