Capitol Basement

Convention preemption

2008-08-26T07:20:48Z

"Progress in budget negotiations remains as fleeting as ever, Assembly Speaker Karen Bass told a group of reporters in her Capitol office on Monday," writes Shane Goldmacher on the Bee's Capitol Alert.

"'There's no huge deal that we're getting ready to pop up in the next few days,' Bass said.

"As a result, the Los Angeles Democrat is missing her party's national convention in Denver, where she 'would love to be.'

"Instead, she is here in Sacramento negotiating the budget, though not in meetings with her fellow legislative leaders and the governor.

"'We have not had a meeting of the Big 4 or the Big 5 in about a week,' Bass said.

"Bass has been meeting with Assembly GOP leader Mike Villines.

"'He is very clear that they (Republicans) will not vote for taxes. And I am very clear that we (Democrats) cannot balance the budget through cuts alone. And so we have to find a way to fill the $15 billion gap,' she said, responding to a question about whether they were considering a budget that relied on borrowing.

"The governor has said he won't sign a budget balanced with borrowing. And Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata said weeks ago, 'I'll have Thanksgiving dinner on the first floor (of the Capitol) with the governor before I'll borrow.'"

No taxes, no cuts, no borrowing. Perhaps it's time to pull out the budgetary pixie dust so we can all go on vacation.

Bass also changed plans for a three-day break from floor session coinciding with the Democratic Convention. The Senate plans to meet daily.

"State Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, was living in the moment Monday – while dreading it was about to end.

"He stood before the California delegation, delivering a thundering speech for the party to unify behind presumptive nominee Barack Obama. "We are one! We are one! We are one!" he shouted.

"Then Florez rushed off to catch a plane, because things are far from unified back in the Capitol in California.

"Despite admonitions from outgoing Senate leader Don Perata that all Democrats must stay home to work through the state budget stalemate, Florez and fellow state Sen. Alex Padilla and Assembly members John Laird, Lori Saldaña and Mike Davis made it to Denver for the state delegation's opening breakfast.

"Florez was returning in time for this week's floor sessions but wasn't happy about it.

"'I wish deeply in my heart I could stay and personally witness the most historic convention in my lifetime,' he said."

Well, instead, we can live vicariously through CW's Anthony York, who is blogging the convention.

"Republican presidential candidate John McCain on Monday vowed to compete in California this fall despite trailing by double digits in recent polls, telling donors at a Sacramento fundraiser he will not 'take your money and leave,'" writes the Bee's Kevin Yamamura.

"The Arizona senator gave a wide-ranging speech at the Sheraton Grand Sacramento in which he said the United States is "winning in Iraq," while the nation needs to wean itself from foreign oil by pursuing clean energy and offshore drilling.

"Despite his assurances, McCain did not specify how he would mount a competitive effort in California, a state no Republican presidential candidate has won since George H.W. Bush in 1988. McCain trailed Democratic Sen. Barack Obama by 24 percentage points in a July Field Poll.

"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appeared at the fundraiser but did not speak. McCain said the Republican governor was right to chide previous national candidates for holding fundraisers in California while spending the money in battleground states.

"'I also want to look you in the eye – and I appreciate your generosity – but I also want to tell you we will compete in the state of California,' McCain told donors. 'We will compete and win in the state of California. We will not take your money and leave.'"

Dan Walters writes that, after having been on the defense against the Democrat-led Legislature for several years, business interests might benefit from the budget showdown.

"Schwarzenegger has gone on offense for business by making several of their long-stalled goals part of an "economic stimulus" package that he wants enacted as part of any deal on the state budget. They include more public-private partnerships on infrastructure, which public worker unions oppose, and allowing workers to spend more than eight hours on the job without receiving overtime pay, which all unions oppose.

"Tellingly, the Chamber of Commerce immediately endorsed Schwarzenegger's latest proposal to bridge the budget deficit, including a 1-cent increase in the sales tax on most taxable goods and some changes in tax treatment of business losses, and left little doubt that the "economic stimulus" component was the selling point. Chamber President Allan Zaremberg said the latter provisions would be "big wins for employers and workers."

"All in all, it's entirely possible that, for better or worse, this could be a year in which business scores in its annual faceoff with liberal groups."

"The Assembly yesterday passed landmark land-use legislation with multiple goals: curb greenhouse gas emissions, spark public transit, limit sprawl and encourage affordable housing," reports the AP.

"Under Senate Bill 375, the state would direct transportation funds to cities and counties that adopt general plans that comply with those goals.

"Also, home builders that build within those parameters could receive relief from preparing costly, comprehensive environmental reviews and offered additional protections from litigation.

