The long-awaited report on the activities of the state commission formerly led by actor/director Rob Reiner is out. And while it raises several questions about the process used to spend millions in taxpayer dollars, including possible violations of state law, … Continue reading »

There are 100 seats in the California Legislature on the November 7 ballot. But thanks to a lot districts drawn safely for incumbents of both parties, there are very few truly competitive races to watch. How few? Well, using what … Continue reading »

As the week ends, a couple of interesting items to mention in the race for governor from the campaigns of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Phil Angelides. First, Team Arnold… and a new TV ad called "33″– as in the 33 newspapers … Continue reading »

There's a fair amount of grumbling out there about whether reporters spend enough time… or way too much… reporting on campaign fundraising by candidates and interest groups. Some think it's extremely important to know who's donating, and how much is … Continue reading »

Expect the following three themes today to come out of the world of California politics today: messaging, money, and momentum. First, messaging… as the campaign of Phil Angelides releases a new statewide TV spot, which you can see here. The … Continue reading »

The latest public poll, just out tonight, is chock full of issues and items to consider. The headline from the Public Policy Institute of California poll only reinforces the conventional wisdom about the gubernatorial contest: Arnold Schwarzenegger is handily beating … Continue reading »

Election Day is now two weeks away, and not only are there very few headlines being made in the race for governor, but the incumbent is running what amounts to a stealth campaign. The lack of headlines is certainly not … Continue reading »

the state's budget deficit? Voters head to the polls in 15 days, while many others are already voting by absentee. And yet, there is very little discussion about one of the biggest tasks any governor has to tackle upon taking … Continue reading »

So what did Phil Angelides talk about in his visit this morning to the wacky world of morning radio? Well, a little bit of policy… interspersed with the rantings of talk show host Adam Carolla about taxes (he thinks they're … Continue reading »

The folks at the conservative-leaning Cato Institute have published their annual report card on the fiscal policy of the nation's governors. And they've dropped Arnold Schwarzenegger's budget score from an 'A' to a 'D.' The Cato report is here. It … Continue reading »