The Latest From Capitol Alert

By Shane Goldmacher and The Bee's Capitol Bureau

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May 13, 2008

Solar-powered capital punishment

Nothing like starting out the day with a good death penalty joke.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appeared Tuesday at a conference on alternative energy in Irvine co-hosted by the University of California, Irvine, the Milken Institute and New Majority California, a group of wealthy moderate Republicans who have donated to the governor.

Schwarzenegger explained how he is trying to bring Democrats and Republicans together.

"So this is why to make sure of that I proposed something entirely new, which is to have a solar-powered electric chair," Schwarzenegger said, provoking laughter. "There's something in there for both parties so everyone can be happy. See, this is how I get things together."

The Republican governor followed up with an old joke about why he doesn't understand it when other people say it's difficult to resolve partisan differences. "I don't know what you're talking about. I sleep with a Democrat every night, so, I mean, I know exactly how you bring people together."

Be sure to catch Schwarzenegger's next act Wednesday when he unveils his revised May budget. No two-drink minimum required.

Posted by Kevin Yamamura on 11:00 AM | Comments

Torrico is new majority leader

Assemblyman Alberto Torrico, who campaigned hard for the speakership, has landed a pretty good consolation prize: majority leader. That is the number two post in the Assembly.

The Newark Democrat told his local paper, the San Jose Mercury News, "I'm very humbled by the appointment; I'm honored by it, and I'm looking forward to working with Speaker Bass confronting California's growing problems."

Torrico was one of Bass' chief rivals for speaker and her choice to give him a top post raises questions about where she will place those who backed her candidacy.

Assemblywoman Fiona Ma and Assemblyman Kevin De Leon were among the members of the Assembly said to have been interested in the majority leader post. Both floated their only speakership trial balloons, but ultimately backed Bass.

Assemblyman Alberto Torrico, D-Newark, during a 2005 committee hearing. Photo credit: Sacramento Bee/ John Decker

Posted by Shane Goldmacher on 10:59 AM | Comments

Bass targets state's tax system

New Assembly Speaker Karen Bass will urge legislators to “take the fear out of California’s future” and consider restructuring the tax system.

Bass, D-Los Angeles, has prepared a nearly 10-minute acceptance speech for her swearing-in ceremony today.

Her office released the following excerpt:

“California is a giant in crisis – and now it is up to us to solve that crisis. It is up to us to take the fear out of California’s future.

“If we can mobilize our resources to respond to major disasters like Northridge and Whittier and Loma Prieta – we must be able to respond to the budget crisis….

“Members, we have to respond to the current economic crisis in the same way we would a natural disaster.

“We have to toss aside the boxes we put ourselves in and the labels we place on others and come together to get the job done.

“I believe that part of that job has got to involve looking at the big picture and really examining California’s overall economic structure.

“Most importantly, we have to ask the question of whether a tax structure that was established in the 1930s is sufficient to meet the needs of Californians in 2008.

“The weight of history is not just on my shoulders.

“As we all move forward, it should be with the understanding that a society will be judged on the way it cares for its people.

“As speaker, I want you to judge me on how I am able to bring together the best of your talents, your experience, and yes – the best of your hearts – to help build the kind of society that California deserves.”

Posted by Jim Sanders on 10:45 AM | Comments

Bass swears to women-of-color Bible

Here’s a question for trivia buffs:

What Bible will Karen Bass use today when she’s sworn in as the Assembly’s first African American woman speaker?

Her right hand will be placed on a copy of the “New Women of Color Study Bible,” New International Version.

A Web site selling the book, Family Christian Stores, says the “New Women of Color Study Bible” will “inspire readers with perspectives and insights that focus God’s Word directly on the world of today’s African-American women.”

The book features 75 full-page “Women of the Bible” profiles, 140 notes that reveal African influence in Scripture, 95 “From God” notes that encourage women to see themselves through God’s eyes, and 50 quotes that offer the wisdom of African-American women, the Web site said.

Posted by Jim Sanders on 10:27 AM | Comments

Fox launches new CA biz and politics site

Joel Fox, the president of the Small Business Action Committee, has launched a new political site covering California politics, called Fox & Hounds. The site features a right-leaning blogpen of contributors including Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's economics adviser David Crane, former GOP Assemblyman Keith Richman and Fox himself.

Fox promises a site "not based on ideology, but on the principle that an economically healthy California is a boon for all citizens."

"There is little that combines the news of business and politics and links them in such a way to inform and persuade politically-interested business-people and professionals," the site says.

Today, Fox posts an off-the-cuff interview he had with Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on the budget. Fox asked the mayor how he'd solve the state's fiscal mess.

"I've said for some time the state budget deficit is a spending problem but it's also a revenue problem. There are very real structural elements to it. The only way to resolve this budget deficit is to cut some spending and also to raise revenues and that's what we're doing here with the city budget. We're saying for every $1.50 in cuts we are going to raise a dollar in revenue," Villaraigosa said.

Crane, a Democrat and close adviser to Schwarzenegger, has already written a blog post about the state's infrastructure shortfall.

