I’m not sure if the Governor’s pain medication for his recent knee surgery impaired his decision-making, when he picked up the phone and called into the John and Ken radio show yesterday, and defended his discussions with state legislators and his proposal to increase the state sales tax as a means to get the votes to pass a state budget.

The show is absolutely fabulous political theatre — with the Governor trying to defend the tax increase and his battle against global warming — while he is rather mercilously strafed by John and Ken.

There’s one point in the interview where they ask, "Are you still on anethesia?" The point I made above.

Here is the link to the John and Ken Show website. Click on the 8/18 3 p.m. hour broadcast to listen.

While the Governor’s call into the show starts around the 12 minute mark in the show, he follows a GREAT interview with FR friend Assembly… Read More

Update: 7:15pm: In my haste to post on Big 5 meeting below, I erroneously said that the Governor was pushing an INCOME tax. That is an error. I meant to say SALES tax. But to be honest, exactly what taxes the Governor was advocating in the meeting is assumed on my part — it’s not specified in Villines’ comments- Flash

"Post-Partisan" Arnold has become a royal pain in the celebrity posterior. Post-Partisan Arnold isn’t the guy who we re-elected in 2006 who ran on an emphatic platform of never raising taxes. Post-Partisan Arnold is the guy that the Governor of the 2006 campaign trail "morphed" into after he was re-elected. Post-Partisan Arnold has no "team" — he is a team of one.

Today the Governor hosted a meeting of the Big 5 (The Governor and the four legislative leaders) in his office to see where everyone stands on budget negotiations. Apparently, according to the Sacramento Bee story covering the meeting, Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines had to walk out of the… Read More

In my haste to post on Big 5 meeting below, I erroneously said that the Governor was pushing an INCOME tax. That is an error. I meant to say SALES tax. But to be honest, exactly what taxes the Governor was advocating in the meeting is assumed on my part — it’s not specified in Villines’ comments.… Read More

California’s Central Valley is home to two "supposedly" more moderate Democrats in the California Assembly — Assemblywomen Nicole Parra and Kathleen Galgiani. Both candidates campaigned for office by stressing to voters in their districts their independence, and that they would look out for their districts. But the latest vote that took place last Sunday in the State Assembly on a budget bill jam-packed with massive tax increases (to the tune of $9.7 billion). and pork spending, the opportunity was presented for both of these ladies to vote against heaping new taxes on their constituents. Actually, going into the vote, if you were to take each of them at their word, you would have expected neither of them to vote for the budget. Galgiani voted for the bill, Parra did not.

Assemblywoman Galgiani (pictured left) campaigned on a no new taxes pledge. Up and through at least last month, her campaign website proudly boasted the… Read More

Dear Senator Correa:

I just wanted to remind you of this letter that you sent out when you were a County Supervisor (click the link below)..

It might be helpful in your consideration of the state budget.

Matt Rexroad… Read More

From Cap Weekly…. Parra kicked out of Capitol office after budget vote (published Monday, August 18, 2008)

Assemblywoman Nicole Parra, D-Hanford, has been evicted from her Capitol office space today by the Assembly Democratic leadership. The move came one day after Parra failed to vote for her own party’s budget proposal.

That proposal needed 54 votes — the two-thirds majority needed to pass a budget in California — but got only 45 votes. The vote came after four hours of debate during a special Sunday session. Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, D-Los Angeles. Not a single Republican voted for the budget bill, AB 1781 by Assemblyman John Laird, D-Santa Cruz. Thirty of 32 Republicans voted against the bill.

According to Parra’s staff, the office will now be split up. Several staffers will… Read More

After working in and around the Capitol for about 20 years I still do not understand the whole punishment by small office effort. It almost always makes the Speaker or Pro Tem look petty.

In the case of Assemblyman Curt Pringle — he wore it as a badge of honor. He actually made it into a good thing. Parra will do the same.

The big loser here is Speaker Bass.

This is a bunch of "Wiggins".… Read More

Check out this video that the Governor recorded for EcoDrivingUSA.com…