by Robert in Monterey [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

by Robert in Monterey [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

by shayera [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

Nooses were found on the Cal State Fullerton campus this week. Attached to a display decrying intolerance.
Campus police are investigating the incident but they're not referring to it as a crime. There does not appear to be much information about who placed the nooses.

Campus police say they are investigating last week's incident as a "somewhat offensive" act but not a crime.

"It's a freedom of speech area and it wasn't directed toward any particular group," said campus police Lt. Fred Molina. "But we want to find who's doing this and why."

"A somewhat offensive act." Wow. I don't even know where to begin with that. There are a few things that could have made it more offensive. But putting at least 4 (from the picture accompanying the article) nooses in front of an exhibit promoting tolerance is extremely offensive.
According to the article, this is the third such act across college campuses this year alone.

The campus community held a rally denouncing racism and intolerance on Wednesday.

by Julia Rosen [courtesy of Working Californians blogs]

Nothing much unexpected happened when Arnold put his pen to the hundreds of bills waiting on his desk over the weekend. He approved increased fees on motorists, vetoed the DREAM Act and marriage equality. It's not like the legislature sent him any major pieces of legislation, though the DREAM Act and the marriage bill would have made national news if he signed them. LAT:

The governor's last signatures before Sunday's midnight deadline provided an anticlimactic end to a rather fallow year for the executive and the Legislature, some political observers said.

"It was a not particularly productive year," said Raphael J. Sonenshein, a political scientist at Cal State Fullerton.

He noted that the Republican governor and the Legislature have failed so far to reach agreement on what the leaders agreed were the two most pressing matters: healthcare reform and a comprehensive plan to upgrade the state's over-stressed water system.

The governor has called a special session on both matters, but no consensus has been reached.

Generally speaking the first year of a legislative cycle has a better chance of being productive, since many will be running for re-election in the second. They will be especially distracted next year with the term limits proposal, which will determine who runs in the second primary in June.