The rest of the site's contributors are Bonnie Reiss, a University of California Regent and former top adviser to the governor, Rex Hime, president and CEO of the California Business Properties Association, Elizabeth Crothers, a political consultant, Brendan Huffman, president & CEO of the Valley Industry & Commerce Association, John Kabateck, executive director of the California chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business, Michael Shires, associate professor of public policy at Pepperdine University, Patrick Dorinson, former communications director for the California Republican Party, Allan Hoffenblum, publisher of the California Target Book and Joe Mathews, Irvine senior fellow at the New America Foundation.

Posted by Shane Goldmacher on 10:20 AM | Comments

De La Torre backs Rod Wright

Assemblyman Hector De La Torre today endorsed Rod Wright's campaign for state Senate. Not that it was much of a surprise. Wright's opponent, Assemblyman Mervyn Dymally, called De La Torre "the most racist legislator I have encountered in over 40 years" in 2006.

The two Democrats were at odds over police-style badges Dymally was giving away to his supporters. De La Torre, then-chair of the Assembly Rules Committee, investigated the matter.

The since-abandoned Political Muscle blog has the details on the Dymally-De La Torre exchange.

"Knowing his record during his previous tenure in the California State Assembly, Rod Wright is the best candidate to serve the diverse population and needs of the 25th Senatorial District," De La Torre said in his endorsement statement.

Posted by Shane Goldmacher on 09:39 AM | Comments

Video: TV ads turn negative in SD 33

The Senate Republican primary campaign between Assemblywoman Mimi Walters and Anaheim City Councilman Harry Sidhu has turned negative, as both candidates are sending out critical mail pieces and airing attack ads on local TV.

The pair are competing to replace termed-out Sen. Dick Ackerman in a conservative Orange County district.

Sidhu fired the first on-air shot, accusing Walters of missing votes in the Assembly, "taking a big pay raise" and voting for Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez.

Walters didn't so much vote for Núñez as she didn't object to a voice-vote twice anointing him speaker. The charge spurred a long column by Jon Fleischman, an Orange County Republican and Republican Party vice chairman, urging Republicans to drop the bipartisan practice. "Mimi is an outstanding conservative leader -- one of the best in Sacramento. She should not have to be enduring this because of a bad precedent set before she arrived in Sacramento," he wrote.

Watch Sidhu's ad below (hat tip to the OC Blog):

Walters released her own counter-attack, charging that Sidhu is "wrong on illegal immigration."

Watch her spot below:

As the negativity ramps up, it must be getting close to election day.

Posted by Shane Goldmacher on 09:22 AM | Comments

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May 12, 2008

New anti-yacht, anti-GOP ad

A new TV ad by a left-leaning group aims to frame Republicans as the yacht tax loophole-loving party.

But the ad may be just as successful in making the GOP out to be the sex-crazed, bikini-bearing, champagne-pouring, strawberry-nibbling party of the young and beautiful.

The ad was created for the Courage Campaign, an online activist group, with the California Nurses Association paying for its production. Arianna Huffington, the liberal publisher of Huffingtonpost.com, pitched the group's online donors for donations to air the ad on Monday.

"Trust me, this is must-see TV," blared the e-mail subject line.

The ad is certainly off the charts for sex appeal, at least among political spots. One scene features a bare-chested man pouring champagne on a bikini-clad woman.

Huffington said the ad "strips naked the shocking nature of the California Republican Party's priorities" in support the "yacht tax loophole." Under current law, owners of large vehicles, such as yachts, can park their purchases out of state for 90 days to avoid paying California sales tax.

Watch the ad below:

Rick Jacobs, co-founder of the Courage Campaign, said the group had already recieved enough donations to begin airing the spot in Sacramento on Tuesday night. They have reserved air time on political programs on CNN and MSNBC, as well as Comedy Central's Colbert Report and Jon Stewart Show.

The ad is the second "Yacht Party" ad that Courage Campaign has created.

Posted by Shane Goldmacher on 04:37 PM | Comments

What's so funny?

We just completed a caption contest, so we're not going to launch another one today, but we'd love to know what you think Massachussets Sen. Ted Kennedy (left), his wife Victoria Reggie Kennedy(middle) and California Secretary of State Debra Bowen (right) are laughing at.

Bowen was in Boston to receive the annual Profile in Courage award at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library for her decision to limit the use of electronic voting machines in the state.

Photo credit: AP Photo/Lisa Poole

Posted by Shane Goldmacher on 12:42 PM | Comments

Golf anyone? Assembly adjourns by tee time

Looking for Assembly members today?

Check Valley Hi Country Club’s 18-hole golf course.

The Assembly scheduled a 9:30 a.m. session today, unusually early, since the gavel typically bangs closer to noon on Mondays to accommodate legislators’ flights from Southern California.

With more than 130 bills awaiting action and the state facing a multibillion-dollar budget deficit, the early session at the Capitol was meant to get an early start on tackling state problems, right?

Wrong.

The Assembly held brief ceremonies to honor the state champion McClymonds High School boys basketball team and Americans of Asian and Pacific Islander descent. It passed a consent calendar and voted on one non-controversial bill.

Legislators were gone by 11:15 a.m. – early enough for participating lawmakers to make their early afternoon tee times for a charity golf tournament honoring the late Bob Moretti, former Assembly speaker.

