"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
appointed or assigned dozens of staff members this year to high-paying jobs elsewhere in state government - some of them to six-figure posts he once said were a waste of taxpayer money and should be eliminated," reports the AP's Aaron Davis.
"An Associated Press investigation of Schwarzenegger's staff turnover after last year's disastrous special election revealed that he moved 40 people to other state positions, and at least half of them saw their salaries increase, some by more than $30,000 a year."
"Schwarzenegger also gave six former staffers jobs with state boards and commissions he previously tried to dismantle."
"In 2004, Schwarzenegger vowed to get rid of 88 boards and commissions as part of his pledge to 'blow up the boxes' of state government. Among those he targeted were the Integrated Waste Management Board and Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board. '
No one paid by the state should make $100,000 a year for only meeting twice a month,' he said."
"
Margo Reid Brown, Schwarzenegger's scheduler, was appointed in January to a $117,818-a-year post on the waste management board. A month later, he named his chief speechwriter,
Jeffrey Danzinger, to a $114,191 seat on the same board."
"Schwarzenegger also appointed
Terri Carbaugh, Shriver's press secretary, to a $114,191 seat on the insurance appeals board, giving her a raise of $9,191 a year."
"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wasted no time this month
opening an account in which he can raise $200,000 annually for anything from staff parties to bonus paychecks for top aides," writes the Bee's Kevin Yamamura.
"The newly formed officeholder fund, established two days after he won re-election, provides Schwarzenegger a new vehicle to collect money from donors without opening a campaign account for future political office."
"The governor has not specified for what purposes he will use his new officeholder account. In the past year alone, he relied on his re-election campaign committee to pay for dramatic bill-signing events and $100,000 in bonuses to Chief of Staff
Susan Kennedy beyond her $131,000 state salary."
"'Governor Schwarzenegger believes that these expenses should not be covered by taxpayer dollars and therefore can be covered by raising funds,' said Schwarzenegger communications director
Adam Mendelsohn."
"Ending widespread speculation, state Sen. Richard Alarcón announced Tuesday
he will seek to return to the seat he held a decade ago on the Los Angeles City Council, setting the stage for a hotly contested election next March."
"Alarcón's decision sets off the prospect of a battle involving Assemblywoman
Cindy Montañez, D-San Fernando, a former member of the San Fernando City Council, and
Felipe Fuente, the chief deputy to former Councilman
Alex Padilla."
"Montañez and Felipe have each said they will fight Alarcón for the job. A fourth potential candidate is businesswoman
Monica Rodriguez."
Down in the desert,
Steve Clute condeded the race in AD 80 to Bonnie Garcia. "An all-but-confirmed victory in her 80th State Assembly District race brought more relief than elation to Assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia on Tuesday.
'For all of the candidates, here we are, weeks from the election," said Garcia, R-Cathedral City. 'You just want to bring closure to it.'
"Palm Desert Democrat Steve Clute conceded the 80th District race to Garcia in a telephone call to The Desert Sun Tuesday, as he faced an apparently insurmountable vote deficit following the counting of Riverside County's absentee ballots Monday.
'I would basically say at this point that, with the latest count from the registrar, we don't have the votes to win,' Clute told The Desert Sun. 'I plan to call Ms. Garcia and congratulate her on her victory.'"
In San Francisco, the Chron reports
the Hail Mary to save the 49ers is airborne. "Desperate to keep the 49ers from leaving town, San Francisco officials on Tuesday unveiled their plans for a stadium, retail and housing project at Candlestick Point that looked like a Disneyland utopia by the bay."
"There would be rolling grasslands, a main street for strolling, a hotel, a windsurfing beach and even a kayak rental shop."
"'Spectacular,' is how 49ers' Chief Financial Officer
Larry MacNeil described it."
There's just one problem.
"'The challenge for us is it just does not work for an NFL stadium,' he said."
From our
Green Party on the March Files, looks like the city of
. "Richmond Mayor Irma Anderson conceded defeat Tuesday in her bid for re-election and congratulated her opponent, Gayle McLaughlin, a member of the City Council and an activist in the Green Party.
"Assuming officials certify the results as expected, the election makes Richmond the biggest city in the country with a Green Party mayor -- and apparently the first with a predominately minority population."
Gov. Schwarzenegger issued a statement on the passing of director Robert Altman yesterday, noting that he had a bit part in Altman's 1973 adaptation of Raymond Chandler's "The Long Goodbye."
The LAT's Bob Salladay has even dug up
a shot of Arnold in his underwear from the 1973 flick.
And finally from our
Granny Get Your Gun Files, "Narcotics officers were justified in returning fire on a 92-year-old woman they shot to death as they tried to serve a warrant at her house, a police official said."
"Neighbors and relatives said it was a case of mistaken identity. But police said the woman, identified as Kathryn Johnston, was the only resident in the house at the time and had lived there for about 17 years."
"Assistant Chief
Alan Dreher said the officers had a legal warrant and "knocked and announced" before they forced open the door. He said they were justified in shooting once they were fired upon."
