Home › Blogs › The Alpha State
« February 2007 | Main | April 2007 »
March 30, 2007
Chocolate Jesus offends Catholics, surprising the ignorant
New York’s Roger Smith Hotel, home to the Lab Gallery, yesterday unveiled a 200 pound, nude, anatomically correct Jesus, made out of 200 pounds of chocolate. While this would offend many at any time, it was done Easter week.
The hotel was inundated with angry calls and Matt Semler, the gallery’s creative director, almost perfectly combined ignorance with insensitivity in saying, “We’re obviously surprised by the overwhelming response and offense people have taken.”
He added that the timing was a coincidence.
I do not know Mr. Semler, but it strikes me that he would not have approved a nude, chocolate sculpture of the Prophet Mohammed and unveiled it at the beginning of Ramadan. And, if by some chance he did, you could imagine the outrage from around the country and the world at his insensitivity to Islam and Muslims. Jesus and Christianity, back pages of the newspaper and not a big deal, Mohammed and Islam, front page, top of the hour and people protesting in the streets. It’s a sad commentary on almost every level.
Posted by sharris at 06:41 AM
March 29, 2007
3,400 fired by an honest Circuit City
Circuit City announced that as a cost saving, profit increasing measure, they fired 3,400 workers. Laying off workers to save money is not a surprise, but Circuit City’s candor as to why, was.
The simply said these 3,400 employees made too much money relative to the local market rate for equivalent jobs. Said Circuit City spokesman Bill Cimino, “It had nothing to do with their skills or whether they were a good worker or not. It was a function of their alary relative to the market.”
Congratulations to Circuit City!
For so long, comparative salaries have been a tool used only to increase wages. My counterpart in another city, union, store, etc makes more than I do, so I deserve a raise. No basic understanding of the value you bring to a company, simply “I want more”. It is refreshing to see a company come out and say – we can hire equivalent workers for less money and guess what – we’re going to. It’s going to be fun to watch the reaction, but you certainly can’t fault their candor!
Posted by sharris at 07:35 AM
March 28, 2007
Well-armed Senate
Virginia’s Democratic Senator Jim Webb continues to defend his aide who was arrested for bringing a gun and two magazines of ammunition into a Senate office building.
Webb, a former Republican turned Democrat said that since protection is not assigned to the legislative branch “We are required to defend ourselves and I choose to do so.”
I congratulate Webb on his candor regarding guns (I applaud candor at all levels with our elected officials) and his support of his aide who it appears made simple mistake.
Predictably, there is no response from Democratic leaders. They can’t come out in support of Webb, because it might be construed as supporting guns. They can’t attack him for his statements and position, because he’s a Democrat.
However, close your eyes for a moment and imagine the outrage if this was a white, male southern REPUBLICAN Senator. Front-page news, nightly headlines, inquires, commissions, demands for the president to resign, new calls for gun control legislation, conspiracy theories on what the aide really had planned and general outrage.
It would have been ridiculous, but a lot more fun☺
Posted by sharris at 08:25 AM
March 27, 2007
Technical fix!
It appears that the technical problems have been overcome and we should be up and running. Hopefully, your comments will no longer have a problem getting through. Thank you for your patience.
Posted by sharris at 12:12 AM
March 24, 2007
Mark Baldassare PPIC – radio show guest
My guest this weekend for my weekly radio show – California: The Alpha State is the President and CEO of the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) Mark Baldassare.
We discuss trends in public opinion regarding the governor and the legislature, term limits, independent voters in California and the February primary.
My show is carried on News Talk 1520 KVTA and KKZZ 1590 The Connection. You can always hear my shows (this one and all past shows) at AlphaState.org. As always, thank you for listening!
Posted by sharris at 12:24 AM
March 23, 2007
I prefer my justice blind, not stupid
Two cases have come to light this week, showing just how ridiculous American justice can be.
A 40-year-old Florida man has to move his family and his home because he lives within 2,500 feet of a child-care facility. The reason? Twenty-one years ago he was cited and convicted for public urination in Massachusetts. This conviction qualifies him as a sex offender, so move he must. A Florida official said, “This is not a case we feel good about having to prosecute.” They shouldn’t. It’s silly, a waste of time and money and trivializes something that should not be trivialized.
At the same time, an Illinois judge is allowing an accused sex offender to vacation. Destination? Florida and Disney World! Prosecutor Lise Lombardo said, “We would have objected further had we known that was where we was going.” Here’s a little tip for the judge and prosecutor – ask!
I am not a fan of mandatory sentencing (see first story), but when we have people as incompetent as those in the second story, maybe I should reconsider.
Posted by sharris at 12:08 AM
March 22, 2007
I've never shot a buffalo
I realize that the current trend is to blame all of the world’s ills – past and present - on white American males. No doubt, white American males have made their share of mistakes, some horrific and will, human nature being what it is, continue to make mistakes in the future. There is also no doubt that many a grade-schoolers history book glossed over some of those mistakes and omitted accomplishments of those who were not white American male.
However, as the pendulum swings way too far in the opposite direction, it is worth remembering that black Africans captured and sold other black Africans into slavery, that American Indians raided, raped and tortured other American Indians and that the world has gone through long periods of global warming and global cooling, even before SUV’s, and President Bush.
