[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

It's going to be a long summer—and fall, for that matter— asthe rubber hits the road on this year's budget. The Sacramento Beereports that Senate Republican Leader Dave Cogdill of Modesto (left)has reiterated that tax hikes are off the table for his caucus,although he gives some token acknowledgment to closing loopholes.

The San Francisco Chronicle seems to think there is a debate over Proposition 98, but it seems to us that when Pete Wilson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dianne Feinstein and the Sierra Club agree a proposition is bad news, it's probably bad news. It is interesting to note that even inBerkeley, the property owners association supports 98, which would gutrent control and most affordable housing projects.

The city of Vallejo became the first municipality in history to file for bankruptcy, despite last minute pleas from Solano County legislators Pat Wigginsand Noreen Evans, the Oakland Tribune reports. Things had gotten sobad, and the options so limited, that there was hardly a choice.

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