This game of political chicken with the nation's financial markets must stop. The $700 billion bailout bill surely will help Wall Street, but it will also help every one of our neighbors. We all have a stake in this crisis. Here's our editorial about the financial meltdown.
So what's the problem with those who voted against the bailout bill? Simple, they have no alternative. This may not be a perfect bill-- it surely isn't -- but it's better than doing nothing. This bill started in the Republican White House and then was improved by Republicans, and yet it was not good enough for those in the GOP who killed it. The lack of leadership Monday will prolong the recession the nation is in.
The agreement among House leaders was that Democrats and Republicans were to have at least half of their members favor the bill to give it a bipartisan label. That meant that Democrats were to deliver 118 votes and the Republicans were to deliver 90 votes. The Democrats came up with 140 votes in favor of the plan, but the Republicans only could muster 65 votes, far short of their commitment.
Valley House members voted this way: Democrats Jim Costa of Fresno and Dennis Cardoza of Merced and Republican George Radanovich of Mariposa supported the bill. Republicans Devin Nunes of Visalia and Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield voted against it. Shame on them.
Rejection of the bill drove, the financial markets haywire. The Republicans and Democrats who voted against this bill now have a hand in being part of the worst economic climate of our generation. It's time to reverse this destructive behavior.
Some are even trying to blame House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for their votes against the bill. She made a stupid remark about Bush's role in the economic failures. But if those ill-timed remarks were the reason that Republicans voted against the bill, it would mean they were willing to put politics ahead of what's good for the nation. I don't think they would do that, and they are scrambling for political cover.
Now stop the silliness, and get a rescue plan passed.
A friend of mine on Twitter reminded me that this is Banned Book Week.
I agree with Spookygirl:
"I don't know about all of you, but I firmly believe the job of deciding what is appropriate or not appropriate for my children, is MINE, and MINE alone. The whole idea of someone else forcing their morals or beliefs on me and my family by banning books from the public library (can't say school library cause we don't use one), is just abhorrent to me!"
I actually encourage my kids to read banned books. Usually if it's troubled someone enough to try to get it banned, it means there's something worth reading in it.
Fran Florez, Bill Maze are our political losers of the week on Boren/McEwen podcast
Bill McEwen and I break down the 30th Assembly District race in today's political podcast. Click here to listen to the podcast. The 30th District seat is held by Nicole Parra, the termed-out Democrat who's supporting a Republican for her seat.
This odd campaign has led Bill to make Fran Florez, the Democrat running to succeed Parra, as his political loser of the week. She has some strange campaign commercials in her race against Republican Danny Gilmore.
My political loser this week is Assemblyman Bill Maze, who authored the bill to ban motorists from driving with dogs on their laps. Fortunately for Maze, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger saved Maze by vetoing the bill. We think it's dangerous to drive with lap dogs, but there are plenty of laws banning erratic driving, and that should solve the problem.
Check out the rest of the items on our weekly podcast by clicking here.
This would be real reform of the California Legislature
I've been pushing a number of reforms of the state legislative process over the past few years, and the recent 85-day budget stalemate is just more evidence that big changes are needed in Sacramento. In my Sunday column, I lay out my proposal for a single-house legislature and six other reform ideas. Let me know what you think about them.
Here are my proposals:
-- Legislators must show results to get paid. Establish three legislative goals for the year and if they aren't met, they forfeit that year's pay.
-- Limit the number of bills. More than 2,000 bills are introduced a year. Cut that back to three, not counting the budget bill. They can focus on the important and ignore the trivial.
-- Reduce the requirement to pass a state budget from two-thirds of the legislators in each house to 55%.
-- Reform the undemocratic redistricting process. Proposition 11 on the Nov. 4 ballot would do this.
-- Adjust term limits, but only if the redistricting system is reformed so that legislative elections are no longer fixed through gerrymandering.
-- Get rid of legislators' expense accounts. Legislators make $116,208 a year and get $179 a day extra in per-diem pay when in session. Pay them a flat $125,000 a year, and they can pick up their own expenses.
They must have been conspiring to protect Fresno's history
I was walking through the Riverview shopping center near Woodward Park the other day and stuck my head into Elizabeth Laval's gallery that features the photographs of her great-grandfather, Claude C. "Pop" Laval. Elizabeth is committed to digitizing and archiving more than 100,000 photos that "Pop" took of the Fresno area during a 60-year career. Our community is better for her efforts.
I usually drop into the gallery when I'm in the area to check out the photos that cover the gallery, and have a quick chat with Elizabeth about the progress she's making on her mission. This time, though, I saw another familiar face sitting with Elizabeth at a table near the back of the gallery. It was Catherine Rehart, Fresno's historical conscience. Her research has brought Fresno's history to so many residents.
What a treat. One is saving Fresno's history as recorded through her great-grandfather's camera and the other is chronicling Fresno's history through her books on the region. We are truly lucky to have two people so committed to the importance of what brought Fresno to the place that we see and experience today.
"What are you two plotting?" I asked. They smiled. Cathy said she was back in Fresno for a high school reunion and Elizabeth told of her latest successes in getting Pop's photos before our community.
We should all be joining Elizabeth and Cathy in their efforts to bring our history to life. We're fortunate that the Laval gallery is so easily accessible. Drop in and join Fresno's historical movement.
First impression: Biggest difference between Georgia and Fresno
So, I got into Georgia this afternoon, and the first thing I noticed (after the kudzu) is the stark differences between the two kinds of gas stations here. Many of them have no prices posted on their price marquees and they resemble ghost towns. The rest of them have lines of cars out to the street, of people waiting to fill up their tanks.
Apparently they've been having some issues here, ever since the hurricanes hit. Here's a story that explains what's been happening. I'll try to get some pictures myself tomorrow.
Fresno State's 25th-ranked Bulldogs won a game in the fabled Rose Bowl, outlasting UCLA for a 36-31 victory Saturday afternoon. Amid the financial turmoil and the divisive presidential campaign, it was nice to get away from it all for about four hours Saturday. Best of all, the Bulldogs won, and are now 3-1 entering Western Athletic Conference play next Saturday at home against Hawaii.