I am reminded of this because this week (March 26), Time magazine is running a long article on the return of Bison. Bison are making a comeback (numbering almost 450,000 currently) after having dropped from a high of close to 30,000,000 to a low of only 1,000 living bison. There explanation of the near extinction of bison starts with….
“The answers to these questions must begin by correcting a misapprehension: that the 19th century white man’s greed for hides and virtual policy of genocide toward Native Americans led to the extermination of tens of millions of bison.”
The article goes on to explain that a freak cold snap (almost certainly the result of conservative environmental policies) killed off millions of bison, as did Indians when they started to ride horses and use rifles – along with the damage caused by non-Native Americans.
The sad part of this is that the magazine had to open with a disclaimer that - SURPRISE -– it wasn’t all white American males that caused something perceived as bad to happen. The assumption of the writer had to be that the reader would intuitively know that white American males must have caused it is disturbing, but not surprising. Let’s hope the pendulum has swung about as far as it’s going to go and we can begin to achieve some balance in our views of history.
Posted by sharris at 12:59 AM
Secretary of State James Baker
I had an opportunity earlier this week to hear former Secretary of State James Baker speak at the Reagan Library. The Ventura County Star did a good job of covering the speech.
Secretary Baker was candid and interesting, a rare combination that made for an enjoyable evening. However, the highlight of the evening was simply what a gentleman he was. It struck me, and many that I spoke to following the event, that his kind of class is missing in today’s politics – on both sides of the aisle. I asked a number of people to name a prominent member of either party who carries himself with the dignity and class that Secretary Baker showed in his speech and the follow-up Q&A session and not one person could offer a single example. A sad commentary on the state of politics today. Mr. Baker, thank you for reminding us of what a statesman sounds and acts like.
Posted by sharris at 12:56 AM
President Bush and his aides
The President has drawn a line in the political sand. The President has offered to aloow his aides to testify – but only in private and not under oath. Democrats want them to testify publicly and under oath. Certainly part of their motivation is to embarrass the President, which it seems almost certain would happen, but that’s the price of admission.
The President should take the risk, or ask for their resignations. This administration is quickly beginning to remind me of Presidents Clinton and Nixon, running, hiding, lying and deceiving the American people. It seems simple to me – if there is nothing to hide, testify. Even if there isn’t anything to hide, it will certainly appear to most Americans that there is. I keep hearing about what a genius Karl Rove is but this seems to be the most politically tone-deaf administration in a long time.
President Bush should realize this is much more important than legal technicalities, it is about regaining the trust of the American people. This is certainly not a good way to go about it.
Posted by sharris at 12:05 AM
March 21, 2007
Chris Weinkopf
I wrote yesterday about how courageous I thought Chris Weinkopf’s op-ed was Sunday.
They were also having some technical difficulties and I couldn’t set a link, but now I can.
Here it is.
Posted by sharris at 12:58 AM
New York Times
From the front page of the February 25th edition of the New York Times….
NYT - Goldman Sachs has been one of the most aggressive firms on Wall Street about taking action on climate change; the company send sits bankers home at night in hybrid limousines.
And the Time claims to not have a comics page!
Posted by sharris at 12:47 AM
Cal State students
It is beginning to appear likely that we will have a work stoppage as Cal State professors plan to protest in order to bring publicity to their contract / wage dispute with the Cal State system. Not surprisingly, they have the support of many of the students who are standing with the professors in demanding a better contract.
At the same time, students are protesting the recently approved fee hikes throughout the Cal State and UC system.
It strikes me that a group of people who want wages to go up, services to stay the same or increase, certainly don’t support a tax increase and are unwilling to pay a fee increase might consider taking an Intro to Econ class. Where exactly do they think the money is going to come from?
Posted by sharris at 12:37 AM
March 20, 2007
TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES
Thank you to everyone who has pointed out that they are still having trouble adding comments to my blog. The problem is on our end, not yours and is being worked on now. They thought they had it fixed, but obviously not. Thank you for your patience and I look forward to your comments – hold onto them until it’s working!
Posted by sharris at 02:54 PM
March 19, 2007
Iraq Anniversaries
This weekend was the 4th anniversary of America’s invasion of Iraq. Americans love anniversaries, so it was a good weekend to launch protests against the war and thousands of Americans took this opportunity to express their dismay about what is happening currently in Iraq, against the initial invasion – or both. Certainly more of us feel today that this has been a mistake than did 4 years ago.
Chris Weinkopf (Editorial Page Editor, Los Angeles Daily News) wrote an excellent – and courageous – piece yesterday about how his position has changed with time and how he taking responsibility for supporting what he considers the initial mistake. Not many are willing to do the same and while I’m not sure I agree with Chris, I certainly applaud his candor and thoughtfulness.
While we continue the debate over Iraq, it is worth noting that this weekend was another anniversary. 19 years ago this weekend (1988), Saddam Hussein used weapons of mass destruction (WMD’s) against the Kurds – his own people, killing an estimated 5,000 people. It seems that somewhere over the last year or two we have lost sight of the fact that Hussein had – and used – WMDs, that he started multiple wars, that he tortured and murdered thousands – maybe hundreds of thousands – of people, that he stole the oil-for-food money and starved his own people and that without question he was a terrible, evil man.
