'See the world, let special interests pay, Schwarzenegger urges lawmakers'

See the world, let special interests pay, says the Governor.

Put that on a bumper sticker and drive it.

How does Obama get in trouble for stereotyping small town American but the Governor can say this about small town California:

"Some of them come from those little towns, you know what I am saying, they come from those little towns and they don't have that vision yet of an airport or of a highway that maybe has 10 lanes or of putting a highway on top of a highway," Schwarzenegger said. "They look at you and say, 'We don't have that in my town. What are you talking about?'

True as it might be, you can't just go around SAYING those sorts of things. Oh wait, someone did make the Obama-rhetoric connection:

Assemblyman Anthony Adams, a Republican from the mid-size city of Hesperia (population 83,000), said Schwarzenegger's comments, "while I'm sure well-intentioned, reek of a certain elitism that doesn't help foster a cooperative working relationship."

This part is true too, but if we really went with it, we'd have to disband the FPPC and that would just increase unemployment:

"I am always against when the media beats up on [lawmakers] for traveling around because someone else is paying for their trips," he said. "I mean, so what. If they were to take the money from the taxpayers, then [the media] would complain about using tax dollars to travel around the world and live in luxury and all this stuff.

We're weird, as voters

The Supreme Court's ruling upholding Indiana's voter ID law hurts youth voters, or so say the bloggers and activists, apparently.

Make no mistake, I am against impediments to voting, but is this really a huge barrier?

We, as a nation, make comments about sending people to war to protect our freedom, our right to vote. But we don't want to have to put forth too much of an effort - get an ID card, remember to carry it with us.

Weak. Plain weak.

How times change

I could have sworn I remembered reading the opposite not so long ago, but apparently, a poll now shows Clinton winning over McCain. I thought she was the sure loser in that match-up.

'Stop the drama, vote Obama'?

A great quote from a blogger just repeated on MSNBC, but will that plea to superdelegates work?

Outspent in OH and PA, Clinton still seems to win in the booth - shouldn't that mean something?

Are we wishing we were careful about what we wished for now - since we don't have a nominee? I'm sorry I talked so much smack about Iowa and New Hampshire - maybe you guys should've picked the nominee like usual.

Maybe They Should Have Retired

Two women in their 70s lured homeless into giving up personal info, took out life insurance on them and then killed them.

Just when you thought LA was getting boring with the standard gang violence and hold-ups.

I don't know if you can blame this one on video games.

Silly French People, Just Eat More

Earlier this week, France tried to ban 'inciting extreme thinness'.

The new bill would allow judges to imprison or fine offenders almost $50,000 if found guilty of "inciting others to deprive themselves of food" to an "excessive" degree.

So far, everyone in France is still skinny.

Appropriate for other reasons, too

Charles Gibson just said that a quotation from the Constitution on presidential duties was appropriate because they are at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.

Maybe it is more appropriate since a woefully small number of people have read the Constitution and are familiar with the actual job description of the position for which these two people are arguing.

Maybe?

Do Pennsylvanians Care?

Are you watching the debate right now? I know debates are traditionally kind of silly, but this seems especially banal. Can we get even a cursory policy question? Flag pins and who is in who's in-crowd? Honestly - I can't care about any of this stuff and I'm the kind of person who writes on a political-oriented website. I don't think they are going to win over any Pennsylvanians this way. Maybe the candidates should have only agreed if the debates were moderated exclusively by local journalists. I feel like I'm wasting time I could be using to clear the DVR.

Agency considers customer needs, adapts

That's news! USCIS, the agency that handles citizenship and visa clearances for would-be immigrants is adding weekend hours as it tries to get out from under an 18,000 person backlog.

Don't get all "taxpayers footing the bill for immigrants" on me either - USCIS is entirely self-funded. Applicant fees support the agencies work and that's all the money they get. Fees increased last year, too.

