A weekly update on the goings-on in Sacramento
For the week ending December 1, 2007
Key bills and issues we’ve been following during the
Past week and beyond
Efforts to try to get a water bond on the ballot were supposed to dove-tail with the health care proposal being hashed and hacked out by both houses of the capitol this week. Unfortunately, both have broken down to the point that the leadership, short of mopping up the floor with failed expectations and efforts have instead, called off a possible vote of the legislature for the coming week. While Speaker Nunez has sounded the alarm for his troops to be ready to return to Sacramento this coming week for a vote on the health care bill and the senate was rushing to announce an agreement on the water distribution and storage measures, it all seems to have fizzled, at least for the time being. So there will be no floor session in the Assembly- the members have gone from a certain date to the completely amorphous “call of the speaker”. Just a call could happen in a week, in a month or not at all.
It seems that the devil in these details just isn’t willing to make the final concession to seal the deal. And in the health care debate, that unacceptable point of contention revolves around the big hole in the health care safety net that just seems to get worse with each new compromise suggestion. For water, the problem is tied to the storage- canals to deliver water to Southern California and control the flow of money to approved projects. We’re talking some significant differences and difficult choices. For our prior discussion on the basics of this debate, check out our update from last week here.
Democrats call for a third special session to address the sub-prime mess
Perhaps on the belief that three’s charm, and that something can get accomplished on the third time around, several Dems met in Sacramento on Friday calling for the Governor to call a third special session to address the sub-prime fiasco that is wreaking havoc on California homeowners and our economy as a whole. As the rise of foreclosures is taking its toll on the economy, officials say the weak real estate market is largely to blame for the steep decline in state revenues. Whatever the real reason, there is little question that the current lending practices have helped create the situation where we have massive defaults on loans that are threatening our state’s economy and costing the state billions of dollars in revenue.
The argument goes that with our projected short-fall already in the billions, the last thing we need is to fall further and further into state and individual debt if we can try to gain some concessions from mortgage holders to just cool their jets and work with homeowners who would otherwise be on the streets. For more on the way this is playing out with the lending community, see a first and second article from the SacBee.
Bringing on the lawsuits to protect the public
Last week we introduced a new section into our weekly update- the lawsuit. Several have been brought to address a number of inactions by the Feds: everyone from the Secretary of State suing the voting touch-screen manufacturers, to the AG suing for lead content in toys, to challenging the US EPA for allowing rotting mothballed ships from remaining and lingering in the ever challenged waters of the SF Bay.
Our Suit of the Week includes California, as one of 11 other states, suing the US EPA over new regulations that exempt thousands of companies from disclosing to the public details about their use and emission of toxic chemicals. These new requirements, not surprisingly, significantly weaken the public health by denying the public information about just what toxic chemicals are being released into the air in surrounding communities. This is just another example of the Bush administration putting profits over people—and their health. This is one we should all get behind. And we applaud our state’s AG and the 11 others who are not going to allow this administration to keep moving us backward when it comes to protecting our air, water and health.
We here at Speak Out California hope to be able to keep you up-to-date on all of this and any signings or vetoes by the Governor in the weeks and months ahead, so
If you like the work we’ve been doing at Speak Out California, with our regular weekly updates which provide inside commentary and analysis on what is going on in our state capital, we hope you’ll support our work by making a contribution to Speak Out California. To contribute, just click here for our website so we can keep providing this unique and important perspective on our state and its future.
At Speak Out California we provide the facts and the commentary that keeps you informed on what is really happening in our state. We don’t accept any advertising or corporate sponsorships, so you know that we are not beholden to any group or special interest. Our commitment is simply to provide uncompromising reporting and analysis of what is happening in our state from the progressive perspective.
If you can pledge $10, $25, $50 a month, or send us a one-time contribution, we can continue to keep you in-the-know and keep the progressive voice alive and growing in California.
Just click here for our website to support our work in keeping California’s progressive voice strong!
The Governor sneaks Privitization back on the front burner
While most of Californians aren’t paying much attention to what’s happening in the closing weeks of the year, especially while we’re trying to figure out how to meet our gift expectations with the price of gasoline going through the roof, our incomes teetering and our mortgage payments keeping us awake at night. So it should be of no surprise that the Governor has floated an enormous and dangerous trial balloon out there, just to see if anyone is watching- or more importantly, if they care.
Such is the case with the Governor’s call for more privatization of services. The goal of the free-marketers is to outsource just about everything, so that government is no longer in charge. With the free marketer’s only interest in profit, the people will end up paying more and more for less and less in the way of services. After all, who do these companies have to answer to? Certainly not the electorate, the public or those who ultimately pay for their services. Nope. This is a system that lets the private sector, motivated solely by profit, take over the creation and control of our roads, public works projects, healthcare, schools, prisons, ports, levees, hospitals and other social and public safety services with no input from the people. We just get to pay and be quiet. No accountability, no oversight, no interests of the people to contend with —just the bottom line success of the CEOs and some shareholders who are only trying to make a buck.
This scary but not far fetched plan was floated again this week by the Governor. For more on this story (which we have to watch very closely in the months to come and ask: Who is in charge? Who do they answer to? Who pays their expenses?) Check out the LA Times article here.
As promised, Speak Out California will be taking a close and careful look at the significant number of ballot initiatives as they are introduced for the 2008 election year. There will be a number of them that qualify as the money to gather signatures continues to be factored in as just a cost of doing business. With California becoming the testing ground for all sorts of controversial ideas, our commitment to direct democracy through the initiative process continues to encourage special interest groups and multi-millionaires to play in our sandbox. Many of these ideas are contrary to the best interest of the people of our state and we at Speak Out California will continue to speak out against those policies that do not serve our communities.
Nasty politics and the Initiative battles for 2008
While the term-limits/extension initiative continues to heats up, with cross-allegations as to who exactly is funding the nay side of the measure (looks like New York multi-billionaire Libertarian Howie Rich) the right wing is frantically trying to gather enough signatures to qualify the Electoral College split initiative for the June ballot. This is the sell-out measure that the Republicans have been dreaming about as a way to dilute ONLY California’s voting process, since a Democrat has carried this state and its significant 54 electoral votes for the past four election cycles and is poised to do so again.
The right wing would like nothing better than to split our system so they can claim 20 votes (which they would likely achieve if the split were based on who wins individual congressional districts). That’s enough for another Ohio and the Reps believe that gives them the White House again. Not at all shy about acknowledging in public that they don’t care how they win, nor do they give much respect to the Constitution, they want to continue to destroy the country as they have done with such effectiveness over the last eight years.
The good news, such as it is, is that they’re having some difficulty collecting the signatures fast enough to qualify for the June ballot. They’re likely to succeed, as the number of valid signatures is only in the mid 440,000s. To ensure the qualification, they’re trying to reach the magic 700,000 number. If, of course, people actually read the material, they’d likely hand them re-chewed gum instead, and not their signatures, but that’s a topic for another day, as we’ll have to do something about the fraudulent manner by which signature gathering is pursued and accomplished.
Of course, this system allows so many items to come before voters, measures that are either distortions of the issues, turf battles, economic warfare or other types of political warfare that really have no place on the state’s ballot. But as long as out-of-state money can buy often out-of-state and otherwise out-of-work people to lie and mislead unsuspecting Californians to sign just about anything, we’ve got a real mess on our hands.
Well try to provide some thoughts on that as we enter this political season and beyond.
In the meantime, we’ll continue updating the process as new measures qualify and news about existing measures comes to the fore.
The Rest of the Story
Our blogging offerings for the week:
Things can change
Exploring California’s Budget
To read and comment on these entries just go to: www.speakoutca.org/weblog/
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As always, we welcome your comments and suggestions and hope you send this newsletter to your friends and other like-minded progressives. Urge them to sign up to Speak Out California, and keep the progressive voice alive and growing.
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Until next week,
Hannah-Beth Jackson and the Speak Out California Team