It is right that we continue to debate the legitimacy of a “preemptive war”, whether or not President Bush and his team have done a good job over the past four years, whether or not we are safer now from terrorists than we were on September 10, 2001 and what we should do starting tomorrow. However, we should remember – as a legitimate part of this ongoing debate – what Hussein was and what he did, how we felt on the morning of September 11, 2001 and how we would feel if it happened again. There’s no Beta test on how to fight terrorists, no debate that the president has made mistakes, but also, no way for anyone to know with certainly where we would be if we had taken another road.
Posted by sharris at 07:27 AM
March 17, 2007
This Week in Politics & Policy
Each week I do a column with a quick overview of what’s happened in the state in the past week. In case your local paper doesn’t carry it (and please ask them to!), I’ve attached it here.
I also do a radio version of the column, which you might enjoy.
Posted by sharris at 06:41 AM
March 16, 2007
West Virginia
One of my favorite things about writing this blog, or my columns or doing my radio shows is coming upon the unexpected. The people I hear from who have interesting and exciting things to say constantly amaze me. One of those is Dr. Allen H. Loughry II, who has written a terrific book – Don’t Buy Another Vote, I Won’t Pay For A Landslide.
While my focus is usually on California, California politics and California politicians, politics is politics and West Virginia has a rich political history. Dr. Loughry’s book is educational, entertaining and worth reading. It was written with passion and focus and I suggest you take a look. If you choose to read it, let me know what you think!
Posted by sharris at 12:31 AM
March 15, 2007
TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES
Thank you to everyone who has pointed out they are having trouble adding comments to my blog. The problem is on our end, not yours and is being worked on now. Thank you for your patience and I look forward to your comments!
Posted by sharris at 09:44 AM
Rachel Maddow interview
I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing Rachel Maddow yesterday for my weekly radio show – California: The Alpha State .
Rachel is the host of the appropriately named radio show; The Rachel Maddow Show . She can be heard daily on Air America and is an unapologetic liberal / progressive.
We discuss racism, gay rights, bias in the media and the 2008 presidential race. She is candid, bright and thoughtful – an excellent guest. We have different points of view on many issues, but I finished the interview with a new outlook on some subjects.
My show is carried on News Talk 1520 KVTA and as of this week, it can also be heard on KKZZ 1590 The Connection. You can always hear my shows (this one and all past shows) at AlphaState.org. As always, thank you for listening!
Posted by sharris at 12:11 AM
March 14, 2007
Slanted?
On Saturday the 10th, the Los Angeles Times ran an article with the headline “Job gain a modest 97,000 in February” and a subhead that read “The increase falls short of 100,000 for the first time since November 2004. But wages rise.” As you follow the story to the inside pages, the headline is “Job gain lowest since 2004.”
I assume the facts are correct, so I am not questioning those. However, I do wonder about the priorities – and goals - of the story. If you read the story, the headlines could have just as easily read, “Unemployment drops, almost 100,000 new jobs added and wages increase again.” The subhead could have read, “Upward revision from past two months adds another 55,000 jobs.” The inside headline could have read “Deficit to decline for first time since 2001.”
Both sets of headlines are true and all the facts are in the article. However, the second set of headlines takes a positive view of the information and the first set is certainly written to present the information in the worst possible light. When you hear people talk about the news being negative, this is an example. When you hear conservatives talk about a liberal, or anti-Bush bias in the press, this is what they are talking about. Read the article and decide for yourself.
Posted by sharris at 12:53 AM
March 13, 2007
173
Today’s column (below) is about our 173 statewide representatives, the challenges they face in trying to satisfy all constituents while trying to ensure they are reelected. You can find all of my columns, my blog and and hear my radio show (this week’s guest will be former UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter) at AlphaState.org
All feedback and suggestions are encouraged. Thank you!
173
Pull quote - Do we really expect our elected representatives to make decisions that will make reelection due to lack of funding or support more difficult or impossible?
Scott Harris
The 110th Congress in Washington D.C. and the 100th session of the California State Legislature have now had some time to settle in. It is an opportunity for our elected officials to tackle issues, to pass new legislation, to repeal old legislation, and for us to make our voices – through our elected representatives – heard.
Californians elect 173 representatives from districts around the state; 53 go to Washington D.C., as members of Congress and 120 (40 State Senators and 80 State Assembly people) head to Sacramento. Congress and the State Assembly are up for election, or reelection, every two years and State Senators have four-year terms. Congress has no term limits. The Assembly is limited to six years or three terms and State Senate is limited to eight years (two terms). This past November, Californians elected all 53 Congress people, all 80 Assembly people and 20 of the 40 State Senators. Each State Assembly member represents an average of 425,000 people and each State Senator an average of 850,000 people Both totals exceed the constituencies of any other state’s comparable legislators. Each California member of the House of Representatives comes from a district of approximately 650,000 people.
Each of these 173 men and women are expected to do their best to represent their constituents. This is where the problem begins. Even defining “constituents” is not black and white.
At various times each of these individuals are representing or beholden to: themselves, their family, their donors, their supporters, their party, their district, their state, the nation and if they are so inclined, their God. This list is ordered by size, not necessarily by importance.
