[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Cross-posted on Calitics. 

In yesterday's Fresno Bee, the editorial board takes a whack at Prop 93. Fair enough, I can handle a little criticism. But I'd like to go through this a little bit.

"Term limits should be changed. They haven't worked as well as voters once hoped. The net effect of term limits has been to reduce the experience level of those who serve in Sacramento, elevate the role of special interests and their lobbyists, and turn electoral cycles into an unending marathon on fundraising and focusing on the next job, rather than on California's increasingly serious problems."

Now that's something I can agree with, and something that I'm guessing most progressives would agree with. So, a reasonable start there. But then they get into their hang up: redistricting. Why are term limits and redistricting related? Why because the governor said so of course! Silly Californians. 

There's more...

by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

Phil Isenberg, Chair of the Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force making a point to the Assembly Special Committee on Water while Jay Lund, an Environmental Professor from the University of California, Davis and C. David Nawi of an Environmental Mediation Firm listen as part of the first panel of experts.

By Frank D. Russo

The Sacramento Bee had an editorial in March of last year, two days after we started the California Progress Report, "Water's Two Religions: Beware a clash of Birkenstocks, Concrete."

The Bee stated: "In the recent failed bond talks, legislators debated the merits of new reservoirs for California with a religious-type fervor that bordered on the bizarre. It is appropriate to take an agnostic view on the matter.

"A new reservoir is neither inherently good nor evil. It all depends on the reservoir's details - where it is, how it is to be managed, who is to pay for it."

There is a lot more in the Bee editorial that seems to hit the nail on the head for the hot topic of water in today in the special session of the legislature that may produce a bond ballot proposition for the February 5, 2008 election.

by jsw [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

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[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Frank D. Russo

It's a bizarre way to do business, but the guy likes grand gestures and a bit of melodrama. Not that we haven't had it already this week with the ramping up of the final week and a half of the "end of session" for the year.

Now this from Governor Schwarzenegger's office:

"Governor Schwarzenegger issued the following statement today after he canceled a planned trip to the United Kingdom to speak at the Conservatives party conference in September and postponed a trade mission to India that had been planned for later in the fall:

"David Cameron is an outstanding leader and I was very disappointed in not being able to attend the Conservatives conference next month. I look forward to participating in the conference live via satellite and will continue to work with David on combating climate change. Additionally, I have postponed my trade mission to India. California reaps tremendous benefits from these trade missions and we will work to reschedule that trip as soon as possible.

"While I am confident that we will be able to accomplish quite a bit before the end of the legislative session, I need to maintain the flexibility to call a special session. With only two weeks left, we need to finish the work we have begun on health care, a comprehensive water plan and redistricting reform."

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By John A. Russo

by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics: Soapblox California - Front Page]

If you check out the Quick Hits Section on the front page, you'll see one QH about Joe Klein and Jane Harman, and another about Atrios declaring himself the wanker of the day.  All very good, but what does that mean? Well, it's the case that truly illustrates that, well, dday was right:  Jane Harman has changed over the past year and a half or so. And for that, we owe a debt of gratitude to Marcy Winograd.

So, um, what is all this insider jibberish? Flip it!