Our kids got the shakes

No really. Apparently, covering premarital sex, pot use, speed, coke, or whatever else is no longer scaring us enough about the future. Now, the kids are Rock-Star-ing themselves to death. No, with Rock Star. It's weird.

God Bless The USA, And SNL

Brilliant.

It's all just shades of Gray

Dan Walters asks if anyone else notices that Arnold is looking an awful lot like the man he replaced lately?

Just a bit:

A few days after winning re-election to the governorship in 2002, Gray Davis declared that the state faced a $35 billion budget deficit and proposed spending cuts and new taxes to close the gap.

Although Davis insisted that his plan contained "no gimmicks, no tricks, no evasions," it soon became apparent that it was one gigantic gimmick, that he had hyped the supposed deficit by many billions of dollars to make his supposed spending cuts look larger and his supposed $8.3 billion in new taxes look smaller. . . .

Five years later, Arnold Schwarzenegger, who succeeded Davis on a promise to end "crazy deficit spending," is dramatically increasing the budget deficit number again, jumping some $8 billion over the figure that the administration had been citing.

And wasn't there something quietly done to raise VLF fees again?

Any time you need your spokesman to insist your budget figure is "not hyperbole" - isn't it time to reevaluate your talking points?

Everything old is new again, it just the publicity that changes.

Next!

The line of succession to governor may get longer if a basically overlooked bill passes. Apparently, the line of succession currently contains some average joes. That's crazy ridiculous, though. Let's add more electeds to the list. After all, citizens and elected officials are different and of no relation at all.

There's nothing obscure about it

Pay and performance should not be tied when it comes to elected officials' salaries. For reals, y'all, let's not debate that.

If you tell elected officials they aren't worth their money anymore, they'll start voting with their own financial interests in mind. That's not good.

A push to cut the salaries of California's statewide elected officials shines a light on an obscure fact in the state constitution: Pay was not meant to be tied to performance.

Nor were the salaries of legislators or other top elected officials designed to be swayed by state budget crises, such as this year's projected $10 billion deficit.

The 1990 constitutional amendment that created California's independent, governor-appointed salary commission did not address the possibility of reducing pay.

We've had bigger deficits. Twice as big, as I recall.

But Roberti said he intended to limit the commission to narrow criteria, largely job duties and comparable salaries, rather than allow politics to creep into salary setting.

Guess what the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association thinks, though.

Anyway, at least one commissioner says, rightly, that the commission's job isn't to evaluate electeds' salaries. That's the voters' job.

Right! So stop cutting in on my turf!

Raises are good

I'm not going to run into a burning building. They deserve to be well paid.

Don't mess with the bull

I'm not sure who is more the bull in this story, but, rightfully, Jeff Denham is taking whatever shots he can at the man who's out for his head.

State Sen. Jeff Denham's campaign filed criminal complaints Thursday with state and local prosecutors, accusing Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata of illegally pressuring Senate aides into working to recall Denham.

Perata, D-Oakland, is trying to unseat Denham, R-Atwater, who angered Perata during last year's 53-day state budget stalemate when he joined his GOP colleagues in voting against the spending plan.

Thursday's complaints, filed with the California Attorney General's Office and Sacramento County District Attorney's Office, stem from a letter and an e-mail sent to Senate aides last week by Perata and a firm owned by his political consultant.

In the letter, sent by Perata to a handful of Democratic senators whose chiefs of staff did not attend a planning meeting for the June 3 legislative races, Perata made clear he expected the aides to work on political campaigns.

Well, honestly, Perata, we all know that staffers take vacation time and campaign, but don't write it down.

These squabbles really don't make anyone look good, do they?

You ARE a politician, duh

Talk to Jay Leno about his future out of the horseshoe, Arnold told Jay Leno one of the great lies politicians tell themselves (via the Roundup):

"'I see myself as a public servant, not as a politician,' the one-time bodybuilder explained.

Oh please, you're a politician. You can serve the public in that role. In fact, you serve the public more effectively if you can play the game.

And if you live in the state capital in a hotel room paid for you by other people who are only paying for it because you are the Governor, guess what, you ARE a politician.

Seriously.

Who said this?

The commission that determines public officials' salaries has asked for a legal position on whether they can cut salaries, having decided that a not-raise isn't enough. Says one commissioner:

Sands, a retired banker and former mayor of Auburn, said a vote to reduce top government officials' salaries would send a message about their performance.

"We don't have a budget and they're not working any overtime to get it done," she said. "People have said that to me. They're not doing their job.

I hate "people" who say "people" but don't identify those people. People, please.

Don't cut their salaries, don't cut anyone's salaries.

So what does a recession look like?

Bush doesn't think that the U.S. economy is in a recession, we're just having a bad week.

For reals? I mean, I know it's a committee decision and they probably won't say we're in a recession until after we're recovering - at least, that's what the post says - but man, could this guy fess up about ANYTHING? I'm sure it's a bit much to expect that he would, say, admit to having cooked the books on Iraq. But we have actual data for our sorry economic state.

About that Debate Thing...

The Nation wants you to know that they're appalled, just appalled...

Yes, that really is an 'open letter' to ABC News

We, the undersigned, deplore the conduct of ABC's George Stephanopoulos and Charles Gibson at the Democratic Presidential debate on April 16. The debate was a revolting descent into tabloid journalism and a gross disservice to Americans concerned about the great issues facing the nation and the world

Um, ok.

PICNIC DAY!

Don't forget, up in Davis, this weekend is PICNIC DAY!

Obama 1: HRC 0

So far in the debates out of PA. . . .

The moderators are totally lame - asking way too many questions about the stupid Wright comments. A moderator asks if the Wright comments will be a liability during the general. Obama says no, Americans are better than that, better than being easily distracted.

But Hillary responds by saying that Americans have a right to ask these questions and be concerned. And she said in a really bitchy way. YouTube-it.

Ugh - not a fan right now.

And her explanation of her misstatements about Bosnia and sniper fire started with "I'm not dumb" when they should've started with "I have moments when I'm dumb."

Yet somehow George Stephanopoulos manages to ask a question to follow up that even dumber than what either candidate says. Magic! Obama smacks down another question aimed to get him to engage in some petty squabbling (that Hillary has no problem with, it seems) by saying, let's not get hung up on gaffes. Get over it!

Amen.

I don't believe for a second his campaign will totally operate that way, but as much as I can give either credit right now, I'm giving it to him.

Is a designer license like a designer drug?

No? Okay.

Seems that interior designers want themselves professionalized. And that gets done if you are required to have a state license.

Seriously? A license to design. Rhetorically, sure, I've seen enough pooly designed spaces to make me think a license would be good, but, really? Hey, guys, if you've been in a regulated profession you know that regulations really don't do much to control quality (See eg: Lawyers). They control quantity, which might keep your prices up. Ohhhh, I get it. Noble.

Like Dan Walters says:

There is an underlying philosophical point in this duel, as in all of the political struggles over scope of practice: Is there any real public interest at stake here, or, as is so often the case, is it merely an economic rivalry?

It's been evident in the medical scope of practice battles that the potential effect on patients' health of allowing someone to perform some medical procedure was the least influential element in the outcome.

In this case, one must wonder whether licensing interior designers is of any material benefit to the public or, as Indiana Gov. Mitchell Daniels said as he vetoed a similar bill last year, "the principal effect … will be to restrain competition and limit new entrants into the occupation."