"Opponents said the measure would usurp local control and cost jobs.

"The bipartisan 48-22 vote sent the legislation to the Senate, where it's expected to pass."

"For the first time in the dozen years of turmoil since state voters legalized medical marijuana, California's top law enforcement official stepped into the fray Monday with new guidelines designed in part to quell the ongoing friction between the state and federal authorities," writes Eric Bailey in the Times.

"Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown issued an 11-page directive intended to help legitimate patients avoid arrest while giving police the tools to distinguish legal medical marijuana operations from illegal cultivators and criminal middlemen.

"He suggested his new "road map" would serve as a shield against the federal government, which has waged war against the state's pot rules by conducting raids and mounting court challenges.

"'Hopefully the feds will back off in instances where people are really following these guidelines,' Brown said Monday in a telephone interview.

"The guidelines affirm the legality of many of the state's medical marijuana dispensaries, but only those operated as collectives or cooperatives and not in business for profit."

"A bill that would allow a proposed half-cent sales tax for Los Angeles County transportation projects to be on the Nov. 4 ballot was expected to come before the state Senate today," reports the Daily Breeze.

"Assembly Bill 2321, which would exempt the proposed levy from the state's sales tax cap, needs the approval of the Senate and the Assembly by the end of the week, when the legislative session ends, said Rebecca Marcus, spokeswoman for Assemblyman Mike Feuer, who co-authored the bill.

"It will then require the approval of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, though the governor has said he would not sign any bills until the Legislature approves a new state budget.

"Without the bill, the ballot measure would push the county's already high sales tax above the legal limit.

"The new tax would generate a projected $40 billion for transportation projects over 30 years."

"Nearly 40 years after a disastrous oil spill off the Santa Barbara coast galvanized the nation and gave birth to the modern environmental movement, the county Board of Supervisors is poised to vote today in support of offshore drilling, " reports Maria L. La Ganga in the Times.

"Proponents of the measure argue that America cannot turn away from a homegrown energy source at a time when the country is dangerously dependent on foreign oil and technology has made offshore oil drilling safer than ever.

"Opponents, however, deride today's scheduled vote asking Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to change state policy and "allow expanded oil exploration and extraction in the Santa Barbara County region" as an exercise in polls, politics and posturing.

"The vote is largely symbolic -- the supervisors have no power to approve new offshore drilling, and Schwarzenegger has already come out against it. But it underscores both the issue's volatility and this coastal county's changing profile."

"California home sales surged last month even while prices plunged a record amount, as buyers snapped up bargains among the state's hundreds of thousands of foreclosed and distressed properties, according to an industry trade group," writes the Chron's James Temple.

"The number of existing, single-family houses that traded hands in July leaped an estimated 43.4 percent from a year ago, the California Association of Realtors reported. The median price, however, dropped 40.3 percent to $350,760, the biggest decline since the Realtors began tracking the market.

"In the Bay Area, sales increased 6.7 percent, and the median sank 21.2 percent to $663,190.

"'We are seeing a robust response to improved affordability,' the Realtors' Chief Economist Leslie Appleton-Young said. 'But obviously the $64,000 question is when will we be at the bottom? I don't think we'll see that this year.'"

Finally, from our Grammar Tips files: "Collins Dictionaries of Britain said its researchers have estimated that the most commonly misspelled word in the English language is "supersede."

"The company said the word is misspelled one out of every 10 times it is used because many other words with phonetically similar endings -- such as intercede and precede -- are spelled with the letter "c" instead of "s," The Daily Telegraph reported.

"The researchers said they arrived at their conclusions by using a software program that went through thousands of documents available on the Internet, including published books, blogs and news articles."

Since many of you have nothing to do today unless you are assigned to the Assembly's water bond hearing, you can start cleaning up the 2,140 occurrences of "supercede" on .ca.gov websites.

Hissing cockroaches

2008-08-25T07:01:53Z

Our co-author, CW's Anthony York, is in Denver this week, and will be blogging his experience, or at least the parts that are fit for print.

Here's the last we heard from him:

"The flight is about two-thirds full, less crowded than I thought a non-stop from Sacramento to Denver would be the day before the Democratic National Convention is set to begin. Maybe the empties are from all the legislators who cancelled their trips. Maybe it’s because it’s Sunday night, and the party’s already started without us.

"There are a few Capitol types on the plane. There are assorted lobbyists, vaguely familiar political faces, and at least one elected official. Lt. Gov. John Garamendi is on this last flight into the Mile High City, with his wife and body man, prepping for his four days in Denver.

