[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

In 2003, in response to the threat of a $14 billion budget deficit (sound familiar?), Governor Schwarzenegger proposed -- but failed to pass -- a strict budget spending cap triggering automatic "robocuts" which even he later admitted would have had the effect of locking in billions of dollars in reductions to essential state services such as public safety.
 
In 2005, the Governor proposed and funded Proposition 76, a statewide initiative that would have once again set a strict spending cap, weakened Proposition 98 and given the Governor unilateral authority to make budget cuts to education, public safety and other services, whenever, wherever, he wanted.  It was overwhelmingly defeated by a 24-point margin.
 
This year, on the eve of the Governor’s State of the State and Budget announcement -- and, again, in the face of a $14-billion budget deficit -- the Governor appears to be eyeing opportunity in crisis and readying yet another run at a controversial spending cap/robocuts scheme.
 

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Fabian Nunez
Speaker of the California Assembly

I first unveiled a health care reform plan one year ago today. It’s been a long struggle with a lot of input and intense discussions with stakeholders across the spectrum. It was a huge undertaking to reach the historic vote taken in the Assembly this week, and while I understand several contributors on this site will never like any reform plan that isn’t single payer, the progressive community deserves to hear the reasons I think AB 1x1 deserves widespread support.

Let’s start with basic principles: Everyone should have insurance – and no one subject to a mandate should be denied by any insurer. Most of the uninsured are working people who can’t afford it - we’re making it affordable to them. We’re also helping out people in the middle who are struggling paying for their insurance. Of course, there will be back and forth over details – this is a complicated proposal after all. But we cannot forget that people are suffering now, and we need to help them. Portraying serious reform as “Christmas for the insurance industry” or “Patriot Act-lite” does nothing to advance the major changes that must be made. We don’t have the opportunity every day to change people’s lives for the better and we don’t have a lot of days to wait this time.

by Speaker Fabian N??ez [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

I first unveiled a health care reform plan one year ago today. It's been a long struggle with a lot of input and intense discussions with stakeholders across the spectrum. It was a huge undertaking to reach the historic vote taken in the Assembly this week, and while I understand several contributors on this site will never like any reform plan that isn't single payer, the Calitics community deserves to hear the reasons I think AB 1x1 deserves widespread support.

by David Dayen [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

California voters resoundly would reject the GOP's tricky initiative to steal the state's electoral votes by a 53-22 percent margin, according to a new poll out today.<> <>Even Republicans (46-22%) join Democrats (59-20%) and Independents (51-25%) in rejecting the initiative, which is being financed by operatives close to Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani.<> <>"This is one of the lowest levels of support we have ever seen in our polling for a statewide initiative in California," says Ben Tulchin of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research. "The fact of the matter is this electoral power grab effort by Republicans has essentially no chance of passing. No initiative that has started this far down has ever won. And with a majority of voters already voting no on this and the fact that most voters who are undecided on an initiative vote no, Republicans are wasting their time, money, and energy trying to get this losing initiative on the ballot.  

by Sheri Divers [courtesy of Blog for America]

Best news I've heard today. Here's the latest from the Los Angeles Times:

BREAKING NEWS: Electoral initiative backers give up

Plagued by a lack of money, supporters of a statewide initiative drive to change the way California's 55 electoral votes are apportioned, first revealed here by Top of the Ticket in July, are pulling the plug on that effort.

In an exclusive report to appear on this website late tonight and in Friday's print editions, The Times' Dan Morain reports that the proposal to change the winner-take-all electoral vote allocation to one by congressional district is virtually dead with the resignation of key supporters, internal disputes and a lack of funds.

The reality is hundreds of thousands of signatures must be gathered by the end of November to get the measure on the June 2008 ballot.

read more »

by shayera [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

Well. That was quick. The L.A. Times is reporting that the BREAKING NEWS: Electoral initiative backers give up

Plagued by a lack of money, supporters of a statewide initiative drive to change the way California's 55 electoral votes are apportioned, first revealed here by Top of the Ticket in July, are pulling the plug on that effort.

In an exclusive report to appear on this website late tonight and in Friday's print editions, The Times' Dan Morain reports that the proposal to change the winner-take-all electoral vote allocation to one by congressional district is virtually dead with the resignation of key supporters, internal disputes and a lack of funds.