One of our loyal FlashReport Blog readers is apparently Ana Matosantos, Governor Schwarzenegger’s Director of Finance (who has a featured column on our main page today). After perusing the blog, she sent this submission over for your reading pleasure… Setting the Record Straight Ana Matosantos – Director of Finance In the debate over California’s spending on prison versus higher education, the following facts may be helpful.… Read More

Text of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s State of the State Speech Prepared text of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s State of the State address:

I want to begin with a true story from which we can draw a worthwhile lesson.

As you might guess, the Schwarzenegger household is something of a menagerie.

An Austrian bodybuilder, a TV journalist, four children, a dog, the normal goldfish and hamsters and so forth — and in recent years we added a miniature pony and a pot-bellied pig.

It’s not unusual for me to look up from working on the budget or something to find a pig and a pony standing there staring at me.

Now, the dog’s food, which we keep in a canister with a screw-on lid, sits on the top of the dog’s kennel.

The pony has learned to knock the canister off the top of the kennel, and then he and the pig wedge it into the corner.

There’s this ridge on the lid… Read More

The first place anyone heard there was a new successor GOP Senate Leader was on our Twitter feed. If you aren't following us, you're missing out on lots of tidbits and insights!

If you're on Twitter, search for FlashReport!… Read More

I just got off of a brief appearance on KQED’s California Report coverage of the State of the State Address. I followed Senate President Darrell Steinberg. Here’s what I had to say… (I’m being interview by KQED’s Capitol man in the building, the irrepressible John Myers… I also talk briefly about the Anthony Adams retirement.

… Read More

Here’s some "instant, lightning round" response to some of the statements of the Governor in his State of the State Address. Excerpts from the Governor’s speech are in quotes, and boldface. My comments follow each quote… "The Schwarzenegger household is something of a menagerie."

No doubt.

"Just last night the Assembly passed major educational reform, reform that once seemed impossible, but now will become law as soon as it hits my desk." Some good reforms. Governor should have noted that it should not have taken federal incentives dangled from 3,000 miles away to get them, and that the federal government should not be crafting state-level policy with payoffs.

"And now we must work to pass the 11 billion dollars in water bonds that will be on the ballot in November." This package… Read More

Today, during the annual State of the State speech, the Governor claimed that California spends 45 percent more on prisons than on higher education.

That’s not true.

In fact, the 2009-10 budget spends 7.3 percent on prisons and 9.7 percent on higher education – and that doesn’t include the billions of private dollars that are invested in our public colleges, universities and junior colleges.

Not only were the Governor’s numbers incorrect, his ideas for reducing prison spending are off the mark. Don’t get me wrong; I strongly champion trimming government spending, but let’s discuss real solutions not feel-good ideas that will never gain traction.

So what should California do to spend less on prisons?

Let’s begin by removing the federal receiver who has been instrumental in costing taxpayers $17,000 per inmate per year for just for health care. This could result inan approximate$2 billion savings per year. It’s a genuine solution that deserves the Legislature and Governor’s attention.… Read More

In my brief post last night, I indicated that the race for the Republican nomination to succeed retiring Congressman George Radanovich was a complete tossup, given the existence of two strong candidates from just outside the North end of the District, former Congressman Richard Pombo, and State Senator Jeff Denham, and two strong Fresno area candidates, former Secretary of State Bill Jones and former Fresno Mayor Jim Patterson.

That list of strong Fresno area candidates is now down to one, as Bill Jones has indicated that he is NOT running. This development elevates the candidacy of Jim Patterson and should cause some consternation for Pombo and Denham.

Pombo is a conservative’s conservative with a great ag and natural resources pedigree, but he lives outside the district and is relatively unknown to Fresno area voters, other than powerful Westside farming interests. He can raise the money to be competitive, but he isn’t a populist, and his issue strengths, while considerable, are not the type to drive turnout in his… Read More

Below is a lengthier statement that I just received from FR friend State Senator Bob Dutton in response to the Governor’s State Of The State Address…