"For pols like Garamendi, and others, conventions are prime schoomzing time, a time to introduce, or reintroduce, yourself to activists and potential donors. And the fact that Garamendi comes into Denver as the only declared candidate for governor (Gavin Newsom is still ‘exploring’), it allows him to speak about 2010 with a bit more clarity – to more openly make the ask.

"Barack Obama may be the main story, but there are thousands of pols gathered in Denver to write the next chapter in their own political narratives. And Garamendi hopes Denver will be part of the two-year road that launches him into the governor’s office in 2010."

"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who years ago blasted legislators as "girlie men," is at it again – characterizing them as fearful and lacking backbone to do the right thing," writes the Bee's Jim Sanders.

"Schwarzenegger, speaking of the state's two-month budget standoff, told The Bee that lawmakers are so afraid of political fallout that they can't 'step over their own shadow.'

"'Everyone is kind of frightened to make any move,' he said.

"Schwarzenegger's release this week of his "compromise" budget proposal, anchored by a temporary sales tax increase, lifted the curtain on tense closed-door talks with legislative leaders over a $15.2 billion deficit.

"The governor said he is 'trying to act as the grown-up in the budget negotiations.'

"By taking the fight directly to voters, however, strategists for both parties said Schwarzenegger could antagonize the very lawmakers he needs to strike a deal.

"'The problem with using that kind of bullying language is that he's tried it in the past and it didn't work,' said Democratic political consultant Roger Salazar.

"Assembly Republican leader Mike Villines of Clovis questioned the governor's own gutsiness.

"'I don't believe it shows strong backbone to have said (no tax increases) publicly for years and years and years – and then to change your position overnight,' Villines said."

George Skelton gets his chance to sit down with the governor to talk about the budget.

"Sunday was supposed to have been the drop-dead day for passing a reform measure in time for the November ballot. Schwarzenegger said he might call a special election next year.

"'No one here should think that because they go past the deadline that now they've pulled a nice trick,' he cautioned. 'There will be no budget signed without a good budget reform.'

"The governor chided Republicans for not producing their own budget. He has. Democrats have.

"'Republicans talk about the borrowing scenario and about the cuts,' he said. 'I'd like to see their budget. Why haven't we seen any numbers? Wouldn't it be wonderful? 'Here are the cuts in education and in healthcare and in prisons and law enforcement.' '

"Schwarzenegger expects the fight to drag out a lot longer, even if the budget already is 56 days late. The fiscal year began July 1.

"'Lock the building and don't let anyone leave until there's a budget,' he declared."

While the budget impasse continues, the sausage factory continues to churn out bills. The Assembly and Senate both meet today, and noses will be counted to see who has left for Denver. Not to worry, as there are still seats available on tonight's 6:45 p.m. nonstop Southwest flight to Denver. And, for Assembly Democrats, as long as you show up today and Friday, you'll get your per diem for the week.

"[I]n what many observers are calling the most significant environmental bill of this year's state legislative session, builders and environmentalists have found common ground on a compromise they hope will limit global warming by changing where homes are built," reports Paul Rogers in the Merc News.

"The bill would make California the first state in the nation to attempt to reduce global warming emissions by drawing up regional plans to reduce miles driven by passenger vehicles, then directing most transportation funding only to so-called "smart growth" projects.

"If it becomes law, the measure could affect everything from San Jose's proposed Coyote Valley development to future construction in eastern Contra Costa County, Watsonville and Napa.

"'We know people are going to drive. We want them in their cars for less time,' said state Sen. Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, who authored the bill, SB 375.

"The measure is expected to face key floor votes in the Assembly and Senate early next week. Because Democrats have the majority, the bill faces likely passage. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has not said whether he would sign it.

"But it has sparked controversy. In June, state Sen. Tom McClintock, R-Thousand Oaks, lambasted a version as all but un-American.

"'Most people don't want to live in dense urban cores. Most people want a little elbow room - they want a yard for their children to play in,' McClintock said.

"'They want a little grass, a little garden, a little breathing room they can call their own. And who the hell are you to tell people they can't?'"

"From the city of San Francisco to Los Angeles County, more than a dozen local governments around the state have proposed or passed plastic-bag restrictions, ranging from recycling mandates to outright bans," reports Jim Downing in the Bee.

"Now, a proposal in the Legislature would put a 25-cent fee on all disposable bags – paper or plastic – given out at drug and grocery store check stands starting Jan. 1, 2010. It has won key support from the grocery and retail industries and faces its next legislative step today.