Though USCIS has been slammed for not preparing more for the huge increase in applicants immediately before the fees rose (duh, who couldn't see that coming?), I give them some credit for reacting more like private industry than a government agency in burning the oil longer.

Sky, housing prices, continue to fall

Home prices are back to 2004 levels. And still falling? Housing prices are like a wave, right? Up and down and up and down. This run-up started when? About 2003? So we're not quite back at start.

Another article I read today - can't find the link to save my life, sorry - talked about homeowners stuck because their homes aren't worth what they paid for them. This is a bar to them selling. But really, it's a bar to them selling without taking a loss, right? They could still sell the house. Short sales? I mean, I get the bind, but still. And the problem is homes aren't worth what or more than their cost right now. They once were. They may be again. They'll probably go up. It will just take longer.

Renting not so bad, you know.

We tend to know stuff - for certain - don't we? Real estate is always a good investment. Home prices always go up. Now they aren't So now real estate is not a good investment and house prices always go down. We are very focused on the now. Maybe we should chill, no?

The party in power takes the blame for bad economic times - and since we're focusing on presidents right now, I'm thinking that's a boon for the left. So, hooray, the economy is crap and your house is worthless!

Primaries, right, those are still happening aren't they

Obama is gaining in PA, or, per the headline, Clinton is losing traction. Is that a glass half full/half empty difference, or a real difference? I guess it's real. One candidate could stay steady and the other could gain or lose all on his or her own. It's those pesky undecideds.

The survey found the New York senator leading Barack Obama by just 5 percentage points in Pennsylvania, which votes next Tuesday. Such a margin would not give her much of a boost in the battle for the party's nomination.

What is more, the poll found Clinton trails Obama by 5 points in Indiana, another Rust Belt state that should play to her strengths among blue-collar voters.

Will we make it to August without a nominee?

Free Tax Day, Kinda

This Friday at the La Pintoresca Library, the State Controller's Office and the city of Pasadena will be hosting free tax prep. But only if you make under $40,000.

Look, these people don't want to have to deal with dividends, and write-offs, and charitable contributions, and yacht loopholes.

Rest in Peace Charlton Heston

In a fitting memorial, the LA Times reprinted a number of letters to the editor that Charlton Heston sent in over the years.

It turns out that Heston, along with being an epic actor, was a bit of a crank.

THE cultural and social fabric of the country is fraying around the edges as we split up into separate little Gypsy camps, each with a different agenda, heading in different directions. A while ago, I was at one of those silly "A-list" parties and fell into conversation on all this with a stunningly beautiful, famous star (not a bad actress, either) who said, "Well, look what it says on the dollar bill: 'e pluribus unum.' From one, many." "Actually, you've got the Latin backward," I replied. "It translates, 'From many, one.' As in one nation . . . indivisible?" "No kidding?" she said, amazed. "Well . . . whatever." And there you have it. We live, increasingly, in a "well, whatever" nation. God help us all.

Immigration post trick: three is a magic number

While SF welcomes and seems to benefit from border crime money, Arizona is making life a nightmare for immigrants and plenty of residents and citizens too. With pride, they speak of proving a state can do it alone, without the feds:

In recent years it has barred illegal immigrants from receiving government services, from winning punitive damages in lawsuits and from posting bail for serious crimes. A new state law shuts down businesses that hire illegal workers. And the sheriff of Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix and three-fifths of the state's population, dispatches his deputies and volunteer "posses" to search for illegal street vendors or immigrants being smuggled through the county. . . .

Juan Carlos Ochoa, a naturalized U.S. citizen who lives in an upper-middle-class subdivision near Phoenix named Laguna Hills, can't find a job because a government database classifies him as a possible illegal immigrant. Pauline Muñoz, a 39-year-old mother of six who was born in Phoenix, has been afraid to leave her apartment since being held by sheriff's deputies for 15 hours for a driving infraction -- an example of what she believes is racial profiling.

