The Los Angeles Times reportsthat recently, in response to the firing of a popular math teacher, SanFrancisco voters have attempted to recall not just one or two membersof the local school board, but the entire school board. It may be thefirst time that such a large recall measure has been put forward, andcertainly bespeaks the tense air of the moment, which makes the phrase"winter of discontent" look positively optimistic.

The new year is only two weeks old, and it appears the Democratshave already released a new book of talking points. At least, that'stheimpression one gets if one looks at the prevailing attitude towardRepublicansboth at the national level and in Californiaherself. Now that the old method of calling Republican tax andbudget policy "heartless", "soulless", "callous","cruel" and cut from the same cloth of Ebenezer Scrooge no longer hasthe same kick, the Left and its fellow travelers are trotting out a newtrope:small government individualism is racist.

While state and city officials throughout California gear up to dealwith serious budget shortfalls, officials are gearing for action. Surprisingly, the Republican governor of California and theDemocratic mayor of San Francisco are taking not dissimilarapproaches.

In the aftermath of the release of Gov. Schwarzenegger's proposed budget, he has found himself blocked by an unlikely source.

In mid-December 2008, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger issued an executive order, mandating all California state employees take two “vacation” days off every month.

Sounds great, right?

The only problem is that the two vacation days will be unpaid. It is estimated that more than 200,000 state employees will be affected.

The Los Angeles Times reports that Governor Schwarzenegger has released his proposed plan to deal with California's steep budget deficit. The plan, the Times ominously reports, "proposes tax hikes" and "steep cuts" as a harsh bit of medicine for the profligacy that put California in the place it is today.

Legend in Sacramento holds that during Gov. Jerry Brown's tenure in the late 1970s-80s, a delay in the state budget and an impasse between then-Gov. Brown and the state Legislature led to some creative negotiating.

Because pressure from the capital's press corps made it tough to parse actual negotiations from posturing, Brown proposed that legislative leaders bypass normal channels and meet instead at the Virgin Sturgeon, a watering hole and restaurant five miles away from the capitol, on the Sacramento River.

GovernorSchwarzenegger's continued persistence in the face of Democraticdemands for higher taxes is, as already mentioned, one of the morerisky moves of the governor's political career.

As California courts resume sessions for the new year, they'll face another round of tough cases on the question of religion.

According to the Los Angeles Times:

The California Independent Voter Project wishes everyone a safe and happy new year. On this New Year's Day, we pledge to continue our pursuit of exceptional analysis from both sides of the political spectrum on all things politics in this great state.

With 2008 behind us, let us look forward to a bright future and work together to make those hours of great adversity that made up the end of last year a distant memory.

Happy New Year California!