A weekly update on the goings-on in Sacramento
For the week ending November 24, 2007
Key bills and issues we’ve been following during the
Past week and beyond
In keeping with the spirit of the week, we can safely say that this one was a turkey for the legislature as well. Sacramento came up with an egg on the water bonds issue as there is no time left for any meaningful measure to be passed during this “Special” legislative session in order for it to be placed on the February, 2008 ballot for approval by the people. Although Senate leader, Don Perata has been working hard to reach agreement with the Governor, the deal seems to be hitting a stumbling block over who is going to oversee the distribution of funds for dam projects that would comprise about $3 billion of the bond funding. The Dems want to be able to oversee the spending on an annual basis, but the Reps want the funding to be continuous because they think that the former may try to pull the dam dollars needed for the concrete to implement their vision of appropriate water policy. For the Dems and their environmental supporters, the goal is groundwater storage, recycling and conservation. Although Perata compromised on this issue, the stalemate continues and thus the February ’08 ballot deadline has passed.
For more on this story, check out the Sac Bee article here.
For even more analysis, check out Bill Cavala’s column for the California Progress Report here.
Meanwhile, the healthcare measure continues to see the dogged determination of the Speaker, Fabian Nunez, who insists that a deal can be reached with the Governor that will have logic as well as political legs. He is planning to call for a vote possibly this coming week, but all the concessions and twists necessary to fit this square peg into a round hole aren’t viewed by many as having much of a chance of passing or working, if such a miracle were to happen.
Bringing on the lawsuits to protect the public
The real action this week, such as it was, really comes out of the judicial side where a number of lawsuits were filed to attempt to address some critical issues that call for judicial intervention either because big businesses are over-reaching or the government isn’t doing its job to regulate and enforce existing laws.
From the Secretary of State to former Governor Moonbeam, (now middle-of-the-road Mr.Mainstream) Attorney General Jerry Brown, the courthouse saw its work load increase from these Constitutional offices during the past week.
Secretary of State Deb Bowen, ever vigilant over the fraudulent touch-screen debacle of a number of companies serving up questionable products, has filed a lawsuit seeking $15 million in damages from a company which sold unauthorized systems to five California counties, alleging they had not sought the required certification necessary to qualify their equipment for use in California.
Attorney General Brown brought a suit this week against 20 leading toymakers and retailers, including Mattel and Toys R Us for the lead content in products being sold to our children.
Environmental organizations have also gotten into the fray by suing the federal government over toxic pollution caused by a fleet of mothballed warships floating near the continually-challenged San Francisco Bay. Under the terms of the complaint, the Natural Resources Defense Center (NRDC) and the San Francisco Baykeeper allege that the U.S. Maritime Administration has violated both state and federal environmental regulations by allowing dozens of decaying and rotting ships to linger well past the Congressional deadline set for their removal.
Another lawsuit was filed this week by education advocates against the State of California alleging the state has shortchanged school districts by $1 billion of required programs (mandates) it has either underpaid or failed to pay at all. With the state continuing to go in the red by the month, the timing on this lawsuit couldn’t be much worse.
Of course, the car manufacturers and dealers have their own deep pockets to challenge the laws that the legislature and people want, so they don’t want to be left out of the litigation frenzy (except when it comes to the public suing them). Yup, they’ve sued to overturn California’s landmark greenhouse gas legislation of 2002. (By way of disclosure, the undersigned proudly co-authored this important piece of legislation.) The measure, as passed, authorizes the state to establish limits as to the amount of greenhouse gas emissions permitted by motor vehicles. The car manufacturers and dealers are claiming that the law is an attempt to require higher gas mileage (which is strictly a federal government responsibility for which states have no jurisdiction). The experts seem to feel the lawsuit won’t hold muster based upon the recent Supreme Court decision that held that regulating air pollutants is not in conflict with the exclusive federal power to regulate fuel economy. However this one may turn out, it again shows the importance of keeping the courthouse doors open for everyone- rich or poor, right or wrong.
The economic forecast continues to cast a dark shadow on the state
The fallout from the sub-prime housing market collapse continues to unfold. The Legislative Analyst continues to issue warnings about the steep drop in tax revenues coming into the state and the fallout will continue for months to come. Although we’re not quite sure where this will all land, we know the perils of this downturn are likely to be extensive. For more on the implications, check out the SacBee article here.
We here at Speak Out California hope to be able to keep you up-to-date on all of this and any signings or vetoes by the Governor in the weeks and months ahead, so
If you like the work we’ve been doing at Speak Out California, with our regular weekly updates which provide inside commentary and analysis on what is going on in our state capital, we hope you’ll support our work by making a contribution to Speak Out California. To contribute, just click here for our website so we can keep providing this unique and important perspective on our state and its future.
At Speak Out California we provide the facts and the commentary that keeps you informed on what is really happening in our state. We don’t accept any advertising or corporate sponsorships, so you know that we are not beholden to any group or special interest. Our commitment is simply to provide uncompromising reporting and analysis of what is happening in our state from the progressive perspective.
If you can pledge $10, $25, $50 a month, or send us a one-time contribution, we can continue to keep you in-the-know and keep the progressive voice alive and growing in California.
Just click here for our website to support our work in keeping California’s progressive voice strong!
As promised, Speak Out California will be taking a close and careful look at the significant number of ballot initiatives as they are introduced for the 2008 election year. There will be a number of them that qualify as the money to gather signatures continues to be factored in as just a cost of doing business. With California becoming the testing ground for all sorts of controversial ideas, our commitment to direct democracy through the initiative process continues to encourage special interest groups and multi-millionaires to play in our sandbox. Many of these ideas are contrary to the best interest of the people of our state and we at Speak Out California will continue to speak out against those policies that do not serve our communities.
And now for the rest of our weekly update…