"Those in favor of the fee, led by Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, D-Van Nuys, and a collection of environmental groups, point to dirty oceans, sewers fouled with plastic and millions of dollars in litter-cleanup costs. Opponents – mainly bag-industry and taxpayer organizations – say plastic bags draw more blame than they deserve and the fee would be a burden on consumers.

"'People have completely lost their perspective,' said Stephen Joseph, a Tiburon lawyer who runs savetheplasticbag.com, an industry group."

"An ambitious proposal crafted in the dwindling days of the legislative session would for the first time give state regulators broad authority to oversee chemicals in consumer products ," writes Steve Wiegand in the Bee.

"The two-bill deal, negotiated among legislators, the Schwarzenegger administration and environmental and chemical industry groups, also would lay the foundation for the administration's "Green Chemistry Initiative," which would fundamentally change the way the state handles hazardous materials.

"'I think we're on the verge of enacting groundbreaking legislation,' said Assemblyman Mike Feuer, D-Los Angeles.

"Feuer's measure, Assembly Bill 1879, would give the Department of Toxic Substances Control until January 2011 to establish a science-based process to identify and evaluate problem chemicals in their manufacture, use and ultimate disposal.

"It would give the department authority to regulate the chemicals, including banning their use in California.

"It also would create a "Green Ribbon" panel of scientists to advise the department.

"Senate Bill 509, by state Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, would create a state-run Web site where consumers could search for information on chemical hazards."

The Bee's Jim Sanders sits down with United Farm Workers President Arturo Rodriguez and talks about major issues pushed by the union.

Bee: "Why alter the system of ballot-booth voting for union representation?

Rodruiguez: "We know that when farmworkers have representation, they feel security. … (Under the current system) there's just too much intimidation and coercion that takes place – abuse of the system (by growers seeking to discourage participation).

Bee: "Will Cesar Chavez Day ever be a national holiday?

Rodruiguez: "I definitely think it will come about. I don't have a real indication as to when. But I think people want to have heroes. … Cesar Chavez is someone who made huge sacrifices and dedicated his life toward improving farmworkers and their lifestyles and giving them opportunities.

Bee: "Will California ever allow undocumented immigrants to apply for driver's licenses or college aid?

Rodruiguez: "Definitely (within four years) we're not only going to have changes in immigration reform, but we'll see farmworkers – immigrant farmworkers – be able to have … their children go to colleges, and universities, and to begin to access the American dream like everyone else does. There's a lot of hope."

Finally, as two weeks of conventions begin and with John McCain at a lunchtime funder at the Sheraton today, it is time to take a reading of the tea leaves.

The AP reports: "This presidential race was no contest: John McCain sped to the finish while Barack Obama was reluctant to leave the starting point.

"But there's no guarantee giant Madagascar hissing cockroaches will predict the real result in November.

"The roach race Thursday was part of the New Jersey Pest Management Association's annual clinic and trade show.

"Organizers liken the race's prediction success to that of Punxsutawney Phil on Groundhog Day.

"Association Executive Director Leonard Douglen says the 2000 roach race came close. The Gore roach won by an antenna, hanging chads not included."

We're not going to ask what the Pest Management Association did to the roaches after the race.

Look, up in the sky!

2008-08-22T07:27:24Z

"Six months after the decision was made, Darrell Steinberg – a former labor lawyer and unabashed liberal – was formally elected Senate president pro tem Thursday in a unanimous voice vote by his colleagues."

But even though he's now been elected twice, doesn't mean he gets to take over yet.

"In the longest legislative transition in modern California history, the Sacramento Democrat won't assume office until Nov. 30 – one day before current Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland, is termed out of office."

Brett Favre's transition into retirement has been longer than this.

"Steinberg, who will become the first lawmaker from Sacramento to run the Senate since 1883, said he was "not uncomfortable" with the protracted baton exchange."

At least they exchanged the baton, something the U.S. track and field team is having a helluva time doing in the Bird's Nest.

"'This is the way the caucus and Sen. Perata and I wanted to handle this, and I'm very comfortable with it,' Steinberg, 48, said in an interview before the Senate vote."

"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Thursday that the budget deadlock could last for several more weeks, a delay that would force him to call a special election," reports Matthew Yi in the Chron.

...bringing visions of dough to political consultants' heads. Reserve your Roundup advertising space today!

"Two significant pieces of his budget require voter approval, and many state lawmakers consider Sunday to be the drop-dead deadline for placing new measures on the ballot for the November election.

"A budget deal after Sunday would mean the governor would have to put his budget measures - calling for budget overhauls and for borrowing against future lottery sales - to voters in a special election later this year or next year.

"'We can have a special election. ... I prefer to put it on this ballot, but you always have to go for the next best thing. You can't always have it exactly your way,' he said Thursday.

