Here's one to keep us occupied during the long hot summer as the countdown drones on of days without a budget:

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says it's time for California to "study" legalizing and taxing recreational marijuana. Not that he's in favor of it, mind you ...

It is becoming increasingly difficult to gain admittance to many California colleges and universities. But for many students who earned the golden ticket, a key question is arising: can they even afford to attend?

It's right there in black and white, in a proclamation issued late last week from the governor of the great state of California:

"If you get sick with flu, it is recommended that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them. ..." the proclamation read.

As befits a man who has been in some form ofCalifornia government service for the past 30 years, a poll releasedMonday evening shows that Lt. Gov. John Garamendi would soundly beat virtually all opponents vying to replace U.S. Rep. Ellen Tauscher in the 10th Congressional District if the election was held immediately.

Theproblem with a state of emergency is that it sounds so urgent.

So whenGov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declareda state of emergency last Tuesday due to swine flu, it immediately bestowed theoutbreak a greater sense of urgency than it had at that point. Or has at thispoint, for that matter - there still are only 14 confirmed cases in the state.

Lt. Gov. John Garamendi, an early candidate forgovernor in 2010, recently announced that he will drop efforts to become theGolden State's next chief executive and instead run to replace U.S.Rep. Ellen Tauscher in the 10th Congressional District.

Garamendi, ala Gavin Newsom, made the announcement via Twitter, Facebook and
YouTube and during in-person stops in Concord and Fairfield.

Californians are taking an increasingly dim view of the governor andmembers of state legislature, according to a new Field Poll released onFriday.

The poll shows that nearly three out of four surveyrespondents -- some 74 percent -- say they do not approve of the jobthat members of the California Legislature are doing -- likely areflection of their deep dissatisfaction surrounding the state'smangled and heavily politicized budget process.

Approximately 1,500 fewer high school seniors will become freshman at University of California campuses than last year this fall.

Fewer students were admitted for Fall 2009 to the UC campuses, mainly owing to a budget crunch and fewer allotted spaces. While more than 60,000 students became first-time UC freshmen last year, fewer than 60,000 have earned that distinction for next fall.

Months ago, when budget issues throughout California came to a head, UC officials announced that fewer first-time college students would be admitted to a UC campus for the next year.

The California Car Buyers' Protection Act of 2009, appears to protect car buyers; however, it may, by extension, end up hurting car buyers. By presenting greater leeway to punish auto sellers, if fewer auto dealers are willing to sell cars in California and become more risk-averse, buyers may be adversely affected, as well.

As the circusof delusion surrounding California's special elections continues, theunrealistic optimism of those pushing the elections is only becomingmore and more obvious, and more and more self-evidentlycounter-productive.

Now not only are politicians asking California'speople to approve spending caps, tax increases and borrowing againstthe lottery, they're also asking them to publicly admit they were wronglast November.