An era ends at the Capitol today, with Elizabeth Hill leaving with the cardboard box.
The Chron's Samantha Sondag reports:
"The 58-year-old Hill, unflappable as an independent voice on fiscal
matters from budgets to ballot initiatives, is stepping
down to spend more time with her retired husband and
two grown children.
"Calling her office staff an "extension of my family," Hill said she will miss her co-workers more than any other aspect of her job."
Really? We thought she'd miss all those zeros on the end of our annual budget
deficit numbers the most. Or maybe all the creative
ways lawmakers and budgeteers find to postpone difficult
budget decisions...
"'We've attracted really talented people to public service
and given them an opportunity to shine and I'm certainly going to miss that,' Hill told The Chronicle this week. 'But I am looking forward to the next chapter of my
life and decompressing from these budget numbers.'
"'Certainly, one regret that I have is that after working
32 years on the state budget, we still have a structural
budget problem, but I think we played an important
role,' she said this week. 'I think that the state has to come to grips with what
our budget priorities are and how we're going to fund them. I think that's an important conversation that we need to have.'"
Look for that conversation around Thanksgiving...
"Leaders of the campaign to outlaw same-sex marriage in California are warning businesses that have given money to the
state's largest gay rights group they will be publicly identified
as opponents of traditional marriage unions unless they contribute to the gay marriage ban, too," reports the AP's Lisa Leff.
"ProtectMarriage.com, the umbrella group behind a ballot
initiative that would overturn the California Supreme
Court decision that legalized gay marriage, sent a
certified letter this week asking companies to withdraw
their support of Equality California, a nonprofit organization
that is helping lead the campaign against Proposition
8.
"'Make a donation of a like amount to ProtectMarriage.com
which will help us correct this error,' reads the letter. 'Were you to elect not to donate comparably, it would
be a clear indication that you are in opposition to
traditional marriage. ... The names of any companies
and organizations that choose not to donate in like
manner to ProtectMarriage.com but have given to Equality
California will be published.'
"The letter was signed by four members of the group's executive committee: campaign chairman Ron Prentice; Edward Dolejsi, executive director of the California Catholic Conference; Mark Jansson, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; and Andrew Pugno, the lawyer for ProtectMarriage.com. A donation form
was attached. The letter did not say where the names
would be published."
Meanwhile, the students supporting Proposition 8 at American River College survived the recall effort by Proposition 8 foes.
Speaking of fundraising, the governor's recent trip to Florida is providing fodder for opponents of Proposition 11.
The LAT's Nancy Vogel writes:
"The chief cheerleader and fundraiser for Proposition
11, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, has insisted that the
push to change how voting districts are drawn is bipartisan.
But the half-million dollars donated to the backers' campaign last week by Florida businessmen with Republican
ties has fueled opponents' claims that it's a GOP power grab.
"'Republicans from Florida are giving huge donations
to this initiative for one reason,' said Paul Hefner, spokesman for the campaign against
the measure. 'They're convinced it helps their cause and hurts Democrats.'
"At the posh Fort Lauderdale home of well-connected attorney and Republican backer Scott Rothstein, Schwarzenegger persuaded the Floridians to write
checks of $2,500 to $250,000 to support Proposition 11, which would strip the Legislature of the power to
draw its own districts and give the task to an independent
commission.
"In California, the top donors to the campaign for the
measure are also loyal contributors to Republican causes.
"Traditional backers of Democrats have kicked in nearly
$1 million of the $13 million raised by Schwarzenegger and other proponents
this year."
But the Bee's Shane Goldmacher reports that Prop. 11 foes are calling it a liberal power grab, when it
suits
their interest.
"The Democratic-backed campaign against Proposition 11 has paid
$30,000 for a spot on a Republican slate mailer accusing the
redistricting measure of having a "hidden agenda to give liberal
Democrats lifetime control of Congress."
That is a switch.