The final drive that sealed the victory was typical Pat Hill fourth-quarter football. Get ahead and pound the ball at your opponent. The Bulldogs went on an 85-yard drive on their last possession, taking almost 9 minutes off the clock.
Fresno State now has three road wins: Rutgers, Toledo and UCLA. The Bulldogs' only loss was the 13-10 thriller at home against Wisconsin.
I watched on TV at home (the game was televised regionally on ABC) and it was nice to see so much red in the Rose Bowl. An estimated 20,000 Fresno State fans made the drive to Pasadena for the game.
Looking for something to do this evening instead of watching the presidential debate? Try this: ESPN will be showing the delightful film, "American Pastime," tonight at 6 p.m.
Kerry Yo Nakagawa of Fresno, the founder of the Nisei Baseball Research Project, was the guiding light behind the movie. It's a story set in the internment camps of World War II, where Japanese-American families were held after being rounded up and torn from their homes up and down the West Coast.
Surrounded by barbed wire and the fear and prejudices of their own nation, they struggled to survive in their bleak new lives. One of the ways they found to cope was through baseball. "American Pastime" tells that story in a charming fictional form, with drama, romance and even the odd moment of comedy. A tragic passage in our nation's history becomes an uplifting tale.
Nakagawa and his son Kale even make cameo appearances as ballplayers in the film.
If you must watch the debate, then record the movie. It's worth it.
The checks started flowing out of Sacramento again as soon as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the long-delayed state budget. Can you guess who was first in line with their hands out? right the first time --the state's legislators.
On Thursday they got nearly three months back pay. Meanwhile, some state vendors -- many of whom faced bankruptcy because of the 81-day budget delay -- could wait another 10 days before they get the money they're owed by the state. Priorities, folks, priorities.
The Suspender has unsuspended and now will be at tonight's debate
Sen. John McCain has changed course and will now participate in tonight's debate in Mississippi with Sen. Barack Obama. McCain had been saying that he would not be at the debate because he wanted to involve himself in negotiations in Congress over the $700 billion financial rescue plan.
That lasted for a day. On Friday morning, McCain aides said the senator was optimistic that a bailout agreement would be reached, allowing him to be at tonight's debate. The 90-minute forum begins at 6 p.m. California time, and will be held at the University of Mississippi in Oxford. Jim Lehrer of PBS will be the moderator.
Foreign policy is the topic, but the debate undoubtedly will veer into the nation's economic troubles. But that's foreign policy, too, since China owns a big chunk of the U.S. debt.
The answer to spiraling college costs: Just win the lottery
A Fresno State engineering student, Joseph Aguilar, got home with his $5 Stars & Stripes Scratchers ticket before he realized he was a $100,000 winner. Only in America.
Aguilar said he'd use the money to complete his education. Probably take all of it, the way things are going.
Lance Armstrong confirms he'll ride in bike event that goes through the Valley
Finally, Lance Armstrong has made it official. He's riding in February's 2009 Amgen Tour of California, an 800-mile course that will include the Valley. Here's the story.
Merced will host the start of the Tour of California's Stage 5 on Feb. 18. That stage ends in downtown Clovis. The race's next stage goes from Visalia to Paso Robles on Feb. 19.
The entire tour, the most prestigious cycling race in the United States, runs from Feb. 14 to Feb. 22.
There was some initial confusion over whether Armstrong would actually race in this event. First, it was reported that he would compete, then race officials said that had not been confirmed. On Thursday morning, Armstrong announced that he would race in the Tour of California.
Congress has apparently reached a deal on the financial crisis. I won't have to travel to Washington after all, and may now resume blogging, after a brief suspension of all work-related activities.
Regarding that earlier -- and difficult -- decison, my boss informed me that suspending my normal work activities during the crisis would lead to suspending my paycheck, an unforeseen development. So I very much welcome the news that a deal has been reached on the bailout.
I also welcome the prospect of tomorrow night's opening presidential debate being held on schedule. Pending further crises, of course. And perhaps John McCain can find time to meet with David Letterman.
This blog is suspended for the duration of the crisis
Because of the turmoil surrounding the economic crisis, I'm suspending my blogging indefinitely. I'll be flying to Washington later in the day to offer my services to the negotiators who are working on a solution to the financial meltdown.
This is a difficult decision. It means suspending all normal work-related activities until the crisis is resolved. I will be canceling all scheduled meetings. I won't be handling letters to the editor, writing editorials or performing any of my normal chores at The Bee until we've hammered out an answer that reassures the American people that their economy remains fundamentally strong.
Approval rating of California Legislature down 5 points since August
The latest poll by the Public Policy Institute of California shows the approval rating of the California Legislature at 21%. It was 26% in August. Do you think lawmakers' lack of action on the state budget had anything to do with that rating?
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's approval rating is 38%, which is the same number he had in the August PPIC poll.
The poll also reports that 76% of Californians think major changes are needed in the budget process, and 49% -- still not a majority -- say it would be a good idea to lower the legislative threshold for budget passage from two-thirds to 55%.
The PPIC poll also says that 44% of adults say that jobs and the economy are the top issues facing California.
Just three months after the law banning use of hand-held cell phones while driving took effect, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a new bill today, banning drivers from text messaging while operating a motor vehicle starting Jan. 1. Check out the details by clicking here.
When California's original cell phone bill began its journey to becoming law years ago, texting wasn't the phenomenon it is today. So the new law catches up with the direction in which technology has gone.
The Sacramento Bee reported that motorists caught texting while driving will face a fine of $76 for a first offense, including state and local fees, under Senate Bill 28 by Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto. Simitian also authored the hands-free driving law.
Latest Channel 30 poll has Swearengin and Perea in tight race for mayor
In the campaign to succeed Fresno Mayor Alan Autry, a SurveyUSA tracking poll conducted for ABC30 shows Ashley Swearengin and Henry T. Perea in a tight race. The poll gives a "slight advantage" to Swearengin, according to SurveyUSA. Swearengin has 48% of the vote while Perea has 45%. Undecided voters represent the remaining 7%.
Based on the results, including the undecided voters, SurveyUSA says the race is "too close to call."
An analysis of the ABC30 poll was sent to me by PolitickerCA.com.
