With no budget and legislators on vacation, at least
we have an election to look forward to. The Field Poll
is out with a look at the ballot measures on the November
ballot and, schockingly, voters have little clue what's coming at them.
The Merc News's Mike Zapler reports: "California voters appear receptive to mandate the use
of more renewable energy, to fund a high-speed train in the state, and to improve treatment
of farm animals.
"But other measures that will be on the November ballot
- to restrict teenage abortions and to reform how state
legislative districts are drawn - have less public support so far, according to a California
Field Poll conducted this month and released Monday.
"As the Nov. 4 election draws closer, voters' opinions may change greatly - especially on those measures that will be the subject
of opposition advertising campaigns. At this point,
most voters are not even aware of the five ballot propositions,
the poll found; fewer than one in four voters had heard of four of
the five measures included in the poll.
"The most familiar - a measure to require teens to notify a parent or legal
guardian before having an abortion - was recognized by 45 percent of respondents. That may be because similar
teen abortion propositions appeared on the ballot in
2005 and 2006 and were defeated."
Here are the numbers:
Proposition 1
(high-speed rail bonds)
Yes: 56%
No: 30%
Undecided: 14%
Proposition 2
(treatment of farm animals)
Yes: 63%
No: 24%
Undecided:13%
Proposition 4
(parental notificatation of teen abortion)
Yes: 48%
No: 39%
Undecided: 13%
Proposition 7
(renewable energy)
Yes: 63%
No: 24%
Undecided: 13%
Proposition 11
(redistricting)
Yes: 42%
No: 30%
Undecided: 28%
While the budget standoff continues, Capitol Weekly's John Howard reports on a looming showdown at a political
board that has become a resting place for the politically
connected.
"The Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board rarely receives
public attention. That may change." The board "is embroiled in an internal dispute that
pits the staff against the board, the chairman against
the staff and the governor against the Senate -- to name just a few. Members of the board, a popular
locale for the politically connected, earn $100,000-plus annual salaries.
"Suspicions are swirling at the board and in the Capitol
and they likely will come to a head as early as Tuesday
with the attempted ouster of the board's top administrative officer,
who some on the board contend has delayed benefits to workers.
The fight for the ouster of Jay Arcellana is being
led by Schwarzenegger apointee Rick Rice, whose term
as board chairman expires early next month. "'The basic problem with this agency is that senior management
doesn't seem to understand that we are here to run this program
for the benefit of the public, not for the benefit
of themselves,' Rice said.
"Simmering in the background is an audit of the board
by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, which is
looking into allegations brought by board representatives
involving the board's procurement and hiring practices. The audit was approved
in March by the two-house committee, which plans to release its findings
in October.
The allegations reflect concerns 'of administrative wrongdoing or irregularities, employee
favoritism and nepotism,' according to state Sen. Carole Migden, D-San Francisco, who heads the Labor and Industrial Relations
Committee."
The Bee's Daniel Zarchy throws the budget Q&A at Darrell Steinberg, while Dan Walters asks if we should care about the delay.
"All sorts of approaches are floating around, including
the governor's lottery loan, raiding money from funds meant to go
to local governments, transportation services, children's health or mental disease treatment. Lobbyists for
one Southern California city that wants to extend its
redevelopment program are suggesting that the state
could borrow against future redevelopment tax revenues.
"None of the schemes, including the lottery loan, would
raise more than a few million dollars, however, which
means the $15.2 billion gap still looms. The Democrats are more intellectually
honest by proposing specific new taxes on affluent
individuals and business. But Republicans are still
being vague about spending cuts and seem to be leaning
toward more borrowing of some kind, although there
are hints they'd trade temporary taxes for a permanent spending growth
cap, which Democrats reject.
"When will it end? If those who are doing it don't know, those outside negotiations can only guess.
How will it end? Ditto. But one hopes it would not
be with another expedient, get-out-of-town budget that would mean a replay next year. That
would be bothersome and tiresome."
"California's second-largest storage reservoir will end this year with the
lowest amount of water in more than 30 years, the state's water chief said yesterday.
"Lester Snow, Department of Water Resources director, spoke at
a congressional hearing on California's drought in Fresno, where farmers, climate change
experts and area politicians testified about the financial
impacts wrought by the water shortage.
"State officials are preparing for another year of drought
in 2009, prompted by low storage levels, court-ordered cutbacks, increasing demand for water and forecasts
of another dry winter, Snow told the House Subcommittee
on Water and Power.
"Next year 'could be the worst drought in California history,' Snow said."
To this, we suggest that everyone do The Roundup rain dance.
"Lake Shasta, the state's largest reservoir, is at 48 percent capacity, department officials said.
"The next-largest reservoir, Lake Oroville – which sits at the top of the vast system of state
pumps and canals that send mountain river supplies
to Southern California – is at 40 percent capacity and will drop to about 20 percent by the end of December, he said."
The Bee's Peter Hecht looks at the fight between big and small brewers over
promotional swag.
"Anheuser-Busch hopes to sell more Bud and potentially improve
marketing and product placement by giving out T-shirts, caps and other freebies.
"So it is asking the Legislature to change California
law to allow beer companies and distributors to offer
souvenirs worth up to $5. The state currently limits beer promotional items
to a value of 25 cents.
"But small beer makers are trying to stop the legislation,
Assembly Bill 1245. The bill has already sailed through the Assembly
on a 75-0 vote and is headed for the state Senate floor.
"So Susan Little-Nell, owner of St. Stan's Brewing Co., is writing lawmakers, complaining about
soaring costs of hops, wheat and barley used to craft
her frothy brews. She said she fears losing retail
shelf space and bar tap access in the face of 'free-for-all promotional spending of international corporations.'
"Andrew Baldonado, Anheuser-Busch's director of governmental affairs,
said the brewer is reacting to its own marketing challenge.
He said the
company wants the same promotional opportunities as
winemakers and
spirits companies.
"Under state law, for example, makers of Jose Cuervo
tequila and Smirnoff vodka are already allowed to dole
out $5 items."
"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation Monday to give neglected and abused
children the right to participate in court hearings that will decide their future," reports Jim Sanders in the Bee.
"Assembly Bill 3051, by Democratic Assemblyman Dave Jones of Sacramento, targeted a system in which judges routinely
make life-changing placement decisions for children they haven't met.
"AB 3051 gives affected children the right to attend such proceedings
and, if they desire, to address the court. "
"A California agency is
offering below-market-rate loans to first-time home buyers who purchase
certain foreclosed properties in beleaguered areas,
including parts of
Alameda and Contra Costa counties," reports the Chron's Carolyn Said.
Rep. Laura Richardson said she immediately wants in...
"The California Housing Finance Agency, which helps
finance home
ownership for people of modest means, has received
a $200 million
allocation of bond funds to use for the Community Stabilization
Home
Loan Program, which it estimates will help 800 to 1,000 Californians
purchase their first home."
And finally from our Great Balls of Fire Files,
Two practical jokers are behind bars for setting their passed-out drinking buddy's crotch ablaze while boozing in Grover Beach. Matthew Craig Pillers and Jack Brent Nicholas Keiffer
pleaded no contest to a felony great bodily injury
charge.
"Prosecutors say the 22-year-old Pillers, a parolee, was sentenced to
two years in prison and the 19-year-old Keiffer got 45 days in San Luis Obispo County jail.
"Elliot Tuleja was passed out when the men poured cologne
on the
man's groin and set him on fire on Jan. 18. Tuleja had second-degree
burns on his testicles."