"The last special election in California was in 2005 and cost the state about $50 million, according to Kate Folmar, a spokeswoman for Secretary of State Debra Bowen."

But for meaningful budget reform, that's a bargain, right?

Dan Walters writes that, despite the rhetoric, GOP-supported spending plays a major part in the budget gap.

The Bee sits down with the governor, who defends his decision to call for a sales tax increase and shows his frustration about the budget impasse .

Bee: "Do you think legislators should continue to vote on bills upstairs and have tributes to (termed-out) members?"

Governor: "Look, I'm not trying to tell them what to do up there because, you know, I'm trying to act as the grown-up in the budget negotiations here. They have to figure out how they're going to handle it and how they're going to do everything. I have made strong recommendations 14 days ago that I was disappointed that they came back from their vacation or recess and went about with the bills rather than going about with the budget and all sitting down and all trying to figure out in their caucuses how to move this forward. I don't have the power to go and say, 'Stop, and let's lock the building and just spend time on the budget.' I wish I had that power. It would be wonderful because then the budget would be done quicker."

"Trying to keep pace with advances in technology, a divided state Senate approved a measure Thursday that would outlaw text messaging by motorists in California.

"'Texting while driving is so obviously unsafe that it's hard to believe anyone would attempt it, yet everyday observation suggests there are an awful lot of folks who do,' said Sen. Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), who wrote SB 28. The measure now goes to the governor, who has said he will not sign any bills until the Legislature approves a budget.

Just wondering, is emailing the same as texting?

"The bill was approved on a 25-14 vote, with heavy opposition from Republicans who see the legislation as unnecessary interference in personal behavior. Only two Republicans voted for the measure.

"'There is already sufficient law that can be applied if someone is driving while distracted,' said Sen. George Runner (R-Lancaster), who voted against the bill. 'We don't need a law for everything a driver does. The next one is going to be you can't drive while you are eating a hamburger.'"

Quick...you still have time for a gut-and-amend!

"The California Supreme Court made it easier Thursday for prison inmates to win parole despite a governor's objections, ruling that a woman who fatally shot and stabbed another woman with a potato peeler should remain free," report Maura Dolan and Michael Rothfeld in the Times.

"The 4 to 3 ruling, written by Chief Justice Ronald M. George, could affect nearly 1,000 parole cases now on appeal. Lawyers on both sides said it was the first time in recent history that the state high court ruled in favor of a prisoner in a parole case.

"The decision upheld the release of Sandra Davis Lawrence, who spent nearly 24 years in prison for shooting and stabbing her lover's wife in a jealous rage. The state parole board had approved her release four times since 1993, but three governors, including Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, overturned the board's decisions.

"In denying her parole, Schwarzenegger cited the "shockingly vicious" attack and Lawrence's use of various aliases to avoid arrest for 11 years after the murder.

"An appeals court said Schwarzenegger's denial was not supported by evidence that she remained dangerous.

"In Thursday's ruling, George said there was "overwhelming" evidence of Lawrence's rehabilitation while in prison and her suitability for parole. She earned two degrees in prison, learned trades that included plumbing and data processing, was president of the inmates' Toastmasters Club, worked as a library porter and tennis coach, cofounded a tutoring program and remained discipline free. She apologized repeatedly for her crime.

"The court said decisions on whether to grant parole to prisoners who received life sentences should be based on whether the inmate would pose a danger to the public if released. The court's action marks a departure from a 2002 ruling, which held that the crime itself could justify denial."

"Controversy surrounding a powerful Los Angeles labor leader threatened Thursday to alter the landscape beneath the county's hottest political race, which has been fueled by record amounts of union spending," write Garrett Therolf and David Zahniser in the Times.

"Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors candidate Bernard C. Parks, who trailed in the June primary, challenged opponent Mark Ridley-Thomas to return more than $4.5 million raised on his behalf by a labor alliance that included beleaguered union leader Tyrone Freeman.

"Parks, a Los Angeles city councilman, also noted that county officials have accused Freeman's local of raising more than $5 million in illegitimate union dues from low-wage home healthcare workers, a charge that union attorneys have flatly denied.

"'Mr. Ridley-Thomas, how do you feel about benefiting from the money of people who are hovering just above the poverty line?' Parks said. 'Give the money back to the people who need it most.'

"Steve Barkan, a political consultant for Ridley-Thomas, called Parks' request "silly" and countered that Parks should return donations that he received from contractors doing business with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, where he is a board member."

