Governor Extends Slot Machine Compact--Big Donation to Redistricting ‘Reform’

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

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By Bill Cavala
A veteran of over 30 years in Sacramento

James Sweeney of the San Diego Union has a story in today’s paper to the effect that the Sycuan Band of El Cajon has failed to ratify it’s controversial new compact – costing the state $18 million dollars in lost revenue.

The failure of the Tribe to ratify gave the Governor the option of declaring the compact null and void. Had he done so, the state might have fared better. The BEE quotes the Governor’s spokesman as saying he didn’t void the compact because it was “good for the tribe and good for the state”.

This month, the Governor agreed to extend the deadline for the tribe’s OK until the first of next year.

The hitch in negotiations finalizing the compact are secret.

Now is this the same group of Casino-owning Native Americans that patriotically contributed $45,000 this month to the Governor’s redistricting initiative? The Sweeney story fails to mention that fact.

That was the same contribution justified by Kathay Feng of Common Cause who noted that many groups supported redistricting ‘reform’ because they opposed gridlock in the Capitol.

I see.

Bill Cavala was Deputy Director of the Assembly Speaker’s Office of Member Services where he worked for over 30 years.

He attended undergraduate and graduate school in the 1960’s and received a doctorate in political science at UC Berkeley. He taught political science at UC Berkeley during the 1970's while he worked part-time for the State Assembly.

Cavala left teaching at UC Berkeley and went to work for Assembly Speaker Willie Brown in 1981 until his tenure as Speaker ended in 1995, and he has worked for his five successors as Speaker up to and including Speaker Fabian Nunez.

Mr. Cavala manages election campaigns for Democratic candidates.

Posted June 19th, 2008 by Syndicated