Uh-huh, ya think?

Use your Legislature for good, not evil!

No more regulation.

U-Haul Candidate?

Residency schmesidency? Well, that's what Doug Ose has a problem with. So, as we've mentioned, Tom "I believe in limited government, and by limited government, I mean limit it to me" McClintock, is running in a NorCal congressional district, despite being a SoCal State Senator currently.

The above-linked article's main source of humor, I think, comes from the fact that McClintock's main rebuttal to carpetbagging charges is based in his being a career politician. Pick your cardinal sin of Republicanism!

See, he's been representing a SoCal district for so long that he's maintained a household in Elk Grove for nearly a decade. He knows the community. And knowing the community is why we have residency requirements at all. Except we don't for congress. But anyway . . . .

If you take a moment to ponder that it's Tom McClintock - freakin' conservative-er than conservative Tom McClintock - making these arguments. It's goofy, isn't it?

I think the best point in the article, and one that will be lost on most people, but that I'd do my best to jump all over, is that Tommy's been collecting his per diem for all these years too - and that's a payment meant to compensate for members having to maintain two households. McClintock's argument seems to be that he can run in NorCal because he's been here the whole time. Does he need a SoCal house then? He hates spending. Why take the per diem?

I know, I know - hey, I'd take it too. But if you're gonna be all not-voting-for-a-budget, then put that money where your mouth is.

Just pick a different data set!

Want to make crime look better or worse in Sacramento? Just choose the right data set! Kevin Johnson did, when he used crime stats from not-this year and not-last-year to highlight a rise in violent crime during Heather Fargo's tenure in office. Eh, whatever, technicality, right? Paper caught it. That oughtta cover it.

Johnson cited statistics, culled from local reports to the FBI, showing that violent crime in Sacramento is up 55 percent since 2001 - the year Mayor Heather Fargo took office. He said that assaults increased 74 percent in the same period.

Johnson did not mention the most recent FBI crime stats, however - numbers that Fargo cites in her campaign literature. Last year, there were significant decreases in most violent crimes, including a 21 percent drop in murders, an 8 percent drop in robberies, and a 7.6 percent drop in aggravated assault.

The trend seems to be continuing this year, with the number of homicides down about a third compared to this point in 2007.

Sgt. Matt Young, spokesman for the Sacramento Police Department, said the ups and downs in the city's crime rate reflect national and regional patterns.

"The fact is that crime is an epidemic across the country," Young said Wednesday. "Sacramento is not any different than any other big city."

Shrug.

Coniferous crime!

A woman in Lake Tahoe is facing possible jail time for chopping down federal trees blocking her view of the lake.

If she really wanted to chop stuff, I hear there's still plenty of mismanaged forest that needs clearing before the next fire season.

I challenge you to duel!

No, no, not another Zell thing: it's just Mayor Fargo challenging Kevin Johnson to a debate.

Seems that Johnson hasn't really be returning calls about debate times or places. Not that he's not paying attention:

Earlier, Alex Traverso, a spokesman for Johnson's campaign, said Johnson is committed to debating Fargo and is in the process of sorting through 100 debate requests. He said they would be contacting the mayor's office to discuss which events to choose and how the debate would be structured.

"Kevin is committed to letting the people of Sacramento hear a spirited debate between himself and the mayor," Traverso said.

Later on Wedneswday, Johnson didn't answer directly whether he would participate in "Mayoral Race '08: Candidates Face the Voters," a forum sponsored by The Bee, The California Museum and News 10 on May 7. So far, Fargo and challengers Adam Daniel, Leonard Padilla, Muriel Strand and Shawn Eldredge have agreed to participate.

This forum also will provide Sacramento voters with chance to ask the candidates questions themselves via videotape and live online.

Meanwhile, Johnson has been using his time to become familiar with city issues.

"Our candidate hasn't had 20 years of public service -- this is familiar territory for her," Traverso said. "We've been campaigning for about a month."

Say what? Why would you highlight your opponent's long record of public service? I mean, okay, I guess it's an attempt to play the oooh, evil career politician card, but really, it kinda sounds more like "dude, we're, like, totally new here, wait, where's city hall?"

Flame On

The torch relay (taking place in SF tomorrow in case you haven't turned on the news in a week) will NOT be cancelled.

Probably. Maybe. At least, for right now.

The craziness surrounding this primarily symbolic event is getting ridiculous. But, there will be 4 Sacramentoans and a Beninician joining in the torch-carrying fun. See a complete list of the torchbearers here.

C-Day

Prepare yourself. I-5 around Sacramento will be closing. And you're being advised to try different routes. Now. Practice people, practice.

The closure will start May 30th and reopen 4th of July. The schedule can be found here.

Sometimes there is justice

Guilty verdict in CHP slaying case

From every possible perspective, this case is tragic. And I'm glad there was a guilty verdict. Nothing could ever repair what was done, but at least there was an arrest and conviction.

Reactive legislation: we love it!

I'm not saying this was motivated by recent horrific videos, but this was motivated by horrific videos.

Maybe even rightly so.

It just seems like we don't get much done actively, do we?

Bullet train could be cool

But Dan Walters says no. Unless it serves the congested Hwy 99 corridor through the Central Valley's busiest 'burbs. But then we're encoraging sprawl, right?

Eh, the housing market crash should slow that down a bit. I still think it'd be great to travel between Nor and SoCal so efficiently.

Clinton to Dems: get over it.

Addressing the concerns that a drawn-out nomination battle might hamper Dems in the fall, former President Clinton says "p-shaw." Or something along those lines:

That has stirred fears that the intense – often vitriolic – skirmishing between their campaigns may last until this summer's Democratic National Convention in Denver, leaving the winner severely wounded and vulnerable to defeat by presumptive Republican nominee John McCain in November.

But Sunday, Clinton reminded nearly 2,000 activists that he won election in 1992 despite emerging from the Democratic primary "so beat up, worked over and chewed out" that he at first badly trailed both President George H.W. Bush and independent candidate Ross Perot.

"There is somehow a suggestion that because we're having a vigorous debate … we're going to weaken the party in the fall," Clinton said.

To market, to market

As long as they're there . . .

The Bee looks at area small grocers and their battle to stay in business in the face of competition from the big guys.

And there's new competition on the way:

The next chain coming to Sacramento, Fresh & Easy, is poised to make things tougher for independents. Its British-based parent company, Tesco PLC, is spending about $2 billion to open at least 200 stores in California and the Southwest. Last month it announced plans for at least 19 stores in the greater Sacramento area.

I'm in favor newer, smaller stores, if they are on a neighborhood scale. There's nothing really in much of the midtown/downtown Sacramento core. There's a nice shiny new Safeway, but not much most people can just walk down the block too - unlike other bigger cities like SF or NY.

Of course, the problem with most smaller stores are the prices. I haven't seen too many cheaper ones out there. I'd love to personally keep Corti Bros. in business, but , well, I don't want to pay extra for Cheerios. They still have me at "deli counter" though.

Think You Can Solve the Budget Problem

If you think you can solve the budget crisis, check out the next 10 challenge.

It's like a game. Only, harder than SuperMario Brothers.

Hallmark Doesn't Make These Cards

An LA company is specializing in making greeting cards for inmates.

Finding it hard to express just the right sentiment to your loved one in prison? A Los Angeles company may have the answer. Attorney Terrye L. Cheathem noticed a market Hallmark wasn't serving and founded Three Squares Greetings, which provides cards for inmates.