Posted by Jim Sanders on 12:22 PM | Comments

Video: Bass on the budget and tax commission

In the first video below, Assembly Speaker-elect Karen Bass talks about the difficulty in balancing the budget with a "cuts-only" approach.

In the second video, Bass talks about her plans to create a bipartisan commission to study California's tax structure.

Read a full run-down of what Bass had to say in her meeting with The Bee's Capitol Bureau.

Posted by Shane Goldmacher on 11:49 AM | Comments

Dymally turns 82

Assemblyman Mervyn Dymally turns 82 today.

That makes him the combined age of Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez (41) and Assembly GOP leader Mike Villines (also 41).

Dymally served as lieutenant governor in the 1970s and in Congress in the early 1980s. He is running for state Senate this year.

Posted by Shane Goldmacher on 11:13 AM | Comments

For Bass, budget gets top billing

Speaker-elect Karen Bass said Monday she plans to have a limited agenda during her speakership, focusing from the start on the budget, which she declared as her priority number “one, two and three.”

Bass, who will be sworn in on Tuesday as the first African American woman speaker of the Assembly, spoke with The Bee Capitol Bureau about a range of topics, from her election priorities to her plans for committee chairmanships.

She takes the helm of the Assembly only one day before Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will unveil his revised May budget. The governor has suggested the budget deficit could be as large as $20 billion.

“I really can’t see past the budget,” said Bass, who predicted that her Democratic caucus would not support a “cuts-only” budget, without new revenues.

She also plans to convene a commission of bipartisan big thinkers to consider how to overhaul California’s tax structure, saying she’s reached out to former Leon Panetta, former chief of staff to President Bill Clinton, as well as former Govs. Gray Davis and Pete Wilson. She said she hoped to formulate the commission “before the month is over.”

Another top priority for Bass is foster care. The Los Angeles Democrat is considering pushing a ballot measure, modeled after Proposition 63, the 2004 mental health measure, to create a revenue stream earmarked for foster care programs.

“The state is responsible for these children. We’re their parents,” she said. “One could argue today that we could be accused of neglect and abuse.”

To pay for the program, she said she is exploring closing “tax loopholes” but hasn’t settled on a particular revenue stream. “This is a group of children that have no lobby,” she said of making foster kids a priority.

Unlike her predecessor, Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez, she said she’s unlikely to tackle major policy issues like health care and global warming.

“My speakership will be like all the other ones post-Willie Brown: short,” Bass said.

She continued, “It seems to make the most sense to me that I stay focused on the budget, continue my agenda with foster care and then promote the agenda of other members versus taking on major issues myself.”

•Her top election priority come November will be protecting the seat currently held by termed-out Assemblywoman Nicole Parra.

Fran Florez, mother of Sen. Dean Florez, is the Democratic candidate in that race. “We are going to be out there in full force for Fran Florez,” Bass declared.

Parra has famously feuded with the Florez family (a former Dean Florez aide unseated her father in local office) and publicly flirted with the notion of backing the GOP nominee, Danny Gilmore.

But Bass said that wouldn’t happen. “She’s not going to endorse Danny Gilmore,” Bass said of Parra.

•She said she would need to raise an estimated $10 million for Assembly Democrats to compete in November.

•Bass wouldn’t divulge who would be the new set of committee chairs under her speakership. They will be changes, she said, but she there will not be a mass exodus this week.

“If I believe that the most important thing is the budget, then, to me, in terms of the house, it is most important the house be stable,” she said.

She said she would “appoint designees for a number of committees” in June.

•She said she opposed the anti-gang initiative, sponsored by Sen. George Runner and Assemblywoman Sharon Runner. She wasn’t sure how active she would be in her opposition, citing the challenges the raising money and campaigning for Assembly Democrats.

•She hasn’t taken a position on Núñez’s latest redistricting/term limits proposal. She has not taken a position on the plan that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is pushing, saying she wants to ensure the Legislature will “maintain the diversity” it currently has.

Assembly Speaker-elect Karen Bass in a press conference after her election in February. Photo credit: Brian Baer, Sacramento Bee

Posted by Shane Goldmacher on 10:50 AM | Comments

Arnold in WSJ on free trade

It's not every day that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger takes second billing in an op-ed. But he does so today, co-authoring an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal with Carlos Gutierrez, the U.S. secretary of commerce.

The pair preview their joint event today at a Hitachi plant in Torrance and boast of the benefits of free trade.

"Prominent voices in punditry and politics have questioned the benefits of America's openness and called for an isolationist U-turn that would choke off our innovation and prosperity," they write. "In every state of the union, such a retreat would be disastrous for jobs, economic growth and consumer choice."

Read the full piece in the Wall Street Journal.

Posted by Shane Goldmacher on 08:59 AM | Comments

Children's hospital bond makes November ballot

A $980 million bond aimed to expand and revamp California's network of children's hospitals has qualified for the November ballot, the secretary of state's office reported late Friday.

If approved by voters, 80 percent of the nearly $1 billion would go to hospitals that treat children with illnesses such as leukemia, cancer, heart defects, diabetes, sickle cell anemia and cystic fibrosis. The other 20 percent of funds would go toward University of California general acute care hospitals.

