California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democratic legislative leaders said they had reached an agreement Friday evening to end the state’s budget stalemate by slashing social spending. A vote on the new budget will be held on Thursday.
California is currently entering into its fourth month without a budget, making this the longest stalemate in the state’s history. California currently faces a projected deficit of $19 billion, equivalent to 22 percent of the state’s $84.5 billion budget last year.
State lawmakers refused to provide any details of the agreement that was reached after hours of closed-door meetings in the governor’s office, stating that information on the deal would not come out until Wednesday. Their aim is to force through a quick vote to prevent any public discussion on what will no doubt be further devastating cuts in social programs.
The two main components of the budget, however, are clear: further cuts to social programs (on top of several years of record cuts) and an attack on pensions for state workers. Politicians of both parties agreed to reject any measures that increase taxes on the wealthy or corporations.
Submitted by Dan Bacher on Tue, 09/07/2010 - 12:20pm
by Dan Bacher
In the most absurd episode yet in the bad action flick that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has starred in since being elected Governor in 2003, the "Fish Terminator" on Saturday morning spouted off about the need for "transparent" government in his weekly radio address.
"Ever since I became Governor, I have pushed to make California government more transparent," Schwarzenegger claimed. "Now, I don’t have to tell you that this is a time of deep recession, all around the world."
"It is more critical than ever that government be held accountable for every dollar it spends, that it live within its means, and that it show total transparency at all levels: at the local level, the state level and the federal level," said Schwarzenegger.
Published: Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 6:19 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 6:19 p.m.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is scheduled to address a throng of rich and powerful men on Friday under the towering redwoods at the Bohemian Grove as the annual encampment along the Russian River in Monte Rio enters its final weekend.
From what we've hear, the Republican hierarchy -- especially those close to former Gov. Pete Wilson -- would favor Schwarzenegger. At least that's the word that came out of the Bohemian Grove this past weekend, where a number of state and national GOPers, including presidential adviser Karl Rove, happened to have gathered at a club getaway.
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The picture to the right is him at the BG (I think in 2003)
"And all this from a guy whose exceptional health status when he came to America was due to socialized medicine."
Apparently it was good enough for him and the citizens of his country, but he does not think it is good enough for Californians.
--Bill
Go Ahead-- Blame the Governor
by Sheila Kuehl
A Lame Duck Governor Fabricates A Hoped-For Legacy
After more than six years of carving up and flushing what used to be referred to as the California Dream, the Governor has looked around at the wreckage and decided to float the story that it wasn't his doing. Many have obediently picked up the narrative and amplified it through the press and online. The story, as set out, for instance, in the New York Times, goes: the Governor is a real independent, neither a rabid left-wing Democrat nor a salivating Tea Partier and, therefore, no one loves him any more. Somehow, even as he stands in the rubble of California, Arnold has spun this to be a good thing, when, instead, he is an embodiment of what Texas gadfly Jim Hightower meant when he said, "There's nothing in the middle of the road but yellow stripes and dead armadillos."
NYT lauds the Gov. for tackling issues that have "bedeviled lawmakers for centuries". They conveniently skip, however, that announcing you are taking something on and getting anything done are two different things. He has, incredibly, managed to paint himself as the hapless victim of a stubborn legislature, when the opposite is true.
If Gov. Schwarzenegger thinks he can cut $3.5 billion from state spending on corrections, he is being unrealistic and impractical.
In his state of the state address Wednesday, Gov. Schwarzenegger promised to restore the California dream by increasing funds for education and cutting funds for prisons in the budget proposal he releases today. That’s a great theory. But his only real proposal is to outsource prison administration to private companies. The state’s powerful prison guards’ union will ensure that plan fails. Meanwhile, the governor continues to slash education, health care, and other vital services.
So let’s consider something the governor can actually do right now to make a serious dent in the corrections budget: convert all 700 death sentences in California to permanent imprisonment saving the state $1 billion over the next five years.
I’m a big believer in New Year’s resolutions. I have one list for home, one for work, and a separate list for my favorite hobby. In honor of the new decade, here’s another list: one aimed at setting the state on a fiscally responsible path for the year ahead.
One of the most alarming side effects of the federal government’s war on drugs is the militarization of law enforcement in America. There are two aspects to the militarization phenomenon. First, the American tradition of civil-military separation is breaking down as Congress assigns more and more law enforcement responsibilities to the armed forces. Second, state and local police officers are increasingly emulating the war-fighting tactics of soldiers. Most Americans are unaware of the militarization phenomenon simply because it has been creeping along imperceptibly for many years. ...
[...]