This is how SurveyUSA sizes up the latest poll:
In an election for Mayor of Fresno CA today, Fresno State Director of Community and Economic Development Ashley Swearengin and City Councilman Henry T. Perea finish effectively even, with a slight advantage to Swearengin, according to this SurveyUSA tracking poll conducted exclusively for KFSN-TV, the ABC owned station in Fresno. Today, it's Swearengin 48%, Perea 45%, largely unchanged from an identical SurveyUSA poll released six weeks ago, when it was Swearengin 47%, Perea 43%. 7% of likely voters are today undecided, making any outcome possible.
On the surface, the contest is static, but underneath, there is offsetting movement. Swearengin has gained ground among men, lost ground among women. Perea has gained ground among older voters, lost ground among younger voters. Perea has gained ground among voters focused on economic development and crime, but has lost ground among voters focused on gangs.
Among white voters, Swearengin leads by 26 points; among Hispanics, Perea leads by 42; both numbers are largely unchanged from those six weeks ago. The ratio of white voters to Hispanic voters on Election Day will determine who wins the election. In today's SurveyUSA poll results, 59% of voters are white, 25% of voters are Hispanic. Swearengin gets 73% of Republican voters; Perea gets 64% of Democratic voters; Independents are split
UPDATE: The Austin American-Statesmen has posted an editorial on this topic. It's called "McCain has a bailout plan, too."
"If they [the presidential candidates] can't take the heat of taking a position on such a fast-moving issue in a nationally televised debate, if they can't think on their feet with the nation watching them as candidates, there's no reason to think they could handle the job in the Oval Office."
ORIGINAL POST: We're in the middle of the biggest economic crisis since the Great Depression, and John McCain, one of the presidential contenders, thinks the debate scheduled for Friday night should be postponed.
This is precisely the time when we most need to hear what McCain and Barack Obama can do to fix this nation, which is what Obama said, that it's more important than ever to have debate.
Face the problem head on and show Americans what kind of president you will be, what kind of leadership you will demonstrate. I know the topic wasn't going to be the economy, but in light of recent events, change the topic to make it more relevant, don't delay the dialogue.
An article on today's California page says the state is considering selling ad space on the freeway emergency signs. I think that is a terrible idea, on so many levels. (Here's a link to the full article on the Los Angeles Times website.)
State officials figure the cash-strapped highway fund could make millions by allowing ads when the signs are not in use for emergencies.
Why is this a bad idea? Let me count the ways.
Safety: Takes drivers' eyes off the road.
Visual blight: Aren't regular billboards bad enough?
Diminishes impact of emergency messages: Right now, if there is something on those signs, drivers know that it's an important message, either about traffic conditions or an Amber alert. If ads are showing all the time, won't the signs' messages blur into landscape?
Sells out state integrity: Is there anything left that we aren't willing to put a price tag on?
"If we need to do this to get money, maybe the state should go ahead and open a brothel," said Ted Wu of the Coalition to Ban Billboard Blight. He said the next logical step would be to sell ad space on the state Capitol.
Coincidentally (or NOT!), the company that came up with the idea is a major contributor to state politicians.
Do you want to know what Fresno would be like if Fresno State Football Coach Pat Hill ran the city or which local politicians would make it on "Dancing with the Stars" with their sure-footed political moves? Do you wonder why road projects take so long to complete in Fresno?
You'd know the answers to these questions and others if you've been listening to the daily Boren/McEwen political commentaries on KYNO, 1300 on your AM dial. Bill McEwen and I offer up our topics at noon and 5 p.m. weekdays over at KYNO. These two-minute segments complement our podcasts, blogs and columns on fresnobee.com.
These quick segments offer a different look at the politics in the San Joaquin Valley.
We're having fun on KYNO and urge you to give us a listen. Some of our topics are of the lighter variety -- Fresno's incredible fall weather, people buying $200 steak dinners at the national steak houses that have come to town and the old Harpain's Dairy location that is now home to an expensive tequila bar owned by Sammy Hagar.
Upcoming commentaries talk about how the Florez/Parra family feud has helped Danny Gilmore's campaign for the Assembly and my proposal to protect marriage by banning divorce. You get married, you've got that person as a spouse for life.
Give us your feedback. We're always looking for topics and suggestions about how we can better cover politics and public policy in this growing region.
Fresno mayoral candidate Ashley Swearengin stole a march on her rival, Henry T. Perea, by taking a forthright stand in favor of healthy marriage at a rally Monday in Fresno's Courthouse Park. Perea was conspicuous by his absence, causing political observers and commentators from one end of the city to the other to huddle in an effort to sort out the nuances for the tightly contested campaign.
The crucial questions: Does Perea's absence from this event signal his opposition to healthy marriages? Has Swearengin found the wedge issue that will propel her to victory in November? How will this affect the debate now under way in Washington on the bailout of the troubled financial sector? Will it rain enough this winter? And most important, how will this turn of events affect the Bulldogs' chances against UCLA this weekend?
One observer -- who spoke on condition of anonymity because that's what sources do these days -- said that it will take some time for this knotty issue to sort itself out. Stay tuned.
She talks about changes in the zoo from when she first discovered it when her son was a toddler to now, when she returned for a recent visit with her two grandchildren:
"While Measure Z money is tied up awaiting the development of a master plan, which will expand the zoo from 18 to 39 acres, donations and tax dollars already are being invested to spruce up many exhibits.
Today's Chaffee Zoo features about 125 species in a beautiful parklike setting. Animals are set back from visitors in clean, attractive habitats. But the zoo has not lost its personal feel. There are many unique opportunities for visitors even tiny ones to touch and feed animals."
I agree with Hardisty. Kids love the zoo, and especially as our weather begins to cool a bit, it's fun to stroll through the mature trees that provide shade and visit the familiar exhibits as well as check out new features. As zoo leadership gets authorization to spend Measure Z money, it will only get better.
(Bee file photo: A tour group gets a close look as a stingray floats past. The Stingray Bay exhibit at the Chaffee Zoo has been extended to remain open on weekends through Jan. 4.)
Sheriff Mims appears on Boren/McEwen political podcast
Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims was our guest today on the weekly Boren/McEwen political podcast on fresnobee.com. We asked her about her budget cuts, which she says have forced her to release some jail prisoners early because of a lack of staffing. You can listen to the podcast or watch the video of our interview by clicking here.