Within each of these groups – and certainly between these groups – our representatives are constantly being pulled in different directions.
We hear daily about the battle between Democrats and Republicans, the left and the right, liberals and conservatives. When a Republican is elected to represent a district, what responsibility does he/she have to Democrats? It can be argued that if the office holder ran as a Republican and was elected primarily by Republicans, it makes the declared interests of his or her district a Republican agenda. However, he/she also represents Democrats and independents and is the voice of children who can’t vote, as well as the disenfranchised or lazy who refuse to vote.
There is not only the conflict between the parties, but within the parties as well. Despite the fact that both major parties have liberal, moderate and conservative wings, thanks to gerrymandering and closed primaries, liberal Democrats and conservative Republicans are prevailing. Are the elected officials primarily responsible to “dance with those who brung ‘em,” (the voting blocs who sway primaries) or are they responsible to everyone?
It is realistic, or even fair, to expect an elected official to vote against the wishes of those who support him or her financially and thereby endanger their reelection? Are citizens being fair by criticizing every politician who votes in favor of an industry that supports him or her through campaigns? Shouldn’t they consider the possibility of that support being based on beliefs held before the election and not the financial contribution?
What about pork barrel projects? This puts the elected official in a position of supporting something that will benefit his or her district but is not in the overall interest of the state or the country. If he/she doesn’t “bring home the bacon,” how are constituents expected to respond in the next election?
Do we really expect our elected representatives to make decisions that will make reelection due to lack of funding or support more difficult or impossible? People involved with politics at any level recognize that the prime component of any election – and any political career – is the ability to generate money.
There are no easy answers, though the solution could certainly begin with increasing the number of representatives, reducing the number of constituents per representative and hopefully shrinking the distance between the elected official and those they represent. The Holy Grail of representative accountability has always been finance reform (both during and following campaigns), but this has so far proven insoluble.. A democracy requires elections, elections require campaigns, campaigns require money, and people are influenced by money.
However, it is important to understand these issues fully and recognize the role they play in the decisions being made. As it always is, if you want to be heard, you need to invest your time, your money or both. You may not like it, you may not agree, but within the current system, it is a reality.
Scott Harris is a political commentator. Read his columns, hear his radio show, read his blog and contact him through his Web site, AlphaState.org.
Posted by sharris at 08:54 AM
Nanny Dems
I have written a couple of times recently about the California State Legislature and their efforts to take over as much of our lives as possible. I am not alone in calling this an attempt to turn California into a “nanny state”.
The LA Times ran an article about this last week and highlighted a long list of proposed bills and their sponsors. The list included: eliminating trans fats, mandatory nutritional information on restaurant menus, various smoking bans, phasing out incandescent lights, the ‘spanking” ban, fines for non-neutered pets and forced savings accounts for all children born in America.
With Republican State Senator Bob Dutton having meekly withdrawn his name from the forced savings bill, all of the bills have one thing in common – they are sponsored exclusively by Democrats. If you think having the state run your life is a good thing, you have them to thank. If you think it is an unpardonable intrusion into your personal life – you have them to blame. Either way, it is a clear indicator of the differences in the positions and values of the two parties.
Posted by sharris at 12:19 AM
March 12, 2007
Chavez gets a pass
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez continued to attack America and our president. This time, as the president was touring South America, Chavez yelled to supporters “Gringo, go home!”
Of course, there is no outrage from the United States press, no calls for an apology or a resignation. This is part of the left right double standard.
Imagine for a moment if President Bush had said something similar; say, “We need to send all the wetbacks back to Mexico.” He would be crucified and the statement would be considered unforgivable – which it would be. If you think the difference is that Chavez is a foreign leader and Bush is our president, don’t fool yourself. Imagine the outrage in US papers if Prime Minister Tony Blair made a comment anything like the one Chavez made.
Leftist dictators are not held to the same standards as our president and any of his supporters, or even non-detractors. It is a fact and a sad commentary on our press.
Posted by sharris at 10:03 AM
7%
Education is important, our children are our future, over 50% of the state budget goes to public education. We hear this over and over and over again. Yet, only 7% of registered voters in Los Angeles bothered to turn out last week and decide who will run the nation’s second largest school district. It’s a district so large that it’s student population is larger than the population of four states.
How can our elected officials – at any level – be expected to take us seriously if only 7% bother to show up to vote for something this important?
Politicians are like dogs; they’ll go to whoever pets them. We complain and complain about the influence of money, unions and big business, but in the absence of our participation – we should expect nothing different.
Next time someone in LA is whining about the public schools, ask them if they were one of the 7%. If not, turn and walk away, they don’t deserve to be listened to.
Posted by sharris at 09:03 AM
March 11, 2007
California vs. Iraq
The column below was sent by a regular reader and I think it's worth reading. Enjoy!
Victor Davis Hanson is a professor at Fresno State . See his credentials at the end of the article.
Eye of the Beholder by Victor Davis Hanson The American Enterprise Online
War-torn Iraq has about 26 million residents, a peaceful California perhaps now 35 million.The former is a violent and impoverished landscape, the latter said to be paradise on Earth. But how you envision either place to some degree depends on the eye of the beholder and is predicated on what the daily media appear to make of each.
