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Presidential Electors Initiative Watch: Initiative in Circulation for June 2008
Graphic Courtesy of California Majority Report
Another California initiative – “The Presidential Electors Initiative” changing the distribution of Presidential electoral College votes (winner take all to by Congressional district) was approved for circulation yesterday. Previously the Electoral Reform California Initiative qualified and is currently circulating for signatures.
The initiative is here and the complete text is here.
Two competing GOP sponsored initiatives with California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger apparently opposed with lukewarm initial poll support and massive Democrat Party opposition yields this scenario:
1. Funds are raised from Presidential candidates and GOP donors to qualify the initiative(s) for the June 2008 California ballot.
2. Since support is so-so from the California GOP and voters, supporters will FEIGN a campaign forcing Democrats to spend campaign resources to “MAKE SURE” the initiative(s) do not pass.
Flap thinks both initiatives have merit and with a low turn-out election in June you never know.
But, Flap DOES know that the Democrats will spend mega-dollars on their media campaign and cause them grief and election angst.
Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean accused Republicans of trying to “rig” the 2008 presidential contest and vowed Wednesday to do “whatever it takes within legal boundaries” to stop a California ballot measure that would change how the state casts its 55 Electoral College votes.
Dean, who called the initiative a “Tom Delay/Karl Rove-type maneuver…”
Stay tuned…….
Previous:
Electoral Reform California Initiative Watch: Schwarzenegger Cool To Initiative
Electoral Reform California Initiative Watch: Field Poll – 47% Favor vs. 35% Oppose
Electoral Reform California Initiative Could Split California Presidential Votes Part II
Electoral Reform California Initiative Could Split California Presidential Votes
North Carolina Ready to Change Electoral College Presidential Selection Rules for 2008
Technorati Tags: Electoral Reform California, Electoral College, GOP, Democrats
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Arnold Schwarzenegger Vs. Barbara Boxer in 2010?
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, right, speaks as former California governors, Pete Wilson, left, and Gray Davis look on during a news conference Thursday Aug. 23, 2007 in Los Angeles. The three along with members of the Voices of Reform Coalition including Common Cause and League of Women Voters met to discuss ways promote a fundamental change in the way political boundaries are drawn to insure fairness and transparency in elections.
Garry South, a veteran political consultant who handled Gray Davis’gubernatorial campaigns, and who last year headed Steve Westly’s campaign for governor makes the case.
The Governator will paint the radically LEFT Boxer as a post-partisan obstruction to national consensus and will win going away – after a costly and dirty media campaign.
Previous:
California Restaurant Owners Support Tax Increase to Pay for Health Care
Arnold Schwarzenegger Watch: Health Care FLOP
Michael Ramirez on California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Radical Health Care Proposal
Arnold Schwarzenegger Watch: California Governor Schwarzenegger Proposes RADICAL Health Care Reforms
Technorati Tags: Arnold Schwarzenegger
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California Restaurant Owners Support Tax Increase to Pay for Health Care
Of course, the California Restaurant Association members will support either a sales or payroll tax increase to pay for health insurance for the uninsured.
Why?
So, as employers they won’t get stuck with the bill to pay for the health care of their low wage employees.
Everyone agrees that Californians should have the best health care available. The disagreement comes as to the financial responsibility for the massive costs.
Arnold’s 2007 health care plan is dead and the Governator has stated he will veto the Democrat’s plan to increase employer’s payroll taxes mandating health care insurance. And voters will never approve a sales tax increase.
The deadline for legislative action is September 15th.
Nothing will happen in the California Legislature this year – and thankfully so.
Previous:
Arnold Schwarzenegger Watch: Health Care FLOP
Michael Ramirez on California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Radical Health Care Proposal
Arnold Schwarzenegger Watch: California Governor Schwarzenegger Proposes RADICAL Health Care Reforms
Technorati Tags: Arnold Schwarzenegger
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Arnold Schwarzenegger Watch: California Budget Deficits On The Horizon
Former California Governor Gray Davis, right, speaks to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as former Governor Pete Wilson, left, looks on, during a news conference Thursday Aug. 23, 2007 in Los Angeles. The three along with members of the Voices of Reform Coalition including Common Cause and League of Women Voters met to discuss ways promote a fundamental change in the way political boundaries are drawn to insure fairness and transparency in elections.
The California budget stalemate ended this week but all is not well with the state budget.
It is ironic that Governor Schwarzenegger is being touched above by former California Governor Gray Davis who was recalled (and replaced by Arnold) partly because of his huge budget deficits.
Tom McClintock, Flap’s California State Senator sees stormy economic clouds on the horizon.
Flap sees tax increases or bonds to raise state revenue because the Governor cannot control spending. If the economy goes south, the Governator may be in the same predicament as his predecessor, Gray Davis.
