Non-Election Related Open Thread

by David Dayen [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

There actually are some things going on outside the primaries, here's what's piqued my interest the past few days:

? Matt Stoller has more on the Barbara Boxer/climate change bill debacle.  What hurts the most is that she shut down any debate on the left flank, called progressive groups like Friends of the Earth "defeatists," and pressed forward with a muddled bill that rewards polluting industries without doing the work necessary to provide pushback from the inevitable corporate-funded conservative narratives.  I wish she'd just pull it before she causes lasting damage; we'd be in a much better position next year to get something legitimate passed.

? Here's a very good profile in The Nation of almost-a-Congressional candidate Lawrence Lessig and his "Change Congress" movement.  I'm kind of waiting for the innovative steps to get this done, but Lessig is a sharp guy.  He's giving the keynote address at Netroots Nation next month.

? There's an LA Times exploration of the various health care-related bills moving through the legislature.  They're all fairly small-bore but I think they will improve the situation out here, by eliminating rescission, mandating that insurers spend 85% of premium revenue on treatment, and including more procedures in baseline coverage, like maternity.  As long as we have the insurance system, we need to do what we can to make sure it's not as thieving as possible.

? There's a new Field Poll on Arnold and the legislature out today that is a cavalcade of bad news - the right track/wrong track numbers are 22/68, the Governor's approval rating is down to 41%, and the legislature is at 30%.  Californians don't like their government right now.  Some leadership might solve the problem.

? The salmon are dying in the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta because of ammonia runoff from sewage treatment plants, and purifying the Delta could cost up to $1 billion.

? Here's another personal story of how the foreclosure crisis is hurting individuals, this one in the Central Valley town of Merced.  It's impacting practically the entire economy of the town.  Just another example of the mess we're in from over-speculation and lax oversight of the financial industry.