"Bomb experts from the California Highway Patrol detonated a mysterious package on the north side of
the state Capitol shortly after noon Thursday, after the presence of
two mysterious packages disrupted an Assembly floor
session and caused the evacuation of about 100 people from the building," reports Jim Sanders in the Bee.
"CHP Officer Jarrod Lassila said no explosives were in the bag that was detonated.
Offices on the north side of the Capitol were reopened
about 12:30 p.m.
"The detonation, which could be heard for several blocks
surrounding the Capitol and filled the air with the
smell of smoke, occurred after CHP officers used a
robot to move one of the packages, a leather satchel
with a piece of metal protruding from it, about 30 yards away from the L Street side of the building,
to the base of a large redwood tree in Capitol Park.
The satchel had been hanging from a statue about 20 feet from the entrance, according to CHP spokeswoman
Jaime Coffee. A passer-by reported the packages to Capitol security shortly
after 9 a.m.
"Coffee said the other package had been determined to
be just a plastic bag full of clothes.
Tony Beard, chief sergeant at arms for the state Senate, said
the plastic bag raised suspicions because it was found
at the base of a monument to Gilbert Murray, a forester
who was killed in 1995 by a bomb planted by Theodore Kaczynski, the notorious
Unabomber."
"With the economy and state budget in turmoil, California
voters are more frustrated than ever with state lawmakers
and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, according to a Field Poll released today," writes Kevin Yamamura in the Bee.
"Only 14 percent of registered voters approve of the Legislature's performance, compared with 74 percent who disapprove of the Democratic-led institution. That is the lowest mark for the California
Legislature in the Field Poll's 27-year history of tracking its job performance rating.
"Schwarzenegger also hit a new personal low, with 33 percent saying they approve of the Republican governor,
compared with 55 percent who disapprove. And a slightly higher percentage
of Democrats approve of him than do members of his
own Republican Party, according to the poll."
"Voters are 'frustrated and they don't think (the governor and the Legislature) are doing their jobs, or at least not very well,' said Mark DiCamillo, director of the poll," writes Matthew Yi in the Chon.
"The recession doesn't help either, he said.
"'The economic backdrop is so negative that whoever is
governing will have lower job ratings because you're going to have to do things that the public doesn't like, which is to raise taxes and cut popular programs,' DiCamillo said."
"April revenue collections fell $1.8 billion below estimates, worsening the state’s budget cash shortfall by a like amount," posts Greg Lucas.
"The less-than-anticipated revenue collections are the latest testament
to the state’s listless economy, which has been pummeled by the
collapse of the construction industry, tight credit
and drought.
"Fewer dollars coming in deepens the state’s budget hole, which is already gaping.
"Two weeks after the February budget was signed, the
Legislative Analyst said the spending plan for the
fiscal year that begins July 1 was already out of balance by at least $8 billion.
"The analyst assumed at the time that liquidating a
$2 billion reserve for emergencies built into the budget
would reduce the cash shortfall to a net of $6 billion.
"April’s lower-than-expected collections will substantially shrink the
size of that reserve, pushing the net shortfall up
to at least $7.8 billion."
Though the LAO said the budget was already $8 billion out of whack. Add $1.8 billion to that, plus another $6 billion if the special election measures don't pass, and you've got yourself one very familiar looking budget hole.
The Chron's Matthew Yi reports: "The state's fiscal picture could worsen next week when the final
tally is made on the April sales tax receipts.
"If the state's skid continues and voters reject at least three measures
on May 19, it could be a long summer of budget talks as the
governor and lawmakers deal with a deficit likely to
surpass $16 billion."
Dan Walters looks at what Plan B might be if the budget-related ballot measures fail on May 19.
"More taxes? Rejection of Proposition 1A, the linchpin measure, would not only short-circuit the taxes enacted in February but probably
make any additional levies politically impossible.
Democratic leaders could try again to enact taxes without
Republican votes but would face a legal challenge and
political fallout. A massive bailout from Washington?
Unlikely.
"This is an immense mess, partly caused by the recession,
partly caused by years of fiscal irresponsibility.
And it may be the day of reckoning that Capitol politicians
had long avoided, compounded by the obvious anger of
voters.
"A new statewide Field Poll has found historically low
approval ratings for the Republican governor and the
Democratic- controlled Legislature, just 33 percent for the governor and 14 percent for the Legislature. So their credibility
to marshal support for any plan is virtually nil.
"Wholesale slaughter of state spending may be their
only option. This is a pivotal point in California
political history, a fiscal Armageddon."
"As California began nose-diving into a recession last year, its population growth flattened out, with some of the most significant slowing occurring
in once-burgeoning inland areas such as Riverside County," reports the LAT's Rich Connell.
"Statewide in 2008, California grew 1.1% to 38.3 million residents, about the same growth rate as the
previous year, according to annual figures released
by the state Department of Finance on Thursday.
"Riverside County, one of the fastest-growing areas in the state for several years, has been
hit hard by high unemployment and foreclosure rates.
It grew by 1.4%, compared with 2.4% the year before and an average of about 4% annually since 2000, state records show. The county's population is now 2.1 million, according to the state estimates, which cull
data from a variety of sources."
Hey, just in time for the new census. Let's see, who's Congressional seat should we dissolve?
"A scofflaw made off with the two passenger side tires from state
Attorney General Jerry Brown's state-owned Toyota Camry hybrid as it was parked outside his Oakland hills home,
his office said Thursday," reports Henry Lee in the Chron.
"Brown, Oakland's former mayor, was attending the state Democratic
convention in Sacramento when the theft occurred April
24, said Brown's spokesman Scott Gerber.
"It was not known whether the culprits knew that the
black car was used by Brown, police said. No arrests
have been made, said Oakland police Sgt. Rich Vierra, chief of staff to acting Police Chief Howard Jordan.
"'Even though I am California's 'top cop,' 2 of my tires were stolen. No matter. I got 2 new ones and I'm rolling again!' Brown said in a message posted on his Facebook page."
Whew, we can all breathe a little easier...