The problem is the E-verify system that, if you aren't up-to-date with Social Security, can label you as a possible illegal. Not for sure, just possible. Getting duplicate papers, however, can take up to 10 months from Department of Homeland Security.

This article doesn't contain any jaw-droppingly offensive moments, but it is disquieting nonetheless. That Arizona takes such pride about running people out of town. And I wonder how, like, New Mexico feels.

And then there's this

No one as ever said San Francisco is a simple city. They're kinda confusing actually - a sanctuary for illegal immigrants as well as a huge freakin' siphon for federal border crime dollars. Go fig:

San Francisco's $3.7 million federal grant to help fight border crime in 2006 was the largest awarded to any county in four states bordering Mexico, according to a federal audit that found the city was not entitled to any of the funds.

City officials have not explained why a city 500 miles from the state's southern border would have prosecuted more than 2,000 cases for the federal government that were related to drug gangs and crimes near the border in a three-year period.

The audit, which was released this week and challenged all $5.4 million that the city received from 2004 to 2006, raises questions about the basis for the city's request for funding under the Southwest Border Prosecution Initiative.

Compassion or calculation?

San Francisco advertises services for illegal immigrants

This week, the city launched a campaign featuring TV and radio ads, billboards and bus signs reminding residents of its status as a sanctuary city for illegal immigrants. The $83,000 blitz will include brochures distributed at police stations and hospitals, promising safe access to city services regardless of residency status.

"We're inviting people to come out of the shadows and take advantage of services," said Mayor Gavin Newsom. San Francisco has tried to make this point clear for years.

Gavin makes a lot of points, ever notice that? I want to believe him - I think what he does, from gay marriage to making it clear that making people too scared to seek help or healthcare is monsterous, is, frankly, beautiful.

But then the ugly pragmatist in me rises up and slaps me upside the head: are you kidding me? Just hand them the White House already! Predictably, one comeback is that this is an insult to the people who did things the right way, applied, waited, etc. But that's not really comparing apples and apples. San Francisco doesn't have the power to grant amnesty - which is the only thing that really might insult those who waited to get here. One healthy immigrant child means a classroom is healthier altogether. One mother less afraid of seeking help from the cops in cases of domestic violence is one less dead mother and one step closer to eradicating violence generally.

Oops, so much for pragmatism.

Shortsighted-much?

Does it have to be either/or when it comes to national security (or "national security") and the environment? Apparently, according to the feds who are prepared to exempt themselves from all manner of environmental and other laws in their quixotic quest to fence us in.

I think the saying is don't fence me in, but whatever. 9/11, 9/11, danger, fear, lookout, okay, built the fence. That about covers it, right?

We're going to mortgage our futures, our kids' futures, on faulty, ineffective protectionist antics that won't leave us safer, but will potentially leave us without an earth. Or at least an inhabitable one.

Otherwise liberal ideas that serve to make us all look bad

So, union jobs are good. Union wages are good. Protecting union jobs is good.

Forcing non-profits out of business because unions have a chokehold on public works under an expanded definition of the term? Stoooopid. Really dumb. Don't do it:

The original wage law was designed to protect union contractors from being underbid on public projects by firms using less expensive, nonunion labor. But the broader application carried the concept to an entirely new level.

Labor unions started filing complaints about local governments and nonprofit groups using volunteers on public projects. The first to surface was in Redding, where college students were given class credit instead of pay when they helped a local nonprofit group clear a brush-choked streambed. A state labor agency fined the group for violations of labor laws.

Ugh! Man. I'm sure there's more to this story than the columnist cobbles together to fit in limited column inches. But really, ugh. So unions got their way with expanded definitions of public works and then continue to pound the point home over this sort of project.

As Seth and Amy would say - Really?!