What is clear  and disquieting  is that the lines that have traditionally separated the military mission from the police mission are getting badly blurred. Over the last 20 years Congress has encouraged the U.S. military to supply intelligence, equipment, and training to civilian police. That encouragement has spawned a culture of paramilitarism in American police departments. By virtue of their training and specialized armament, state and local police officers are adopting the tactics and mindset of their military mentors. The problem is that the actions and values of the police officer are distinctly different from those of the warrior. The job of a police officer is to keep the peace, but not by just any means. Police officers are expected to apprehend suspected law breakers while adhering to constitutional procedures. They are expected to use minimum force and to deliver suspects to a court of law. The soldier, on the other hand, is an instrument of war. In boot camp, recruits are trained to inflict maximum damage on enemy personnel. Confusing the police function with the military function can have dangerous consequences. As Albuquerque police chief Jerry Glavin has noted, “If [cops] have a mindset that the goal is to take out a citizen, it will happen.â€ÂÂÂÂÂÂ8
The lines that have traditionally separated the military mission from the police mission are getting badly blurred. Paramilitarism threatens civil liberties, constitutional norms, and the well-being of all citizens. Thus, the use of paramilitary tactics in everyday police work should alarm people of goodwill from across the political spectrum.
This paper will examine the militarization of law enforcement at the local level, with particular emphasis on SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) units. The paper will conclude that the special skills of SWAT personnel and their military armaments are necessary only in extraordinary circumstances.
The deployment of such units should therefore be infrequent.More generally, Congress should recognize that soldiers and police officers perform different functions. Federal lawmakers should discourage the culture of paramilitarism in police departments by keeping the military out of civilian law enforcement.
A Brief History of the Relationship between the Military and Civilian Law Enforcement
The use of British troops to enforce unpopular laws in the American colonies helped to convince the colonists that King George III and Parliament were intent on establishing tyranny.9
The Declaration of Independence specifically refers to those practices, castigating King George for “quartering large Bodies of Armed Troops among us†and for “protecting [soldiers], by mock Trial, from Punishment, for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States.†The colonists complained that the king “has kept among us, in Times of peace, Standing Armies, without the consent of our Legislatures. He has affected to render the Military independent of, and superior to, the Civil Power.â€ÂÂÂÂÂÂ
The Bruce Lisker case is a reminder that state officials have made little progress in dealing with the problem.
Twenty-four years after being sent to prison for murder, Bruce Lisker has finally had his conviction overturned. In her ruling Friday, U.S. District Judge Virginia A. Phillips concluded that Lisker, a San Fernando man who was serving a life sentence for the murder of his 66-year-old mother, had been convicted as a result of "false evidence" and inadequate representation by his attorney.
The judge's findings matched those of Times reporters Scott Glover and Matt Lait, who four years ago retraced the police investigation and found significant errors. On Monday, Phillips said she intended to release Lisker on bail while prosecutors decided whether to appeal her decision, retry Lisker or drop the case against him.
The case is deeply disturbing; there is strong reason to fear that an innocent man spent more than two decades behind bars. What is certain is that Lisker, who was a troubled 17-year-old at the time of his mother's murder, did not get a fair shake at his trial. Even if he does eventually go free, the righting of this one wrong is not reason to celebrate.
What's even more disturbing is that such miscarriages of justice are being uncovered with troubling regularity these days, especially now that DNA evidence is being used to reopen old cases. The public appears to be shocked with each new revelation, but perhaps it is time to get over that. The truth is that this is an ongoing problem in California. And thanks to knee-jerk obstruction by district attorneys and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the state has made little progress in fixing it.
Arnold Schwarzenegger turns 62 today. As a birthday present, the former movie star is getting the lowest approval rating of his governorship.
Only 28% of California residents approve of how Schwarzenegger is doing his job, versus 59% who disapprove, according to a new poll to be released today by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California. The last time a governor had such low support was in August 2003, when Californians gave Gray Davis a 26% rating.
As Washington Wire readers may recall, Davis was thrown out of office two months later in the special election that sent Schwarzenegger to Sacramento.
Political analysts cite the state’s budget woes as the reasons behind the discontent. In February, the governor signed a plan that closed most of a $42 billion budget shortfall through June 2010 with steep cuts and new taxes. After an additional $26 billion deficit surfaced, Schwarzenegger on Tuesday signed a budget revision that included even more cuts.
Watch "California Closed" and then help stop the horrific budget deal that prioritizes oil company profits over children and the disabled Tell California legislators to save lives and tax oil companies
Submitted by Tjadendevries on Fri, 07/17/2009 - 3:51pm
Derr Boobengrabber will try to sell this as him being bi-partisan, but just because you have a "D" after your name doesn't mean you can't be "influenced"
The pick probably will shift the balance of power on the tax panel, which, despite its low public profile, holds broad influence over corporate taxes
Horton’s appointment is a coup for California’s business lobby, which has regular dealings with the state Board of Equalization.
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democratic legislative leaders said they had reached an agreement Friday evening to end the state’s budget stalemate by slashing social spending. A vote on the new budget will be held on Thursday.