Mims also said she is looking at using more technology such as ankle monitors for low-risk inmates and would like to set up a version of a "tent city" jail if Proposition 6 passes on the Nov. 4 ballot. That measure is aimed at requiring new state spending to combat crime and gangs, but Mims said there's also a provision to allow alternative jails if the sheriff deems them appropriate.
The sheriff has been in a high-profile financial fight with the Fresno County Board of Supervisors. She has stopped releasing inmates early, but says she may have to resume the releases in November if she doesn't get another another $3.2 million from the supervisors. She said she does not have the staffing to safely guard all the jail inmates.
Another week, another list. The "2008 SustainLane US City Rankings" are out - I know you've been holding your breath - and Fresno lands in 37th out of 50 U.S. cities for "urban sustainability," basically the city's "green" score. Fresno's rank is unchanged from last year.
From the short blurb on our fair burg: "In SustainLane's last rankings, we noted that this ethnically-diverse, central Californian agricultural metropolis was awash in irony: it's surrounded by natural beauty, but enjoys few parks of its own; it has a huge amount of locally-produced fruits and vegetables, but just three farmers markets; it relies on a billion-dollar agricultural industry, but finds its air and water polluted by the same."
Well, they're right about the parks. But there are more than three farmers markets in town, and others in the region, not to mention about a million roadside stands selling fresh produce. And it's true that ag plays a role in our dirty air, but the pollution we battle has more to do with our geography and the cars we drive than farming. And "billion-dollar agricultural industry" is way understated.
So take this - like all these lists - for what it's worth. I do like the header on the Fresno entry: "37. Fresno, CA - An Emerging Leader?"
Republicans still hold lead in latest San Joaquin Valley voter registration count
In the red counties of the San Joaquin Valley, Republicans have maintained their registration lead, according to the web site San Joaquin Valleyfornia. The GOP has 615,940 voters in its camp, while the Democrats have 571,419. These numbers come from the September registration count.
San JoaquinValleyfornia reports that Republicans increased their margin by about 1,000 in the Valley, according to the May 19 registration numbers.
Voters called "decline to state," which are independents in California, increased by 1,612 in the Valley to 194,655, according to the web site.
In Fresno County, Republicans also lead in voter registration, although the margin closed slightly. The GOP reported 150,829 voters in September. In May, the Republicans reported 151,255 voters. Democrats reported 144,815 in September in Fresno County. That's an increase over May when the the Dems reported 142,485 voters.
Statewide, Democrats increased their registration numbers to keep California in the blue column. Democrats now have 43.91% of the state's voters, while the Republicans have 32.32% of the electorate, according to San Joaquin Valleyfornia.
"Decline to state" voters are approaching 20% in California. They now represent 19.49% of the state's registered voters.
Fresno Unified is doing well under Michael Hanson's leadership
There's a big school board election on Nov. 4, and The Bee's editorial board believes that Superintendent Michael Hanson shouldn't be used as a pawn by the candidates supported by the Fresno Teachers Association. We explain our concerns in this editorial that ran today. The union has voiced displeasure with trustees who support Hanson.
There are three of the seven school board seats up in this election cycle. A Bee story in July said the teachers union wanted to oust Trustees Manuel Nunez and Janet Ryan for their support of Hanson. Trustee Carol Mills also is up for re-election, but she is supported by the FTA. All three incumbents are running for re-election.
Mills is the only incumbent the teachers union is endorsing. Its other choices are former FTA president Larry Moore, who is running against Nunez, and Virginia Hermosillo, who is running against Ryan.
One of the union's election talking points has been the pay increase the school board gave Hanson in January. His salary went from $205,000 a year to $277,000 a year. Mills opposed the pay package.
The once-troubled school system is on the right course. Hanson deserves much of the credit for the turnaround, and we can't go back to the days when Fresno Unified was on the verge of a state takeover.
Here are some of the district's advances, according to today's editorial:
Fresno Unified has made big improvements in student performance, has a plan to upgrade its aging facilities and is on firm financial footing after being near bankruptcy. The district is overhauling its technology network, putting laptops into classrooms and working with high-tech companies. Its partnership with Long Beach Unified is a national model.
Much more needs to be done in Fresno Unified, and the board majority and superintendent are committed to continuing to attack the challenges.
Hanson has also given the district something it lacked: stability. That has been a key to success after a revolving-door of superintendents. Many of Fresno Unified's problems occurred because the district had not been taking care of the basics. It's hard to do that when you don't know who's going to be in charge next.
So, Hanford Democrat Nicole Parra will endorse Danny Gilmore, her former Republican opponent, in the race to replace the termed out Parra in the 30th Assembly District. Surprise, surprise.
Gilmore, the retired CHP officer, is running against Democrat Fran Florez for the South Valley seat Parra is vacating in January. Florez is the mother of state Sen. Dean Florez. The Parra and Florez clans have engaged in a long-running blood feud that resembles the Hatfields and McCoys, except that no one has actually died. Yet.
Democrats in the Legislature are steamed with Parra; Republicans are giggling with glee. The 30th District may be one of the few legislative races this November that offers an ounce of interest, since it is one of the few districts that is the least bit competitive.
Democrats desperately want to keep the seat; the Republicans desperately want to take it away. Expect a barnburner.
As for Parra, some speculate that she'll slide into a career as a lobbyist when she's termed out. That's hard to see. I can't imagine the Democratic majority in the Legislature -- which won't change whatever the outcome in District 30 -- to be very receptive to anything sought by any future lobbying client of Parra's.
But for now, the political junkies have an engaging spectacle to watch in the South Valley.
Mike Der Manouel Jr. says it's his father, not him, who has endorsed Henry T. Perea for mayor
I received this email from Mike Der Manouel Jr. about an ABC30 report that he's backing Henry T. Perea for mayor:
ABC 30 ran a story last night that Michael Der Manouel, Lincoln Club chairman, has endorsed Henry T. Perea for mayor. I have received thirty emails and six voicemails on this and it is driving me crazy. . . Not only have I not endorsed him, but I've endorsed Ashley Swearengen for mayor.
The confusion is that his dad, Mike Der Manouel Sr., has endorsed Perea. The two have been confused a lot recently in political stories.