"With more than 2.5 million people incarcerated in the Unites States today, I saw that there was a tremendous need," she said.

Hmm, I see a tremendous need too...

One greeting:

"You had the choice to be 'naughty or nice.' And you chose ... Oh well, now you have to do your time."

Local races hit your mailbox

Have you received any Mayoral Mail yet? Ursula over at Metroblogging Sacramento gets a non-glam-o-gram from Heather Fargo. Guess the season is open!

Counterpoint: Make mom walk

Don't worry, things here in the tank are always cheery, but good fish can disagree on policy.

Pregnant women aren't diabled, even temporarily. I like the stores that offer family and pregnant women, I'm down with that. But there is widespread abuse by some physicians when it comes to handing out temporary disability parking placards. As far as I know, a physician could give someone the note necessary to get a temporary placard if needed. Some pregnanies lead to more limitations than others.

I could be wrong on this: but I don't think anyone gets an automatic placard, even the visibly disabled (not visually, visibly, like in a wheelchair, etc). Anyway, I could be wrong on that, but still, there are very few if no classes of people who automatically get access to disabled parking spots.

I liken this to letting stupid hybrid cars into the stupid carpool lanes. That's not why they were invented.

Anyway, I'm glad it was killed because I think it could have done harm to those who truly need the access.

Update: found the article. And this is 100% correct:

The Department of Motor Vehicles said pregnant women already can obtain disabled placards if their doctors diagnose major mobility problems.

"Pregnancy is not itself a disability and, secondly, we are creating an issue for the disability community without offering a solution," said Charlotte Newhart of California NOW and the American Association of University Women.

Showing that he's missing the point, the sponsor, Chuck DeVore, an OC Republican says:

his bill would assist women who are not necessarily disabled but are having a particularly painful day, or have swollen feet, or have given birth and find themselves struggling to switch their newborn from a car seat to a stroller in a parking lot with cars jetting by.

A bad day? We all have bad days. Pregnant women should be glad their bad days are limited and not permanent. It's rare that bad public policy that is otherwise a bit pandering and fluffy actually gets killed. Good work, guys.

No Parking for Pregnant Women

A bill heard in the Assembly yesterday would have given pregnant women 'temporarily disabled' parking passes for the last 3 months of pregnany and the first 2 after.

But the Assembly killed it, because, you know, those five months are such a joy for women already.

"Most women, not all women, in pregnancy should be physically active," said Shannon Smith-Crowley of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' California chapter.

So, we're going to force them to be, by god.

Assemblywoman Cathleen Galgiani, D-Stockton, cast the only yes vote. "I just think it does no harm to give women who need it, when they need it, the ability to do it," she said.

If only more Assemblymembers voted with the 'does no harm' standard.

Gangs, Gangs Everywhere?

The gang injunction in West Sac was examined again yesterday in a hearing.

It would prohibit 'gang members' from gathering in public, intimidating witnesses and possessing weapons, graffiti tools, drugs or alcohol. It also would impose a 10 p.m. curfew. But how do you know someone's a gang member? Apparenlty, if they live in Broderick or Bryte and wear baggy pants?

Last April the state appeals court struck down the injunction. And now prosecutors are asking for a temporary one. And opponents are saying there isn't a gang problem.

But a team of a dozen defense lawyers countered with 98 statements from West Sacramento residents saying they were unaware of the gang problems detailed by law enforcement.

"The public doesn't believe this is a public nuisance," attorney Mark Merin told the judge.

It seems to me ignorance of a problem doesn't mean there isn't one. There are better arguments to make against the injunction

The hearing will go on for the next few days and will, inevitably, be wierd.

One witness who probably won't testify is Rick Gore, a senior investigator with the prosecutor's office, who in a recent seven-page memo accused District Attorney Jeff Reisig of seeking the gang injunction for political gain and committing misdeeds to get it.

Merin said in court Monday that the defense team had sought out Gore to testify but could not locate him. [Deputy D.A.] Linden said Gore is on medical leave and could not be forced to come to court.

I bet.

No getting out of jail free

Man, that sucks: Freed SLA member Olson rearrested to finish prison sentence:

State corrections officials said they released Olson early because of a "clerical error." They said she must now return to a women's prison in Chowchilla to serve as many as two more years for her role in crimes including the 1975 murder of a Carmichael woman during a bank robbery.

Ugh. CDCR regrets the error. I bet. They sent 8 corrections officers to get her at the airport right before she was due to depart for Minnesota to see family. Her lawyer is pissed.

Alberto Roldan, general counsel for the corrections agency, said Olson's sentencing is "extremely complicated" because of all the changes to California sentencing law since the crimes were committed in the mid-1970s. He said time was wrongly shaved off Olson's sentence in 2004 but not noticed until media coverage heated up following her release on Monday.

Anyone else have the image of dude at home watching KCRA and going "wait, she's out already? Hmmmm."

Says the husband of the incarcerated's victim: "'Of course, I like to see people who commit crimes brought to justice. … But I feel the thing is over with and life has to go on.'"

Speaking of flooding

I hope your car comes equiped with a flotation device if you're planning on driving 5 through downtown. Apparently it is falling apart. Everyone swim for it! I hate flooding as much as the next girl, but oh dear god:

They will partially close I-5 for weeks at a time – risking massive traffic jams – to rip out and rebuild much of the freeway.

The project is scheduled to start the last week of May.

The project area runs from Richards Boulevard on the north to the Highway 50 interchange on the south.

Yikes!

Who could blame me

For thinking this headline would be about Natomas: Historic Flooding Predicted.

Maybe not this time, but it's certainly possible, isn't it.

How's that levee work going?

Don't do the crime if you can't pay the fine

Senator Migden has been hit with a $350,000 fine from the FPPC.

That amount could buy, like, an entire block in North Natomas. Maybe two.

So who's having a worse week: Migden or Denham?

They're comin' for ya, Chuck

Or Jeff, to be more precise.

Yup, the Central Valley's own Jeff Denham is joining the rank of the few, the proud, the recalled. Facing a recall election, anyway.

Guess you shouldn't have voted no on the budget, eh, Jeffie?

To be fair, though, while I'm all for sticking it to Republicans generally, and especially those that cause long budget impasses, I can think of better uses for Democratic money right now. Seriously. Last year's budget is last year's budget. It's problems were last year. It's villians and heroes are long forgotten by the public (as if they knew back then). So why the pound of flesh now?

It's hard being a Republican, isn't it. If you vote against the budget, we'll come get you. If you take one for the team and vote for the budget, your own party will get you in the primary. Bummer.

Place Your Bets

Last year, in Riverside County, Margaret Hamblin, 73, and Cari Gardner, 39, were arrested on charges of operating a $50 March Madness betting pool at an Elks Lodge in 2006. Who knew you had more to lose than your money when you picked your bracket.

But never fear: new state legislation would de-criminalize social betting pools.

Just probably not in time for this year's Tournament. So watch your backs.

Fired by Fax

Two former candidates for the speakership found themselves stripped of their chairmanships instead. That's gotta sting.

It's all part of a restructuring under new Speaker Karen Bass. Though why exactly is unclear.

The AD 8 Endorsement

It seems the Cabaldon endorsement might get pulled from the consent calendar. Even though he got the 70% that is noted below, there's still alot of contestation (is that a word?)