Proponents spent more than $1 million to gather the 433,971 signatures needed to qualify for the ballot. It is the third measure to qualify for the November ballot. The others are a high-speed rail bond and a measure to improve the living conditions of farm animals.

The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office estimates the total costs of the children's hospital bond measure to be $2 billion, including interest. That works out to $67 million per year for the next 30 years.

Proponents are hoping to duplicate the success they had in 2004, when voters approved Proposition 61 with 58 percent of the vote. That measure was a $750 million children's hospital bond.

Posted by Shane Goldmacher on 08:52 AM | Comments

Strait to Obama

Another California superdelegate has declared for Sen. Barack Obama. Crystal Strait, the former president of California Young Democrats, issued a statement Sunday endorsing Obama.

Strait has some timing. CNN reported she tied the superdelegates race with her endorsement.

Here's what Strait said with her endorsement:

"While representing the Young Democrats of America at the DNC, my number one priority is to ensure that young people are fully represented at the polls and in the party. Barack Obama has shown a real commitment to young voters in his campaign and, in response, young people have overwhelmingly voted and caucused for Obama in these primary contests. We know that if a young person votes three times in a row for a party, they become a party voter for life. We know that because of high youth turnout in 2004 and 2006. 2008 is the third and critical election for young voters. And that's why I know I want to pledge my delegate vote to Barack Obama. "

Posted by Shane Goldmacher on 08:48 AM | Comments

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May 09, 2008

Caption contest: And the winner is...

Him, I'd kick out of bed!

Congratulations to Mike Spence, the president of the California Republican Assembly and chief of staff to Assemblyman Joel Anderson, for sending in the winning caption.

There were plenty of entries similar to Spence’s – all based on Bonnie Garcia's controversial 2006 comments about the governor, in which she said she “wouldn’t kick him out of my bed.”

But Spence’s caption packed the best punch. For his efforts, we’re sending a $25 gift certificate to Starbucks.

Honorable mention goes to Garcia, who had the good humor to send in a caption herself: “I have to do what??? to turn him into a prince.”

Also, thanks to Assemblyman Anthony Adams, who wrote, “I was just trying to kiss Nunez good-bye!”

Folks made jokes about Garcia kissing just about every politician in Sacramento (and the country) from Don Perata to Dave Cogdill to Ron Calderon to John McCain.

Another theme was captions based on Schwarzenegger’s private comments in 2006, in which he called Garcia a “hot-blooded” Latina. Unfortunately (or fortunately), we won’t be reprinting all of those.

Finally, a shout out to Melissa Lawson, who reports sharing the contest with her sixth grade students. Our favorite student entry:

"OMG! Do those come in PINK?"

With that, here’s a roundup of the top runner-ups:

Hot-blooded and cold-blooded just don’t mix.

Hot-blooded species only for this Latina.

Is that a tax increase?

Oh, Fabian. Is that what happens when term limits kick in?

Assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia reiterates her intention to NEVER go green.

As a very hot Latina I knew kissing the governor would turn him into a frog – I just didn’t realize he would be as ugly as his budget.

Drop it like it’s hot!

Oh my goodness, he has my EYES.

Assemblywoman Garcia at the annual “scare a frog to death” event.

Thanks again to those of you who sent in one of the more than 200 entries we received.

Posted by Shane Goldmacher on 12:07 PM | Comments

Kuehl on lessons learned

Sen. Sheila Kuehl, whose Senate Health Committee was the final graveyard for the health care plan negotiated by the governor and Assembly Democrats, has written a post-mortem on the overhaul efforts.

In it, Kuehl, a leading backer of single-payer health care, writes, "The governor's plan appropriately fell because of the governor's own reluctance to make the difficult policy decisions necessary for the plan to be in any way affordable."

She lays the blame largely on the insurance industry: "Simply put, insurance companies will not support any plan that would prevent them from continuing to raise premiums 2-3 times faster than wages, limits that must be imposed in order for any long term financing to work."

Kuehl specifically set out to dispute the notion that the health bill died in part because of the combined opposition of those on the left (from supporters of single-payer like herself) and the right (like insurance companies).

"Predictably, a number of interests in Sacramento have attempted to characterize the failure of the governor's and the speaker's bill as the victim of uncompromising single payer proponents on the left and powerful insurance companies on the right, as though the governor's plan was 'just right' in a three-bears, middle of two-extremes, spin," she writes.

As she's chair of the Health Committee (even if she's termed out), the full comments, which appear on the California Progress Report, are worth a read.

Posted by Shane Goldmacher on 11:59 AM | Comments

Mr. Super goes to Obama

California superdelegate Ed Espinosa unmasked himself twice this week.

First he revealed that he was the mysterious "Mr. Super," an anonymous superdelegate, www.mrsuper.org who became a web phenomenon for political junkies with his musings on the ebbs and flows of the Democratic presidential contest and how they may affect the super selections.

Then today, Espinosa, a Long Beach political and public affairs consultant, formally came out for Illinois Sen. Barack Obama.

Espinosa, who had worked on the presidential campaign of New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, said he finally broke from the ranks of the undeclared after an urgent phone conversation with Richardson. In the call, Espinosa was persuaded after he voiced his concerns to Richardson about Obama's experience and his ability to attract Latino voters.