Mike Jr. is the chairman of the Lincoln Club and supports Swearengin. Mike Sr. supports Perea.
John McCain is "embarrassingly and dangerously clueless" when it comes to the economy. That's the gist of Eugene Robinson's column today.
And that couldn't come at a worse time: McCain is running for president in a period when America's financial institutions are crumbling and anxieties among us ordinary Americans is soaring.
McCain's newfound zeal for regulation is laughable -- or would be if the stakes weren't so high. He has spent the last several decades bellowing about the evils of regulation and the virtues of the unfettered market. Now he's launched a thunderous crusade to tighten controls, broaden oversight and stiffen penalties on the lawless frontier of American banks and other financial institutions.
In this he is, as Robinson puts it, "running against his own record."
McCain enthusiastically backed the 1999 deregulation that's responsible for much of the current mess. That effort was led by then Sen. Phil Gramm of Texas. And guess who is at candidate McCain's side now, whispering advice in his ear? Yep, the same Phil Gramm. Pardon my skepticism at the thought of McCain as a regulatory crusader.
President George W. Bush has ignored the financial crisis for so long that now he acknowledges the only solution available will require taxpayers to put up hundreds of billions of dollars to bail out Wall Street. And Wall Street rallied today, knowing that the rest of us will foot the bill for their excesses and greed. Here's the latest news story on the administration's belated reaction to the crisis.
The problems are so huge that Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson even says he's going to work through the weekend with congressional leaders to put together the details of the administration's rescue plan. Gee, thanks for your commitment to the nation's economic health.
Of course, if the administration would have merely regulated the mortgage and banking industries and enforced rules already on the books on Wall Street trading, we wouldn't be teetering on the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.
Even my good and conservative friend Michael Der Manouel Jr. isn't all that happy with the Securities and Exchange Commission oversight under the watch of Christopher Cox, a former California congressman. In this posting on the Flash Report, a conservative web site, Der Manouel says Cox needs to resign.
"There are many components feeding the crisis in banking and equity markets, but the SEC has failed in its oversight responsiblities under Cox," Der Manouel writes.
The governor threatens legislators with no food or potty breaks and they quickly get a budget agreement
The fact the budget stalemate was hurting thousands of Californians wasn't enough motivativation for legislative leaders to get an acceptable agreement. But just hours after Gov. Schwarzenegger threatened to lock the four leaders and himself in a room without food or bathroom breaks, they came out with a deal that apparently satisfies everyone. Here's The Bee's E. J. Schultz's story on the agreement.
The latest deal is supposed to be voted on this afternoon by the Assembly and Senate. We are already 81 days into the fiscal year without a budget. That's the longest the state has gone without a budget. We're talking a budget that's huge -- $104 billion in the general fund. It touches every Californian in some way.
The deal announced late Thursday afternoon dumps one of the dumbest ideas to come out of Sacramento in a long time. That's the "accelerated withholding" from taxpayers. The state would take more money from your paycheck, but you would get it back when you file your state income tax returns next year. It would have been the worst of all worlds. It's a tax increase that's not a tax increase and it would not solve the problem because the state would pay the money back next year.
There are still some gimmicks in this version of the budget. Schultz reports that quarterly taxpayers will have to pay more in the first part of the calendar year, and that should get the state $1.3 billion for the fiscal year that started July 1. Millionaires also will have to pay more of their taxes earlier.
The governor apparently got what he wanted -- a better "rainy-day" fund. It would "limit transfers from the fund to only when revenues fall below projected spending," according to The Bee's story.
There undoubtedly are more gimmicks in this budget and many of them should surface today after everyone takes a closer look at the agreement.
Brad Pitt opens his checkbook to supporters of gay marriage
Actor Brad Pitt is contributing $100,000 to the campaign to defeat Proposition 8, the anti-gay-marriage measure on the Nov. 4 ballot. The Los Angeles Times reports the Pitt donation today. Proposition 8 would overturn the California Supreme Court decision in May that legalized marriage between same-sex couples.
The Times has this quote from Pitt:
Because no one has the right to deny another their life, even though they disagree with it, because everyone has the right to live the life they so desire if it doesn't harm another and because discrimination has no place in America, my vote will be for equality and against Proposition 8.
No word yet on whether Angelina Jolie is getting involved in the campaign. But the leaders of the effort against Proposition 8 reportedly are lining up A-list celebrities to donate money to the campaign and make public appearances in opposition to Proposition 8.
The latest Field Poll shows Proposition 8 losing: Yes: 38%; No: 55%. That means the measure continues to slip. In July, the Field Poll had the Yes side with 42% and the No side with 51%.
Governor wants legislative leaders to negotiate budget with him 24/7 without food or bathroom breaks
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says it's time for legislative leaders to get serious about negotiating a budget that is balanced without gimmicks. To show his commitment, he's proposing marathon negotiations without food and bathroom breaks.
Who would break first in that game? I'm thinking Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata.
A colleague from The Sacramento Bee says the governor's idea sounds familiar. In March, Schwarzenegger said they could solve the deficit problem by locking him and legislators in a room for three days, and ban bathroom breaks. But now he's banning food, too. That's probably good considering what ultimately happens to the food.
Schwarzenegger dropped by The Fresno Bee's editorial board for a one-hour session this afternoon following a rally on the budget impasse at Fresno's City Hall. He said he won't sign a bad budget, and is willing to roll this year's budget into next year's if legislators continue to push a spending plan that's built on faulty assumptions.
He said he's taking his message to the people because they are angry at their legislators for not dealing with the state's financial problems in a serious way. Fresno was the first stop on his statewide budget tour. But he said he would stay in meetings with legislative leaders in the Capitol for "12 hours or 24 hours" or whatever it takes to get a good budget.
Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines' office said that statement is a bit disingenuous because the governor split early from a meeting this afternoon with the legislative leaders to go to the rally in Fresno. John Myers' blog on kqed.org has this quote from Perata about Schwarzenegger leaving the Big Five meeting early: "I wish he would've stayed, but he didn't."
So much for 24/7 negotiating.
But there's no doubt that the budget the governor has rejected is built on sham assumptions. Click here to read our editorial on the legislators' smoke-and-mirrors budget. While we don't want to see the deadlock extended, it's much better to veto this budget than be back in the same place a few months from now -- only with a bigger deficit.
