• Big GOP donor unhappy
Larry Dodge, who along with Republican donor Paul Folino promised to retire $3 million of the California Republican Party's debts in 2007, has written a scathing letter to state Republican Party Chairman Ron Nehring saying the party needs "professional management."
Michael Blood of the Associated Press has the story.
More troubling for the state party, the American Sterling Co. chief executive strongly hints in the letter that he may withhold a $3 million check he was planning to write within days to retire the state party's long-standing debt. That would be a devastating financial blow in the midst of the 2008 election season.
Dodge writes that he reviewed party operations and "what I have found is of the greatest concern."
Among his complaints, Dodge says the party has not had an effective finance chairman — the key fundraiser — in place for more than a year. He suggests that party officers are squandering money without accountability. Major donors, he said, were promised a hand in the party's operations committee but "nothing has happened."
• 18 for Steinberg
LAT columnist George Skelton has a head count of votes in the Senate Democratic caucus last week that annointed Sen. Darrell Steinberg as the next leader of the state Senate. Writes Skelton:
Steinberg had 18 Democratic votes to succeed him and needed only 13, a majority of the caucus' 25 members. His opponent, freshman Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima), a former Los Angeles city councilman, probably had only two or three votes. Steinberg wanted to guarantee his victory.
• Welcome to Wildomar
California has its first new city since 2003. So let's welcome big number 479, Wildomar, population 29,000.
It's the first new incorporated city in the state since Rancho Cordova in 2003, according to Mike Madrid, a blogger and consultant for the League of California Cities.
The North County Times has the history of the state's newest city.
• Alby for McCain
Barbara Alby, California's Republican National Committeewoman and an aide to Board of Equalization member Bill Leonard, endorsed Sen. John McCain over the weekend. She is one of three GOP superdelegates in California.
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