California Blog Roundup

by: jsw

Thu Aug 24, 2006 at 06:27:27 AM PDT

Today's California Blog Roundup is on the flip. Teasers: Phil Angelides, Arnold Schwarzenegger, CA-11, CA-04, John Doolittle, Richard Pombo, Proposition 89, redistricting, health care, minimum wage, reform.

Governor's Race

• Dan Ancona on Phil.


• Two new TV ads from Angelides' team: one showing Schwarzenegger's ties to Bush (see also this campaign press release, courtesy Randy Bayne), and one on Angelides' support of the middle class.


• Julia has a quote from a Steve Maviglio piece concerning the Schwarzenegger team's Bush/Cheneying of the press and some comments thereon.


• Bill to give one-time bump to minimum wage passes in election year, after Schwarzenegger threatens veto of indexed minimum wage. Angelides would support indexing, just like we do with the tax code. Great Analysis from Frank Russo.


• Even Daniel Weintraub has grudging respect for the Angelides budget plan. Julia has the commentary.


• Not entirely relevant, but amusing: Schwarzenegger in "Carnival in Rio"


• Schwarzenegger: Always willing to pander to the hard-line Republicans, but without the strength of his convictions in an election year.


• Schwarzenegger on Health Care: No plan, not now. Too hard. Maybe next year. Watch me pose.


• It's election time, so Schwarzenegger pretends to care, unless you're an extremist Republican, and then he really does care as long as nobody's watching too closely.

Jerry McNerney / Paid-For Pombo / CA-11

• Veterans for McNerney


• Down With Tyranny asks why the DCCC is not helping either Jerry McNerney or Charlie Brown.


• It's election time, so Paid-For Pombo pretends to care.


• Paid-For Pombo: Rubber-Stamp Bush Republican.


• Defenders of WildLife has a couple ads in the district. They're really pretty good.


• I recently said to a friend of mine that the last 6 years could be described by the phrase: "I could not make this shit up." Paid-For Pombo's response to the massive oil pipeline leak on Alaska's North Slope was to advocate for more drilling and fewer regulations. I could not make this shit up.

Charlie Brown / 15% Doolittle / CA-04

• If 15% Doolittle thinks stem cell research is immoral, will he pledge never to use any of the results? Well, even if he did, since when can you trust him?


• 15% Doolittle: After a sudden change hits a forest, the FIRST thing you want to do is rush in the clearcutters!


• Dump Doolittle raises a good point: when you're focused on raking in the bribes and doling out the pork, you don't do a very good job at anything else. Tough talk and wrapping yourself in the bloody flag does not make the country safer.


• Dump Doolittle has a great series of LTEs: One, two, three, four and five, six, seven, eight.


• 15% Doolittle: Corrupt or ineffective? Don't worry, it's an inclusive or.


• 15% Doolittle flips the bird to our planet.

Health Care

SB 840, a plan for universal health care, is coming up for a vote. This PowerPAC contribution explains why it's important and has a link for you to contact your rep.

Propositions

The Prop 89 folks are having a blast showing why clean money is necessary.

Reformalicious

• Debra Bowen continues to do good work on voting integrity. Let's get this woman elected to Secretary of State. And throw her some cash.


• D-Day on the bill trying to make corporations report all of their income to California, instead of hiding some. Will Schwarzenegger sign? More here.


• Bill Cavala on redistricting.


• D-Day has an interesting post up about possible voting and electoral reforms.


• Frank Russo has a great summary of the bill currently making its way through the legislature to kickstart a national popular vote for president.


• This came up in the context of a coordinated fear campaign by the Schwarzenegger team, but why exactly is Prop 13 a good idea again?

The Rest

• Badlands Journal has a great long piece up on water politics and policy in California. Whiskey's for drinkin', waters for fightin' over.


• Randy Bayne (nice new theme on his blog) on the minimum wage bill.


• D-Day on Monet Politics: bills that look good from election-distance, but are really not all that impressive up close.


• Mmmmm, Burritos.


• A bill to include sexual orientation and gender identity in the verboten grounds for discrimination in California's schools is slowly wending its way past the Republican bigots in the legislature.


• Endorsements for SF residents: Rescue Muni, and the SFDP.


• Sheila Kuehl on resources and the environment in the 2006 Budget.


• s9 at the MojoWire on the coming housing crunch.


• SoHum Parlance has some genuinely interesting thoughts on the Humboldt County marijuana industry.