Continue reading →

A weekly update on the goings-on in Sacramento
For the week ending November 17, 2007
Key bills and issues we’ve been following during the
Past week and beyond
Last week we observed that the Special Session was clearly losing momentum and oxygen. Although it certainly doesn’t have the vigor or energy of the regular legislative session, it appears to have staying-power beyond what we anticipated. Ever slowly and ploddingly, the beat goes on. This week, the water bill seems to have been revived (after we all but pronounced it dead) and the health care measure being touted by the Democrats in the Assembly has now seen another iteration which has been approved by the Assembly Health Committee, even though its chances of passing are slim at best. While some may say little is going on, it is impossible to deny the fact that the leadership continues to push ahead, somewhat reminiscent of the “Little Engine That Could” as it fought its way up the mountain to the top.
We posit that the effort to accomplish something is fueled by a desire to show some productivity before the fury of the February election and the battle over Prop 93, the term-limits/extension initiative. While this may very well be the motivation, the fact remains that the legislature is forging ahead with an admirable dogged determination.
On the health care side, the Assembly heard and passed out of committee a revised measure that considers a number of the Governor’s suggested ideas, like reducing the contributions required by employers. However its ultimate passage remains problematic at best as neither the Reps nor the Governor have signaled their agreement. And with the ominous news about the economy becoming more apparent and pessimistic, we can only wonder if major policy changes of this magnitude can emerge under such a difficult economic prognostication. The Governor, of course remains all smiles and optimism, but that positive thinking won’t get us out of the economic mess created by the national policies of the Bush administration or the irresponsible policies of the sub-prime mortgage industry that have brought our economy to a halt.
The dismal economic forecast weighs into the debate
By now, most Californians are aware that we’re in for a financial shakedown (if not meltdown) in the economy. While not necessarily the doing of California or its policies, the housing downturn, coupled with the ever-increasing price-gouging we’re seeing at the gas pump, is wreaking havoc on our middle-class. The result is that all facets of the economy have slowed down dramatically. Added to this is the Writer’s Strike in Hollywood and the obvious fiscal train wreck in the state’s budget becoming more apparent.
There is at least a glimmer of good news amongst all this economic carnage. The writers and producers have agreed to start up negotiations right after the Thanksgiving holiday. But with dozens of productions dark, the loss of income has got to be taking its toll on California’s huge entertainment industry which means there little being generated in the way of income or tax receipts for the state, based upon that income.
The bad news, so deftly presented by California’s outstanding Legislative Analyst, Elizabeth Hill, confirms that the state expects to see a shortfall in tax receipts over the next fiscal year of almost $10 billion. As we reported last week, the governor has already called upon the state’s agencies to start cutting at least 10% from their budget. It is important to note that this doesn’t take into account the fallout from the fires in our state this past September, the economic costs associated with fighting them or the loss of economic activity as a result. Translated: things are likely to get worse before they get better. For more on this economic bad news, click here for the LA Times article or here for the SacBee story.
We have also been following the work of the legislature in order to unravel the reasons behind the devastating and totally avoidable oil spill in the Bay Area last week that leaked 58,000 gallons of filthy, low-grade bunker fuel into its waters. While it has emerged that the cause was human error, the results have led legislators, headed by Natural Resources Chair Loni Hancock, to call for serious measures to protect against future disasters of this nature. Among the ideas to quickly come forward is a measure to require the placement of bunker fuel inside the ships, and not carried along side behind the hull.
On the federal level, a new debate and discussion has begun over the problem associated with single-hulled ships, one of the primary culprits in major oil spills throughout the years. For a good discussion of this issue, click here for the Mercury News story.
We here at Speak Out California hope to be able to keep you up-to-date on all of this and any signings or vetoes by the Governor in the weeks and months ahead, so
If you like the work we’ve been doing at Speak Out California, with our regular weekly updates which provide inside commentary and analysis on what is going on in our state capital, we hope you’ll support our work by making a contribution to Speak Out California. To contribute, just click here for our website so we can keep providing this unique and important perspective on our state and its future.
At Speak Out California we provide the facts and the commentary that keeps you informed on what is really happening in our state. We don’t accept any advertising or corporate sponsorships, so you know that we are not beholden to any group or special interest. Our commitment is simply to provide uncompromising reporting and analysis of what is happening in our state from the progressive perspective.
If you can pledge $10, $25, $50 a month, or send us a one-time contribution, we can continue to keep you in-the-know and keep the progressive voice alive and growing in California.
Just click here for our website to support our work in keeping California’s progressive voice strong!
And now for the week’s goings-on:

Continue reading →

A weekly update on the goings-on in Sacramento
For the week ending November 10, 2007
Key bills and issues we’ve been following during the
Past week and beyond
Although there isn’t much frenzy in Sacramento these days, the Special Session is still technically in play. The healthcare portion of the session seems to have undergone some lifesaving procedures and has a faint, but nevertheless, distinguishable heartbeat. While the water reform proposals have ended with only water-under-the-bridge, the legislature is desperate to salvage something significant this year so they can enter the February primary election season (which also includes Prop 93, the term limits/extension initiative) claiming some substantial accomplishment. Without a major reform to tout after this legislative year, the public will never agree to give this crop of legislators any additional time in office, or so the conventional wisdom (such as it is) goes.
But the real news that set Sacramento reeling this week was the budget. Given the downturn in the housing industry, due to the disastrous sub-prime market that was obviously destined to collapse, the Governor announced that the budget deficit for the coming year had grown from an anticipated $4 billion to a whopping $10 billion short-fall. When the red ink gets that large, the only real expectation for the coming year is cuts and reductions in existing services, not expansion. Bad news and dark clouds will follow.
In spite of this fiscal challenge, the ever-optimistic governor has promised to pass a major health care bill that will require all Californians to have health insurance. Although more and more people are recognizing this as a boondoggle for the insurance industry that plays no role in providing needed health care, the cost of the program will require at least an additional $14 billion to fund. No one is quite sure how this squares with our fiscal crisis, but the Governor continues to bang this drum regardless.
What else is happening in California while Sacramento treads water?
Two other significant events occurred this week that are not directly related to Sacramento but deserve mentioning. The first is the Writers Strike that has serious economic consequences to the state’s economy. With at least a dozen prime-time TV shows dark and dozens of other creative productions stopped because of the strike, thousands of people are now out-of-work.
Both the Governor and L.A. Mayor Villaraigosa are calling for a quick solution to the strike, but the producers won’t even consider talks until the Writers Guild sends its members back to work. The Guild has made it clear its members are serious about seeking some piece of the internet and digitalized products they help create. The corporate big wigs say this is a non-starter so the impasse looks ominous.
For more on this story, check out the first article and the second from the LA Times.
The second story that has serious consequences to the state’s economy and critical eco-system as well, was the completely avoidable oil spill in the Bay Area that leaked 58,000 gallons of bunker-fuel into the San Francisco Bay. Today’s LA Times quotes what may be the understatement of the year by the Coast Guard’s top dog in California. In summing up the problem (the ship hit a support on the base of a SF-Bay Bridge tower rupturing two fuel tanks holding the heavy and filthy bunker fuel that spilled into the Channel) Rear Admiral Craig Bone stated, “They were skilled enough individuals on board this ship. They didn’t carry out their mission correctly.” One can only wonder how much they pay these heavyweights for their brilliant deductive reasoning.
The result of this mess, is that hundreds of birds and wildlife are at risk; most of this fuel will not be recovered and the commercial and sport crabbing season will be closed. The costs of this negligence will be enormous and the only question is who will pay for it. Hopefully whoever owns the ship will have to do so, but the costs and the devastation are never fully recovered after this type of disaster.
For more on this story, see the sfgate article here
or go to this LA Times story.
We here at Speak Out California hope to be able to keep you up-to-date on all of this and any signings or vetoes by the Governor in the weeks and months ahead, so
If you like the work we’ve been doing at Speak Out California, with our regular weekly updates which provide inside commentary and analysis on what is going on in our state capital, we hope you’ll support our work by making a contribution to Speak Out California. To contribute, just click here for our website so we can keep providing this unique and important perspective on our state and its future.
At Speak Out California we provide the facts and the commentary that keeps you informed on what is really happening in our state. We don’t accept any advertising or corporate sponsorships, so you know that we are not beholden to any group or special interest. Our commitment is simply to provide uncompromising reporting and analysis of what is happening in our state from the progressive perspective.
If you can pledge $10, $25, $50 a month, or send us a one-time contribution, we can continue to keep you in-the-know and keep the progressive voice alive and growing in California.
Just click here for our website to support our work in keeping California’s progressive voice strong!
And now for the week’s goings-on:

Continue reading →

A weekly update on the goings-on in Sacramento
For the week ending November 3, 2007
Key bills and issues we’ve been following during the
Past week and beyond
This is usually a pretty quiet time in Sacramento. While this situation remains pretty much the case, the slowly dying Special Session still remains. With the big battle over water ending in a stalemate, the debate over health care reform showed a glimmer of activity this week as the Assembly Health Committee held a full-blown hearing on the Governor’s health care proposal. There wasn’t any progress to speak of, although the Speaker, Fabian Nunez pledged to keep working to reach a compromise. Unfortunately, few in Sacramento believe either side will make necessary concessions to make that happen.
When times are slow, polls become more interesting-at least to those political wonks who are otherwise suffering withdrawal from relative inactivity. This week was no different as the well-respected Public Policy Institute of California came out this week with the latest on several fronts. Among these are whether the people feel California is moving in the right direction or not (which is just another way of asking whether people are optimistic and hopeful about their future) and how the Governor would fare should he decide to take on Senator Barbara Boxer in 2010 for the U.S. Senate. As you can see, a lot of inside baseball here, especially since even the baseball season is finally over.
The ballot measures for 2008 are again coming to life, especially since right-wing Congressman Darrell Issa, who brought us the Davis Recall in 2003, has announced he will bankroll the return of the Electoral College measure. For those who thought this blatant right-wing power grab was dead, this measure will split California’s electoral votes from a winner-takes-all to a split of electoral votes by Congressional District. Translated, this would likely give the Republican candidate 20 electoral votes—or the size of Ohio or Florida. Since the Republicans haven’t won California in years, this is as good as giving them a 40 vote turnaround in the Electoral College, enough so the conventional wisdom holds, to steal the election for the Republicans. And since it is felt that Rudy Guliani is the one most likely to benefit from this ploy, and there are many dirty footprints leading to his door on this measure, the Dems are howling. All this makes for good copy, of course, and keeps the political junkies busy during an otherwise slow period before the election cycle kicks in. Of course, this year, the election cycle seems to have started months ago and seems to be in overdrive already.
With so much bad press recently for Speaker Fabian Nunez’s spending habits, the Term-Limits/Extension measure Prop. 93 appears to be sliding out of favor dramatically with California’s likely voters. Added to the woes of current members hoping to extend their terms in office is the announcement by billionaire State Insurance Commissioner, Steve Poizner, that he will help bankroll the opposition to the measure. Even though the supporters of the measure have a substantial war chest, this measure looks like it may go down with a big thud.
We here at Speak Out California hope to be able to keep you up-to-date on all of this and any signings or vetoes by the Governor in the weeks and months ahead, so
If you like the work we’ve been doing at Speak Out California, with our regular weekly updates which provide inside commentary and analysis on what is going on in our state capital, we hope you’ll support our work by making a contribution to Speak Out California. To contribute, just click here for our website so we can keep providing this unique and important perspective on our state and its future.
At Speak Out California we provide the facts and the commentary that keeps you informed on what is really happening in our state. We don’t accept any advertising or corporate sponsorships, so you know that we are not beholden to any group or special interest. Our commitment is simply to provide uncompromising reporting and analysis of what is happening in our state from the progressive perspective.
If you can pledge $10, $25, $50 a month, or send us a one-time contribution, we can continue to keep you in-the-know and keep the progressive voice alive and growing in California.
Just click here for our website to support our work in keeping California’s progressive voice strong!
And now for the week’s goings-on:

Continue reading →

A weekly update on the goings-on in Sacramento
For the week ending October 27, 2007
Key bills and issues we’ve been following during the
Past week and beyond
Last week we highlighted bills dealing with healthcare, consumer rights and environmental issues. Again, keeping in mind that a legislative session is comprised of two calendar years, there are many bills that will re-emerge in January if they were not resolved during this portion of the legislative session. We will follow those bills when the session reconvenes in January.
This week we’ll look at what happened to a variety of bills dealing with working families, public safety and civil rights. Generally speaking, labor issues and particularly bills dealing with fixing the heavily skewed workers compensation mess faired very poorly. Attempts to improve conditions for workers also faired badly as did efforts to provide reforms for the criminal justice system.
But before going into detail on some of these measures, it is only fitting that we comment on the devastating fires that so impacted our state and our communities over the past week. The impacts of these fires caused a staggering toll on our state. Just to provide some context for those who were fortunate enough to be out of harms way, consider that the fires:
Were responsible for the deaths of 15 or more people
Destroyed more than 650 square miles, an area two times the size of New York City
Caused over $1 Billion in damage
Destroyed or seriously damaged over 2500 homes
Forced 22,000 people into temporary shelters
Forced the evacuation of over 1 million people—the largest peacetime movement of American citizens since the Civil War
Cost the state over $90 million to fight (and still counting)
At the same time this massive devastation was taking place, the brave firefighters of this state (and the western U.S. who were called into service) demonstrated a level of courage and professionalism that must be commended and acknowledged.
Although there are those who believe more could have been done, there is no question that the response and effort of our firefighters was extraordinary. We all owe these brave people a debt of gratitude and thanks. While California has suffered numerous natural disasters and fires, nothing of this magnitude has occurred in the state before. The response by our Government’s public safety branches—and particularly our firefighters, was exemplary.
Was it perfect? Probably not, but these are lessons that will be learned so that should we be faced with another emergency of this proportion, we will be even better prepared. In the meantime, major kudos to the firefighters who demonstrated, yet again, their bravery, tenacity and expertise is fighting back the awesome power of nature’s devastation.
We hope that with the changing weather, we’ve seen the last of this devastating fire season. We need to continue perfecting our responses to emergencies, both from a government perspective and as individuals and communities. We will continue to learn from the natural disasters- fire, flood and earthquake- we experience in this state on a fairly regular basis.
We clearly need to ramp up our discussion of climate change that has caused such dangerous weather conditions and most seriously address how to reverse the perilous trends that are making our planet more susceptible to these kinds of devastating events.
We here at Speak Out California hope to be able to keep you up-to-date on all of this and any signings or vetoes by the Governor in the weeks and months ahead, so
If you like the work we’ve been doing at Speak Out California, with our regular weekly updates which provide inside commentary and analysis on what is going on in our state capital, we hope you’ll support our work by making a contribution to Speak Out California. To contribute, just click here for our website so we can keep providing this unique and important perspective on our state and its future.
At Speak Out California we provide the facts and the commentary that keeps you informed on what is really happening in our state. We don’t accept any advertising or corporate sponsorships, so you know that we are not beholden to any group or special interest. Our commitment is simply to provide uncompromising reporting and analysis of what is happening in our state from the progressive perspective.
If you can pledge $10, $25, $50 a month, or send us a one-time contribution, we can continue to keep you in-the-know and keep the progressive voice alive and growing in California.
Just click here for our website to support our work in keeping California’s progressive voice strong!
And now for the continuation of our analysis of the legislative year completed earlier this month:

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A weekly update on the goings-on in Sacramento
For the week ending October 20, 2007
Key bills and issues we’ve been following during the
Past week and beyond
Now that the dust has settled and the governor has disposed of 964 bills by either signing or vetoing them, we will devote this update to just what did and did not become law this legislative year. Remembering that a legislative session is comprised of two calendar years, there are many bills that have not been resolved that will have an opportunity to proceed in the coming year. We’ll be following them when the legislative session reconvenes in early January.
In the weeks to come, we’ll be taking a closer look at the various ballot measures that have qualified for the February, 2008 ballot, those that are still pending and those that are emerging for consideration between the June and November 2008 elections.
We here at Speak Out California hope to be able to keep you up-to-date on all of this and any signings or vetoes by the Governor in the weeks and months ahead, so
If you like the work we’ve been doing at Speak Out California, with our regular weekly updates which provide inside commentary and analysis on what is going on in our state capital, we hope you’ll support our work by making a contribution to Speak Out California. To contribute, just click here for our website so we can keep providing this unique and important perspective on our state and its future.
At Speak Out California we provide the facts and the commentary that keeps you informed on what is really happening in our state. We don’t accept any advertising or corporate sponsorships, so you know that we are not beholden to any group or special interest. Our commitment is simply to provide uncompromising reporting and analysis of what is happening in our state from the progressive perspective.
If you can pledge $10, $25, $50 a month, or send us a one-time contribution, we can continue to keep you in-the-know and keep the progressive voice alive and growing in California.
Just click here for our website to support our work in keeping California’s progressive voice strong!
And now, for the week’s goings-on:

Continue reading →

A weekly update on the goings-on in Sacramento
For the week ending October 13, 2007
Key bills and issues we’ve been following during the
Past week and beyond
This week we have a special commentary by Rosemary Shahan of Consumers Auto Reliability and Safety, while next week Speak Out California will provide you with a comprehensive and updated list of important legislation. Please be sure to read the next Weekly Update, as it will be critical in understanding the issues of our state!
We here at Speak Out California hope to be able to keep you up-to-date on all of this and any signings or vetoes by the Governor in the weeks and months ahead, so
If you like the work we’ve been doing at Speak Out California, with our regular weekly updates which provide inside commentary and analysis on what is going on in our state capital, we hope you’ll support this by making a contribution to Speak Out California. To contribute, just click here so we can keep providing you with a unique and important perspective on our state and its future.
At Speak Out California we provide the facts and the commentary that keeps you informed on what is really happening in our state. We don’t accept any advertising or corporate sponsorships, so you know that we are not beholden to any group or special interest. Our commitment is simply to provide uncompromising reporting and analysis of what is happening in our state from the progressive perspective.
If you can pledge $10, $25, $50 a month, or send us a one-time contribution, we can continue to keep you in-the-know and keep the progressive voice alive and growing in California.
Just click here to support our work in keeping California’s progressive voice strong!
And now, for the week’s goings-on:

Continue reading →

A weekly update on the goings-on in Sacramento
For the week ending September 29, 2007
Key bills and issues we’ve been following during the
Past week and beyond
With traveling solons returning home from various parts of the world next week, both Healthcare and Water Policy are two special session topics that are heating up. There are various views on both matters and some new Special Session legislation has been introduced this week.
And, in breaking news, the so-called “Dirty Tricks” initiative to change how California allocates its Electoral College votes appears to be dead, at least for now.
Governor “green” speaks at the United Nations, upstaging the absent President Bush (who held his “own” global warming conference to upstage the U.N.) and gets a chance to sign three major environmental bills. Let’s see if he puts his pen where his mouth is.
Public Safety bills on the Governor’s desk get support from the former Attorney General.
We hear at Speak Out California hope to be able to keep you up-to-date on all of this and any signings or vetoes by the Governor in the weeks and months ahead, so
If you like the work we’ve been doing at Speak Out California, with our regular weekly updates which provide inside commentary and analysis on what is going on in our state capital, we hope you’ll support our work by making a contribution to Speak Out California. To contribute, just click here for our website so we can keep providing this unique and important perspective on our state and its future.
At Speak Out California we provide the facts and the commentary that keeps you informed on what is really happening in our state. We don’t accept any advertising or corporate sponsorships, so you know that we are not beholden to any group or special interest. Our commitment is simply to provide uncompromising reporting and analysis of what is happening in our state from the progressive perspective.
If you can pledge $10, $25, $50 a month, or send us a one-time contribution, we can continue to keep you in-the-know and keep the progressive voice alive and growing in California.
Just click here for our website to support our work in keeping California’s progressive voice strong!
And now, for the week’s goings-on:

Continue reading →

A weekly update on the goings-on in Sacramento
For the week ending September 22, 2007
Key bills and issues we’ve been following during the
past week and beyond
Now that the regular session of the legislature has ended and a variety of bills are waiting the Governor’s approval or veto, the special session is in full gear. The big battles over water and health care reform have taken over the stage front- and -center. And with Hillary Clinton’s unveiling of her version of healthcare reform, the issue has become even more prevalent in political debate not only in California, but nationwide.
With a new report from the Public Policy Institute of California coming out this week as well, we’ve seen how the failure to produce meaningful healthcare reform and a swift resolution of the annual budget stand-off has impacted the popularity of our Governor and the legislature. Not good news for either side.
Talk of ballot initiatives already moving along, plus threats of new ones emerging for 2008 continue to gain public attention and comment. With the veto last week by the Governor of the Iraq War initiative, which would have allowed Californians to register their opinion on that military and political fiasco, some of the interest has been muted in the early measures, but there is still enough out there (not the least of which are the Presidential primaries) to keep the public interested for the next several months.
We here at Speak Out California hope to be able to keep you up-to-date on all of this in the weeks and months ahead, so
If you like the work we’ve been doing at Speak Out California, with our regular weekly updates which provide inside commentary and analysis on what is going on in our state capital, we hope you’ll support our work by making a contribution to Speak Out California. To contribute, just click here so we can keep providing this unique and important perspective on our state and its future.
At Speak Out California we provide the facts and the commentary that keep you informed on what is really happening in our state. We don’t take any advertising or corporate sponsorships, so you know that we are not beholden to any group or special interest. Our commitment is simply to provide uncompromising reporting and analysis of what is happening in our state from the progressive perspective.
If you can pledge $10, $25, $50 a month, we can continue to keep you in-the-know and keep the progressive voice alive in California.
Just click here to support our work in keeping California’s progressive voice alive.
And now for the week’s goings-on :
SB840/Universal Health Care and AB8 and the Governor’s Special Session
The latest polling from the well-respected Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) confirms what most of those in the political world have long-known: healthcare is just about at the top of the heap when it comes to the public’s interest in state policy. Although trailing immigration by about a point or two among likely voters ( 19% say immigration is the top issue facing the state, healthcare comes in at 18%) the debate has intensified as the healthcare crisis in California and nation-wide continues to escalate. The poll shows that almost 1/2 of Californians are following the healthcare debate closely.
Another non-surprise is the demand by Californians for major reform in the healthcare system. Regardless of party affiliation, the people of our state want major changes. And for those of us who like numbers to go with claims, 69% want major changes- with 77% of Dems and 63% Reps. calling for major changes. Add to the mix that 68% who identify as “independents” want to see major reforms to the system.
Unfortunately, the rest of the poll on the subject of whose reforms the public supports is inadequate and incomplete. The poll only asks for comparison of the Governor’s proposal and the legislative leaderships AB8, a bill that the gov has already said he will veto. Can’t have an honest analysis without bringing into the debate the question of a single payor, or Medi-care type system where there is a single agency that takes in the money and pays it out. No insurance companies, no profits, just one agency that oversees payments. That allows everyone to choose their own docs and healthcare providers who will be able to practice without insurance company interference, get paid a fair fee and discard all the bureaucratic tape of having to deal with the thousands of different plans in California alone. For a comparison of the three major reform options for California, check out this article here. For a look at the most recent offerings from the PPIC, check out their site here .
While the real universal health care measure, SB 840 languishes, the Clinton campaign this week unveiled its own national plan for health care reform. Her proposal, entitled “American Health Choices Plan” rolled-out this week to great fanfare. Although the other leading Democratic contenders have submitted proposals as well, it was expected that Hillary’s ideas would hold the greatest weight, since she has been studying and leading the charge for healthcare reform since her ill-fated universal healthcare proposal back in the early 90’s. While the jury is still out on this plan, many on the progressive side are disappointed she, too, includes the insurance companies in the play. Her plan does, however, set up a variety of options that will allow all people to have insurance. It’s quite a mishmash, but tries to cover as many options as possible. For more on her plan, check out this LA Times article .
Special Session–California’s Perennial Water Problems
California politics, like life, cannot exist without addressing our inherent water problems. This state was never meant to house millions upon millions of people in its semi-arid Southern portion. Its Central Valley provides enormous amounts of agriculture requiring huge amounts of quality water. Add to the challenges are antiquated and inadequate systems that exist to protect the Delta regions from flooding their banks and destroying everything in their way.
The economic history of California is the history of gold, railroads and water. Unfortunately, the first two are much more interesting and have captured the state’s and its leaderships imagination much more effectively. The subject is, admittedly, somewhat arcane but is nonetheless, quite important.
So we’ll try to boil this dispute down to its essence: We know we need water, we know we need to shore up our levees and we know we must restore the important Delta area. The battle is over how and how much. Both sides agree the money will have to come from bonds that the voters have already passed and amounts that they believe must be further allocated through additional bonds. Although we’ve already passed over $14.8 billion in water bonds since 2000, it’s simply not enough to address our state’s water crisis.
The Governor wants to follow the old-fashioned, overwhelmingly discredited and outmoded approach . He is proposing to put an additional $9 billion bond request on the February, 2008 ballot and build more dams for water storage (over $5.1 billion for that purpose.)
Senator Perata has introduced two measures that provide a comprehensive package to address the Delta crisis. The first of Perata’s measures addresses the existing bond allocation and maximizes those funds to ensure they are used to stabilize the Delta, following the strategies outlined in the California Water Plan (conservation over concrete). The second calls for a bond in the amount of $ 5.8 billion to develop new regional water supplies and apply advanced technologies leading to conservation, recycling, and other known effective measures that are less harmful and more cost-effective than pouring concrete and holding a media extravaganza to unveil billions of dollars worth of concrete.