"He called me from Mexico – old Mexico, not New Mexico," Espinosa said of the governor, who has endorsed Obama. "'Gov' said character and judgment are just as important. He expessed to me that Sen. Obama had the character and the judgment to be president and I agree with him."

As for Mr. Super, his rhetorical political swoops will continue in cyberspace - even if now he is just an Earth-bound guy from Long Beach.

Posted by Peter S. Hecht on 11:54 AM | Comments

DiFi still in Clinton camp

Sen. Dianne Feinstein said Thursday she is "sticking with" Sen. Hillary Clinton. Earlier this week, Feinstein asked if Clinton "can get the delegates that she needs" to win the nomination.

In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Feinstein said she spoke with Clinton this week and said the New York senator still has a strategy to win.

"Her strategy is to win. I don't want to go into it, but clearly, her strategy is to win," she said.

Feinstein has been a vocal Clinton backer, but after Tuesday's primary results in North Carolina and Indiana, she said, “I think the race is reaching the point now where there are negative dividends from it, in terms of strife within the party."

Posted by Shane Goldmacher on 11:41 AM | Comments

Gov won't press Lottery party refund

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said he's not concerned about pressing the Lottery to pay back $46,336 spent on a staff party last fall.

“I don’t know if it should be paid back," Schwarzenegger said Friday. "I think we should really do everything we can not to let this happen again. Cause we don’t want to waste the taxpayers’ money on those kinds of things."

Schwarzenegger said he understood the argument for improving morale in a state agency he has proposed to privatize.

“There is always the question: Does something like this help to bring more revenues in?” he said. “Some people think: They say look, I did a party to bring everybody up and celebrate and let them know what a great job they did. And they now will work harder because of it and they will be better for the state of California.”

“There’s a good question about all of this,” he added.

State Controller John Chiang has pressed California Lottery Director Joan Borucki to repay the money, which could have gone toward schools.

Last year Borucki authorized an elaborate employee recognition dinner featuring a Nintendo Wii, iPods and other prizes. The controller warned Borucki in January that she could be held liable for unallowable costs related to the event.

Borucki has since testified that the Lottery will request “a legal opinion from the attorney general’s office on the legality of the expenditures for the employee recognition event.” But the attorney general’s office has said it never received a formal request.

Posted by Judy Lin on 11:40 AM | Comments

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May 08, 2008

Sempra gives $50K to governor's cause

Sempra Energy gave $50,000 to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's top fundraising cause days after the governor expressed frustration that environmentalists are trying to "slow down" the company's solar and geothermal project east of San Diego.

The governor has raised $2.1 million for a redistricting initiative this year, and Sempra last month gave $50,000 to California Voters FIRST, the committee running the redistricting campaign.

Environmentalists oppose Sempra's desired route for a 150-mile transmission line from the Imperial Valley to San Diego because it would cut through Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. The company wants to use the Sunrise Powerlink project to meet renewable energy requirements.

Schwarzenegger has not taken a position on the route, though he supports the overall project, said spokeswoman Lisa Page. State regulators are reviewing the matter.

"This is about protecting our environment and meeting our renewable energy goals, so of course the governor is supportive," she said. "There is an urgent need for large-scale geothermal and solar resources in the Imperial Valley that this project could deliver. But he has not endorsed a specific route ... he does not want it to go through the park if it can be avoided."

Schwarzenegger used the dispute last month as an example of how environmentalists can obstruct environmental projects. In an April 18 appearance at the 2008 Conference of Governors on Climate Change at Yale University, he said it is a "myth" that only "businesses and Republicans are the obstacle to progress on renewable energy and on greenhouse gases."

He added that environmental activists and Democrats take on a "kind of schizophrenic behavior" because "they say that we want renewable energy but we don't want you to put it anywhere, we don't want you to use it."

At Yale, he specifically said, "San Diego Gas & Electric wants to develop solar geothermal fields in Imperial Valley and build 150 miles of transmission lines to go and take this power right into San Diego, but it faces opposition even though it would replace an old carbon-based power plant. So the point I'm making is it's not just businesses that have slowed things down, it's not just Republicans that have slowed things down, it's also Democrats and also environmental activists that slow things down."

Schwarzenegger made a similar point April 24 on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno: "And it's sometimes even environmentalists that are obstacles ... you want to go and create more solar plants in the desert, and then they don't let you build, sometimes, the transmission lines to get it on the grid."

Sempra gave $50,000 to California Voters FIRST on April 25. Many contributors to the committee are friends of the governor, and their money came on top of the $2.1 million raised by the governor. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg gave $250,000. Developer Rick Caruso gave $100,000. Texas oil executive T. Boone Pickens also gave $100,000.

Julie Soderlund, a campaign spokeswoman, said Schwarzenegger has "absolutely" no association with the Sempra donation.

"The governor makes policy decisions based on what is in the best interest of the people of California," she said.

Sempra did not donate toward redistricting when it was on the ballot in 2005, and it is unusual for Sempra to donate to a government reform cause, said Michael Shames, executive director of the San Diego-based Utility Consumers' Action Network, a utility watchdog group.

"They have stayed aloof of these issues until now, so it's either a massive change of policy or they're looking for the governor's love," Shames said.