As a fifth-generation Californian, I deeply love this state, but still imagine what the reaction would be if the world awoke each morning to be told that once again there were six more murders, 27 rapes, 38 arsons, 180 robberies , and 360 instances of assault in California -yesterday, today, tomorrow, and every day. I wonder if the headlines would scream about "Nearly 200 poor Californians butchered again this month!"
How about a monthly media dose of "600 women raped in February alone!" Or try, "Over 600 violent robberies and assaults in March, with no end in sight!" Those do not even make up all of the state's yearly 200,000 violent acts that law enforcement knows about.
Iraq 's judicial system seems a mess. On the eve of the war, Saddam let out 100 ,000 inmates from his vast prison archipelago. He himself sat in the dock months after his trial began. But imagine an Iraq with a penal system like California's with 170,000 criminals - an inmate population larger than those of Germany , France , the Netherlands , and Singapore combined.
Just to house such a shadow population costs our state nearly $7 billion a year - or about the same price of keeping 40,000 Army personnel per year in Iraq . What would be the image of our Golden State if we were reminded each morning, "Another $20 million spent today on housing our criminals"?
Some of California 's most recent prison scandals would be easy to sensationalize: "Guards watch as inmates are raped!" Or "Correction officer accused of having sex with under-aged detainee!" And apropos of Saddam's sluggish trial, remember that our home state multiple murderer, Tookie Williams, was finally executed in December 2005 TWENTY-SIX years after he was originally sentenced.
Much is made of the inability to patrol Iraq 's borders with Iran , Jordan, Kuwait , Saudi Arabia , Syria , and Turkey . But California has only a single border with a foreign nation, not six. Yet over 3 million foreigners who sneaked in illegally now live in our state. Worse, there are about 15,000 convicted alien felons incarcerated in our penal system, costing about $500 million a year. Imagine the potential tabloid headlines: "Illegal aliens in state comprise population larger than San Francisco!" or "Drugs, criminals, and smugglers given free pass into California!"
Every year, over 4,000 Californians die in car crashes - nearly twice the number of Americans lost so far in three years of combat operations in Iraq. In some sense, then, our badly maintained roads, and often poorly trained and sometimes intoxicated drivers, are even more lethal than IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices.) Perhaps tomorrow's headline might scream out at us: "300 Californians to perish this month on state highways! Hundreds more will be maimed and crippled!"
In 2001, California had 32 days of power outages, despite paying nearly the highest rates for electricity in the United States . Before complaining about the smoke in Baghdad rising from private generators, think back to the run on generators in California when they were contemplated as a future part of every household's line of defense.
We're told that Iraq 's finances are a mess. Yet until recently, so were California 's. Two years ago, Governor Schwarzenegger inherited a $38 billion annual budget shortfall. That could have made for strong morning newscast teasers: "Another $100 million borrowed today - $3 billion more in red ink to pile up by month's end!"
So is California comparable to Iraq ? Hardly. Yet it could easily be sketched by a reporter intent on doing so as a bankrupt, crime-ridden den with murderous highways, tens of thousands of inmates, with wide-open borders.
I myself recently returned home to California , without incident, from a visit to Iraq 's notorious Sunni Triangle. While I was gone, a drug-addicted criminal with a long list of convictions broke into our kitchen at 4 a.m., was surprised by my wife and daughter, and fled with our credit cards, cash, keys, and cell phones. Sometimes I wonder who really was safer that week.
C2006 Victor Davis Hanson
Victor Davis Hanson is a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stan ford University , a Professor Emeritus at California University , Fresno , and a nationally syndicated columnist for Tribune Media Services.
He was a full-time farmer before joining California State University , Fresno , in 1984 to initiate a classics program. In 1991, he was Awarded an American Philological Association Excellence in Teaching Award, Which is given yearly to the country's top undergraduate teachers of Greek And Latin.
Hanson was a National Endowment for the Humanities fellow at the Center for Advanced Studies in the Behavioral Sciences, Stanford , California (1992-93), a visiting professor of classics at Stanford University (1991-92), a recipient of the Eric Breindel Award for opinion journalism (2002), and an Alexander Onassis Fellow (2001) and was named alumnus of the year of the University of California , Santa Cruz (2002).
Posted by sharris at 12:00 AM
March 10, 2007
Voices of Reform
This is a group I've done some work with and they've put together a nice list of recent news coverage on redistricting....
As you¹ve no doubt seen, there¹s been quite a bit of press coverage on redistricting lately, some of which has referenced VoR¹s efforts. For those of you who don¹t have time to monitor this coverage daily, here is a compilation of the major editorials and news stories, going back to Feb 1, 2007.