It seems to me both sides did some politick-ing and now the losing side is angry they didn't do it as well. It doesn't seem fair though to pull something from the consent calendar, though, when their campaign got the necessary votes.

The whole process is a little nuts, though. And, you know, totally democratic.

Pre-endorsement fun in the 8th

Here's a report on the quiet action at the pre-endorsement meeting of the AD 8 committee. It what wasn't too much of a race, contender Christopher Cabaldon secured the necessary numbers to avoid a convention caucus in a few weeks.

For the pre-endorsement process, it's not a matter of just getting more votes - a candidate has to clear 70% to avoid having to do everything again at the convention. So it's just a benefit for candidates. Of course, would-bes can call for a do-over, but it seems from the report that it isn't likely here.

From Bad To Worse: Could Natomas and Oak Park swap places?

It's like the real estate version of an unholy mating between The Parent Trap and A Nightmare on Elm Street: planners think today's suburbs are well on their way to becoming tomorrow's slums:

As Leinberger notes, new suburbs tend to be situated far from public transport, social services and commerce, so they are particularly bad places for people who can't afford cars. The housing stock isn't terribly flexible. Compared to the sturdy older buildings in the city that got chopped up into apartments, it's not easy to take a production-built house with three bedrooms and turn it into good multifamily housing. What's more, the neighborhood infrastructure isn't designed for higher density or commercial uses: The streets are often thinner, the pipes and drainage not built for heavier use.

Newer suburbs are also financially vulnerable: They depend on developers' fees and property taxes to pay for the communities. "When the growth stops and the property values fall," says Leinberger, "suddenly you're going to have this wicked situation where social costs are rising as funding dries up, but without any other tax sources from commercial or industrial activity."

Uh-oh, I think we're kinda screwed. The good news is that the trend toward more urban development is greener and healthier - "walkable" neighborhoods will be the rage of the future.

But that doesn't help poor Natomas, does it. It's been built and what's been built is bad. That should mean hope for Oak Park though, its smaller scale and proximatey to the city center should help it, right?

I would think cities like Tracy - which are like one big Natomas - probably have the most to fear.

Don't Miss the Fun

To Wake the Dead will be the Woodland Public Library's annual benefit this Saturday at 6:30.

Don't miss out on the fun, which features all the different city officials.

Beware of the Bee?

State workers protested outside the Bee in response to the Bee's publishing of a database of state employees' salaries.

Because, you know, the public shouldn't know that kind of information.

Bye-Bye Liz Hill

The Legislative Analyst, Liz Hill, will be retiring at the end of the year.

That's the same Liz Hill who had to come up with a non-partisan budget analysis. I bet she wants to retire.

Where the law can't reach

Creepy bastards are taking photos of kids at average high school sporting events and posting them online where they can attract graphic commentary.

But taking photos at public events isn't illegal. It would be hard to impose a ban on photographs - especially in the age of cell phone cameras and digital technology.

Some experts say civil, rather than criminal, courts hold the only good option for parents:

Margaret Johns, a law professor at UC Davis, said people who post such pictures on adult Web sites could be sued for intentional infliction of emotional distress or, possibly, violating privacy for monetary gain.

Winning would be no slam-dunk, according to Johns, who said that a distress-based suit would have to show conduct that was extreme, outrageous, highly offensive and caused severe emotional distress.

"Those are tough requirements. … But I think that publishing a kid's picture on an adult Web site is beyond all bounds of decency, or at least a jury could think so," Johns said.

Of course, finding out whom to sue might be a problem since untangling website ownership and the true identities of those loading content and comments can be nearly impossible - or at least involve costly computer forensics work.

One legislator has proposed has proposed AB 2104 to outlaw posting "a minor's photo, without consent, on a Web site containing obscene matter. Violators could be jailed for one year and fined $5,000." I can see the word "obscene" being a sticky one, though.

We know it when we see it, right?

Anything, if run through the right filter (in someone's mind or on a website) can become obscene. People viewing these websites could just as easily find Flickr photos of random kids and use them to the same ends. That's the world. The world kinda sucks like that. It's not that it isn't worth trying to stop this kind of activity, but just saying "there oughtta be a law" simply doesn't work.

The law can't reach everything.

Nonsensical post of the day - Nonpolitical edition

Woman sat on toilet for two years.

See, I don't think we'll ever hear more of this story because there probably won't be an answer to why this woman sat on a toilet for two years. But it's one of those stories I wish were fictional because I want an answer.

Maybe someone else can write one.

If you do, give me credit for the idea.

{Insert Post Here}

There is no way to really address this story without talking about the substance of the comments in question.

There is no way to really talk about the substance of the comments in question because if there were, she wouldn't have had to quit the campaign.

She had to quit the campaign because we are incapable of having an actual conversation in this country about race or gender without someone feigning shock and horror and chasing the speaker away.

We've come so far this year, yet we fall so far short of true progress.

Don't work for me

Dear would-be public employee:

This is just some friendly advice. I know you have a lot of options when it comes to where you accept employment and I think, perhaps, you should know that coming to work for me might not be the best idea. I feel crazy telling you this because I'm guessing you'll accept my advice, and we'll be left with some of your lesser-qualified fellow candidates for this position.

You see though, since you work for me, I think you should know that I don't really feel like paying you that much. If you worked for some other people with their private funds, you could make a lot more. And we don't really do that other stuff - company picnics or fundraisers or whatever - like the other guys do. See, we feel you should be GRATEFUL to be able to serve in this position. In fact, all the charity you need to worry about is the charitable donation of your time and energy for less-than-market wages. We're not part of the market. The market is for other people.

You should know too that if the budget goes south or anything else goes wrong, I'll probably blame you for it: for taking all the money and living off my dime. I may also use you as an example of why we need more money, to give it to you, but at the first sign of trouble, I will jump all over you and demand you give much of it back.

I hope you still want to work for me. I'll act like whatever I learn about you is the biggest shock to me and toss you in front of the bus at all available opportunities.

Thanks,
The Public

Can someone explain why this office even exists?

Jack O'Connell can overpower an appeals court, notes today's Roundup. It's true!

"Countering a potentially precedent-setting appeals court decision that bars parents from educating their children at home if they lack teaching credentials, California Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell on Tuesday affirmed families' right to home school," writes Seema Mehta in the Times.

"'There's no cause for alarm,' he said Tuesday.

"'I want to assure parents that chose to home school that California Department of Education policy will not change in any way as a result of this ruling,' he said in a written statement. 'Parents still have the right to home school in our state.'

So, if you're keeping score at home, apparently the state superintendent can simply ignore the state appeals court.

Wow, you're totally protected from losing the fundamentalist parent vote, Mr. O'Connell. I'm sure you, as a Democrat, had a lot to fear on this subject area.

And should the guy who is in charge of - well, wait, is he in charge of it? who is? anyway - be avidly insisting parents can keep their kids OUT of it? In fact, doesn't he have more to fear - politically - than pissing off parents?

Like what about pissing off CTA? 'Cause that can't be good.

Of course, the above is a bit of a choosy representation of the whole story:

The state Department of Education now allows home schooling as long as parents file paperwork with the state establishing themselves as private schools, hire credentialed tutors or enroll their children in independent study programs run by charter or private schools or public school districts while still teaching at home.

The education department does little to enforce those provisions and insists that it is the local school districts' responsibility. In addition, state education officials acknowledge that some parents home school their children without the knowledge of any educational entity.