"Workers in cherry pickers and a crane-suspended basket cut down tree limbs and plucked out supplies of tree-sitters Thursday as UC Berkeley officials tried to end a 21-month standoff next to Cal's Memorial Stadium, but the four protesters defiantly refused to leave their lofty redwood perch," writes the Chron's Charles Burress.

"The developments came as a judge is expected to rule soon whether to lift an order barring the campus from cutting down the redwood and 43 other trees in the stadium grove to build an athletic training center.

"Protesters in varying numbers have been sitting in the trees since Dec. 1, 2006, saying they will not leave unless UC spares the grove.

"'If they want me down, they will have to drag me down,' a tree-sitter who goes by the name Huckleberry told reporters via a cell phone powered by a solar panel attached to the redwood. He spoke from the protesters' highest platform, which appeared to be at least 80 feet high on the top of the tree.

"Perched in two cherry pickers, workers from a private firm hired by the campus trimmed 22 branches from the redwood and four other branches from two live oaks about 50 or 60 yards away, said campus spokesman Dan Mogulof."

And in Switzerland, a giant inflatable piece of dog poop has taken down a power line.

"Inflatable or not, you wouldn't want to meet the dog that laid this.

"This giant inflatable faeces (actually a sculpture by the American artist Paul McCarthy) broke free from its moorings at a modern art museum in Switzerland before bringing down a power line.

"The artwork, named 'Complex Sh*t', was lifted by a sudden gust of wind from its home at the Paul Klee centre in the city of Berne.

As big as a house, the gigantic inflatable eventually came to rest 200 yards away in the grounds of a children's home."

Wow, we just don't know where to begin.

"Museum authorities said the work had an automatic safety device that was supposed to make it deflate in the event of a storm - but it failed to operate."

August revision

2008-08-21T07:08:46Z

Capitol Weekly releases it's annual partisan rankings of all 120 legislators.

" Every political scorecard has its problems, and this one is no exception. The selection of bills is subjective, chosen after conversations with Capitol staff and experts, and our own observations of big debates over the last two years under the dome."

Meanwhile, in the real world ...

"Hoping to break a partisan logjam and prevent the Legislature from borrowing its way out of a state spending crisis, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger went public Wednesday with his own budget blueprint, the backbone of which is a tax hike and a large rainy-day cushion," reports Evan Halper in the Times.

"The governor made the unusual move 51 days into the fiscal year, as private talks between him and legislative leaders appeared to be collapsing. Typically, governors do not publicize new spending plans after submitting their revised budgets in May. The governor's May plan included no taxes.

"Schwarzenegger is eager to take control of the budget process as lawmakers begin drafting borrowing plans that the governor warns will saddle his administration with a $9-billion shortfall next year. The governor, who prefers the new tax to borrowing, hopes to use his popularity with the public to pressure legislative Republicans to break their vow to never raise taxes. He is lining up business groups to join him.

"'This budget will not get done by taking it easy or doing easy things,' Schwarzenegger said at a Sacramento news conference. 'This budget will only get done by making tough choices we thought we would never make.'

"The most controversial element of the plan -- the one-cent-on-the-dollar sales tax hike -- would remain in effect for three years. After that time, the tax would be reduced by 1 1/4 cents on the dollar, putting it below the current rate of 7.25%. The temporary increase would not apply to diesel, gasoline or jet fuel. The new tax would raise $4 billion this year."

But Republican leaders didn't seem impressed. Both Sen. Dave Cogdill and Mike Villines issued statements criticizing the governor's newly revised budget plan.

CW's John Howard looks at how the budget standoff, and possible sollution, may impact rural counties .

"As lawmakers struggle to reach agreement on a state budget that is 52 days overdue and counting, Dave Cox's district is representative of the financial problems facing rural California. Like their urban counterparts, money is tight and residents are concerned about jobs, the quality of schools and public safety. But in sparsely populated rural areas, the combination of vast distances, scattered services and fragile economies magnifies the impacts of state and federal budget problems. Ranching and farming sustain the economies in some areas, tourism in others. Unlike growing urban counties, rural areas typically have a modest sales-tax base, which crimps local finances."

Capitol Weekly's Andrea Weiland marks the 20th anniversary of the FBI's raid on the Capitol. "Late one night 20 years ago, while the Assembly was in session and the Senate had just closed up shop, several dozen strange men quietly entered the Capitol. Dressed in black suits and bearing search warrants, 30 FBI agents descended upon the Capitol, raided the offices of four legislators, and blew open one of the most sweeping public corruption scandals in the state's history.