Political Theater from the State's Most Colorful Characters

Lookout - mover/shaker Richie Ross, operates-on-a-NYC-tempo Carole Migden, and uh, former something and current FPPC Chair (sorry, I ran out of creativity just then) Ross Johnson are going out it like a community college thespian club. You sue me, I'll sue you, you're retaliating against me, you started it. Phew, I'm tired just trying to figure out who the real jerk in this story is. (Make sure you click on the link to check out a scary photo of Chair Johnson. Yikes.)

Side note: political pop quiz - who is the "he" in this quote:

During a budget fight in 1983, he called Assemblyman Lou Papan, D-Millbrae, an expletive and made a vulgar suggestion in an exchange that has become Capitol lore.

If you said "John Burton" . . . you're wrong! But no one would blame you for making a highly educated guess. It was Ross Johnson, but anyway . . .

Though Johnson sounds like he's been less than well-spoken at all points in his career, it's Ross and Migden that come off like the real peaches of the story. Ross has a history of screaming vulgarites at those who cross him, deign to defy his wise demands, er, advice, and question his, um, integrity. Yeah. And that kind of sounds like Migden too, except she's less screaming vulgar than screaming condescension.

I don't think mean, rude, probably law-breaking people should be rewarded with public office, so I hope Migden loses and does her penance. She should have another chance someday, after humbling herself a bit.

And Ross? Well, like he says in the linked article - everyone has a dark side. He just seems content to let his run the show.

McCain Comes to California

McCain's in California right now. And even though the state hasn't gone Republican in a long, long time and even though he's done with his primary and the stupid, stupid Democrats aren't, it's still going to be a rough little visit.

Because last week, he mixed up Sunni and Shiite factions in Iraq. Oh, how could you?

In an interesting twist, the former CEO of eBay is joining the McCain team in an effort to gain some campaign experience for a Governor run in 2010.

Against Newsom?

Courage?

Last year Secretary of State, Debra Bowen decided to stop using those fancy electronic voting machines. It seems they're a little easy to tamper with. Hmmm.

And now, she's recieving a 'Profiles in Courage' award for the decision.

It was probably a good decision, but courageous? I think our standards may have gone down some.

Meet Mr. Recession and his friend Mr. Bush

Pawn shop business is up. The rest of the economy is down. Most people think the government doesn't care. They might think this because it might not care, in fact.

Those rate cuts aren't all good:

On the other hand, six-month CDs and money-market accounts are currently paying an annual rate of less than 3%. The cost of living, by contrast, was up 4% last month from a year earlier.

That doesn't bode well for savers like 19-year-old Brittany Green, who attends Pasadena City College while also raising an 8-month-old daughter. She told me she had about $1,500 in savings and wasn't sure what to do with it.

I told her that by slashing interest rates, the government basically wanted her to do one of two things: go out and spend it or invest it in the stock market. Either one would give the economy a little boost.

Green shook her head. "I'm not spending it," she said. "And I wouldn't put it in the stock market. That's like playing the lottery."

Yeah, that's a problem, isn't it. We're finally scared into saving money - something that we should've been encouraged to do (explicitly and implicitly, via policy) and all that saving will now accomplish is further economic decline and more fear and more saving and further . . . you see.

I don't feel like I should be spending the rebate check I should be getting from the government. And I LOVE spending.

The market is going to decline further, isn't it?

Dick Cheney, voice of peace

Or so he claims. Though I have a strong feeling that he probably thinks that with some peoples of the world, on the rod works. Our rod, of course. Other peoples' rods are wrong.

Spring Break! Whoo!

The Governator asked the legislature to please please fix the budget NOW.

He's not happy. He wants to know why they haven't come and talked to him.

"So it's still all the Kabuki. They're doing the song and dance."

"I've said I want every legislator for three days locked in a room so they cannot even go to the bathroom - and the smell of the room would drive them to a deal," he said.

But, the lawmakers escaped without doing their homework. And now are off on Spring Break. And many of them of heading overseas to 'study' other countries' high-speed rail lines. Right, and don't leave that budget assignment til the night before it's due.

Why are drugs in sports so important?

