George Skelton
reviews the process of putting together the bond package approved by the Legislature Friday morning. "It was not the way legislating is described in poli sci classes. Nor was it the preferred way, if the world were perfect."
"But last week the lawmaking process produced a package of proposed public works that would be the largest in state history if approved by voters in November: $37.3 billion in bonds, costing taxpayers $2.6 billion annually in debt payments by 2013, according to Legislative Analyst
Elizabeth G. Hill."
"
It'd be well worth it. Besides, there's little choice. That's what happens when we let the place go for so long without repairs and expansions to accommodate the growing family."
"In one way, this was a retro Legislature, returning to the old-fashioned way — legislators doing the legislating."
"
Backroom deals. Very little sunshine. Old-time legislating. Ugly can be beautiful."
We're counting on it...
Speaking of the ugly legislative process, the Bee's Clea Benson writes that
advocacy groups are ready to fight for their share of the state's windfall. "After several years of budget cuts and freezes in the rates the state pays for services and social welfare benefits, advocates for groups that depend on state funds are hoping this year will finally bring a thaw."
"Each spring, these advocates hold budget-related rallies and lobby days at the Capitol. But this year, instead of protesting cuts, many are asking for raises that will restore benefits that have been eroded by inflation during the years of budget crisis."
"The $4 billion windfall that the state expects in the current fiscal year is not the end of the good financial news. Government finance experts predict that the strong economic trend will continue into the 2006-07 fiscal year, boosting the amount of money available for next year's budget.
The governor's revised spending plan, due out on Friday, will likely be larger than the $125.6 billion he proposed back in January."
"The Republican governor is scheduled to decide today what will go in the revision and what won't, said
H.D. Palmer, spokesman for the Department of Finance."
"The
four ambitious politicians vying for lieutenant governor understand that voters may not be riveted on the race for California's No. 2 office," writes the Bee's Peter Hecht.
"They're well aware many Californians don't even know what a lieutenant governor does."
After all, it took mathematicians over a thousand years to
describe the concept of zero.
"But the three Democratic candidates and the leading Republican all say the office is a chance to seize a bully pulpit to advocate solutions to the state's most pressing challenges."
"'
Ten lieutenant governors have gone on to become governor,' said state Sen.
Tom McClintock of Thousand Oaks, who is facing a little-known Fresno Realtor,
Tony Farmer, in the Republican primary. '
And anyone not thinking about running for governor has no excuse to apply for this job.'"
"Two lieutenant governor candidates, McClintock and Democrat
John Garamendi, have previously run for governor. The other two, Democrats
Jackie Speier and
Liz Figueroa, insist they are ready to step in at a moment's notice to take the helm of America's most populous state."
CW's John Howard takes a look at
a new committee that will target Garamendi just in time for the election. "Foes of Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi are poised to put $2.4 million into a campaign to attack the commissioner's proposed auto insurance rating regulation, Capitol sources said."
"Much of the money will be spent on a direct-mail effort targeting 1.5 million people in 52 counties. The money will be provided by several major auto insurance companies, including State Farm, Farmers, Allstate, Safeco and 21st Century."
The LAT's Jennifer Oldham
profiles the race for Insurance Commish. "Despite the position's power, the race to replace Insurance Commissioner
John Garamendi, who is running for lieutenant governor, has been low-key, primarily because most of the debate will occur this fall between major party nominees."
"In the June 6 primary, voters will choose between two Democrats to run against a Republican candidate in the fall. The two are Lt. Gov.
Cruz Bustamante and
John Kraft, a South Pasadena businessman who has yet to demonstrate that he will have the money to offset Bustamante's familiarity to voters. Kraft ran unsuccessfully in 1994."
"Republicans already have a putative nominee,
Steve Poizner, a Los Gatos technology millionaire who has never held public office. Several minor party candidates are also running. Poizner has promised he would, if elected, combat insurance fraud, prepare the state for the next natural disaster and increase competition to reduce rates."
The race also boasts the most unique ballot statement of any candidate we've seen in quite some time. Well, any candidate that wasn't also a porn star, or abducted by aliens. It's
hard to tell if Cruz Bustamante is running to replace Garamendi or Dr. Phil.
In a separate article, Oldham
writes about Bustamante's "recipe for winning: Shed pounds by racing around California collecting multicolored bibs in community 5Ks and post the results online."
"'I want to become an example to others to lead healthier lives by losing weight myself,' Bustamante exhorted in his campaign statement in the information guide sent to voters for the June 6 primary. 'Fighting the obesity epidemic will lower insurance costs.'"
