by Nate W [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

I posted yesterday about the painful irony of the Fed bailing out egregious greedheads Bear Sterns but refusing to lift a finger to help the majority of states that are falling into the red.

Edit by Brian: Look over the flip.
And its not just Vallejo, now its Los Angeles too:

The difference between a private entity like Bear Sterns and a public one like LA or Vallejo, or California which is facing an enormous deficit of its own, is that public entities do more than employ a lot of people. They also provide essential services to children, the elderly and the ill.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

The Pennsylvania primary is upon us, marking the last big prize to be claimed before the convention.

Los Angeles and San Francisco are vying for the title of greenest city, as environmentally-friendly building standards for each face approvalfrom city authorities today. SF Mayor Gavin Newsom's plan is morestringent, but LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's covers more land.

Governor Schwarzenegger and some legislators are considering a lottery privatization plan in an effort to alleviate California's budget woes. "I think itwould be a mistake not to have everything on the table when we're insuch a dire situation," remarked Assembly Republican leader MikeVillines. Does that include raising taxes?

There's more...

Image courtesy of Sacbee.com 

by David Dayen [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is telling the ICE to back off the local economy, reports the LA Daily News. In a letter to the ICE,the mayor said that responsible businesses which depend on undocumentedworkers for labor should be left alone, and that the agency shouldconcentrate on raiding companies that are suspected of mistreatingworkers instead.

Assemblyman Alberto Torrico  (D-Newark) has withdrawn his bill that would have prevented state pension funds from investing in private firms partly operated by foreign governments with human rights abuses, reports the Sac Bee. The bill was opposed by both CalPERS and CalSTRS, as well as Governor Schwarzenegger.

Meanwhile, the Assembly  Education Committee has passed a bill that would require school textbooks to discuss the history of Hmongs, reports the Sac Bee. The bill, introduced Assemblyman Juan Arambula (D-Fresno) was opposed by three Republicans on the panel.

by Elliott Petty [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

In a landmark vote by Los Angeles Harbor Commissioners, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa moves closer to his goal of cleaning up Southern California's air and paves the way to improve the lives of 16,000 port truckers and their families.  The sorely needed L.A. Clean Trucks Program is expected to serve as a national model for ports around the country.  

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

So, let me get this straight: there are actually people in the California GOP who don't want to self-destruct and are open to—gasp—moving to the center? That's the message from major donor and businessman Lawrence K. Dodge,the Sacramento Bee reports. Naturally, the party insiders are alreadypushing back.

Senator Dianne Feinstein has stepped onto the scene in Sacramento tomeet with lawmakers about a potential deal on a water bond, accordingto the Bee.The question is to what degree she will carry water for the Governor —pun partially intended—in seeking middle ground between his and the Democrats' plans.

LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa says he's running for another term but didn't ruling out a gubernatorial bid in a interview with Charlie Rose this week, the Los Angeles Timesreports. His numbers have lagged since the affair and divorce—can hebring them back up?

There's more...

Photo courtesy of the Sacramento Bee.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

On the heels of the $2 million in spending cuts passed recently by the Legislature, Governor Schwarzenegger signed an executive order asking state departments to make added cuts through freezing hiring and putting off new supply orders, theSacramento Bee reports. Historically speaking, trying to squeezesavings out of departments hasn't produced much, but that doesn't meanit isn't possible.

Echoing calls for green-collar jobs from the presidential campaign trail, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa unveiled an aggressive clean energy plan Tuesday that includes installation of new solar panels on city buildings andcreation of over 400 union jobs, the LA Times reports. Now there'ssomething you can get behind.

Republicans in California's 4th Congressional district are looking to have oodles of conservative choices this June, ranging from right-wing to extreme right-wing especially now that firebrand State Sen. Tom McClintock (above) isthinking of jumping in, as the Bee reports. McClintock is at leastlikable and articulate, despite his wacky views on property right andtaxes. If I had to choose one of the Republicans though, I'd go withthe more moderate, less foaming-at-the-mouth Doug Ose.

There's more...