Good news for gubernatorial incumbent Jerry Brown: A new Field Poll finds Californians are happier with the direction California is heading now than when Brown first took office.
John Wildermuth reports for the San Francisco Chronicle: “For the first time in a while, more of the state's registered voters see some light at the end of what's been a very long tunnel, with 43 percent convinced things are improving and 41 percent wary of where California is pointed.”
“That's a huge jump from the minuscule 13 percent who were happy with the state's direction in polls taken in 2010, when a solid 80 percent of voters saw a California where things were bad and getting worse.”
But in last night’s debate, the governor’s opponent Neel Kashkari charged him with failing to bring California back for middle-income citizens.
Scott Detrow reports for KQED: “But both candidates kept returning to the main themes of their campaigns. For Kashkari, a former U.S. Treasury Department official, it’s the idea that while California’s government might have stabilized during Brown’s tenure, the state’s economy is still suffering.”
““Is your family back?” He asked voters during his closing statement. “Are your kids in good schools today? Do you feel good about your job? Do you have the job that you want, the job that you deserve?””
“For Brown, the message is stewardship. He argues the state has gone from deficit to surplus on his watch, and it’s continuing to turn the corner economically.”
Brown also made some news in the debate, announcing he would sign into law a statewide plastic bag ban.
John Howard reports for Capitol Weekly: “Brown, departing from his customary rule of not announcing his intentions on legislation, actually made news: He said he backed the controversial statewide ban on plastic bags at stores. “I will probably sign it, yes,” Brown said of the bill that awaits action on his desk.”
Former Speak Fabian Nunez has been tapped as the chair for an effort opposing the division of California into six states.
Josh Richman reports for The Mercury News: “Núñez, 47, who served as Speaker from 2004 to 2008 and is now a partner at Mercury Public Affairs, will lead a political and legal drive against the measure. OneCalifornia was founded by Forward Observer CEO and former Gov. Wilson Cabinet Secretary Joe Rodota and Steven Maviglio, former press secretary and now a Sacramento-based Democratic political strategist.”
“A Six Californias spokesman didn’t immediately return an e-mail seeking comment Thursday.”
One of America’s legendary comedians passed away yesterday, and TIME honors the iconic Joan Rivers with some of her best jokes:
Eliana Dockterman writes for TIME: “Rivers acted and performed comedy for 55 years, writing most of her own material. She was known for her unapologetically blunt humor and she was egalitarian about it, too: nobody was safe from becoming the butt of a Joan Rivers joke, including Rivers herself.”
“Distilling Rivers’ funniest jokes into a short list is an impossible task: her best material could fill several books. So, in honor of the iconic comedienne TIME has gathered just a few of her best jokes”
