[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Carmen Balber
Consumer Advocate
Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights

As consumer advocates, the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights has joined state Senator Dean Florez to offer advice to consumers affected by wildfires across Southern California, and caution policymakers to watch the insurance industry closely to protect consumers as the fires subside and rebuilding begins.

Can homeowners rebuild?

After the 2003 fires, many homeowners discovered that their insurance coverage would not fully repair or replace their homes. The 2007 fires will be the test of whether insurance companies corrected the problems of the past and lived up to the obligation to provide adequate coverage to homeowners.

If insurers fail the test, legislation will be necessary to hold insurance companies responsible for setting adequate policy limits for homeowners.

Premiums should not go up

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Frank D. Russo

Senate President pro Tem Don Perata (D-Oakland) sent a sharply worded letter to Governor Schwarrzenegger today accusing the Governor and Republicans legislators of irresponsibly opposing "legislation, holding the needs of our state hostage in an attempt to leverage billions of dollars for new dams in Republican districts."

The letter notes that not a single Republican supported SB 2XX that Perata had worked hard to negotiate in the special session with "almost universal support from water districts, local governments, business leaders and conservation groups." It ends with a reference to the Governor's advice to the California Republican Party that they were not “filling the seats” because they were following a narrow agenda, saying: "As your predecessor will tell you, there are worse things in politics than empty seats. In a crisis, Californians rightly expect their leaders to set partisan agendas aside and respond to the problems at hand."

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

This weekend, the California Republican Party is conventioning in Indian Wells. Last night, Gov. Schwarzenegger asked the party faithful to cast a wider net and appeal to more rank-and-file Republicans.
 
This morning, the party's initiatives committee decided not to take the Governor's advice. The so-called Fleischman Initiative to oppose term limits reform was proposed and approved.
 
Here's how it went down:
 
Fleischman introduced his initiative with a predictable screed about current legislators.
 
Sen. Jim Battin then told the assembled group that passage of Fleischman's manifesto would significantly set back negotiations on (ironically) a core issue for Republicans -- redistricting. He said by taking a position before the Legislature was out of session, Republicans' negotiating power would be significantly diminished.
 
Apparently Assemblymember Bob Huff agreed with Fleischman -- and took a veiled swipe at the Governor by saying if the Governor thinks Republicans are the party of 'no' they should get up and say it as loudly as possible.
 
Jill Buck then echoed Sen. Battin's sentiment -- why would Republicans risk redistricting reform by passing this initiative? She said it just didn't make sense.
 
There was a hopeful moment -- Fleischman pledged that if the Legislature actually passed redistricting reform, he'd convene the party's executive committee to reconsidered their position on term limits.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Americans put politics aside yesterday to honor our nation's fallen heroes, particularly those who lost their lives in Iraq. In Californian, hundreds of parades and ceremonies commending those who have perished and those who are still with usserved as a reminder that Memorial Day is about more than just a threeday weekend.

Putting aside politics should not distract us from the enormous tragedy the Iraq war has inflicted on thousands of military families and the entire nation, wrote JoeGuzzardi of the Lodi News-Sentinel, who called the loss of young lives"sadly predictable." Guzzardi's advice: get out soon and let the Iraqishandle their own affairs.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Margaret Dooley
Drug Policy Alliance

Just days after signing off on a plan to spend billions on prison expansion, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will release his revised budget proposal for Proposition 36, California’s voter-enacted, treatment-instead-of-incarceration program. Prop. 36 has proved over and over again to improve Californians’ lives, save taxpayers money and reduce the burden on our prison system.

The governor should heed the advice of a recent state-funded report by increasing funding for Prop. 36 drug treatment to $228.6 million.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Gov.  Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican who was re-elected in a largely Democratic state in no small part by breaking from many Republicans, said it was a mistake for candidates to explicitly distance themselves from the president.

"I would not do it," Mr. Schwarzenegger said in an interview in his office in Santa Monica. "I think it’s much better to say, Here’s what I believe, here’s what I would do."

Even the most casual observer of California politics would find Schwarzenegger’s advice to the GOP presidential candidates laughable, considering the Governor’s re-election strategy was based on essentially running as a Democrat and staging a “battle” with the Bush Administration on a monthly, if not weekly, basis. From stem cell research to immigration reform, the war in Iraq to the environment and climate change, the post-2005 special election Schwarzenegger has staked his reputation on at least appearing to distance himself from an increasingly unpopular President Bush. Seemingly every time Air Force One has descended into the Golden State in recent years, Schwarzenegger has run for safer ground and found yet another excuse to avoid being seen with Bush.