"But there's a missing ingredient.
The lieutenant governor's current weight, and documentation of his progress in shedding pounds — or not — isn't sprinkled among the nutrition and fitness information and weight loss tips on his campaign website at
http://www.startwithcruz.com."
If you're dying to know, the Bee's Kevin Yamamura
has the numbers. "The 5-foot-7 Bustamante said he weighed in at 278 pounds at the start of the year but has dropped 45 pounds since eating healthier and making good use of a treadmill."
"His next goal is to get down to 208 pounds, his pre-Sacramento weight."
"'
I'm still a fat guy,' Bustamante said. '
Just not as fat a guy anymore.'"
The Register's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson writes that
web sites and e-mail are playing a key role in this year's campaign. "Welcome to California's 2006 gubernatorial race, where winning traditional grass-roots support is more about bandwidth than shoe leather. Campaigns are following the example of
Howard Dean, a littleknown former Vermont governor who used a network of Internet-connected supporters to leap onto the national stage in the 2004 presidential race."
"California's gubernatorial candidates hope the same Web-based techniques will make their campaigns more accessible and supporters feel vested. With new campaign contribution limits and skyrocketing costs of TV advertising hampering campaigns, the Internet has become a vital tool to boost contenders' visibility, especially among the grass roots, experts say."
"'It really tightens the bonds among supporters to the candidates,' explained San Francisco State University professor
Gary Selnow, who has written books on political campaign technology. '
There is great virtue in gelling the opinion of your supporters and making them invulnerable to persuasion of opposition.'"
Meanwhile, Ken McLaughlin
looks at the Democratic primary for secretary of state for the Merc News. "Both Democratic candidates fighting for the chance to depose California Secretary of State Bruce McPherson are progressive, pro-choice women senators now being forced out of office by term limits.
"And, oh yeah, both are named Deb."
"The '
Battle of the Debs' pits
Deborah Ortiz of Sacramento vs.
Debra Bowen of Marina del Rey. The challenge for both is to create just a teensy bit of excitement for their candidacies before the June 6 primary."
The anticipation is killing us.
And if that weren't enough down-ticket action for one day, the SLO Tribune's Bob Cuddy
takes a look at the controller's race.
"[
John] Chiang and [
Joe] Dunn are opposing each other on the Democratic ballot for the powerful position. Assemblyman [sic]
Tony Strickland and state Sen.
Abel Maldonado — whose district includes San Luis Obispo County — are running for the Republican nomination. There are three less well-known candidates on the Republican ballot, as well as candidates representing third parties."
"They’re running for an office that, as Chiang says, has great institutional powers but also, as Strickland notes, can serve as a "bully pulpit" to bring about change that will help taxpayers."
The LAT's Jonathan Abrams
profiles Ron Oden, the Palm Springs mayor who aims to take on
Bonnie Garcia in November. "Oden, 56, one of the country's few openly gay black politicians, accepts that some may view his race and sexuality as a double whammy. It is something he has dealt with for years while rising through the ranks of the City Council to become mayor and now embarking on a second run at a higher elected office."
"He will first have to beat fellow Democrat
Steve Clute, a former member of the Assembly, in the June primary."
"'It's a natural transition,' said Oden, who was trounced by Republican
Mary Bono, the popular widow of singer
Sonny Bono, in a bid for a congressional seat six years ago. 'I think I'll bring a measure of hope to people in the district.'"
And then, some people are already looking ahead to 2010, and
the race between Antonio Villaraigosa and Gavin Newsom. Rick Orlov reports on Newson's jockeying at the recent state Democratic Party convention. "Among those Newsom was courting were leaders of the California Teachers Association, who wanted to talk about the relationship of big-city mayors and the school districts within their jurisdictions."
"Newsom made a point of telling CTA leaders that he had backed off from a Villaraigosa-type approach of having near total control. Instead, he chose to supplement the district with preschool and after-school funding."
"'He never knocked Villaraigosa, but he made the point that he was an official the teachers union could work with in the future,' one observer said."
From our
Upholding Your Reputation Files:
Barry Bonds hit his 713th home run yesterday, leaving him one away from
Babe Ruth's second all-time home run record.
A lucky Bonds fan, an Air Force serviceman stationed in New Jersey, caught the ball after buying a ticket to watch the game in Philadelphia. Bonds refused, however, to sign the ball when the fan asked him to after the game. Bonds did take a picture with the fan and then asked for the fan's autograph--on a waiver for the slugger's reality show.
