Ronald Reagan may be the conservatives' best icon,
but the former California governor and president actually
was
a moderate who could cut a deal, notes LAT columnist George Skelton.
"Contrast this with today's California GOP that tries
to
purge any Republican politician who dares to cast a
vote to raise taxes. Reagan knew it was his duty as chief executive to
conserve the institution of government, even as he
constantly talked about
shrinking it but never could. Sacramento definitely could benefit today from Reagan's
pragmatism and politics. He'd solve the $25-billion budget deficit and not lose
a minute's sleep. He would cut spending, but also raise
taxes without
hesitation."
"That's what he did his first year as governor in 1967.
Faced with red ink left by Democratic Gov. Pat Brown,
Reagan raised taxes by
nearly $1 billion, equal to roughly 30% of the state general fund, still a
modern record. During Reagan's tour in Sacramento, the maximum income
tax rate increased from 7% to 11% and more people were shoved into higher
brackets. Corporation taxes nearly doubled. The sales
tax climbed. So did the
tax on banks. Some of this paid for property tax relief."
Speaking of myths, Texas' economy is often cited as an example -- at least among Republicans -- of efficiency and success. The truth is somewhat different, however. The LAT's
Evan Halper reports.
"Texas Gov. Rick Perry delights in telling tales of
his California "hunting trips" — hunting for businesses ready to flee the Golden State."
But the latest budget projections out of Texas have
sharply changed the discussion: The Lone Star State is facing a budget gap of about
$27 billion, putting it in the same league as California
among states facing financial meltdowns. The gap amounts
to roughly one-third of the state's budget."
California's law to curb greenhouse gas emissions faces a legal hurdle stemming from the actions of
the Air Resources Board. The NY Times' Felicity Barringer has the story.
"It is unclear whether the decision, if made final,
represents a major obstacle or just a speed bump as
the regulations carrying
out the 2006 Global Warming Solutions
Act go into effect. Judge Goldsmith’s ruling was made on Jan. 24, but not
publicized until Thursday."
"The opinion focused on what he said were regulators’
procedural lapses. Referring to the California Air
Resources Board, which last
year approved the regulations to cut greenhouse gases,
he wrote, “ARB seeks to
create a fait accompli by premature establishment of
a cap-and-trade program
before alternative can be exposed to public comment
and properly evaluated by
the ARB itself.”
California's presidential primary was moved to February
to give the state more clout in selecting the nominee, but a new bill would push the primary in 2012 back to June to save money.
From the LAT's Mark Barabak:: "If the bill is passed and signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown, who has not taken a position, California would join
other cash-strapped states that have decided to forgo the added
cost — and any added attention from presidential candidates
and the political press corps — by ceding their early spot on the calendar."
"In Washington state, officials are talking about canceling
their primary, a non-binding "beauty contest" that does not determine the
awarding of delegates. "Our [budget] cuts are hurting the poor, hurting kids, really damaging
education," said Secretary of State Sam Reed. The estimated
savings: $10 million."
California's execution chamber at San Quentin has been
remodeled, but questions remain over death-penalty issues, reports the Mercury News' Howard Mintz.
"Five years after giving death row inmate Michael Morales
a
late reprieve and putting executions on hold, U.S.
District Judge Jeremy Fogel
still appears to have a lot of work to do before California
prison officials
can start escorting condemned killers into that new
execution chamber."
"California officials must show they've addressed Fogel's
previous concerns that the state's execution method
was "broken,"
from poor training of execution team members to an
antiquated death chamber.
The state, under orders from former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger,
spent years
revising its lethal injection procedures -- and now Fogel is reviewing whether
the state."
Finally, from our "Uncorked" file comes the tale of a mature, very mature, bottle
of wine that fetched a scant $77,000 at an auction. Cheers!
"An amateur wine group paid a record 57,000 euros
($77,000) Saturday for a 237-year-old bottle of wine from France's eastern Jura
region at a local wine festival auction.
"Finally, yellow wine has hit the big leagues,"
said wine festival founder Bernard Badoz of Jura's
trademark beverage."
"To sell a bottle for 57,000 euros is not
crazy," he said of the 1773 bottle that came from a Louis XV-era vine and
grapes harvested during the reign of Louis XVI."
"Swiss aficionado Pierre Chevrier, who bought the bottle
on behalf of an amateur wine group, did not appear
stunned by the price. My passion is to open bottles and I am delighted to
have bought this bottle of yellow wine, which I will
drink," he said."