Schwarzenegger said legislators don't like him coming to their districts because they gets thousands of angry phone calls and emails when he points out their shortcomings. The Senate and Assembly have passed a budget that is almost 12 weeks late, but Schwarzenegger said it needs improvement, including a more secure "rainy day fund."
The rainy day fund would take money in good economic years and require that it go into an account to be used in bad economic years. Schwarzenegger wants the fund tamper-proof, and could only be accessed if certain budget triggers are hit. The Democrats want to be able to get money out of the fund on a two-thirds vote. The governor said they would be raiding it all the time under that criteria.
Schwarzenegger said it's also time that legislators felt the consequences of not getting a good budget 79 days into the fiscal year. He told the editorial board that he is considering a proposition that would essentially punish the lawmakers for not getting a budget on time. He said he's formulating his ideas, but it would revolve around "pay consequences."
I think there should be more pain than just docking pay. My idea is to take away their per-diem expense payments for the entire year when the budget is late. They also would have to turn in their state-leased cars and state-paid gasoline credit cards. They would make them live like the rest of us for once. They have no idea about $4-a-gallon gas.
UPDATE: Live coverage of governor's visit to Fresno
Fresnobee.com will provide live video of Gov. Schwarzenegger's "budget rally" this afternoon in downtown Fresno, which is taking place before his meeting with The Bee's editorial board. The event is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. Click on this link to access the video.
Dammit Janet, bring back midnight showings of 'Rocky Horror Picture Show'
I grew nostalgic reading an item in this morning's Mindhub digest:
Tickets for Artists' Repertory Theatre's production of The Rocky Horror Show are now available for sale online or you can still charge by phone at (559) 222-6539. Tickets for the opening show on Halloween are selling fast. It will be like a rock concert, theatrical event, and Halloween party all in one.
This event will be held in the California Arts Academy's Severance Theater in the Tower District.
I was 18, a freshman at U.C. Berkeley, the first time I attended a midnight showing of the movie. I had never experienced a movie that so involved the audience (not to mention, that at that point in my life, I'm pretty sure I hadn't seen too many films as bawdy and raucous as "Rocky Horror").
I saw it again a couple of years later, this time back home, at a midnight showing in the Tower District's Tower Theatre. I brought it up at our morning meeting, and Jim Boren and Russ Minick remember there used to be midnight showings at one of the now-defunct movie theaters that used to be at Blackstone and Barstow avenues.
I think somebody needs to revive this tradition. I think the group silliness of hundreds throwing toilet paper at a movie screen, yelling "Great Scott!" would be a perfect antidote to all the depressing and/or disgusting news right now coming from Wall Street, South America and the campaign trail.
Next mayor won't allow cage fighting at Woodward Park
While the Fresno City Council debates the appropriateness of holding cage-fighting matches at Woodward Park, the two candidates running for mayor on Nov. 4 say their administrations will not allow the matches at the regional park. Mayoral candidates Henry T. Perea and Ashley Swearengin said on the Boren/McEwen political podcast on Sept. 3 there are better venues for the sport than Woodward Park. They support holding the matches in the city, but in other venues such as Selland Arena.
The City Council on Tuesday asked Mayor Alan Autry's administration to clarify the types of events that should be allowed in the Woodward Park amphitheater.
The cage match on Aug. 23 caused the controversy. One of the problems was that it was held at the same time as a production of "Hamlet." Some in the cage-fighting crowd were yelling expletives at the Shakespeare production. It also was disrupted by the police helicopter flying over the park to ensure there wasn't any trouble at the cage-fighting matches. They came off just fine, but the two events clashed.
Cage fighting in the park has many influential supporters, Mayor Alan Autry, Police Chief Jerry Dyer and Pastor H Spees were in the audience watching the matches.
No, we could have chosen a much better venue as a city to have that kind of event, whether it was at Selland Arena or some other kind of venue which I thought would have been much more suitable for that. I've got to tell you, I commend the Autry administration and this council for doing what we have with parks over the last couple of years. We are investing over $30 million in parks in new parks all across the city. Parks that are badly needed in neighborhoods like mine where I grew up. Certainly as a child we didn't have parks growing up. And we played in the street or had to hop the fence at the nearest school to have a time to play and get some exercise. So I believe this administration, and this council, have taken the issue of parks very serious and have truly moved forward in a meaningful way. But what we have to do is make sure that as we move forward with new ideas and new innovative ways to satisfy the recreational needs of our community, that they're not in competition with each other like the events you just mentioned. How are we going to move forward with more bike lanes, more trails, more green space in a way that doesn't create conflict in our community, and we have to do that with our eyes wide open, getting out there and making sure that we're dotting our I's and crossing our T's, not just at the administration level but throughout City Hall.
Swearengin:
It was a train wreck. I can't think of any other way to say it. Just a complete train wreck. I'm not inside City Hall, I don't know the inner workings of how decisions like that got made to allow both events to go on at the same time. But it obviously suggests to me there was a lack of communication and a lack of coordination and I think the citizens of Fresno deserve and expect more from City Hall. It was just an unfortunate train wreck.
UPDATE (3:30): The governor did indeed say he'd veto the budget deal passed by the Legislature. At a news conference that ended moments ago, he also implicitly threatened to veto hundreds of bills already passed and awaiting his signature if the Legislature, as expected, overides his budget veto.
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The budget deal cobbled together by the so-called elected leaders in the Legislature is a smelly sham, full of gimmicks and land mines down the road. That's why our editorial today calls on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to veto the thing and make the Legislature do its job -- create true reform of the state's broken budget process.
The votes are there to override such a veto, but Schwarzenegger has on his desk -- or soon will have -- about 1,000 cherished bills sent to him from the Legislature. He could veto those as well, until the Assembly and state Senate get the message.
Rejecting this budget farce will be a great hardship on many businesses and other agencies that rely on state payments, now suspended. But as bad as that is, things will be worse if the budget dysfunction isn't addressed in a more permanent way.
The question of American recognition of the Armenian genocide is another issue that divides Barack Obama and John McCain in this election. As The Bee's Mike Doyle reports today, Obama favors such recognition; McCain is opposed.
