Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is expected
to announce his
endorsement Friday in the California attorney general
race, and it’s not
going to be former L.A. city attorney and fellow Democrat
Rocky
Delgadillo.
"Villaraigosa will throw his support to Democratic
candidate Kamala D.
Harris, the San Francisco district attorney. The nod
is scheduled to
become official at high noon on the steps of Los Angeles
City Hall.
"Villaraigosa and Harris share the same political strategist,
Ace
Smith of San Francisco."
A group with ties to Carly Fiorina has filed a complaint against Chuck DeVore for running his campaign with state staff. Allegedly.
Brian Joseph reports, "A group calling itself California Citizens for Ethics in
Government put out a press release Thursday saying that it had
filed an official complaint with California Attorney
General Jerry
Brown’s office over Orange County Assemblyman Chuck
DeVore’s “apparent usage of paid state staff in his U.S. Senate
campaign.”
Citing “a recent news story” about two current or former members of
DeVore’s Assembly staff who also work for his Senate campaign
(which
almost certainly was the The Watchdog’s
recent story about that very topic), the press release cites the
government code that makes it illegal for government
officials to devote
public funds to their own use and quotes the group’s president, Bob
Davis, as saying, “We believe the Attorney General must
investigate this incident to ensure taxpayer funds
are not being used in
a federal campaign.”
"While DeVore and his staff insist they’re doing nothing wrong, it’s
compelling still. There’s just a tiny, little problem. Who is the
California Citizens for Ethics in Government?
The organization isn’t well-known in
Sacramento. It doesn’t have a Web site. The press release ends the group
as “a good government organization” that’s been “active in California
politics for several years.” The president is called “a successful
Sacramento area businessman.” A quick Google search reveals the California Citizens
for Ethics in
Government has a mailing address of 455
Capitol Mall, Suite 801, Sacramento, CA 95814. Guess who else has a mailing address of 455 Capitol Mall, Suite 801,
Sacramento, CA 95814. The Carly
Fiorina for U.S. Senate campaign — one of DeVore’s
Republican opponents in the Senate race."
Foiled by Google again!
In Sacramento, lawmakers are going to review the state's real-estate fire sale. Judy Lin reports, "California lawmakers said Thursday
they will examine Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger's plan to sell state office buildings
after revelations
that it might be a bad deal for taxpayers. The Associated
Press reported this week that California will pay
about $5.2 billion to rent the buildings over the next 20 years after
they are sold to private investors. The administration
hopes to net just
$660 million from the sale, after paying off $1.1 billion in
construction bonds, as a way to help close the state's
budget deficit.
"The development prompted a state legislative committee
to
announce it would look into the matter."
We'll hold our breath. And redo our bid for the Orange
County Fairgrounds...
And finally,Students at New Jersey's
Atlantic City High School have learned not to mess
with the lunch
ladies.
"Cafeteria workers served only cheese sandwiches
Wednesday and Thursday as punishment for a food fight.
School Superintendent Fredrick Nickles says the
school supplies only the basic food requirement when
there's been a
food-throwing incident. Nickles
says the policy has been effective over the years.
Only the group that engaged in the fight out of the
school's three lunch periods was punished.
Parent Bridgitte Reid became angry after her daughter
explained the menu. Reid called it "prison food."
Not to mention, the grilled cheese just doesn't fly
like the mashed potatoes do...