This Sunday marks the 20th anniversary of the FBI's Capitol raid, the climax of a two-year "sting" investigation to uncover corruption in the California Legislature, in which FBI agents posed as businessmen looking for favors from legislators. The agents set up shop at 11th and K, above what is now the Pyramid Alehouse.

"The raid on the Capitol offices was the result of an undercover probe in which he FBI set up a network of implausible dummy companies (such as the shrimp-processing company in West Sacramento that gave the scandal its moniker) to attempt to catch corrupt politicians accepting bribes. The companies wrote special-interest legislation that would benefit the companies. Agents then went undercover as sleazy businessmen to attempt to buy the legislators' support for the bills.

"And they succeeded. Two of the fake bills made it all the way through the Legislature, and they might have become law if Republican Gov. George Deukmejian, who had been tipped off about the sting by an FBI agent in 1986, had not vetoed them."

"California workers targeted by a gubernatorial order to cut their pay to federal minimum wage have dodged that bullet – at least for August," reports Jim Sanders in the Bee.

"A Sacramento Superior Court judge Wednesday set a hearing to decide the pay dispute for Sept. 12, too late to affect this month's payroll.

"Judge Timothy Frawley's timetable ensures that 145,000 state employees and an additional 30,000 managers and supervisors will receive full pay for August."

"The Legislature is on the verge of adopting the nation's first law to control planet-warming gases by curbing sprawl. The bill, sponsored by incoming state Senate leader Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento), is expected to pass the Assembly today and the Senate on Friday," writes Margot Roosevelt in the Times.

"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has not taken a position on the bill, but sponsors expect him to sign it once the state passes a budget.

"The legislation, SB 375, would offer incentives to steer public funds away from sprawled development. The state spends about $20 billion a year on transportation, and under the new law, projects that meet climate goals would get priority.

"An earlier version of the bill was blocked last year by the building industry and by organizations representing cities and counties. Developers feared their suburban projects would be delayed or halted. Local officials were wary of ceding zoning powers and transportation planning to the state."

George Skelton urges the governor to sign the bill. "The governor can think about it this way: Los Angeles would probably be a lot more livable today if this law had been passed 50 years ago."

"Republican Assemblyman Tom Berryhill of Modesto and Democratic Sen. Ron Calderon of Montebello have crafted legislation designed to put the screws on metal thieves and shady recyclers," writes Aurelio Rojas in the Bee.

"Berryhill's Assembly Bill 844, which the Senate passed Wednesday, would require people selling metals to recycling yards to provide their thumbprint and photo identification and wait three days before they are paid by check.

"Recyclers who fail to collect and maintain these records would be fined $1,000 for the first offense, $2,000 for the second offense and $4,000 for the third and subsequent offenses.

"Berryhill calls metal theft an "epidemic." Across California, thieves have stolen manhole covers, disabled streetlights by removing copper wire, and taken guardrails from freeways."

And finally, fans of Bob Dutton and Space Invaders, this one's for you. Gerald Clift, an intern in Dutton's office, programmed the following game to help the general public understand how hard the Senator is working to solve the state budget crisis. Good to know someone in the Capitol is thinking creatively.

For anyone who's ever wanted to see Bob Dutton shoot missles out of his head, the epic time waster can be found here.

Read my lips

2008-08-20T06:48:10Z

Well, this can't be good.

"Budget negotiations between Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and four Legislative leaders fell apart Tuesday when one of the Republican leaders stormed out of the meeting, angrily charging that the talks "are not helpful."

Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines, apparently, was channeling John Burton, or the Villines equivalent.

""Frankly, I was very frustrated when leaving that meeting," Villines said in an interview. "I'm tired of walking into (these meetings) and the only thing that's being talked about is more tax increases."

"The governor just has not been helpful. The only thing that the governor wants is to make sure he can raise taxes," he said.

The LAT's Evan Halper gets some time with the governor to talk budget.

"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has taken on an unlikely role as one of the Capitol's most steadfast champions of a tax hike, spurning his fellow Republicans' uncharacteristic effort to borrow their way out of budget trouble.

"The GOP lawmakers, preferring debt to a tax increase, say Democrats might have agreed to close the $15.2-billion budget gap with loans by now if not for Schwarzenegger.

"The legislative leaders understand we will not support a tax increase," said the leader of the Assembly's Republicans, Mike Villines of Clovis, who stalked out of budget talks in anger Tuesday afternoon. "I don't think the governor understands that. . . . It is so frustrating to sit through these meetings in his office. How many times can we say no to taxes?"

We don't know, but we're sure we'll hear it again before this is over.

"I think the sweet spot is a sales tax increase," Schwarzenegger said in the interview, "with the Democrats compromising on the budget reform in such a way that we have a real spending limit here. . . . Not everyone sees it that way. That's what I see."