O'Connell repeatedly refused Tuesday to rule out requiring parents to enroll their children in a formal program.

So what O'Connell is really saying - against a backdrop of lax enforcement - is that it's just business as usual.

I think we should pare down the total number of constitutionals in the state.

Get Your Kidney Tested

Today is the first of two days of kidney screening over at the Capitol's front lawn.

Results from last year:

Thirty-eight percent of those tested had high total cholesterol, 25 percent had high blood pressure or hypertension, two people were shown to have possible kidney disease and one person had high blood pressure, kidney disease and diabetes -- with the latter two unknown prior to the screening.

3rd District Congressional race rhetoric heats up. Kinda.

Democratic candidate Bill Durston takes on third-district Representative Dan Lungren in a new radio ad that takes Lungren to task for being soft on torture. Or strong on torture. He likes torture anyway - or at least - likes a broad definition of aggressive interrogation techniques.

Mmm, that's warm and fuzzy.

The Bee's Ad Watch analysis reports that Lungren doesn't really take issue with the Durston ad's assertions. The ad is airing on liberal radio though, so it won't do much more than catch the base's attention and maybe pull in some cash which Durston sorely needs.

Good luck!

Is there a Penn State vs. State Pen joke here?

There must be since we're talking about huge increases in the state's private prison bills:

Private prisons generally house lower-risk, healthier inmates in the final 18 months of their terms. It's a class of prisoner that costs less to incarcerate than the dangerous, the sick and the long-term who require added expenses for things such as security and medical care.

On a recent visit to the Golden State facility, 25 miles north of Bakersfield, inmates lauded the prison for its easier feel, which they said contrasts sharply with the oppressive environment of state institutions marked by overcrowding, violence and control.

"Right here is love, compared to where I've been," said inmate William Cook, 27, of Newark, who previously walked the yards at San Quentin, Pleasant Valley and Lancaster. "Here you get all the football games, you get movies every day. It's real easy to do your time here. You don't have to worry about nothing – no politics right here."

Dude, it IS like the difference between public and private colleges, isn't it? Private prisons have perks. Public prisons have to provide services to more people and the quality suffers. This is just weird.

The article certainly adds fuel to the anti-union fire too: the high bill comes from privates' desire to raise guard pay rates from around $10 to around $15 per hour.

State correctional officers - you know, the CCPOA guys - start at $35 an hour. And that doesn't include all that overtime and other benies. Yikes! Maybe privates can do everything better than publics - in any arena.

I know, I know, these are the easy criminals they are guarding - not the crazy sick and dangerous guys in state facilities. Still, that's quite a price difference, no?

Oh right - that's why CCPOA hates private prisons.

The private guys aren't really cops though - no batons, no guns, no POST certificates.

I don't think we think nearly enough about prisons or prisoners. We get lots of coverage about costs and guards though.

Too Late

Yesterday was the filing deadline. So if you were planning on running for State Senate or Assembly, ooh, too late.

That didn't stop alot of other people from filing.

And in Alameda students walked out of class to protest budget cuts.

Let's hope some students here don't get the same idea. Or maybe it'd be better if they did.

UCD's bomb scare

UCD had a bomb scare this morning.

It's all very unclear right now. But the news said the students had to sleep in the dining hall.

That's kind of similar to when I was in school.

And the Race Goes On

So when they said Super Tuesday was going to decide it, it didn't really decide it. Then they said yesterday would decide it. And it didn't really decide it.

Now, the battle goes on.

Clinton won the key Texas and Ohio last night. But not by enough to end this. And just enough that she isn't going to back down.

Because spending all our time and resources on the democratic primary is definitely the way to go.

KJ

Kevin Johnson's really really running for Mayor.


Don't you enjoy how it takes like 5 times before someone really really announces.

How Much DO They Make?

Have some fun with this tool to find out how much any state worker makes.

But then feel overwhelmingly depressed when you realize some little 20-something recent college grad assistant makes more than you.

Oh, and also, everyone on the state's payroll is making more.

It's good we're not in a budget crisis or anything.

Breaking News: Lockyer gets ink!

No really. I could hardly believe it myself - but there he was, the State Treasurer, quoted directly, bright as day. Nutty!

And you thought he'd taken a step down going from AG to Treasurer. He's sure to prevail in the next race for governor now!

More big fish news

From The Roundup, a link to the Chron's political columnists' (gossipmongers?) take on the Assembly leadership vote last week.

(Skip past the opening bit about the Nader/Gonzalez ticket. It'll either make you angry or stupid. Or stupid angry. So really, save yourselves.)

The play came to a head Wednesday afternoon, with Núñez and Bass calling in uncommitted Democratic lawmakers one by one and telling them this was their chance to get on the bandwagon.

If there's one thing Dems love, it's a band . . . wagon.

Anyway, the question now is about timing: Bass only has so much time left on her term limits clock. Nunez has indicated he's willing to hand over the office sooner rather than later, but define sooner. At the very least, the change can't be as acrimonious as the transfer from Villaraigosa to Hertzberg. Not pretty, from what I heard.

And speaking of Villaraigosa, some people aren't happy by his time spent on out of LA on the trail for Hillary Clinton. I think LA's probably better off with less Antonio time, but he DID technically seem to want the job, so he should probably stick around and do it. Not sure how much more I think of Hillary if she counts him among supporters, but oh well, what can you do.

Where is Arnold Today?

Today the Governator will be in Ohio. For politics? No, silly. For Arnold's Sports Festival.

See, he promotes California in every way he can.

Best Minds Flee Local Politics

That's the headline on the editorial by Marcos Breton in the Sac Bee.

Breton uses the example of West Sac Mayor Christopher Cabaldon running for Assembly as an example of a 'best mind' 'fleeing local politics'.

When you add the exodus of people such as Cabaldon, what's left is a passel of plodders, unproven talent, a few good eggs and some real stinkers.

I like Cabaldon. But I sincerely hope our local politics is the shithole Breton makes it out to be. Shouldn't local politics be a trying ground for people to move on to bigger things? Isn't that how it's always been?

News Flash: GOP concerned about immigrant fiberglass sprayers

Aww, the heartfelt concern over the disasterous effects of closing the sloophole:

When Republicans killed a recent effort to close a loophole on luxury boats, recreational vehicles and planes, they argued that a tax change would chase away working-class jobs.

"The immigrant who sprays fiberglass on a boat will lose his job. The small-business owner who installs avionics on an airplane will lose his business," state Sen. Dennis Hollingsworth of Temecula told GOP members during a Feb. 15 floor debate. "Those are the people who are going to be affected by this. It's not the rich."

Bass is big fish!

Congrats to southern California's Karen Bass for securing the votes to become the next Speaker of the State Assembly. She's the first woman Democrat and the first African American woman to hold the post in state history.

A lot of firsts in politics these days. Pretty cool.

And you know we here on the Delta love fish! She's good people.

Six degrees of random news stories

Do you think this horse was let go because this guy doesn't have anymore hay? Either guy, really.

Bible Study turns ugly

Have you seen this yet? One Capitol study group's leader is calling the other study group to task for its tolerance of participants of all faiths. Really?  Really.
 
"An evangelical chaplain who leads Bible studies for California lawmakers says God is disgusted with a rival fellowship group that includes people of all faiths.
 

