California: Democratic

Earlier this month, Chuck DeVore told me about the straight-faced way some of his Democratic colleagues in the Assembly were insisting that the vote against the five budget measures in the May 19th special election was a general rejection of...

I will be on KRXA 540 at 8 to discuss this and other topics in California politics

Last night I was on Angie Coiro's Green 960 show to discuss the failure of the May 19 propositions and where we go from here. Opposite me (virtually speaking) was Sen. Mark Leno, although we agreed much more than we disagreed (which is how I prefer it!).

Leno said something quite interesting, and unfortunately the best I can do right now is to paraphrase it. He said something to the effect of "for too long Democrats have been Arnold Schwarzenegger's enablers," that they haven't done enough to push back against him.

When your comments and media ads only mention Prop. 1A and 1B, that shows the Guv has decided to jettison the rest of the efforts to steal or borrow money.

Now it is "save the teachers and firefighters" all the time.  Prop. 1B returns $9.3 billion to education--yet the Guv and Democrats fail to mention that the Feds are giving us $12 billion for education.  This is as bad as the supporters of Prop. 1A denying that it raises taxes by $16 billion.  Note the ads claim that if passed, 1A will stop cuts of $16 billion--but never says how.  Answer: by raising taxes by $16 billion.

Reporting from Sacramento -- In the midst of intense state budget negotiations, Democratic lawmakers stole away to an elegant wine-country lodge where the gourmet meals, rooms and cocktails were provided by a trio of interests with much at stake in the Capitol.

Soon after the trial lawyers and the unions representing firefighters and carpenters covered the $14,000 tab, their agendas advanced in Sacramento.

Such getaways for lawmakers are commonly bankrolled by groups with business before the state, often while that business is pending.

"This is an unending problem in Sacramento, where lobbying groups bring politicians somewhere to wine and dine them," said Doug Heller, executive director of the group Consumer Watchdog.