Sempra was unavailable for comment Thursday afternoon.

Posted by Kevin Yamamura on 04:26 PM | Comments

Sen. Jack Scott named next community college chancellor

At least one termed-out senator has landed his next job. Sen. Jack Scott, the chair of the Senate Education Committee, has been named the next chancellor of California's community college system.

The Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges announced a unanimous vote Thursday to name Scott, 74, the 14th chancellor of 109-college system.

Scott, who served as president of Pasadena City College for nearly a decade before his election to the Legislature, will take the helm of the community colleges on Jan. 1, 2009, after he leaves office.

In an interview, Scott joked he had "barely finished one job and (already) have another."

A soft-spoken member of the Senate, Scott holds great sway over education policy in California as the chairman of both the Senate Education Committee and the budget subcommittee on education.

He said he was approached by "10 to 15" people to apply for the chancellor’s job, which he said he was “honored” to accept.

"His extraordinary experience and demonstrated commitment to our community colleges is unsurpassed," said Lance Izumi, president of the Board of Governors, in a statement congratulating Scott.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger also welcomed the pick. "The Board of Governors could not have chosen a more qualified or highly respected candidate," Schwarzenegger said in a statement.

Scott said he hoped "to give good leadership to this wonderful system" of community colleges, which served an estimated 2.6 million students annually.

He said community colleges are "a system that needs greater funding."

"I have been and will consistently be someone who urges increased expenditures in higher education and K-12 education," Scott said.

Asked if his key role in crafting the state’s education budget and his new job would create a conflict of interest, Scott said, "I will simply exercise caution and prudent judgment." He said he would be particularly wary of taking positions on any area that "specifically impact the chancellor’s office."

"I will be very careful to be very prudent where there might be an appearance of a conflict of interest," Scott said.

Scott will receive a raise in his new job, which comes with a salary of $198,500 plus benefits. He also receives a state-paid car.

Sen. Bob Margett, a Republican colleague of Scott's representing Arcadia, said Scott "will have the support of Republicans and Democrats" in his new post.

Scott will replace interim Chancellor Diane Woodruff.

Posted by Shane Goldmacher on 02:05 PM | Comments

GOP proposes government reforms

Republican lawmakers Thursday trotted out another set of what they described as money-saving proposals, this time focusing on streamlining government by allowing more partnerships with the private sector.

"Today we're unveiling our proposal to maximize every hard-earned tax dollar that California sends to Sacramento," said Senate Republican leader Dave Cogdill. "We need to get government out of the way and make them a more willing partner to help us improve our economy."

In trying to disarm Democrats' calls for tax increases, Assembly Republican leader Mike Villines said he hoped the GOP suggestions will spark a dialogue with the majority party. In recent weeks, Republican leaders have been releasing economic stimulus proposals and education reforms. The GOP will next unveil budget reforms.

"Would Democrats take all of these? I doubt that seriously," Villines said. "But many of these are common sense and I think they could. The important step is for them to meet up and talk about what do they want to do and what are their reforms. They really have no reform except for a series of tax increases."

GOP leaders from both houses proposed a short-form review of the environmental process for infrastructure bond projects and suggested state government adopt a spending method known as "zero-based budgeting." Under that idea, the state would have to justify its spending rather than factor growth and cost-of-living increases into existing programs.

Republicans also hoped to resurrect some of their failed bills, such as allowing competitive bidding in schools. Assemblyman John Benoit of Palm Desert estimated school districts could save as much as $300 million a year if they were allowed to contract out services.

"We could, obviously, have significant savings if we were simply allowing our local school boards the flexibility to simply ask: 'Can I get this done at a better price for our kids?' " Benoit said.

Benoit said the last time he tried to push through legislation on the issue, he was met by 600 union members and "it died."

Senate Republican leader Dave Cogdill, left; Assembly Republican leader Mike Villines, right. (Brian Baer/bbaer@sacbee.com)

Posted by Judy Lin on 01:04 PM | Comments

Fundraising in Fresno

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger continued his 2008 fundraising tour Wednesday by dropping in for a quick $1,000-a-head event in Fresno at the home of developer Tom Richards.

After submitting 1.2 million signatures this week to put a redistricting initiative on the ballot, Schwarzenegger is continuing his fundraising push to ensure the proposal succeeds in November. The governor has raised and given $2.1 million for the redistricting initiative this year, records show.

It seems Fresno (pop. 486,116) isn't on the list of "those little towns" in California that Schwarzenegger mentioned last week. The governor suggested that some California legislators need to expand their worldviews because their hometowns lack, among other things, airports.

Despite Fresno-area Assemblyman Mike Villines' joking retort that "we've got bass boats, but not airplanes," Schwarzenegger made use of Fresno's airport. Which, by the way, is dubbed "international."

Posted by Kevin Yamamura on 10:19 AM | Comments

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May 07, 2008

Cogdill responds

Senate GOP leader Dave Cogdill, who Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, in part, credited with his decision to drop the recall of Sen. Jeff Denham, said the decision, "eliminates an unnecessary distraction in an already contentious budget year."

Here's Cogdill's full statement:

“I applaud the wisdom of Senator Perata in making this decision. This eliminates an unnecessary distraction in an already contentious budget year. This will allow us to focus on doing what voters expect from us: achieving a balanced, responsible budget.”