Seriously, why are we paying so much for doped up ball players, cyclists, runners, etc . . . I don't care what they do to themselves. Maybe that's because I don't follow sports. Maybe it's because I don't have kids in little league or Pop Warner or anything.

It just seems like we have so much more going on that people should be interested in investigating or trying. No? I know I'm hardly the first to complain about this stuff, but still, where's the answer?

Two states too much trouble

Obama wants to simply split the in-the-air delegates from Florida and Michigan. Then they get to go to the convention (can't piss 'em off, need 'em in November - especially damn Florida) but they don't really have a bearing on the outcome of the delegate race.

Hillary still has other ideas, of course, and isn't letting go of the hope of having a do-over that might get her more than a mathematically pointless half of what's there.

HMO or PPO? Or PHP, PDP, PSO?

A Santa Monica based group is pushing to get ballot initiative for 2010 that would regulate health insurance companies the same way as other insurance.

Some kind of reform is needed, but copying the regulations in Prop 103 may not be the answer.

It would order HMOs and others to get their rates approved in advance by the state and force them to justify those rates; rates judged to be “arbitrary or capricious” would be thrown out. Rescinding coverage after an illness sets in would be outlawed. Extra costs for special services, the so-called “outof- pocket maximums” — would be capped, as would prescription drug costs. Patients would not be penalized for changing doctors or care plans. The HMOs and others would be required to submit detailed financial information to state regulators, who would have the authority to penalize companies for violations and seize and operate companies whose fiscal condition was suspect. There would be language making it easier to sue HMOs and others, and those who bring lawsuits in furtherance of the initiative would be compensated for their time — as in Proposition 103.

Actually, all those things sound good to me.

Carol Liu

Carol Liu is running unopposed in the Senate primary. None of the people's whose names were tossed around ended up filing. Liu may be on the road back to the Capitol.

State Budget Hearing

A budget forum will be held on March 20 at 7pm McKinley School Auditorium, 325 S. Oak Knoll Ave. Superintendent will be there, so will Senator Jack Scott and Carol Liu.

Come, let them know how what you think.

Over and over again

Here's a good blog post from the LA Times about Michigan and Florida's second rush of the year: this time it isn't a rush to a primary, but a rush to a do over. It gives a nice recap of how Michigan and Florida got themselves into this mess and how much it might cost to get them out of it. Still no news on who will pay, except that Howard Dean has certainly indicated that the DNC has better things to spend money on - like beating John McCain later.

Here's A Sticker

Assemblywoman Betty Karnette is handing out stickers to lawmakers who are on time.

"Now it's gotten so that everybody wants a star," she said, laughing.

Ah, I always new the Capitol was like high school.

World's Richest People

Forbes' released it's list of the world's richest. Buffet now takes the top seat. Though Mexican telecom guy is close behind.

Shoot, I still haven't made it yet.

There are 42 California's though.

And check out the map feature. Which illustrates that there are almost no world's wealthiest in Africa or Antartica.

Texas = Wierd

What state looks at the whole primary and caucus system and says 'sure, we'll do both'? Texas.

Here are the results from last night.

Despite all the talk about Clinton winning Texas and Ohio, Obama won the caucus in Texas, which (from my understanding) actually awards the delegates. So, how does any of this make sense?

Only in Texas.

"We're Not Going Anywhere This Summer"

Is Don Perata's promise not to pass a budget that doesn't include tax increases.

Asked how Democrats propose to make up the difference, Perata said: "Raise taxes. That clear enough? Raise taxes."

Ah, we're going to miss The Don.

Don't you hate it when you can't tell who's actually doing what wrong?

I know I do.

So this came up over on Mayor Sam awhile back and through a technical glitch, apparently the first post I wrote about it was lost in the ether. Who knew. Damn technology. Anyway, so, you've heard of Laurette Healy, right? She was a Reep. Then and Indy. And now, presto!, a Democrat. She ran for LA City Controller as an independent, supported by Dick Riordan. That right there puts her in my "No" book, but whatever.