"Although they are pleasant men in their personal demeanor, their group is more than disgusting to our Lord and Savior," Drollinger wrote on the Capitol Ministries' Web site.
 

The comments drew immediate fire from others in the capital, including the Republican lawmaker who sponsors Drollinger's Bible study group.

Drollinger said "progressive religious tolerance" is an offense against God and causes harm to its practitioners.
 

He said the other Bible study group was perpetrating a "deadly lie" by presenting Jesus as "a good moral teacher who loves everyone without distinction.""
 
Wow. Just. Wow.
 
Read the whole story here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/02/27/state/n103821S82.DTL&tsp=1

Vallejo's Bankruptcy

Something should be said about Vallejo's impending bankruptcy but I'll be damned if I know what it is.

The general fund will run out of money by the end of March. That's like a month away.

It seems a little stunning that there wasn't any type of a back-up plan, savings, something?

A deal that was nearly reached fell apart Monday night. But maybe they'll make another one. Maybe? No, probably not.

The real question now: what happens when a city declares bankruptcy?

The FEC won't let me be

Ah, campaign finance. You'd think of all people, John McCain would know the most and be the best at working the system. Oops, I mean, at abiding to the full letter of the law. Since he wrote it. Or rewrote it. McCain-Feingold is awesome!  Wait, no it isn't.
 
Anyway, in related news, now that McCain is the presumptive nominee and the money taps are going full bore again, he doesn't so much want or need that public financing he put in for back when his campaign was broke and sputtering.  Public funding is free money, but with pretty large handcuffs on overall spending. That will never do.  Despite his best efforts, it seems you actually need money to win elections. Lots of money. And negative campaigning - but that's a topic for another post.
 
The problem, however, is that McCain has already asked for public money. Now he has to get out of the system. Technically, he should - er, might? - be able to do that. But FEC chairman Dave Mason has opined in a letter to the campaign that letting McCain out requires a vote of the FEC commissioners.
 
Which would work if there were any. See, there are only 2 right now. Four is a quorum. Oh dear - math was never my strong suit, but it seems like there might be issues here.
 
Read more about the controversy few are talking about (because, let's face it, campaign finance makes most people drool involuntarily from bored confusion) here: http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=5&docID=news-000002676191

Joe for Joe

Inside Politics has an article on a website that highlights the connection between Assemblymember Joe Canciamilla and tobacco.

This is the website: Joe for Joe.

While the article focuses on it being anonymous, *oooh, crazy* what seems more crazy to me (and no one seems to be disputing this, so I'm taking it as accurate) is this:

"Canciamilla has said he willingly took the money [tobacco company contributions] because Assembly leaders asked him to do it. He was in a safe seat, so he handed over the money to party leaders and other Democratic candidates who could then claim no connection to the dollars."

Either that's messed up or it's illegal.

Your Campaign Manager Suing You? That's Not Good.

I have it on good authority that Mariko Yamada's former campaign manager, Bill Ritter, is suing her. That's gotta be bad.

Mariko Yamada is the County Supervisor running for Assembly in AD 8 against West Sac mayor Christopher Cabaldon. She's known to not have very much money on hand, like $63,000. The lawsuit asks her to pay back past consulting and legal fees of $17,500. Obviously with that and legal fees for this lawsuit, that would mean she has very very little cash on hand.

Not a good way for a campaign to be going before the official filing deadline even passes.

7 Years in Prison for Stolen $100

This is the saddest story I've heard in awhile.

Read the whole thing and be stunned with another horrible example of the law gone terribly wrong. Right here in Yolo County.

This Whole Budget Problem

The HUGE deficit problem is just getting worse. The budget shortfall has grown to $16billion.

It seems whatever the Governor is doing, isn't working so well, is it?

Non-partisan Legislative analyst, Elizabeth Hill called the Governator's plan to simply cut everything "short-sighted".

She proposed, *gasp*, tax increases!

She also took issue with some of the Governator's proposals. Like giving correctional officers a pay raise. Gee.

I'm back!

I apologize for being gone so long. Life works that way sometimes, doesn't it?

To make up for it here is a list of California's superdelegates.

Who had ever even heard of superdelegates before this election? (Don't lie.)

Now it seems to be all anyone can talk about. Especially those people that keep emailing me all the time.

GOP Seeks DTS for GOTV

Today's Bee has a piece explaining why the California Republican Party will welcome decline to state

voters to vote in the June 3 primary election, even though they disallowed the same choice on last week's presidential primary ballot. It all goes back to the mid-90s:

Confusion over primary voting has a long pedigree. Before 1996, the state's primaries were closed – only registered members of the parties could take part.

An initiative approved in 1996 gave the state a "blanket" primary. All voters were given the same ballot from which they could choose any candidate, regardless of their affiliation.

The state Democratic and Republican parties fought the initiative, and ultimately prevailed in the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled in 2000 that it violated the two parties' freedom of association.

Around the same time, the Legislature passed a bill that let independent voters participate in primaries if the parties allowed it.

State Republicans opted to allow independent voters in all primaries except the presidential. The party reasoned that Democrats would have an advantage in nonpresidential races if independents supported their candidates in primaries, said Tim Morgan, who was chairman of the party's rules committee at the time. Morgan is now the treasurer of the Republican National Committee.

But the 1,600-member central committee chose to close the presidential primary. The difference was that delegates selected to go to the national convention would have a hand in making party rules and policies and should truly represent its core values.

Of course another option is to close the dang primaries again and get people to put up or shut up when it comes to casting a partisan vote. Though it may only be a dream, I would love to think that closing the primaries might force interested people into parties to change them from within, which is, to my mind, the only way to really change anything at all. Decline to state isn't a party, so staying out of the fray isn't going to do a damn thing, is it? DTS isn't a party. Grow a pair, get in there, and you'll get your vote.

So good for you, GOP. No wait, I don't mean that. I take it back. But I get you. That's what I'm trying to say.

Local Boy Does Good

As Smelt mentioned below, and as linked to in today's Roundup, an apparently calm and orderly transition of power in the Senate from Don "Indictment Coming Soon" Perata to Darrell "Hometown Super Star" Steinberg will take place later this summer. Apparently, it took just a cordial lunch with Angeleno Alex "Still Hot" Padilla to get him to back off his potential challenge. Thus, the Senate will stay NorCal and the Assembly will probably remain SoCal.

I love Darrell. He won the "Minnie" multiple times, back when we still had a political journal that gave out awards. He was routinely sited as a reason to extend term limits. He's known for his integrity, intelligence, dedication to sound policy, and all around nice-guy-itude that can be sorely lacking 'round the dome these days. Talk about changing it up.

Like Smelt says - who will win in the green room, though? Will the Wesson Legacy continue through Nunez to Karen Bass? Or will Hector prevail?

Tune in next week to "As the Leadership Turns . . . . "

New Senate Leader

Now that The Don is going to be termed out (awww), Sacramento's own Darrell Steinberg will lead the Senate.

It seems like quite an improvement to me, even if he was the only candidate for the job.

And who's going to replace Nunez??

Unrelated to the election

The County remains unable to build a 7-mile bike path from Davis to Woodland.

But don't worry, so far it's only cost $2 million.

I'll tell you what, you give me $2 million and I'll drive the bikers from Davis to Woodland.

The Day After

So here's how it went down, in case you haven't seen the election results yet.

Clinton and McCain won California. Absolutely nothing is decided on the Democratic side. Proposition 91 got 41% of the vote despite the fact that it's authors abandoned it and it had no campaign. And I give up trying to understand California.