Meanwhile, the budget gap just got a little bigger , reports the Bee's Jim Sanders and Kevin Yamamura.

"A federal judge has ordered a temporary halt in the state's 10 percent reduction in Medi-Cal reimbursement rates, improving access to care for 6.5 million low-income patients but throwing a new wrench in already difficult budget negotiations.

The U.S. District Court decision forces the state to reimburse most Medi-Cal providers at rates prior to the 10 percent cut, which lawmakers and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger made effective July 1 as a cost-cutting measure to help resolve a $15.2 billion budget shortfall this year.

"The move increases reimbursement rates the state pays to doctors, dentists, pharmacists, adult day-care centers and other providers who serve Medi-Cal patients. It excludes some hospitals who do not contract with the state and do not provide emergency care.

With the budget in stalemate, the Senate had other business to attend to , reports LAT's Patrick McGreevy.

"State lawmakers took action on various scourges of Southern California life Tuesday, including gun violence, traffic congestion and bandit taxicabs.

With less than two weeks left to act on legislation, the state Senate sent dozens of bills to the governor, including a measure sought by Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca to outlaw the carrying of loaded firearms in vehicles in unincorporated areas of the county.

And other big deals began to come together.

Groups representing optometrists and ophthalmologists have finally reached a compromise on a scope of practice bill governing the two eye care professions, according to the bill's author.

The new language in Sen. Lou Correa's SB 1406 has been approved by Legislative Counsel and is scheduled to go into print this morning. If it passes and is signed by the governor in its new form, the bill will allow optometrist to perform several procedures they were previously barred from. Meanwhile, ophthalmologists were able to protect some of the procedures they say they alone are qualified to perform-notably, anything involving cutting into the eye.

California's politically powerful Indian casino tribes and the state's major charities have worked out a "win-win" deal that would allow the charities to expand their bingo operations while preserving the tribes' constitutional monopoly on slot machines," the Bee's Steve Weigand reports.

"But the compromise, which has attracted a swarm of lobbyists in the waning days of the Legislature's session, might be a lose-lose for some small charities, particularly in the Sacramento area, and for manufacturers of electronic games that look and play like slot machines but are advertised as "electronic bingo" machines."

Just because the interest groups have a deal, doesn't mean the Speaker's on board...

"The deal would specifically ban charities from operating such machines, which have been a bone of legal contention for two decades and which tribes claim violate their exclusive right to operate slot machines in California."

And it looks like Don Perata isn't the only elected official in the FBI's crosshairs. The LAT reports, "Federal authorities investigating Los Angeles City Atty. Rocky Delgadillo and his wife are seeking information about her consulting business and taxes, according to sources familiar with the inquiry.

"Federal prosecutors and FBI agents have expressed interest in at least two firms that hired Michelle Delgadillo -- California Litho-Arts, a printing company based in Los Angeles, and Diane Castano-Sallee & Associates, according to sources familiar with the case who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation.

"Velasquez says a "political agenda" lies behind any allegations made against Delgadillo, who is said to be interested in seeking statewide office when his term expires next year.

"Any allegation of wrongdoing is nothing more than garbage being shoveled by the city attorney's political opponents hiding behind the cloak of anonymity," Velasquez said in one such comment. "This is a classic political smear."

Meanwhile, in political injury news, "Sen. Dianne Feinstein will be sitting out the Democratic National Convention in Denver next week after breaking her left ankle while hiking up at Lake Tahoe," report Matier and Ross.

"This time, Feinstein was walking on the Meeks Bay trail with Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Walnut Creek, when she slipped."

Won't that broken ankle make it hard to run for governor?

Meanwhile, M&R also report, "Gavin Newsom's exploratory bid for governor just got a bit more serious, with the hiring of former Gov. Gray Davis' chief strategist and attack dog Garry South as a senior adviser. Also coming on board is the polling firm BSG, the folks crunching numbers for Barack Obama's presidential campaign."

And finally, look out for grannies packing heat. AP reports, An 85-year-old woman boldly went for her gun and busted a would-be burglar inside her home, then forced him to call police while she kept him in her sights, police said. "I just walked right on past him to the bedroom and got my gun," Leda Smith said.

Smith heard someone break into her home Sunday afternoon and grabbed the .22-caliber revolver she had been keeping by her bed since a neighbor's home was burglarized a few weeks ago.

"I said 'What are you doing in my house?' He just kept saying he didn't do it," Smith said.

After the 17-year-old boy called 911, Smith kept holding the gun on him until state police arrived at her home.