Previous:
Arnold Schwarzenegger Watch: Health Care FLOP
Technorati Tags: Arnold SchwarzeneggerTom McClintock
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Electoral Reform California Initiative Watch: Schwarzenegger Cool To Initiative
Graphic Courtesy of California Majority Report
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said yesterday “In principle, I don’t like to change the rules in the middle of the game” with regards to the Electoral Reform California Initiative which is now being circulated.Although he added he wasn’t versed in details of the ballot proposal and stressed he wasn’t taking a definitive position his lack of enthusiasm may damper fundraising efforts.
Also, there is another electoral college reform initiative pending in the Attorney General’s office. And this initiative is created by governor’s former attorney Thomas Hiltachk and ex-advisor Marty Wilson.
The “Presidential Election Reform Act” is here.Is the Governor remaining non-committal because he favors the “OTHER” initiative or using both as bargaining chips over the Democrat controlled Legislature for redistricting reform?
In any case, the Democrats are not sitting still and have submitted a counter-initiative, “National Popular Vote” counter-initiative, which would have the state’s electoral votes go to whoever wins the national popular vote.
If you are afraid you cannot defeat a measure directly at the polls, why not create confusion where both measures go down to defeat – a long-time used tactic in California Initiative politics. This is the apparent strategy here.
The Presidential Election Reform Act is due to be reported out of the Attorney General’s office on September 5th and begin circulation for signatures.
Stay tuned…….
Previous:
Electoral Reform California Initiative Watch: Field Poll – 47% Favor vs. 35% Oppose
Electoral Reform California Initiative Could Split California Presidential Votes Part II
Electoral Reform California Initiative Could Split California Presidential Votes
North Carolina Ready to Change Electoral College Presidential Selection Rules for 2008
Technorati Tags: Electoral Reform California, Electoral College, GOP, Democrats
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California Republican Party Bailed Out of Campaign Debt
Two donor associates of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Paul Folino and Larry Dodge have stepped up and bailed out the California Republican Party.Think this will ease the budget stand-off with GOP State Senators?
NOPE
But, at least the Governor will be able to speak at his parties upcoming state convention.
Technorati Tags: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Paul Folino, Larry Dodge, California Republican Party
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California Republican Party Call Out For Bloggers and New Media
Flap gets an e-mail today from the California GOP as a call out to bloggers for their bi-annual convention:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Shira Rawlinson
August 17, 2007 (916) 448-9496
California Republican Party 2008 Fall Convention
Convention Information
(SACRAMENTO) – The California Republican Party Fall Convention is scheduled for September 7-9, 2007. The convention will be held at The Renaissance Esmeralda Resort and Spa in Indian Wells, CA. The hotel is located at 44-400 Indian Wells Lane, Indian Wells. Please call 800-446-9875 or 877-804-4070 by August 17th to receive a hotel room at the discounted price and mention the California Republican Party.
Elected officials planning to attend include Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Congresswoman Mary Bono, Congressman Kevin McCarthy, Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, Board of Equalization member Michelle Steel, State Senators Dick Ackerman, Jim Battin, George Runner and Assemblymembers Anthony Adams, John Benoit, Chuck DeVore, Bonnie Garcia, Martin Garrick, Bob Huff, Alan Nakanishi, Sharon Runner, Cameron Smyth, Van Tran and Mimi Walters.
Bloggers planning to attend the convention should fill out a new media/blogger credential application at: http://www.cagop.org/forms/newmedia_credential/. Hard copies of the application can be obtained by contacting Shira Rawlinson at Shira@cagop.org or phone: (916) 448-9496.
Below is an agenda for Friday and Saturday dinner banquets and Saturday luncheon.
Friday Dinner Banquet 7:30pm
Featuring Governors Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rick Perry (TX) & Charlie Crist (FL)
Saturday Luncheon 12:30pm
Featuring United States Senator and Republican Candidate for President John McCain
Saturday Dinner Banquet 7:30pm
Featuring Republican Governors Tim Pawlenty (MN) & Jon Huntsman, Jr. (UT)
Sunday General Session 9:00am
Featuring Senator Tom McClintock, Assemblyman Bob Huff &
Congresswoman Mary Bono
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Flap doesn’t know if he will attend to see John McCain and the Governator. But, I may run down there for Saturday at least.
But, California bloggers if you are interested in attending be sure to apply for your credentials early here.
Technorati Tags: California Republican Party, Arnold Schwarzenegger, John McCain
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Arnold Schwarzenegger Watch: Health Care FLOP
The Wall Street Journal has a piece up today for subscribers describing the failure (FLOP) of the stalled California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s health care reform proposal.
Flap previously dismissed this misguided effort at universal socialized care with its concomitant tax increases here and here.
This proposal may not quite be dead but it is moribund. When the Governor has to travel to Fresno in the middle of the hot summer and fails to cajole and shame a recalcitrant California GOP State Senator to vote for his budget, it is doubtful that this controversial initiative will be able to obtain a 2/3 vote of the California Legislature.