So now there's this web clip from an unknown source that I can't really track for background or truth.



Someone doesn't like Laurette Healy very much at all. Good production values. Ticks all the "political hit piece" boxes adequately. But what about the content?

I'm not entirely sure what they are accusing her of is either that bad or that uncommon. They charge that she's already "upside down" in her campaign - she owes more than she has. Well, aside from that making her like a large number of California homeowners, it also makes her like a lot of candidates. Debt now, debt retirement parties later. Time, tide, and the election calendar wait for no fundraiser.

The video also alleges that she is largely funded by loans she's made to herself and loans made by her family members. Shocking, isn't it, that she would be supporting herself or that, worse, her family would be supporting her. Now, candidates have the option of giving themselves money, but they can't later pay themselves back. By loaning the money, she can keep raising - or attempting to raise - funds until she pays herself back. Same for her family. The clips graphs show loans totaling about $118k. Okay, so what. If I'm Laurette, I'll be pointing out that at least she isn't beholden to any special interests (assuming her uncle's name isn't Philip Morris or anything). I suppose the politically nuanced bonus slap is that Laurette Healy can't be a viable candidate if all her cash comes from family and self loans and none (or little) from those willing to back her.

As for the "in-kind" contribution charges: um, I think that might be required if she's using stuff in her campaign. I'll look into it, but again, if I were her, I'd spin that as more of a credit than a criticism - she's being honest about all the resources her campaign is using up (again, though, temper that credit with the possibility that such reporting is required anyway).

What this clip definitely DOES show us, however, is that with the right graphics and right serious voiceover, anyone can be made to look like a jerk with any piece of information offered as evidence.

(There are plenty of comments in the Mayor Sam post, but, true to form, not much other than angry banter is offered.)

There may be 1000 oaks in the 4th district, but not THAT 1000 oaks

So Thousand Oaks State Senator Tom "I hate you and your liberal spending you Reep bastards" McClintock is expected to announce his candidacy for the 4th Congressional District seat. I suppose he's just following in Dan Lungren's footsteps, right?

Congressional seats, like all districts, are numbered from north to south, starting with "1" in the north. McClintock is currently the Senator from District 19. He's now running for CD 4. 19 vs. 4. And yet, not one word in the article about the geographic disparity.

There's no residency residency requirement, if memory serves, for congressional races. But shouldn't there be a logic requirement? Commenters to the news story linked above drop the word "carpetbagger" several times, yet the reporter never mentions it. How can you write a piece about a SoCal senator running for a NorCal seat without mentioning that he's a SoCal Senatory and this is a NorCal seat?

LA Marathon Yesterday

And some people did the marathon in wheelchairs.

I tried to do a marathon once. I almost finished. And I was able to run.

Save a Budget, Volunteer!

The Governator announced yesterday a new cabinet level office of volunteering.

That way next time there's a fire, we won't need firefighters. Which is good, since we won't be able to afford them.

Just a super plan.

Stay in School, Drive a Tank

Here is the video of the Governator detailing his plan to let schoolkids drive his recently returned tank.

Yes, tank.

Does Lloyd Levine Have an Apprentice?

In a bill that seems like it must have come from the always file of Lloyd Levine, Assemblyman Bill Maze is proposing legislation to make it illegal for drivers to keep pets in their laps.

Maze also voted against the bill that will ban hand-held cell phones. Cause, you know, he didn't think it was the government's place to tell drivers things like that.

Apparently, he's going to need more practice, if he wants to follow in Levine's footsteps.

What? Policy talk in a presidential election?

This is crazy - there's an op-ed in the Times today about Clinton's and Obama's healthcare proposals and how they both might be missing the mark. I'm going to take a break from reading about Obama calling on Hill to Chill and from their war about photos of him in Kenya to point y'all toward something of substance. Stick with me, you might learn something

LA Has the Best Tap Water

LA has the best tap water??

