Arnie’s Affair No Excuse for Media Frenzy
Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is seriously testing that
old Hollywood adage that there’s no such thing as bad publicity.
But while you wouldn’t know it from the nationwide flood of
overheated Page 1 stories, "I told you so" columns and tsk-tsking editorials,
the most ignored word in the whole scandal coverage is the one that opens this
piece: "Former."
Since January, Jerry Brown has been California’s governor
and Arnold Schwarzenegger has been a one-time politician and current
out-of-work actor.
While that distinction doesn’t matter to the supermarket
tabloids, TMZ.com’s and People magazines of the world, it should make a
difference to the much-maligned mainstream media, which prides itself on taking
a serious approach to the important issues facing the country and the world.
Unless, of course, there’s a sex scandal with a headline
name involved.
Playing Chess on the Prop 14 Game Board
Los Angeles County election officials say we won’t know
until at least Friday who will be in the runoff for the 36th
Congressional District seat. This race could prove the first test of
Proposition 14 and not merely in the sense of having two members of the same
party facing each other in the general election.
Los Angeles City Councilmember Janice Hahn, a Democrat, is
safely the frontrunner with 13,137 votes. Republican businessman Craig Huey is
second with 11,648 votes. Democrat Debra Bowen, California’s Secretary of
State, ranks third just 206 votes behind Huey. There are 9,811 ballots yet to
count, some mail-in ballots, provisional ballots or damaged ballots.
Proposition 14 calls for the top two vote getters to face
off in the general election, which is July 12. Should Bowen surpass Huey in the
final count then Proposition 14 would be in full effect – two Democrats facing
each other because they captured the top two spots in the primary.
SB 892: A New Focus on Jobs and Competitiveness
Yesterday, Gov. Jerry Brown released his revised state budget that proposes the elimination of 43 various departments, commissions and task forces in an effort to help close California’s budget deficit. Much of that streamlining will improve efficiency and save taxpayer dollars. However, there is one new department that state lawmakers should actually create in this climate — a new Agency for Economic Development, Job Creation and Competitiveness.
Proposed State Water Board Rules Could Capsize California School Districts
At a time when schools and other public service providers are coping with major funding cuts and next year’s budget remains uncertain, yet another threat looms on the horizon — this one courtesy of the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB). The agency is proceeding with a rule-making that would cost school districts, cities, counties and small businesses hundreds of millions of dollars without first conducting a thorough analysis of its water quality benefits, its costs and whether there are less costly alternative strategies.
We need to continue improving water quality in California, but we need to proceed intelligently to ensure that regulations provide measurable environmental benefits and that we clearly understand their costs before approving them, and carefully consider any additional costs imposed during this difficult economic time.
That’s why the Coalition for Adequate School Housing (CASH) — representing 500 school districts serving 92% of California’s school children — has joined with the WATER Coalition (Workable Approach to Environmental Regulation) in opposition to SWRCB’s newest proposal to regulate storm water runoff.