Op-eds
03/07/07 Apathy and cynicism LA Daily News
03/06/07 Political games San Francisco Chronicle
03/06/07 Capitol's lovefest strained by Dan Walters of the Sacramento Bee
03/04/07 From political reform to power grab by Tony Quinn for the Los Angeles Times
03/04/07 Redistricting requires reform Santa Cruz Sentinel
03/01/07 Gerrymandering fix San Diego Union Tribune
03/01/07 Term limits redux: debate or deception? by Pete Schabarum for Capitol Weekly
02/28/07 Democrats should endorse an end to gerrymandering San Jose Mercury News
02/28/07 Redistricting, Pelosi style by Phil Hoskins for The Capitol Hill Blue
02/27/07 Redraw congressional lines Los Angeles Times
02/22/07 Redistricting initiative in the works by Steve Maviglio for the California Majority Report
02/15/07 Win-win-win in Sacramento Los Angeles Times
02/12/07 Redistricting on the rise San Francisco Chronicle
02/10/07 Waiting for redistricting Sacramento Bee
02/08/07 Redistricting reform Contra Costa Times
02/07/07 The deal? Term limits change for redistricting reform? by Dan Schnur for the Flash Report
02/05/07 Redistricting momentum Fresno Bee
02/04/07 With power on the line, politicians like to tease by Dan Weintraub of the Sacramento Bee
No longer archived online by the Sac Bee--please email Anita for a copy.
02/02/07 Remap depends on details by Dan Walters of the Sacramento Bee
No longer archived online by the Sac Bee--please email Anita for a copy.
Articles
03/07/07 Congress: don't touch my lines by John Wildermuth of the San Francisco Chronicle
03/06/07 Assembly OKs move to earlier primary by Matthew Yi of the San Francisco Chronicle
03/04/07 Governor ups the stakes by Kevin Yamamura of the Sacramento Bee
02/27/07 Initiative targets districts by Jim Sanders of the Sacramento Bee
02/27/07 Redistricting initiative returns by Steve Harmon of the San Jose Mercury News
02/26/07 Lawyer files measure that could put redistricting before voters by Steve Lawrence of the San Jose Mercury News
02/25/07 Democrats in Congress may threaten California redistricting by Nancy Vogel of the Los Angeles Times
02/23/07 Study suggests redistricting reform by Lisa Vorderbrueggen of the Contra Costa Times (also San Jose Mercury News)
02/18/07 Reform efforts raise questions among the wary by Steve Harmon of the Contra Costa Times
02/17/07 Governor might not support term limits plan by John Wildermuth of the San Francisco Chronicle
02/16/07 Termed out? Maybe not by Steve Harmon of the San Jose Mercury News
02/02/07 Assembly speaker pushes plan for panel to redraw district lines by Matthew Yi of the San Francisco Chronicle
02/02/07 Nunez vows to push redistricting by Steve Harmon of the San Jose Mercury News (also Contra Costa Times)
02/01/07 Redistricting reform: where there's a will, there's a way by Speaker Fabian Nunez for the California Majority Report
02/01/07 CA Assembly Democrats propose redistricting reform ideas by Steve Lawrence of the San Jose Mercury News
Posted by sharris at 12:56 AM
Cost of beer
I certainly support the environment and look forward to the day when we develop a cost-effective, safe, clean alternative to oil. Biofuels might be one of the solutions, but there are costs to pay that may not have been thought all the way through.
Farmers are shifting production to soybeans, corn, etc – biofuel crops. This makes for fewer acres for other crops, including barley. Reduced supply means increased prices and barley has gone up 12% recently. Not a big deal you say? 8% of the cost of producing beer is the cost of barley, so you can expect an increase in the price of beer as a result of environmentalists. Talk about unintended consequences☺
Posted by sharris at 12:36 AM
March 09, 2007
Missing backbone
State Senator Bob Dutton (Republican – Rancho Cucamonga) withdrew his support for the proposed bill that would have given every child born in California a $500 savings account.
His support was withdrawn only two days after the bill was introduced and is made even more surprising by the fact he (along with Democrat Darrel Steinberg) was the author of the bill.
Said Dutton: “In light of the state’s deteriorating fiscal situation, I cannot support the bill as currently written.”
Dutton ignored the obvious irony of “currently written”, since he wrote it and didn’t explain what had happened in 48 hours to cause this “deteriorating fiscal situation”.
What Dutton’s statement should have said was: “It ahs been brought to my attention by leaders in the Republican Party that if I continue with my efforts to establish a savings account for every child born in California, this will be my last piece of legislation and my last term in office. California Republicans will not tolerate Bipartisanship and I should have known that. If anyone finds my spine, please notify State Senate Republican Leader Dick Ackerman and ask him if I can have it back.”
Posted by sharris at 12:08 AM
This Week in Politics & Policy
Each week I do a column with a quick overview of what’s happened in the state in the past week. In case your local paper doesn’t carry it (and please ask them to!), I’ve attached it here.
I also do a radio version of the column, which you might enjoy.
This Week in Politics and Policy. March 9, 2007
Pull Quote – The excuses are always the same…I didn’t know there was an election, I didn’t have time, too many elections in the last couple of years…excuse after whiny excuse.
Scott Harris
It’s time for our weekly tour around the great State of California, highlighting what’s new in Sacramento and what’s happening around the state that affects you, your family and your business.
The people of California will tell you that our most important asset is our children and that there is nothing more important than education. More than 50% of our state budget–over $50 billion--is spent on education. The most powerful union in the state is the California Teachers Association.
Yet, on Tuesday, when the residents and voters of Los Angeles were asked to determine who would control the Los Angeles Unified School District – they stayed away from the polls in droves. The excuses are always the same…I didn’t know there was an election, I didn’t have time, too many elections in the last couple of years…excuse after whiny excuse.
