New news on the Non-partisan primary is coming from PolitickerCA.com. Ben van der Meer reports that former Democratic Senator Steve Peace is pushing for the open primary initiative to be on th 2010 ballot:
That's the estimation of former state Sen. Steve Peace (D-San Diego), who is pushing for an open primary system through a ballot measure voters could decide on in 2010.
Take-out isn't over in Oakland.
Fast-food empires haven't fallen in Albany.
And doggie bags still do just fine in San Francisco.
Idealistically, Los Angeles' Measure B, or the Green Energy and Good Jobs for Los Angeles Plan, sounds like a benevolent counter-strike against the smog-ridden metropolis. But the March 3 ballot measure, already at the mercy of absentee voters, elicits questions about how it will be successfully funded and implemented.
Scott Lewis of the Voice of San Diego, wrote a piece criticizing a presumptuous editorial in the Union Tribune for its lack of facts and for being deliberately misleading. As weak as the San Diego Union Tribune editorial was on the airport issue, attacking CAIVP Chairman Peace on California's electricity crisis was even more bizarre.
A multi-firm team of CAIVP attorneys including a constitutional law specialist have completed work on a revised open "top two" primary proposal modeled after the state of Washington. The revised measure includes substantial changes from the original draft submitted to the secretary of state in October. Changes include many suggestions from CAIVP commenters and other motivated citizens. Meanwhile, as you can see below, the idea is gaining traction, even inside the state capitol itself, as the legislature remains mired in an embarrassing budget standoff.
Theyended the lockdown too soon in Sacramento.
For a few insane reasons, the Legislature worked late Sunday night after marathonweekend sessions led to missed Valentine's Day dates and naps at desks, butstill no state budget agreement.
TheAssembly's ready to pass it. The holdup: The endless "Where's Waldo?"hunt for one senator who will join Republican leader Dave Cogdill ofModesto and Roy Ashburn of Bakersfield in voting "yes" on theagreement. Except in this case, it's starting to appear that Waldo's not evenin the picture.
California'sgreen initiatives may well be aided by President Obama'sstimulus package, but for the time being, the economic collapse isputting the kibosh on many of the state's nascent greenbusinesses. One of the most promising and well-financed of thosebusinesses is OptiSolar of Hayward, which has been forced to delayits plans for a Sacramento manufacturing facility that would havecreated up to 1,000 badly needed jobs.
The final draft of the by-this-point infamous economic stimulus bill hasbeen released to the public, and as even the infamously liberal New York Timesconcedes, it'sa mess. Reading more like the poorly written term paper of a drunkencollege student than an actual bill, the bill has been reportedlymarked repeatedly with under-the-radar last-minute changes, all written in theuntidy scrawl of overzealous legislators.
February 1 has come andgone, and the California government has not yet shut down.
Walkingaround the typical California town, one could even go so far as tosay that things feel exactly the same way they did before February 1.
Why February 1, you might be asking?
Whilemost of California and the nation was transfixed this week on whetherthe $789 billion federal stimulus package was going to be approved inWashington, another drama -- no less important to Californians -- wasplaying out in Sacramento.