In case you're wondering how the actual 'delegates' are breaking down, check here.

But what does it all mean?

Chris Matthews just made an interesting point on the Reep races: McCain is winning states that Republicans don't usually win in the general. Huckabee is winning in states where Republicans always win in the general. So does that mean the Reeps could end up electing an unelectable candidate? Hmmm. Not that it would be a problem with me . . . .

Gov. Richardson Supports the Writers

At least, that's the only explanation I can come up with for his recent facial hair growth. Conan did it, so can you!

Maybe it's just his "I'm not longer running for President so this is my prize" beard. Who knows.

I can't help but think again how much it sucks to be him. He was a golden guy not so long ago. Once, we could've imagined this as his night. Not so, anymore. Poor guy. Sorry man.

Term Limits, Naw

Since it looks like 93 isn't going to pass (that's the one on term limits people), the local races to fill those seats left vacant are still on.

This means come Wednesday West Sac Mayor Christopher Cabaldon and County Supervisor Mariko Yamada will start campaigning for 'real'.

I dunno, though, I heard a rumor she wants to move to San Diego. Hmm..

Teaching Global Warming in Our Schools?

Gasp, NO. Why would we teach about global warming in actual schools, where kids are suppose to learn things?

A bill requiring global warming to be taught in science classes and textbooks passed the state Senate by a vote of 26-13.

Of course, some legislators are concerned about the "controversial" topic.

I, for one, am tired of the use of the word 'controversial' to mean people disagree. Journalists overuse it. Not everything's controversial, especially not to actual people. Are you shocked and appalled? Because I'm usually not.

The "debate" over global warming is no longer controversial in any real sense. The globe IS warming. End of debate.

We can keep commissioning studies while entire island populations have to be relocated and continue to "debate" this "controversial" topic while our own cities flood. Because, you know, it isn't proven that cigarettes cause cancer either, so we should probably keep smoking while we talk about it some more.

In Lovely Glenn County

A Sheriff's deputy shot a man with a Taser for riding his bike at night without proper lights.

After being checked out at a hospital, Rivera was held in the county jail on suspicion of resisting arrest, riding a bicycle without proper lighting, riding under the influence of alcohol and using false citizenship government documents.

The sheriff's spokesman said the deputy's decision to use the Taser was proper.

I'm so glad the police are looking out for our safety.

There's jerky and then there's jerky

Everyone agrees that former Pro Temp Burton could yell, swear, and abuse staff with the best of 'em. But sexual harassment? Most people say no way. The attorney for the woman who's filed a lawsuit against the California political legend says she's had tons of women call to offer support and money toward the cause and that Capitol commentary defending Burton comes from fear of repraisal, not truth.

I heard plenty of his, er, salty language and saw the fuming from time to time, but I never heard anything of the sort he's being accused of. Doesn't seem right.

This computer takes better vacations than I do

Whoopsie:

A laptop computer containing psychological screenings of 441 applicants for California peace officer jobs was stolen in Mexico this month, State Personnel Board officials said Wednesday. . . . .

The computer was stolen Jan. 11 while the psychologist, whom Evans declined to name, was vacationing in Mexico. She said the psychologist was apparently unaware of a recent state requirement that all state information stored in a private computer be encrypted so as to be unreadable without a special code.

A state requirement? How about a professional requirement? Do her other clients know she takes their problems on vacation? Ugh. Man, those must be some uncomfortable conversations. Bummer!

Obamollywood

From Surf Putah, a link to a fabulous YouTube clip bringing together what we love best about Obama and Bollywood films.

You won't be able to resist liking it. You may not get it. But you'll like it.

Two burning questions

According to Chris Matthews, the two questions Americans want the President to answer tonight during his final [insert Snoopy dance here] State of the Union address are:

1.) When do we get our checks?

and

2.) When will the war end?

I can't help but think that he's set us up to ask questions 1 so that we don't notice that question 2 still lingers.

Are we Still Talking about that?

The Daily Democrat reports on 4 stories that are still with us in this new year.

Like the gang injunction. I mean, puh-lease, why are we still dealing with that, gangs are so last year.

The gang injunction is an interesting plan and it has alot of potential to actually work really well in West Sac to stop some of the problems there, but of course people are throwing around all kind of accusations.

Opposition members charge the mayor of West Sacramento, Christopher Cabaldon, of trying to uproot the neighborhood's minority population to make room for more big-box stores in his never-ending quest to gentrify the city.

Right, because this couldn't be about actually stopping gang violence. No, it obviously a conspiracy. I'm sure Best Buy's in on it too.

Propositioned

Ah, term limits. I hate them. A lot. For every waste-of-space legislator removed by operation of law we lose a really good one. Bye, Mr. Burton. Bye, Mr. Keeley. Have term limits given access to more women? Yes. To more people of color? Yes.

Would we have reached that point eventually? Yes.

Have we already run out of women and people of color to promote to state service? Kinda. But that's another post.

In a week or so, we'll have another chance to undo - er - redo the evil, democracy-robbing beast that is term limits.

Naturally, I'll be voting against it. Yesss, I said against. Hey, I hate term limits, but this change reduces the total amount of time people can serve in either house and doesn't really fix the broader issue. We'll still have limits even if it passes. You know what term limit I support?

The one where I get to vote the bastards out, thankyouverymuch.

The Bee has an interesting piece on what happens to legislative leadership if Prop 93 does or does not pass:

Potential successors to Núñez and Perata already are quietly lining up support in case Proposition 93 fails.

Among Senate Democrats, Darrell Steinberg of Sacramento has emerged as the front-runner over Alex Padilla of Los Angeles to become the next leader.

Assembly Democrats are expected to choose from among Karen Bass, Kevin de León and Mike Feuer of Los Angeles, Hector De La Torre of South Gate, Fiona Ma of San Francisco, Alberto Torrico of Newark, Chuck Calderon of Whittier and Ted Lieu of Torrance.

Ooh, that Senate race is tough. Darrell Steinberg is beloved by many for his fairness, integrity, smarts, and savvy. And Alex Padilla is hot and from Los Angeles - oh, and politically savvy, accomplished, and young. And hot. On the Assembly side, Karen Bass would continue a geographic and network dynasty of Assembly leadership. The others are all young and up-and-coming. Fiona Ma is great, so is Ted Lieu. Oh, there's a Calderon, but let's just skip past him. There's always a Calderon around.

So who really would be next? And would any of them be in the running later if 93 passes? It's too late for me to do the math . . . .

GOTOV

A group of local youngsters walked to Get Out The Older Vote this weekend in several Sacramento neighborhoods this weekend, trying to get registered voters who skipped the last election to get out on February 5. Researchers are going to see if the direct contact gets these people out - they want to determine what is the most effective way to reach voters.

All my training and experience says direct contact is the most effective method, with direct mail coming in second. Right? Have I been out of the game too long?

Donald Green, a political science professor at Yale, says more human contact generally yields better results. Personal phone calls trump messages left by a machine, he said. And face-to-face interaction may be best of all.

Around 9 a.m. Saturday, about 35 students wearing brown "Sac Votes" T-shirts crowded into a Luther Burbank High classroom to practice greeting prospective voters.

"Don't knock on the door like you're bothering them," suggested Cedric Sydnor, Burbank's junior varsity girls' basketball coach. "Knock on the door like, 'I have something to give you.' "

That almost sounds ominous.