McCain cites the strategic importance of America's relationship with Turkey for his position, and it's true the Turks are bonkers on the subject of the genocide. They're even willing to risk membership in the European Union, which they crave, to keep up their mask of denial.
I'm not persuaded. The Turks are such great allies that they denied passage to American troops when the war against Iraq was launched, and their incursions into northern Iraq chasing Kurdish enemies have complicated things for American policy.
But I'm not entirely persuaded by Obama's support for recognition either. That past three presidents -- two Bushes and a Clinton -- have said they'd support recognition of the genocide, then reneged. We'll see.
I could not tell you the last time I stayed up to watch "Saturday Night Live." But when I heard that Tina Fey was returning to the show to play her doppelganger, Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, I knew I would have to watch it.
(I also tuned in to see presidential contender Barack Obama, who was originally scheduled to make an appearance. I found out Sunday that Obama canceled his appearance because of Hurricane Ike, saying it would be inappropriate to make jokes during such a crisis.)
The 5-1/2-minute segment paired Fey with cast-member Amy Poehler (as Sen. Hillary Clinton). And I wasn't the only one who wanted to see Fey lampoon Palin -- Saturday's episode drew the largest viewership for a "SNL" season debut since 2001.
I thought the skit was hilarious. And Poehler did a great job too:
"I'm sorry, I need to say something. I didn't want a woman to be president. I wanted to be president, and I just happen to be a woman. I don't want to hear you compare your road to the White House to my road to the White House. I scratched and clawed through mud and barbed wire, and you just glided in on a dogsled wearing your pageant sash and your Tina Fey glasses!"
My Sunday column points out all the advantages of being a member of the Fresno County Board of Supervisors, including getting a six-figure salary and not having to meet all that often. The supervisors don't even have to contend with term limits so they can stay in the job forever.
The board members are living large, even during the current budget crisis. Their solution to the county's financial problems is essentially to do nothing to control spending. But it was their actions, including giving raises to unionized employees that the county could not afford, that has brought us to this point.
You can read my complete column on the county supervisors by clicking here.
Breaking news: It appears there's an agreement on state budget
California's four legislative leaders have reached an agreement on the state budget impasse and it could end the 76-day stalemate. Here's a story on the agreement from our sister paper The Sacramento Bee.
If both houses of the Legislature pass the budget bill on Monday, it will go to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for his signature.
My main concern is whether this agreement actually solves the structural problem in the budget, or only pushes the budget issue into next year. "Structural problem" means the Legislature has built in annual spending that is more than annual income. If you don't make cuts or increase income -- or a combo of both -- you have the same old problem.
Here are the key passages in the Sac Bee story:
But they (the legislative leaders) said the plan closes the $15.2 billion gap in the $103.4 billion budget for the fiscal year that began July 1 with $9 billion in spending cuts. The rest of the gap will be patched by closing tax loopholes and "accelerated revenue collections," an accounting term for collecting some one-time revenues in this fiscal year rather than the next. The leaders indicated that while balanced, the budget anticipates at least a $2 billion hole in next year's budget.
They also said it contains reforms of the budget process that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger had demanded, including beefing up a rainy day reserve fund and giving the governor limited authority to make mid-year budget cuts.
This deal could affcet you in the following ways, acording to the Los Angeles Times:
Withholding of state taxes at the workplace would increase by 10% for families with two wage-earners and for all taxpayers with income from investments. The state could use the extra $1.5 billion generated by the scheme to reducethe budget gap; it would send those taxpayers extra refunds later.
Taxpayers who file quarterly would have to pay more of their taxes earlier in the year. And those who earn more than $1 million and experience a big jump in income would no longer have extra time to pay taxes on the increase. These measures, according to legislative staff, would generate $3.8 billion in the current fiscal year.
Limited liability companies would have to prepay fees that normally would not be due until the next fiscal year. The state would give tax cheats amnesty to encourage them to pay what they owe. And tax write-offs for business losses would be suspended temporarily. These measures would generate $2.7 billion this year.
Congress must approve San Joaquin River restoration funding
An omnibus public lands bill now headed to the Senate floor contains the funding needed to begin the restoration of the San Joaquin River, including an attempt to revive historic salmon runs . The plan is the result of a settlement of a grinding, 20-year lawsuit on the issue. But the settlement is moot unless the feds can be persuaded to cough up a bunch of bucks to get the process moving. Here's our editorial today on the subject.
The lawsuit was filed by environmentalists in 1988. They argued that the diversion of water from the river after Friant Dam was built was illegal. A judge seemed on his way to agreeing with them, at least in large part, when the farmers who use the diverted water sat down with their environmentalist adversaries and hashed out the settlement.
It isn't a pleasant prospect for the farmers, who will lose some water. But they ran the risk of losing even more if the suit were pursued to a verdict. That could still happen if the funding is derailed in Congress, or some other event capsizes the agreement.
It's in the best interest of everyone in the Valley to see this funding approved and get about the restoration.
Villines, Cogdill won't go to big GOP fund-raising party in Nevada because of budget
The Sacramento Bee is reporting that Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines of Clovis and Senate Republican Leader Dave Cogdill of Modesto have decided to take a pass on a fund-raiser in Nevada that they are hosting for big contributors. Here's the story.
"The Republican Leadership Invitational," which is really an invitation for special interests to purchase legislative favors, is a Nevada golf tournament in which donors will be asked to contribute up to $15,000 to the California Republican Party, according to the Sac Bee.
There are two reasons Villines and Cogdill should not attend: Their work in Sacramento on the budget is not done; these kind of events give special interests a head start to suck money out of the state treasury. The latter point is not just a Republican problem. The Democrats do it, too, and we taxpayers pay dearly for the campaign funds our lawmakers get from these special interests.
Villines and Cogdill reportedly were heading for the golf tournament and lobster-fest until the Democrats blew the whistle on the event in Nevada. They quickly backtracked when they realized the PR nightmare their attendance would have created,
Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, D-Los Angeles, also should reconsider a fund-raiser she's holding in San Francisco Monday night for Democratic Assemblywoman Fiona Ma of San Francisco.
