[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Proposition 93, the term limits reform initiative, today snared the coveted endorsement of The Los Angeles Times, the state's largest newspaper.

"The Times urges voters to reject the childish world of politics and to engage instead in the grown-up business of governing," said the editorial.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Saying term limits reform "will create fundamental and positive change in Sacramento," Governor Arnold Schwarznegger is throwing his political muscle behind Prop 93, the Term Limits Reform initiative on the February ballot.
 
"The Legislature will be more representative of the people and less beholden to special interests. Its members will have more time to do their jobs well and, most important of all, problem-solving will be a higher priority than partisanship and ambition," said Schwarzenegger in an LA Times op-ed.
 
The move is a significant boost for the campaign, which continues to hold a double-digit lead in the polls. Whether you like him or not, Schwarzenegger has high job approval ratings as a reformer among Republicans, Democrats, and Independent voters.

There's more...

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Frank D. Russo

In what can only be described as bizarre, the Republican drive to change the Electoral College vote in California only has failed by a large margin to get the necessary signatures to make the June 2008 ballot and is now falling back to placing this measure on the November Presidential Election ballot itself.

This now smacks more and more of desperation and futility. Desperate because the Republicans know they cannot win in California and will have a difficult time winning the Presidency without changing the rules as the election is taking place. What a message to have out there for the voters right before an election! Futile because the polls have shown this measure losing support even before it gets out of the box. Even more futile because their only hope was a low turnout June election and that was a longshot to begin with. And it is more evidence of the lack of enthusiasm for this audacious proposal.

Changing the rules on Election Day! I’ve heard of changing the rules before the game is played but not at the end.

by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

Disclosure: I do some outreach work on behalf of the Real Eminent Domain Reform Initiative

Next year there will be two eminent domain reform initiatives. The Howard Jarvis Taxpayer's Association, has their Hidden Agendas Scheme to end rent control and to make land use planning difficult, if not impossible. They submitted signatures a few days ago. Well, today the Real Eminent Domain Reform Initiative, the Homeowners Protection Act, has submitted their signatures, over a million strong. So, we are looking at a face-off on the June ballot.

While both of these initiatives claim to help property owners. One (the Real One) protects homeowners without ending important programs like rent control. One of them (The Fake One) redefines how government would work, or in actuality, not work. The Hidden Agendas Scheme creates a litany of collateral damage in our government and follows along with the HJTA historical policy of slash and burn politics.

by sdpolitico [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Meeting in Anaheim this weekend, California Democratic Party Executive Board Members endorsed Prop 93 (the term limits reform initiative) and crushed a resolution to censure U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein. The E-board also voted to take a neutral stance on the referendum to overturn the four gaming compacts signed by Gov. Schwarzenegger and ratified by the legislature.

The term limits initiative passed after some debate. A coalition of progressives who don't like term limits at all combined with others who believe that the initiative would reduce the chances of Democrats picking up more legislative seats. Ultimately, the party endorsed the resolution after CDP Chairman Art Torres and other party faithful hammered home that the initiative would make the legislature more effective.

Censuring Dianne Feinstein -- which was backed by moveon.org, the Courage Campaign, and other progressives -- failed.

Rick Jacobs of the Courage Campaign told the AP:  "We will be watching to make sure she votes in ways that make sense. And if not, we'll be back," he said.

The battle over the compacts was the most expensive one. The gaming tribes phone banked e-board members, did mailings, and even sent each E-board member a DVD. Labor was split on the issue, and the neutral position ultimately prevailed.

by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]



The backers of the California Hidden Agendas Scheme have worked really, really hard to press the idea that they stand for real eminent domain reform. But, oh, by the way, their proposed initiative would also  eliminate rent control and restrict our ability to build water projects and a whole host of other projects.  Nope, the Hidden Agenda is all about tagging along other "reforms" with the eminent domain reform initiative. 

Over the flip you'll find videos of a number of elected officials and commu So, Flip it!