KJ Mayor

Kevin Johnson may be running for Mayor of Sacramento.

That's right KJ may run in the June election.

I met him once. And based on that 30 second interactions, I say he'd do a fine job.

Pick Flick

Slate has an amusing take on the Clinton/Obama match up:



If you recall the underlying narrative tension in Election you recall that the Obama analog was a nice enough guy, but Flick really was getting a bum rap at the hands of our someone bent narrator. Who's the Matthew Broderick in the 2008 cycle?

Does this mailer make me look fat?

From our "doh" files: a congressional candidate is getting grief for a doctored campaign mailer that depicts his head on a more svelte body. If you click the link you can see the slim candidate and the candidate shown actual size. Frankly, I can't really see much of a difference. A dude in a suit is a dude in a suit and if his face stays slim enough to match a smaller body, hey, more power to him - lord knows this fish's fat gills couldn't pull it off.

I'm sure he only did it because of the pressure applied on today's candidates in candidate fashion magazines. Those poor candidates - impossible standards . . . .

Prepared for the Worse?

Ironically, the Vallejo school district's past poor financial health has local officials feeling more confident about weathering the state's budget storm.

Since, you know, managing your finances so badly you lose millions of dollars is good experience for not having alot of money.

"We've gone through levels of devastation," Grant-Dawson said. "We've gone through a tornado, a hurricane and a flood. Because of that we're better prepared."

Did you guys see that?

Here I am, trying to enjoy Celebrity Apprentice (maybe with enough wine I can make it be 30 Rock in my mind. It still has a Baldwin, after all) and what to my wondering eye should appear?

A presidential campaign ad!

In a California market! In our market! Right here! It's almost like we're . . . dare I say . . . relevant? Could it be?

I suddenly feel so . . . enfranchised.

It was a Hillary Clinton ad, by the way. In my shock at seeing a campaign ad, I failed to pay any attention to the ad's message, but at least I retained the name of the candidate. So, good job, Mrs. Clinton. And thanks, Iowa and New Hampshire, for disagreeing.

Bill Clinton in Davis?

Ah, primary season, that wonderful time of year. And now that our primary matters, maybe we can pull a New Hampshire and insist on personally meeting every candidate.

Though I will accept Bill Clinton as a substitute.

The ex-Pres was at UC Davis and, yes, he's supporting the Sodexho workers

Which industry and best how?

'Cause I could apply some pretty heavy snark to that statement, if I wanted to:

The White House has acknowledged recycling its backup computer tapes of e-mail before October 2003, raising the possibility that many electronic messages — including those pertaining to the CIA leak case — have been taped over and are gone forever.

The disclosure came minutes before midnight Tuesday under a court-ordered deadline that forced the White House to reveal information it has previously refused to provide.

Among the e-mails that could be lost are messages swapped by any White House officials involved in discussions about leaking the identity of CIA officer Valerie Plame.

Before October 2003, the White House recycled its backup tapes "consistent with industry best practices," according to a sworn statement by a White House aide.

And Speaking Of Water Stuff

I know we've just met and it might be too soon to reveal intimate personal details, but, I trust you guys. Let's share a bit about ourselves, eh?

I love the word Klamath. I don't understand all of the controversy surrounding the management and restoration of the Klamath River, but I will always gladly read about it because I love fish, duh, and I love the word Klamath. I'm glad I shared that.

Anyway - there's a new deal in the works. Good things: more salmon. Bad things: the fish killing dams stay. No! I blame the Oregonians. They hate fish.

A Great Neighborhood for Fish

I don't think it takes a degree in geology to conclude that the land in Natomas is really smooth and flat for a reason. Like, thousands of years of flooding washing the slate clean on a regular basis.

No worries, we have levees now, keeping all that excess housing inventory straight. Don't get me wrong, I'm no Na-to hater. Not by a long shot. I may not live there, but I appreciate the services offered there and its proximity to downtown. Seriously, it's not so bad.

But, wisely, there might not be more Natomas for awhile:

A building moratorium is likely for Sacramento's fast-growing Natomas basin after federal flood-control officials said Tuesday they will designate the area as having a high risk of devastating flood damage because of inadequate river levees.

Next December, when the new federal flood hazard mapping is finalized, any new building - or substantial reconstruction of an existing building - would have to leave the structure as much as 20 feet above ground, high enough to avoid the most damaging of flood waters. But the cost of building that high up will result in practically banning new construction in Natomas, officials said.

The proposed designation also will require holders of federally backed mortgages to buy flood insurance in December. However, officials today recommended that property owners buy that insurance right away.

It'd be great if, unlike some Southern California communities, Sacramento took the initiative to halt construction in the face of probably natural disaster. Did you see those photos of the Nevada towns drowning in flood waters - and then ice?

Flood insurance is smart! Smart building is smart!

Maybe Natomas's motto can be: "Natomas: We're Not Malibu. In A Good Way!"

(By the way, someone once told me that West Sac levees are six feet higher - or something like that (a less lazy fish would google up the confirmation for that factoid - I am not that fish). So there's a point in its favor. But no SMUD coverage. Oooh, the choices . . . .)

Did Paris Hilton's ordeal teach you nothing?

It seems there were more drunk driving arrests than usual this holiday season.

There were 39 DUI arrests made in Yolo County from Dec. 14 to Jan. 2, representing a more than 300 percent increase from 13 DUI arrests in 2006 during same time period.

The sharp rise in holiday arrests mirror a general increase annual DUIs which are up 11 percent countywide from 2003...

Seriously? Didn't you learn anything from those classes? Or TV?

Where Did the Money Go?

The Governator proposed his budget this morning.

I don't suppose it surprised anyone that there's not much money. From my memory of Consumer Education back in high school, that's what happens when you spend money and you don't make any.

He wants to cut school funding, release 'low-risk' prisoners and close parks.

The proposal immediately triggered howls of protest from lawmakers across the political spectrum and among some of the most powerful interest groups in the Capitol. The governor said he hopes to start a debate among Californians about what services they want from state government and how to pay for them.

Or maybe he's just trying to propose something so horrible, people will beg him to raise taxes....Naw.

See what parks are closing. There goes Sutter's Fort, and the less acknowledged State Indian Museum.

Who's the Mayor?

I hope everyone's homes are still intact and now that we have power again....

The old Mayor is suing the new Mayor or something like that.

In Vallejo,where Cloutier won the machine count by 5 votes and then lost the manual recount by 2 votes, Cloutier is now suing to be reinstated as Mayor.

If the court does not reinstate him as mayor, Cloutier said an alternative solution would be a special mayoral election in June or November, open to all comers. Cloutier said he is not seeking another recount.

And what is Vallejo suppose to do until this special election? I guess they don't need a Mayor that much.

It's Raining Outside

In case you haven't look out your window yet, we're in the middle of a storm.

66mph winds were reported at Sacramento airport and 105,000 people have lost power. Not to mention the trees that were falling down when I tried to get to work.

"If you don't have to go out this weekend, it might be a nice weekend to stay at home after the holidays," said Frank McCarton, chief deputy director of the state Office of Emergency Services.

Assuming you have heat, of course. And leftovers.

Happy New Year

Here are the Davis Vanguard's Top 10 Stories of 2007.

What is with all these people picking boring stories? Didn't they hear about Paris Hilton and Britney Spears?