[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Robert Cruickshank

Last fall I took the LA Times to task for framing the state budget crisis as a problem of "automatic" spending, and not being sufficiently attentive to the structural revenue shortfall that is the true cause of the budget problem.

While the LA Times has shown some improvement - George Skelton's column yesterday is mostly if not completely on target and the incomparable David Lazarus always has some good insights - the rest of the state's media seems slower to follow.

Take, for example, Sunday's Sac Bee column from Daniel Weintraub, California Budget 101: What went wrong, when. Weintraub's column purports to be a "a fuller explanation of the dimensions of the problem" - but winds up repeating the same discredited arguments, namely that this is primarily a spending problem:

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Robert Cruickshank

Last fall I took the LA Times to task for framing the state budget crisis as a problem of "automatic" spending, and not being sufficiently attentive to the structural revenue shortfall that is the true cause of the budget problem.

While the LA Times has shown some improvement - George Skelton's column yesterday is mostly if not completely on target and the incomparable David Lazarus always has some good insights - the rest of the state's media seems slower to follow.

Take, for example, Sunday's Sac Bee column from Daniel Weintraub, California Budget 101: What went wrong, when. Weintraub's column purports to be a "a fuller explanation of the dimensions of the problem" - but winds up repeating the same discredited arguments, namely that this is primarily a spending problem:

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

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Anthony Wright
Executive Director of Health Access California

Daniel Weintraub has his own post-mortem of health care reform in the Sacramento Bee. This should not be the last word on the subject.

First, there's some straight-out inaccuracies: For example, he states that the Legislature's original proposal, AB 8, "would cover only employees," when in fact it had public program expansions based on income, not employment, for both children and adults. He also stated that the final negotiated plan, AB x1 1, did not cover part-time workers (when, in fact, part-timers were covered, largely under the public program expansions--the question was whether employers would have to pay a contribution on them as a specific population).

There's glaring omissions: the fact that consumer groups don't get any mention at all is telling in Weintraub's worldview. Or that the Governor only released legislative language for his proposal, not to mention make any movement on policy--a month after the legislative session had ended, in October. The timing mattered, since it was a crucial reason why the effort ultimately ran out of time a few short months later.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

It looks like the Governor is planning to the roll the dice again next year by putting several high-profile measures on the ballot that could makeor break his agenda, Daniel Weintraub writes in today's Sacramento Bee.First there is his costly health care plan, which would likely drawopposition from tobacco (left), insurance companies and the CaliforniaNurses Association. And he's putting his weight behind a water bond andredistricting, both uncertain to succeed.

Democrats in Congress are doing the right thing by pushing for a $500million restoration of the San Joaquin River, but the Republicans, whoseem to have given up any semblance of fiscal responsibility, will not agree on how to pay for it, according to the Bee. What's so controversial about paying for what the Congress spends?

The state board responsible for regulating chiropractors may finally clean up its act after an investigation earlier this year revealed lax enforcement andgaping holes in accountability, the Bee reports. Many of the morerecent appointees who took this direction were put there by GovernorSchwarzenegger, who tends to take a more laissez-faire approach to theissue.

There's more...

Photo courtesy of People Magazine.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Recently liberated the Capitol Alert firewall, Daniel Weintraub questions Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner's decision to throw $1.5 million into the No on Prop 93 campaign. Says Weintraub:

"I wish I had Steve Poizner's money. If I did, I bet I could find something better to spent $1.5 mil of it on than trying to kill Prop. 93, the legislative leaders' attempt to change term limits in California.

I know I'm supposed to be real agitated that the proposal would allow assembly members to serve 12 years rather than six, and senators to serve 12 years rather than 8, and it even applies to lawmakers already serving. But to me it's a big yawn. I don't think it makes much of a difference either way. Once this crew washes out, the new members will serve a maximum of 12 years rather than the current 14, and they can serve it all in one house or the other. Is that going to change the world? I doubt it."

Good to have you back, Dan.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

During a recent radio address, Governor Schwarzenegger "handed the microphone"to Catholic Healthcare West president Lloyd Dean, who heaped praise onArnold's health care plan, the Sacramento Bee reports. This move hadconservative activists like Lew Uhler (left) howling—Uhler accused theGovernor of using taxpayer dollars to "propagandize." It is a fine linewe're seeing, but we would err on the side of giving a voice to thosewho want reform over those who would stifle it.

While Arnold is known for his "bring 'em together" approach, he certainly hasn't been singing around the campfirewith the prison guards union, writes Daniel Weintraub in today's Bee.By invoking an obscure state law allowing him to implement newstandards for pay and benefits, the Governor has all but declared waron the union. But, as Weintraub points out, he might be overplaying hishand, as union cooperation will be needed to achieve true prison reform.