Strange, but true. Maybe I should start drinking out of the toilet bowl too.

Lloyd Levine has Done it Again

Lloyd Levine has another brilliant idea. Let's have state online gambling.

Levine is calling for a bill to investigate whether it's legal for California to have online gambling.

This would mean a study of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) to determine if a single state poker site could be legal. He suggested that such a site could be beneficial to the state. If run by the states governor it could contribute to the states finances.

I'm sure it'll be legal if the online server is located in a tribe. Or something else stupid.

That Whole Budget Thing

The LA Times also reports on the legislative analyst's report on the budget.

It turns out the budget shortfall is really $16 billion instead of $14.5. And *gasp* we might need to actually raise taxes!

The non-partisan analyst criticized the Governator's claim that this is just a spending problem and that it can be solved by the across the board 10% cuts. Also, stop paying the correctional officers more!

Re-deregulation

The LA Times reports on efforts to deregulate the energy utilities.

If you understand most of this story, you got something on me.

But what I do know is that deregulation was what got us in trouble 8 years ago. So re-deregulation seems like a good idea now?

Stop Smoking Already

In an attempt to stop teen smoking (cause once you're 19 it's cool to smoke?) Long Beach is instituting a tobacco seller fee.

I don't know, but from what I learned in economics taxing the suppliers wasn't really a way to cut off demand.

I'm back!

Sorry to be gone so long. My computer died, my boss let me go, I had a root canal. All true, take your pick.

To make up for it: here is the list of superdelegates in California.

Now, if you have a big preference between Obama and Clinton, start your stalking.

Like a pissed off city or college, Hillary dumps coach after losing seaon

Ch-ch-ch-changes:

Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton replaced campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle with longtime aide Maggie Williams today, engineering a shake-up in a presidential campaign struggling to overcome rival Sen. Barack Obama's financial and political strengths. . . .

Campaign aides said Solis Doyle made the decision to leave on her own and was not urged to do so by the former first lady or any other senior member of the team. But it comes as Clinton struggles to catch Obama in fundraising and momentum and faces the prospect of losing every voting contest yet to come in February.

Oh my. Well, nothing screams a lack of confidence like changing the line-up after a rough weekend, right? Not sure why making such a change public (if it could even be kept quiet) is a GOOD thing to do, morale-wise, but if the status quo seems to no longer be working, guess something has to be done.

LAT can KMA

So while trying to check on news about the writers' strike on the LAT website, I was dismayed to find a live ticker giving Grammy results. That's cute. Except it isn't airing yet, so, THANKS LAT, you've saved me having to watch the coverage. CBS's advertisers thank you for your help.

How The Shit Hit the Fan

Here's how it actually ended up going down.

Way to be (almost) relevant, california!

Keep Up

I love blog toys. Use this to keep track as the action unfolds. Or just wait until tomorrow morning and check the headlines. You know, like, whatever.

By the Way

In case, the election made anyone forget, by the way they'll be deciding on the San Onofre Beach toll road tomorrow. You know, when everone's hungover from election night.

Oh My God, it's an election!

The Governator endorsed McCain. And the Kennedys (who just can't get over that their legacy is so 40 years ago) endorsed Obama.

And does anybody care?

Someone should do a report/study/research into whether endorsements make any, tiny, even little bit of difference.

And, don't forget, you can submit questions for the Democratic debate tonight. Or vote on other people's questions.

I vote for no more of these 'questions from the people'.

Health Care Committee Kills Universal Healthcare

Yesterday, the Senate Health Committee voted down the healthcare reform that the Governator spent the last year trying to pass.

It only got 1 vote. Even Perata, who co-authored the original bill, took it back.

Don't Forget to Be Afraid!

For anyone who might have missed it, at about minute 50 or 54 in tonight's State of the Union address came the reminder that we could be seconds from a terrorist attack right.now.run!

And here I thought we might get out without another good scaring.