The bottom line is that we get exactly the government that we deserve. The people who can’t be bothered to take a few minutes out of their day to cast their vote will eventually be the same ones complaining about the job their elected officials are doing, or not doing, and their unresponsiveness to the people and their needs. There is no good excuse for not voting at every election. Local races are just as important–maybe more so--than statewide races, which in turn are equally important as the national elections. The people in office impact our lives directly, from selecting which books our children will read in school, to determining our tax rates, to deciding whether our young men and women will be sent overseas to fight a war, or wars.
Ironically, this is the week that California has decided to move our primary from June to February. The theory is that by being one of the early primaries, the presidential candidates will have to pay attention to us. Yet, if we don’t bother showing up to the polls, how much attention can we really expect candidates to pay California?
I wrote a couple of weeks ago about our growing “nanny state,” with the Legislature doing its best to replace parents. It’s good to know that at least two of the proposed “nanny” bills have been defeated. The first was the “No Spanking Allowed” proposal by Assemblywoman Sally Leiber (D) and the second was the proposal by state Senators Dutton (R) and Steinberg (D) to give every child born in California a $500 savings account – seed money if you will. Both of these bills, at least for now, have been killed, leaving the responsibility for disciplining children and saving for their future where it belongs – with their parents.
That’s it for this week and remember, California is the Alpha State: the greatest state in the world’s greatest country.
Scott Harris is a political commentator and can be reached at scott@alphastate.org. His blog, columns and radio show can all be accessed at AlphaState.org.
Posted by sharris at 12:02 AM
March 08, 2007
This week’s radio show
Each week I host a radio show -- California: The Alpha State . It’s a 1-hour show, with no commercials and no call-ins. The show is non-confrontational, designed to promote discussion and discourse, not debate.
My guests this week are Dick Rush, president of California State University Channel Islands and Andy Benton, president of Pepperdine University.
Join us as we discuss the importance and future of higher education in California and the differences between private and public universities.
Posted by sharris at 12:09 AM
Charles Rust-Tierney ?
The odds are you have not heard of Charles Rust-Tierney. The odds are equally good that you have heard of Florida Congressman Mark Foley. Within that context, lies an example of what conservatives call a liberal bias in the media.
Mark Foley resigned his office, under intense pressure from both parties, when it was discovered he sent “inappropriate” emails to a number of young male interns. That he was forced to resign was a good thing.
Charles Rust-Tierney is the former president of the Virginia American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and was known for defending maximum, unrestricted access to the internet at a time when there was an effort to restrict access at libraries. His efforts were successful and the Loudon County libraries were not allowed to filter objectionable materials.
Rust-Tierney was arrested last month for purchasing child pornography through the web. Aside from the horror that this still occurs, the fact that a man who fought for unrestricted access to the internet was arrested for trafficking in child porn is amazing irony and one would think a story the media would cover.
The fact that they didn’t (especially viewed against the media storm that followed Foley and his emails) can only be viewed of an example of the media protecting “one of it’s own”. If there is another explanation, I would love to hear it.
Posted by sharris at 12:05 AM
March 07, 2007
Dems turn in the hot seat
Headline on the front page of the Los Angeles Times Saturday – “Clinton donor wanted by FBI in scheme to funnel money.” The subhead tied Nancy Pelosi to the “scheme”.
When the Dems took power in November, I wrote that it would be their turn in the “scandal” wringer. Republicans, angry at being thrown out of power and having their names besmirched over the past few years find they now have some free time and a heightened sense of public responsibility. Until they regain control in Washington, you can count on more Dems being caught.
As I have said before, neither party has a lock (or maybe even an understanding) on ethics, but the one out of power is very motivated to “bring the other down”. No better way than by showing that not only do they have bad policy, they have bad people.
Posted by sharris at 12:15 AM
March 06, 2007
Hospitals and the homeless
There has been quite an uproar recently about the practice of hospitals “dumping” patients on skid row, once they feel their immediate medical needs have been met.
It is easy to consider the hospitals wrong, to be outraged that this occurs in a country as great as America and certainly holding them responsible is an easy finger to point.
I have read as many articles and op-eds on this issue as I can find and one thing is curiously missing from every one. What is it they expect the hospitals to do?
The homeless walk into emergency rooms, expect / demand free treatment – which they receive and we pay for. When this treatment is done and the patient has no one to pick them up, no address for them to be delivered to, no city, county or state service that will accept them, what exactly are the hospitals supposed to do?
Are they, by default, now responsible for housing the homeless? We are eager to place blame and assign responsibly, but does anyone really believe that a hospital should now be responsible - beyond immediate healthcare needs – for those living on the streets.
I agree that it is a travesty, but not one hospitals caused, are responsible for or are equipped to handle. It seems to me that it is enough that we demand they offer free healthcare to all comers. Let’s agree this is a problem and work together to find a reasonable and viable solution. In the meantime, I wonder how long before a Sacramento legislator proposes a bill that would allow any homeless person to walk into a new housing development and demand free housing. Laughable? Ask hospitals about free healthcare.