In beating the drum for his plan, Mr. Schwarzenegger has often deplored what he calls the “hidden tax” of the current health-care system. Supposedly that describes the extent to which the costs of treating the uninsured shift to those who have insurance, thus making an argument for universal care.
Yet researchers at Stanford led by Dan Kessler ran the figures and demolished this claim. The total burden of this “cost shifting” in California amounted to only 2.8% of premiums in the 2000s. That’s not nothing, but in the Governor’s hands this modest hidden tax is an excuse for larger unhidden taxes. Perhaps the puncturing of this argument will prevent it from being deployed in the 2008 health-care debate, though don’t count on it.
If Arnold’s plan does fail, it will join “universal” health-care dreams in Illinois, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and other states that were also unveiled to hosannas but flopped once the fine print and costs were exposed. Alas, the failure of these state reforms probably won’t diminish political agitation for similar attempts that Democrats or Mr. Romney might propose in Washington. But it should.
There may be time (before the California Legislature adjourns at the end of September) for Schwarzenegger’s water infrastructure improvement proposals, including bonds for dams, Sacramento Delta improvement and a Peripheral Canal but Flap seriously doubts this health care plan is going anywhere except in the waste bin.
Previous:
Michael Ramirez on California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Radical Health Care Proposal
Arnold Schwarzenegger Watch: California Governor Schwarzenegger Proposes RADICAL Health Care Reforms
Technorati Tags: Arnold Schwarzenegger
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Antonio Villaraigosa, Arnold Schwarzenegger, California, Los Angeles, Mirthala Salinas, NBC, Telemundo
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Watch: The Source
Kevin Roderick has the poop on who started the FLAP of the Villaraigosa – Salinas affair scandal.
So, who was the source of Luke Ford’s post about the Mayor no longer wearing his wedding ring and not being seen with his wife, Corina, for months?
Why, it was Daily News reporter Tony Castro, who couldn’t get his piece published in the newspaper.
The role of blogs – to boldly publish, where no one has published before.
Previous:
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Watch: Still Waiting for Telemundo
The Miguel Contreras Learning Complex Pool Flap
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Watch: Pay to Play at LAUSD
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Watch: Villaraigosa Tries Again to Shift Focus
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Watch: NBC Telemundo Expected to Announce Results This Week
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Watch: Corina Villaraigosa Speaks About Commitment
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Watch: Telemundo Ethics Probe of Mirthala Salinas Completed
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Watch: Mayor Heckled at Transportation Meeting
Technorati Tags: Antonio Villaraigosa, Mirthala Salinas, TelemundoUnivision
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Antonio Villaraigosa, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Calfornia Election 2010, California, Gavin Newsom, Jack O'Connell, Jerry Brown, John Garramendi, Phil Angelides, Steve Poizner, Steve Westly
Jerry Brown Watch: California Governor in 2010?
Senator Feinstein meets with Mayor Jerry Brown of Oakland, California and Mayor Gavin Newsom of San Francisco, California.
Philip J. Trounstine, the former communications director for Gov. Gray Davis, hints at THE POSSIBLITY of the idea of a recycled Governor Moonbeam in 2010. Remember that Gray Davis is Brown’s former Gubernatorial Chief of Staff.
Brown, a former Governor in the 1970’s is immune from term limits and could seek two more terms as California’s Governor. If elected, Brown, would be 72 years old when taking office.
Remember that current Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger who replaced Governor Gray Davis when he was recalled is termed out and cannot by law run for re-election.
Let’s look at the race.
Can Attorney General Brown win the Democrat primary?
Possible
Who will be his opposition:
Steve Westly – former California Controller who lost to Phil Angelides last year in the Democrat primary for Governor.
Phil Angelides – former California Treasuerer and Democrat Party Chairman who lost to Arnold Schwarzengger last year in the general election.
Gavin Newsom – current Mayor of San Francisco who admits to sleeping with his campaign manager’s wife and carrying on a sordid affair.
Antonio Villaraigosa – current Mayor of Los Angeles who admits to an affair with Mirthala Salinas, a Telemundo political reporter and who is in the middle of a divorce.
John Garramendi – current Lt. Governor of California who many Democrat activists describe as yesterday’s news.
Jack O’Connell – current California Superintendent of Public Instruction who has limited statewide name recognition.
So, does former Governor
MoonbeamMoonbat have a shot with the Democrats?You bet
In the general election against moderate Republican Steve Poizner who is currently the California Insurance Commissioner, the race would be more difficult. Poizner has youth and the money to pound Brown on Rose Bird, the Death Penalty and other Brown oddities.
On the bright side, Flap would enjoy the race because of:
Yeah, Flap, knows Brown is NOW married. But, I bet Linda comes out and sings a few sets for the AG – and how about the Eagles too?
Stay tuned……..
Technorati Tags: Jerry Brown, Linda Ronstadt, Steve Westly, Phil Angelides, Gavin Newsom, Antonio Villaraigosa, John Garramendi, Jack O’Connell