In the ring of partisan politics, the California Democratic Party received a blow from one of its most faithful financial supporters.

The LA Times reports that Bill Lloyd, president of the Service Employees Union (SEIU) of California, warned that his union will cease funding the party for its support of a group no longer associated with the union.

Since word came down from high during the last school year that the University of California and California State University systems would be especially hard-hit with the ailing state budget, leaders in the state and within the CSU and UC systems have been scrambling for answers. Assembly Majority Leader Alberto Torrico proposed AB 656, which will significantly tax oil company profits, to raise money for institutions of higher education in California.

Earlier this month, California lawmakers and Governor Schwarzenegger agreed to a five-pronged “solution” to the statewide water crisis.

As California suffers under 12.5% unemployment and is projected to run an astounding $83 billion worth of deficits over the next four years, billionaire GOP candidates, Meg Whitman and Steve Poizner, are playing the same old political games.  Now, this is not meant to be a partisan hit piece.  Both offer thought-provoking economic models, with Whitman focusing on job creation and spending cuts, and Poizner advocating his 10-10-10 plan of tax cuts, spending cuts, and a rainy day fund.

In a state facing yearly budget deficits, other victims have fallen prey to the California government's financial mismanagement.

In a move angering many students enrolled in the University of California education system, the UC Board of Regents overwhelmingly voted for a 32% tuition fee increase (or $2,500) effective summer 2010.

An LA Times article outlines the centrist make-up of the GOP candidate field for the 2010 gubernatorial race.  Much like Arnold, Poizner, Whitman, and Campbell are campaigning on a strong, fiscally conservative bent and a moderate stance on controversial social issues. Many pundits believe Jerry Brown, if he runs uncontested on the Democratic side, will attempt to launch a more centrist campaign as well.

Meg Whitman isn't the only woman running for Governor.  Chelene Nightingale is also running for governor on the American Independent Party ticket, and she is proposing some novel solutions to help rescue California from the abyss.  At this time, the media and political pundits view her as an irrelevant candidate, but keep in mind, the media has obsessed over the typical, high-profile candidates for years, and the state has become the laughingstock of the Union.

California politics keeps digging itself deeper and deeper into a hole.  Two Representatives, Maxine Waters and Laura Richardson, are under full-scale investigation by the House Ethics Committee, and Jerry Brown's office may have engaged in illegal tape recordings of conversations with news reporters.

In 2009, the Obama administration and Congress predicted the nearly $800 billion stimulus bill would cap national unemployment at 8.1% and create/save 3.5 million jobs over a two-year period.  More specifically, the White House predicted that the stimulus bill would add 396,000 new jobs to California through December 2010.  Thus far, none of these predictions appear to be panning out.