"To accommodate lawmakers participating in rallies sympathetic to illegal immigrants,
Democratic leaders canceled the Assembly and Senate floor sessions Monday, prompting a stinging rebuke from Republicans," reports Jim Sanders in the Bee.
"GOP legislative leaders accused their Democratic counterparts of cheating taxpayers by accepting $153 in per diem pay for personal expenses while killing the floor sessions."
"'We're here to talk about the hypocrisy of the majority of the Democrats ... basically shutting down the people's house,' said Assembly Republican leader
George Plescia of La Jolla."
With a majority of members showing up to punch the golden time clock yesterday, the houses were officially in session and the per diem flowed uninterrupted through the weekend. "The legal requirement was met by designating Monday a 'check-in' session.
Once a majority of Assembly or Senate members touched bases with the clerk of their house, that body was eligible for $153 per diem payments for Sunday and Monday - totaling $306."
"Records show that seven Democratic lawmakers asked not to receive a per diem payment for Monday: Sen.
Gilbert Cedillo of Los Angeles; and Assembly members
Judy Chu of Monterey Park,
Carol Liu of La Cañada Flintridge,
Gloria Negrete-McLeod of Chino,
Lloyd Levine of Van Nuys,
Dario Frommer of Los Angeles, and
Nicole Parra, who worked in the Capitol on Monday afternoon but docked her pay because she spent the morning driving to Sacramento from her Hanford district."
Jordan Rau looks at the
effect of organizations making dual endorsements. In addition to endorsing both major Democratic candidates for governor, "[t]he Sierra Club California has been promiscuous in other primary races. It embraced two Democratic candidates for state controller. And the club endorsed all three Democrats running for lieutenant governor — even though their voting records on environmental bills, which the club compiled, did not rate equally."
"Once an exclusive distinction, many endorsements are being distributed so liberally that analysts say they are all but meaningless: They show that advocacy groups and unions are more interested in currying favor with candidates than in providing voters with useful guidance."
"'It really is about not wanting to annoy someone who might win,' said
Barbara O'Connor, director of the Institute for the Study of Politics and Media at Cal State Sacramento. 'They don't want to make enemies for their future efforts. But I don't think it's a valuable thing for a voter.'"
And then, there is
when the endorsement was granted.
"Candidates rarely acknowledge that an endorsement is not exclusive, prompting some unusual clarifications. San Mateo County resident
Mike Nevin, running for state Senate, issued a news release this year that began: 'Former county Supervisor Mike Nevin reminded voters today that House Minority Leader
Nancy Pelosi had endorsed his candidacy long before Nevin's opponent,
Leland Yee, announced her endorsement last week.'"
Meanwhile,
the cash continues to flow into the state's coffers. "The Franchise Tax Board said it took in $11.3 billion in personal income tax payments this April, an amount larger than the $10.5 billion the state received in April 2001 at the height of the high-tech stock market boom," reports Clea Benson in the Bee.
"The pace of revenues is amazing even the experts who make a living predicting how much the state will earn."
"'We're very surprised by the strength,' said
Brad Williams, director of fiscal forecasting in the Legislative Analyst's Office, the Legislature's nonpartisan budget advisor. 'The numbers we saw in April were extraordinary, way above expectations.'"
Legislative leaders are trying to discourage the pigs at the trough. "Assemblyman
John Laird, D-Santa Cruz, chairman of the Assembly budget committee, said the increased revenue is just about enough to cover all of those expenses that were not included in the governor's January spending proposal, plus a couple of other things that Democrats want, such as cost-of-living increases for poor, disabled and elderly SSI recipients."
"'This is not like free money,' Laird said. 'This just allows us to almost entirely fund things that were not in the January budget. ... There are more demands than actual money.'"
"Sen.
Wes Chesbro, D-Arcata, called the spike in tax revenue 'very good news.'"
"However, he said, "It has to be tempered with an honest assessment of the state's fiscal situation. ... We as Democrats need to be careful and focus on getting ourselves out of this hole so we don't have a permanent structural deficit.'"
In his blog, Daniel Weintraub offers
two sets of ideas for spending the state's $4 billion surplus.
While we're at it, why don't we pay for upgrades to the Coliseum in preparation for an NFL team? "Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger flew to Dallas on Monday to attend the National Football League owners' meeting today and
speak in favor of a locating a franchise - or two - in the Los Angeles market," writes Andy Furillo in the Bee.
"Schwarzenegger is expected to address the owners for five or 10 minutes at a meeting that is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Dallas time, according to gubernatorial spokesman
Darrell Ng. The governor will return to California immediately after the meeting."
"
Jeff Flint, a spokesman for Anaheim Mayor
Curt Pringle, said Schwarzenegger called Pringle last week to say 'he was going to speak in favor of bringing business to California and not choosing between the two sites.'"
"He told Mayor Pringle he would tell the NFL owners that the L.A. market had two good sites and could support two teams, which the NFL has talked about and which we would certainly support,' Flint said."
Can't we just sue them?
"Atty. Gen.
Bill Lockyer plans to sue the Bush administration today, alleging that new federal fuel economy standards for light trucks and sport utility vehicles violate federal environmental laws," reports the LAT's Marc Lifsher.
"The lawsuit — to be filed with the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals by California, nine other states, the District of Columbia and the city of New York — alleges that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has failed to address the effect of the standards on air quality and greenhouse gas emissions."
The
U.S. Supreme Court handed a victory to former playmate and reality TV star Ana Nicole Smith in the battle over the estate of her late husband,
J. Howard Marshal.
"The case has had twists and turns. Smith won a $474 million judgment, which was cut to about $89 million and eventually reduced to zero. (Sounds like a
Gray Davis-era budget)
Although Monday's ruling reinstates her claim, there is no guarantee she will collect any money. Justices said only that federal courts in California could deal with her case despite a Texas state court ruling that Marshall's youngest son was the sole heir to the estate."
Finally, freezing temperatures and steady snow were reported in Hell yesterday, apparently brought on by the Los Angeles Clippers playoff victory. With the win, the Clippers have advanced to the second round of the NBA playoffs.
