Poll Shows Californians Favoring Open Primaries

Ina likely indicator of voter displeasure with all things Sacramentothese days, a recently released poll shows that a clear majority ofCalifornians support the idea of having an "open primary" which wouldallow the two top vote-getters (regardless of party) to advance to thegeneral election.

Receiver or Thief?

Well, so much for the idea that bureaucracy should be accountable.

The decision on California's attempt to reinstate control over its ownprison system is back, and from the looks of it, we're doomed to spendmillions more on ensuring that murderers who have the flu get their hotwater bottles.

Energy Costs to Rise

Southern California Edison was recently given the green light by the California Public Utilities Commission to raise monthly rates. And on April 4, electricity bill rates may change noticeably for nearly five million Californians.

According to the AP, the approved rate hike will mostly add an additional $2-$4 on to the average consumer's monthly utility bill. The rate increase was cited as necessary to help update SCE utilities.

The Sacramento Six

Lookslike actual bipartisanship can be a liability of epic proportions -- atleast, when you implicitly concede to the other party's agenda whilesimultaneously directly contradicting a strategy aimed at retrievingyour own party's political capital so that you can escape the albatrossof an unpopular public official.

Which is, you know, totally unprecedented.

First, They Came For The Bonuses

With the passage of the bill calling for a 90 percent tax onthe AIG bonuses, the three-ring economic, political and media circuscentered around the AIG bonuses has now officially entered the realm ofabsurdity, and looks to be spending the remainder of its existencethere.

Orange County School Board Makes Mockery of Brown Act

Inan action that will no doubt have a chilling effect on those seeking tokeep California government and school districts operating in thesunshine, an Orange County school district board has successfullyconvinced a California appeals court that it not only has the right toshut down and cover-up dissent but also financially punish thoseseeking to expose the illegal actions.

Do you Hear the People Mutter?

In the Tony award winning musical Les Miserables,the student Enjolras leads his fellow students in two triumphal songs,singing about how their planned uprising against the Parisiangovernment is "the music of a people who will not be slaves again" andhow "there is a life about to start, when tomorrow comes." The title ofthe more well known one is "Do you hear the people sing" and itsgeneral gist is something along the lines of "Students of the worldunite! You have nothing to lose but your books, desks and report cards!"