Posted by Shane Goldmacher on 05:27 PM | Comments

Perata's full statement on Denham recall

Here's Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata's full statement on why he's dropping the recall of Sen. Jeff Denham:

"Like all of you, I've been worried a lot about the economy - falling home prices, rising gas prices - and how hard it's getting for people to find a job.

I've talked with both Treasurer Lockyer and Controller Chiang about the state's cash situation - and the need to do everything we can to reach an agreement on the budget.

A long stalemate is the last thing we need. Without a budget - we run out of cash - the richest state in America gone broke!

We won't be paying our bills - and we won't be giving our schools, our emergency rooms and our police the resources they need.

So I met with Republican Leader Dave Cogdill - and I asked him how we could clear the decks and start making some progress.One issue kept coming up. The Denham recall.

So today - in the spirit of putting politics aside to solve problems - I'm ending the recall campaign.

You're bound to ask, so let me tell you - there was no deal, no quid pro quo.

This is my call - and my best judgment about how to stop the long, slow slide into another long stalemate.

I hope it pays off. Because the same old rhetoric won't get the job done.

Let me also say this to the people who have devoted so much time and effort on the recall: thank you. You've already changed things for the better.

The vote we couldn't get last year to close the tax loophole for yacht owners -we got that vote.

The vote we couldn't get to help homeowners facing foreclosure - we got that vote.

You put everyone here on notice - and I don't think people are going to forget that anytime soon."

Posted by Shane Goldmacher on 05:19 PM | Comments

Feinstein asks if Clinton 'can get the delegates that she needs'

Dianne Feinstein, California's senior U.S. senator, has been a loyal backer of Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential bid. But Feinstein, after Clinton lost North Carolina by a wide margin and squeaked out a win in Indiana, is asking the New York senator to explain her path to victory in the Democratic primary.

“I, as you know, have great fondness and great respect for Sen. Clinton and I’m very loyal to her,” Feinstein told The Hill, a Washington D.C. newspaper. “Having said that, I’d like to talk with her and [get] her view on the rest of the race and what the strategy is.”

“I think the race is reaching the point now where there are negative dividends from it, in terms of strife within the party,” Feinstein said. “I think we need to prevent that as much as we can.”

Check out the full story.

Posted by Shane Goldmacher on 02:02 PM | Comments

Chiang: Property tax errors cost state $63 million

School districts, community colleges and redevelopment agencies understated property tax payments, costing the state at least $63 million between 2005 and 2007, according to the Controller’s Office.

“These reporting and calculation errors resulted in the state unnecessarily spending millions of dollars to backfill schools and community colleges for a portion of funds they did not receive or received and failed to report,” state Controller John Chiang said in a statement.

According to Chiang, here’s how it should go:

When a redevelopment agency (RDA) is established, a base property valuation is determined. As the area is redeveloped, property values grow. Twenty percent of the property tax growth above the base level goes to low- and moderate-housing projects. The RDA passes through a portion of the remaining additional property tax revenue to other affected taxing entities based on various formulas established by the Legislature.

"More alarming is that not only did these errors hurt the state's strained general fund, they also shortchanged low- and moderate-income housing projects and other local entities that provide critical services, such as police, fire districts and libraries," Chiang said.

Last year, the Legislature directed Chiang to assess whether property taxes were properly distributed and reported for purposes of offsetting the state’s obligations for school funding.

After two phases of review, the controller’s office found K-12 school districts and community colleges were improperly reporting property taxes passed through to them from redevelopment agencies.

Posted by Judy Lin on 12:47 PM | Comments

Vote for 'Maze' (No, not that Maze)

Becky Maze, the wife of Assemblyman Bill Maze, is running for her husband's seat -- and using his old "Elect Maze State Assembly" signs.

The Fresno Bee's Lewis Griswold writes about the controversy:

"The people talking to me are specifically using the word 'deceitful,' " said Republican candidate Bob Smith.

"The biggest concern we had with the whole issue is it's considered deception," said Jim Henderson, president of Tulare County Young Republicans, which endorsed Tulare County Supervisor Connie Conway in the primary. "It's unfortunate coming from the Republican side. You need to stand on your own two feet."

But Maze said she's "recycling" her husband's campaign signs.

"I am being frugal," she said. "I haven't tried to hide the fact it's me that's running. I am Maze. My husband is Maze, and so am I."

The Mazes are hardly the only family tag team running for office. The Bee rounded up some of the other all-in-the-family candidates last fall.

Posted by Shane Goldmacher on 09:55 AM | Comments

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May 06, 2008

Núñez: 'So I like good wine, ok'

Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez says he wouldn’t change a thing about his speakership.

The Los Angeles Democrat, who will step down next week after four years as leader, said Tuesday that he has no regrets.

“If I could do it all over again, I’d do it all over again – and I’d do it the same way,” Núñez told reporters in his final news conference as leader of the lower house.

The 41-year-old lawmaker said he is proud of the role he played in raising California’s minimum wage, raising money for school construction and passing landmark legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Núñez said he is not certain what he will do after he is termed out in December. He expects to spend at least two years in private industry before deciding whether to run for public office again, he said.