If our lawmakers can't get a budget passed, they shouldn't be holding fund-raisers. None. No excuses, even if they say they are being held during non-legislative hours.This budget impasse is hurting Californians, with health clinics closing and other programs that rely on state funding being threatened.
All their attention -- are you listening Mike Villines, Dave Cogdill, Karen Bass and Don Perata? -- should be focused on getting a budget passed.
An article on the national politics wire reports that Michelle Obama filmed an episode of Paula Deen's cooking show "Paula's Party." The episode will air on Food Network next Saturday, Sept. 20:
"She was getting her hands dirty," Deen said in an interview Friday. "I think they are like us -- they like real food, not a bunch of prissy food."
Obama told Deen her husband's personal favorite is a steaming bowl of chili, and the first meal she ever cooked for him was a seafood gumbo.
Paula isn't playing favorites though -- she's also invited Republican John McCain's wife, Cindy, and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, to spend equal time in her kitchen.
I love Paula. I don't necessarily try to replicate her recipes as much as some of the other Food Network chefs, but you gotta love her down-home charm and her affinity for butter. No matter how many times I watch the program that featured her courtship and marriage to her husband, Michael, I get a little teary eyed. And I'm not a real emotional gal.
Here's a transcript of the Perea/Swearengin debate on fresnobee.com
If you're interested in reading a transcript of the Sept. 3 debate between Fresno mayoral candidates Henry T. Perea and Ashley Swearengin, you can click here. You can also watch the video of the debate by clicking here.
We will devote the cover of Sunday's Vision section to an abridged transcript of the debate. Because of space consideration, we could only use a fraction of the transcript in print. But we're giving our readers several options -- a complete online transcript, video of the entire 71-minute debate and an abridged transcript in print.
She may not be Karen Bass' BFF, but Nicole Parra makes the cut with Maxim
Well, none of my colleagues wanted to pick this one up, so I guess it's up to me: The Valley's own Nicole Parra has been named by Maxim magazine as No. 4 on the list of "The World's Hottest Politicians." She finished two spots behind Gov. Sarah Palin, and three ahead of Rep. Mary Bono Mack of Southern California.
The top spot went to Mara Carfagna, a former showgirl and protégé of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. Carfagna now has a seat in Italy's Parliament.
It makes sense that Maxim, a men's magazine, would focus entirely on female politicians, even at the risk of being labeled sexist -- but then Maxim magazine probably doesn't mind being labeled sexist. It most likely boosts sales. But I wonder if some women's magazine won't counter with the "Hottest 10 Male Politicians," or some such. Bet there'd be some elbowing and shoving to get on that list.
Maybe a gay magazine could offer the hottest guys. Strike that -- I don't want to turn this thread into another interminable debate on Proposition 8. Better we just stick to lipstick on pigs. Or high-speed rail.
Today's my last day at The Bee after 38 years, and I just wanted to tell you how rewarding it has been to have a daily conversation with the blogging brigade. I wrote a farewell column in today's paper. To see it, click here.
I'll be checking in on all of your postings, keep mixing it up! You're the best!
High-speed rail has got its opponents in California -- including the state Chamber of Commerce and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. Add to that list the toney towns of Atherton and Menlo Park, where many residents just hate the notion of those big 'ol trains zipping through their quiet and serene neighborhoods of multimillion-dollar homes.
Menlo Park's opposition is curious, as Robert Cruickshank notes in his estimable California High Speed Rail Blog, because the town is already bisected by Caltrain tracks carrying commuters back and forth from San Francisco to the Peninsula. In fact, the train tracks there predate the town itself.
Menlo Park and Atherton are the only communities along the entire proposed high-speed route to oppose the project. They're prepared, as Cruickshank and others note, to deny the benefits of this project to millions of Californians to preserve a sense of order in their tiny enclaves. What swell neighbors.
In an editorial in today's paper, we express our confidence in the outcome of an online vote to see which TimeOut the Red Wave fans prefer. We expect to see the old, gray TimeOut kick off the home opener against Wisconsin.
Fans didn't take to the new TimeOut that Fresno State officials introduced last year.
Here's what Bee columnist Matt James said in July about the bulldog mascot's revamped look:
"The new TimeOut looks like a chipmunk on human growth hormones. ... TimeOut's new head is the size of an Amana dishwasher. And worst of all, he's brown."
Sex tax: Here's a California budget solution everyone can love
Those rambunctious number crunchers at "Freakonomics" might have come up with the solution for California's budget problems after all: the sex tax. They want to make it national, but this might work as an emergency measure to save California. You remember the play, "Urinetown"? Well, imagine a similar play called "Sextown," where one's sex life is determined by wealth and power.
Whereby:
* It has been observed that Democrats are generally in favor of taxation and Republicans are generally opposed to unnecessary sexual activity; and whereby:
* The unintended costs of sexual activity are unacceptably high, particularly in the political arena (c.f. Messrs. Clinton, Foley, Craig, Edwards . . . to name just a fraction of the available examples); and whereby:
* The pursuit of sex is also extremely costly beyond the political realm, in terms of lost productivity, unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, and ruined marriages (and other committed relationships); and whereby:
* The federal government is now, as always, in need of more money;
It is hereby proposed that a new "sex tax" shall be levied upon the citizens of these United States.
Let it be clear that the aim of said tax is not to deter sexual activity itself, but rather to capture some of the costs imposed by certain extraneous sexual activity that, especially once made public, tends to divert precious resources from more worthy subjects; to this end:
* Married couples will receive a substantial credit for sanctioned, in-home sexual activity; and, conversely:
* The highest rates shall be paid for premarital, extramarital, and otherwise unusual or undesirable sexual activity; and:
* Sexual activity between members of the same gender; or activity between more than two participants; or in an airplane, on a beach, or in other "nontraditional" settings shall surely be taxed at a higher, though heretofore undetermined, rate. Also to be determined is a scale for noncoital activity.
Governor needs to get off the stick and fill Valley air board seats
Gov. Schwarzenegger signed a bill expanding the membership of the board that governs the Valley's air district 11 months ago. We're still waiting for one of the seats to be filled, as we noted in an editorial today.
The expansion of the board included the addition of a doctor and a scientist with expertise in air quality issues. We got the doctor -- Dr. John Telles, a Fresno cardiologist -