Posted by sharris at 12:51 AM
March 05, 2007
Kennedy largesse
Senator Ted Kennedy (D – Mass.) responding to his legislative efforts to increase the national minimum wage….
“It’s going to get through. The differences are not significant. We’re talking about a few billion dollars.”
One is reminded of the famous quote (usually attributed to former Illinois Senator Everett Dirksen) "A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you're talking real money".
Unfortunately, one is also reminded how easy it is for a 75 year-old Senator who has spent his life spending other peoples money (his fathers privately and ours publicy) to dismiss as insignificant billions of dollars.
Posted by sharris at 08:37 AM
March 02, 2007
Fallouja wedding massacre
Headline: Death comes uninvited to a Fallouja wedding.
Subhead: At least three guests are killed and 10 are hurt when a bomb explodes as the bride arrives.
Weddings are a time of joy, but are also touched with worry. Did I pick the right life mate, will I be a good spouse and will our children be happy? However, one of those worries should not be – will I survive the day?
On an almost daily basis, we read about terrorist bombings in the Middle East. Palestinians blowing up Israeli’s and Iraqi's blowing up each other. While it shouldn’t, it almost becomes easy to skim over the headlines and move on to the next story. This one caught my attention more than most because of the wedding aspect. It strikes me that you have to be beyond human to want to destroy innocent life on such a special day.
I am told daily that the Koran does not preach violence, that Islam is a peaceful religion and the Middle Eastern Muslims are the same as you and I. I want to believe this is true, because we all want to believe the best about others. However, what book, what religion, what culture breeds, cultivates and reveres monsters like this? At some point – and soon – we need to acknowledge that we are not all the same, that as Americans we have enemies and that all the talking in the world will not change the truth.
Posted by sharris at 07:48 AM
This Week in Politics & Policy
Each week I do a column with a quick overview of what’s happened in the state in the past week. In case your local paper doesn’t carry it (and please ask them to!), I’ve attached it here.
I also do a radio version of the column, which you might enjoy.
This Week in Politics and Policy. March 2, 2007
Pull Quote – The battle lines are being drawn, the dollars and the stakes are huge and these are just the opening salvos.
Scott Harris
It’s time for our weekly tour around the great State of California, highlighting what’s new in Sacramento and what’s happening around the state that affects you, your family and your business.
The Church of Greenhouse Gases has some new converts. The Gap, Pacific Gas & Electric and Google have announced that they will cut greenhouse gas emissions, joining the Business Council on Climate Change and attempting to make the Bay Area the world’s leader in fighting greenhouse gases and global warming. No politician can elected to statewide or national office without professing a belief in God. Now, if you want to be accepted in the State of California, you better take a vow against global warming.
Gavin Power of the United Nations Global Compact says, “If the environment fails, markets fail. As contributors to the problem, companies have a responsibility to act.” Substitute church for United Nations and sinners for contributors, and you get a sense of this gospel. We’ve been down this road before. Said one scientist, "We simply cannot afford to gamble. We cannot risk inaction. The scientists who disagree are acting irresponsibly. The indications that our climate can soon change for the worse are too strong to be reasonably ignored." A cautionary note. This was in 1972 and was in response to so-called global cooling, not global warming.
Governor Schwarzenegger spent some time in Washington DC this past week, lecturing all who would listen about “post-partisanship.” Said Schwarzenegger, “Politics is about compromise. It is about give-and-take. Doesn’t anyone here in Washington remember that chapter from their civics book.”
Assembly Speaker Nunez said he would have taken a different approach: “I certainly wouldn’t come to Washington to tell people here how to do their job. If California can be an example for the rest of the country, well, that would be great. But I would not want to impose what we’re doing in California on anybody. As it is, people think we’re arrogant in California.”
Maybe Speaker Nunez is right and we should lead quietly by example. We are too big to be ignored and if things do go well here, others will naturally follow.
The Governor has some trouble on the universal healthcare front as well. The California Nurses Union, a powerful voice in state politics, has launched a statewide mail and radio campaign attacking Schwarzenegger’s proposed health care plan as a “windfall for big insurance companies.” The Association does support state Senator Sheila Kuehl’s single payer health care system – which would effectively end private health insurance in California. These are just the opening salvos in a battle over huge dollars and high stakes. Stay tuned.
That’s it for this week and remember, California is the Alpha State: the greatest state in the world’s greatest country.
Posted by sharris at 07:34 AM
March 01, 2007
Military Commissions Act
A federal appeals court wisely refused to allow federal judges – instead of military courts – to hear challenges from prisoners of war detained outside of the United States.
Lawyers for the defendants (in this case prisoners held in Guantanamo Bay) plan to appeal to the Supreme Court and hope that Democrats will draft a bill expanding detainee’s rights.
In the current “We hate Bush and everything he touches” climate, this attempt is not surprising. Beyond the political danger to Democrats of reinforcing many conservatives’ beliefs that they are far more concerned with our enemies than our friends, is this really a law we want to see passed? Does anyone doubt that somewhere in this country there is an activist liberal judge who just can’t wait to make a statement by freeing all Guantanamo prisoners? What about the impact this will have on future wars? There are valid reasons for keeping law enforcement and military actions separate and an “I hate Bush” sentiment is not a valid reason for changing them.
Posted by sharris at 12:11 AM