“This has been an incredible, incredible experience for me,” Núñez said of his Capitol career.

Núñez commented only indirectly on controversy that erupted after disclosure that he had spent tens of thousands of dollars in campaign funds in recent years at upscale retail firms and on overseas trips.

“So I like good wine, OK,” he told reporters. “I don’t mind staying in a five-star hotel. I bet when you all travel, that’s where you stay.”

He was smiling.

Posted by Jim Sanders on 05:01 PM | Comments

Caption contest: Bonnie Garcia and the frog

Assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia has been one of the more colorful Capitol characters during her six-year stint in the Assembly.

Today, wearing a bright pink cardigan, the Cathedral City Republican took part in the 34th Annual Capitol Frog Jump.

Bee photographer Brian Baer snapped this photo of Garcia as she met her prince-to-be, Sir Hoppington, for the first time.

For those of you new to Capitol Alert's caption contest, here’s how it works:

1. Look at the picture.
2. Write a caption by midnight Thursday.
3. E-mail it in.

When you send in your thoughts to captions@capitolalert.com, feel free to request anonymity. But only those willing to have their real names published can win the grand prize: a $25 gift card to Starbucks.

(Read the official legal rules here.)

By the way, Garcia's Hoppington lost the contest with a total jump of 6 feet 3 inches.

Assemblyman Jim Beaall's Alcohops entry leaped to the victor's circle among lawmakers with a jump of 9 feet and 2 inches.

Happy captioning.

Posted by Shane Goldmacher on 02:35 PM | Comments

Chiang: State's revenues up

Here's some good fiscal news for California's budget, for a change: state Controller John Chiang reports the state collected $1.4 billion more in personal income taxes in April than expected. That puts the General Fund $738 million above the governor's January projections.

Chiang warns the state isn't out of the woods. "While this is very welcome news, these numbers should not lure us into a false sense of security," he reports.

Here's his full statement:

Continue reading "Chiang: State's revenues up"

Posted by Shane Goldmacher on 02:35 PM | Comments

Governor's Big Spin

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger suggested Tuesday that he will ask lawmakers to lease the California Lottery when he issues his revised budget proposal next week.

The governor spoke to reporters after celebrating a $70 million donation to the California Community Colleges, offering the lottery lease as a "creative" solution to raise revenues for schools and other state services.

Schwarzenegger said last week the budget deficit could be as large as $20 billion in the next fiscal year, though he conceded Tuesday "the numbers change all the time."

"I will be making a proposal and it will show that we will have some severe cuts," Schwarzenegger said, "and also I will recommend to go and be creative and look for revenues, because we have the lottery out there. And as you know, I have now for a long time recommended that we use the lottery, that we license it out, and we really can produce much more money for the state, for education and other areas. And I think that now because we are in an emergency situation, legislators are looking at it in a much more serious way, which I welcome.”

Gubernatorial press secretary Aaron McLear said there have been no final decisions on what the May revision will include.

Posted by Kevin Yamamura on 02:22 PM | Comments

Cogdill says no time for taxes

Sen. Dave Cogdill outlined his determined stance that this is “no time to raise taxes” to balance the budget, citing the state’s sagging economy and ongoing mortgage crisis in a wide-ranging interview with The Bee Capitol Bureau

Cogdill, the new Senate Republican leader, suggested California’s 2008-09 budget could be patched together through a mixture of cuts and borrowing from unspent money the state currently controls, including in voter-approved accounts for transportation, mental health and pre-kindergarten services.

“This economy is struggling,” Cogdill said. “To put tax increases on people at this time makes absolutely no sense to us.”

He specifically cited unspent funds controlled by the First 5 Commission, funded by a voter-approved tobacco tax, totaling $2 billion that he believed could be used for the budget. He also said earmarked transportation and mental health funds, both approved via ballot measures, could be siphoned away to balance the books.

Asked whether such internal borrowing would just put off California’s structural deficit to another year, Cogdill replied that “given the difficulty of this year, I’m not so sure that that is a bad strategy.”

He said his goal remained to pass the budget on time and has been meeting weekly with Speaker-elect Karen Bass, Assembly GOP leader Mike Villines and Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata.

But, he cautioned, it is “important to get the right budget, not just an on time budget.”

Other interview highlights:

•Cogdill, who was the Senate Republican point man on water issues before ascending to the leadership post this spring, said the state faces an upcoming water crisis and that California’s tendency to legislate in crises – instead of in advance – was “one of the frustrations” he faced.

“I fear that the water crisis that is looming will make the energy crisis pale in comparison,” Cogdill predicted.

•Cogdill said the recall attempt of Sen. Jeff Denham, organized in part by Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, was a “major distraction” and said the effort was a “blatant attempt at a power grab.”

He predicted the recall would be defeated.

•He endorsed the redistricting initiative pushed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, which is announcing today that it has gathered enough signatures to qualify for the ballot.

•As for the governor’s recent comments about small town legislators, Cogdill said he was “not too exercised.”

“We probably do need to get out a little bit more,” the Modesto Republican said. “We all can benefit from those things.”

He was quick to add that his rural-dominated district is “populated by some of the better people in the world.”

Posted by Shane Goldmacher on 11:23 AM | Comments