"For months, the No on 11 campaign -- spearheaded by Democratic
Senate leader Don Perata and financed, in part, with
$175,000 from the
Democratic Party -- has fervently argued that Proposition 11 is a Republican power grab.
"Paul Hefner, a Perata and No on 11 spokesman, said he still believes the measure 'tilts the field in favor of Republicans.'
"But in the slate mailer sent to 800,000 likely GOP voter households, the campaign sang a different
tune."
Meanwhile the yes on 11 folks were given a gift yesterday. "Beginning immediately, the state will increase from $170 to $173 the amount it pays lawmakers to offset their expenses during the legislative session in Sacramento. Per
diem supplements salaries of $116,208.
"For the state's 120 Assembly and Senate members, today's vote will add about $600 per year to their checkbook -- maybe more, maybe less, depending upon the duration
of a legislative year. For taxpayers, the hike amounts
to about $72,000 annually.
"The per diem increase was approved today by the state
Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board, which
is required by state law to set per diem no lower than
the rate paid to federal employees traveling to Sacramento,
currently $173."
And, we bring you yesterday's committees with the top hauls, courtesy of ElectionTrack.
Democratic State Central Committee Of California: $543,000
Protectmarriage.com - Yes On 8, A Project Of California Renewal: $193,355
Yes
On Prop. 2: $118,500
Campaign For Teen Safety - No On 4 - A Project Of Planned Parenthood Affiliates Of California: $68,352
Humboldt County Democratic Central Committee: $55,400
International Brotherhood Of Electrical Workers Committee
On Political Education: $50,000
Republican Party Of Orange County: $43,000
Strickland For Senate: $40,800
Marty Block For State Assembly: $35,965
Democratic Central Committee Of Marin: $30,200
Dan Walters writes that voters don't necessarily know what they're getting in Proposition 1A, since the authority in charge of the plan hasn't produced the required business plan.
"The state's High-Speed Rail Authority didn't produce an updated business plan by Oct. 1, as the Legislature decreed, that would lay out projected
construction costs, ridership, fares and other vital
details for voters.
"Authority officials told a legislative hearing Thursday
that the plan is late because the state budget was
late and because its financial adviser, Lehman Brothers,
went belly-up recently. They now say the plan won't be ready until Nov.8, four days after the Proposition 1A vote."
"California's network of electronic message boards - commonly used to display Amber Alerts, travel times
or traffic information - could become flashy digital billboards hawking fast food, cell phones and new cars if federal
officials approve a Caltrans request," reports Michael Cabanatuan in the Chron.
...and you thought everyone slamming on their breaks
to read the Amber Alerts was dangerous.
"Caltrans Director Will Kempton has asked Transportation Secretary Mary Peters to
waive federal laws all but banning commercial advertising
on highway rights-of way to allow partnerships with private businesses
"as a way of leveraging increasingly scarce transportation
funding."
"The state, Kempton wrote in an Aug. 27 letter, wants permission to enter into deals with
businesses. In addition to the message boards, Caltrans
is interested in permitting commercial logos to be
created with flowers and landscaping along highways
and allowing businesses to operate in, or construct
and run additional, state-owned rest areas.
"Kempton declined to comment Thursday but said through
a spokesman that the plan is in its preliminary stages
and that details, including the amount of money that
could be raised, have not yet been determined."
And in New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has gotten the city council to allow
him to run for a third term.
"New
York's City Council on Thursday opened the door to a third
term for
billionaire Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, who has argued
that his
business and political experience is needed to lead
the city through
its financial challenges.
"After a day of debate, the council approved legislation
allowing city
officeholders -- including council members -- to serve three
consecutive four-year terms. Bloomberg's second term is up at the end
of next year.
"Bloomberg proposed the term-limits extension three weeks ago, which did
not leave enough time to get a measure on the November
ballot through
the voter referendum process.
"Given the dire economic outlook, said council members
in favor of the change, they could not risk waiting."
Somewhere, Fabian Nunez has gotta be kicking himself, wishing it were only
that easy here in California...