What, we have until Friday to renew a law or we're all going to die! Dear Lord! Who will save us!

Happy Birthday Prop 13!

CityBeat celebrates Prop 13's 30th Birthday this week

Appropriate as we face a crushing budget crisis. The Governor swears it's a spending problem not a revenue problem. But thanks to Howard Jarvis, we most definitely have a revenue problem.

The same Howard Jarvis who said at the time of passing Prop 13:

That we don't need schools, since “What we’re really doing in the public school systems is nothing short of manufacturing people for the welfare rolls.”

And we don't need libraries, since "63 percent of the graduates are illiterate, anyway”

Right, we don't need revenue.

Health Care? Not this week.

The Governor's healthcare plan, which would provide insurance for 70% of unisured Californians through mandatory employer fees and other complicated stuff, has been the subject of ALOT of debate.

We all know we need to fix the system, but no one agrees on how.

The plan is finally going to go before the state Senate, if it can just get out of the Health Committee, who are postponing the vote until next week on orders from Don Perata. I guess he needed another week to twist all the right arms.

So you'll just have to wait a little longer before you get that surgery you need.

Doo-Dah

The 31st occassional Doo-Dah Parade.

Chelsea Campaigning Too

To add to the list of candidates out here, Chelsea Clinton was out in LA campaigning for someone. Oh, right, her mom.

After campaigning with Ugly Betty's America Ferrera in Reno, Chelsea (now a fashionable hedge fund exec in manhattan) was at the Farmer's Market on Fairfax Ave.

Meet the stars while you still have time to.

Obama in the Valley

Obama campaigned in the San Fernando Valley yesterday.

"I love it," said Obama, smiling confidently and looking at ease in shirt sleeves. "You have a nice home."

Arroyo Seco

Pasadena is trying to revive the Arroyo Seco.

"For about a million years, there's been a ferocious little stream that comes roaring out of the mountains ... on its way to the Los Angeles River," said Tim Brick, managing director of the Arroyo Seco Foundation and chairman of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

"As it carved its way, it also carved its way into the history and culture of Southern California."

Feinstein in Santa Monica?

The Honorable Senator was added to the list of speakers for the first ever State of the City address.

They will be addressing in-depth pressing issues affecting the city. Like I dunno the budget. And Britney. Of course.

When You Know There Isn't Enough Going On in Glendale...

Prompted by a resident’s complaint, city officials have their eyes trained on another new Glendale restaurant suspected of being an illegal banquet hall.

Ah, I remember my youth, when we use to go out, pary hard and end up at the illegal banquet hall.

Where Did All the Water Go?

See the gallery of photos of the water levels at the San Gabriel Dam.

Because Britney is like totally a 'big deal'

Even though it was the State of the State today (Pshaw, whatever, those people are like so old), the Associated Press has decided 'everything involving Britney [Spears] is a big deal'.

from the AP's LA assistant bureau chief

From: Baker, Frank S.
Sent: Tue 1/8/2008 11:58 AM
To: News - Southern California Editorial Staff
Subject: Britney
All:

Now and for the foreseeable future, virtually everything involving Britney is a big deal. That doesn't mean every rumor makes it on the wire. But it does mean that we want to pay attention to what others are reporting and seek to confirm those stories that WE feel warrant the wire. And when we determine that we'll write something, we must expedite it.

Thanks.

Frank

The Storm

The local news has been warning of storms to come, but this morning I didn't see a whole lot of anything but morning dew.

Apparently, we need to keep waiting.

A flash-flood watch was issued for recently burned areas from this afternoon through Saturday morning.

In case, the fires weren't enough.

Or, you could just use the high-winds as an opportunity to go surfing.

From SF Gate

And a Happy New Year

To kick off the year, or rather close out the old one, here are the Glendale News Press' Top 10 Stories of the Year.

Personally, I think there may have been more exciting stories than tree ordinance fines. But at least Britney Spears isn't on the list.