The big battle here is that Schwarzenegger wants to concrete the problem—building two huge and expensive dams and spending additional billions to expand one dam in Contra Costa County. Dams are the last resort for environmentalists who see them as harmful to ecosystems and not cost efficient or effective. In this case, the feds and state agencies have also found these dams are neither cost-effective nor environmentally sound.
The California Water Plan, on the other hand, calls for developing new regional water supplies by doing things such as water recycling, water conservation, groundwater cleanup, groundwater protection and stormwater capture. By increasing the water supplies within each region of the state, we reduce reliance on the fragile Delta and the unsustainable burden we put on exporting its water throughout the state (and particularly to the 21 plus million people in Southern California who rely upon it for their drinking water).
Not surprisingly, groups like the Sierra Club are calling for more emphasis on conservation, which has proven to be the cheapest and most effective way to deal with our water problems in California. Check out this article by Gary A. Patton, Executive Director of the environmental stalwart, the Planning and Conservation League.
This battle is far from over. But with time deadlines and expectations that progress must be made before the area collapses from floods, drought, overuse and simple neglect, we can expect to see the level of frenzy and debate ramp up quickly…at least for those who are listening.
Bills, Vetoes and other Legislative Offerings:
Although the time period within which to pass regular year legislation has ended, the real work comes for those bills that have landed on the Governor’s desk. Just because it’s a good bill, has bipartisan support, makes sense, protects the public (or God’s other creatures), it doesn’t mean it’s going to become law. What stands in the way is Arnold Schwarzenegger and often numerous well-heeled corporate special interests out to kill what they couldn’t kill in the legislative process itself. This is where the real rubber hits-the-road. The Gov gets to pay back his campaign contributors, grandstand for the media and the public, and try to redefine the issues that comprise the legislation itself. At the same time, legislators fight feverishly to posture their bills in the best possible light, and we try to engender public support that will overcome any other obstacles that haven’t been put to bed during the nine months that the legislation has been pending, amended, amended again, rewritten or hijacked.
What gets signed and what doesn’t is still a mystery in many instances. What will not be a mystery this year is the governor’s stated commitment to vetoing, yet again, Mark Leno’s AB 43, the Gay marriage initiative. With the state slowly but irretrievably moving in the direction of tolerance in granting gays and lesbians equal rights, this governor has stated that he will not sign a gay marriage bill, period. Although the push-back on both sides continues, the church-based groups who continue to contact the gov on speed re-dial continue to prevail. Interestingly, however, although the city of San Diego is not known as a bastion of liberalism, its mayor, Jerry Sanders, came out this week in favor of equal rights and treatment for gays, having been enlightened because his own daughter, whom he clearly loves and respects, is a lesbian. In a heartfelt and moving press conference, the Mayor of San Diego showed courage and integrity in the face of potential political consequences. His words are worth repeating here, just in case the governor is listening:
“I’ve decided to lead with my heart, which is probably obvious right now, to do what I think is right and to take a stand on behalf of equality and social justice”
If only the tough-guy Governator could do the same…
Speak Out California continues to highlight bills we think need your support. Most recently, we asked for your help in urging that the Governor signs SB 94 (Senator Kuehl) which is critical legislation to ensure that low income women and men have access to family planning services. To send a letter to the Governor, click here.
We’ll be highlighting a number of other bills in the days ahead and hope you’ll join our action-alert campaign to ensure we see meaningful legislation signed into law and not thwarted from the big corporate interests or ideologues trying to undermine important public policy that will protect the people of our state.
Shenanigans and other Goings-on
The UC Irvine Law School story has a happy ending. As we predicted once the outcries and fury of Chancelor Michael V. Davis ill-conceived retraction came to light, Davis has re-signed Erwin Chemerinsky as the new dean of the Law School, thus proving that sometimes the right thing can happen with enough public outcry.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the powers that control the decision-making for the California State University system. This week the governing Board of Trustees approved an 18% increase in the pay for Chancellor Charles Reed. In addition, they agreed to increase the executive compensation for the state’s 23 campus presidents and Reed’s four top deputies anywhere from 9 to 18%. To add insult to injury to the students whose fees and costs are going through the roof, they announced their intention to raise executive salaries about 46% over the next 4 years. It’s hard to believe these folks don’t realize the terrible message they’re sending to our future leaders—you, who have very little must pay more so that those who have a lot can receive more. The rationale for these huge increases in salary to these highly paid administrators? We need to increase their salaries and benefits to stay competitive. Competitive with whom? While Reed will be pulling in $421,500 next year (plus a $30,000 annual retirement bonus), the Governor of the state of California makes about 1/2 that amount. Who would have thought the job of CSU head was more important than being the leader of the entire state of California! Check out Jim Doyle’s report in the SF Chronicle here.
New Initiatives on the Horizon
The right-wing continues to attack the eminent domain issue, but never through the front-door. While almost fooling an unsuspecting public in 2006 with Proposition 90, the anti-environmentalists are at it again. They’re planning to bring forth another measure that will limit state and local government from controlling land use decisions that protect the public and maintain some level of sanity in how our communities grow and function. In response, those who believe in some government oversight are getting two counter-offerings ready for the initiative pipelines, most likely for the June ballot. We’ll have more on those as they evolve.
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The Rest of the Story
Our blogging offerings for the week:
What ever happened to the right to dissent?–A response to the firings, floggings and attacks on those with whom we happen to disagree
If I had a hammer–nostalgia with the great Peter Paul & Mary
To read and comment on these entries, just go to: www.speakoutca.org/weblog/
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Until next week,
Hannah-Beth Jackson and the Speak Out California Team