Owning up to a mistake
When the California Chamber of Commerce claimed earlier this summer that it had found a hidden, $7 billion cost associated with an increase in the minimum wage, it was an astonishing claim that seemed, well, too astonishing to be true. Turned out it wasn't true at all.
An examination of the claims, spurred in part by reporting by The Ventura County Star (see story), showed that the estimate was off by at least a factor of 10. Chamber lobbyist Julianne Broyles brought the mistake to the attention of the author of the bill to raise the minimum wage in California, Assemblywoman Sally Lieber.
Now, in its most recent "Action Alert," the Chamber has taken another step to set the record straight. On the front page, it features a story headlined, "Correction on Minimum Wage Hike Analysis."
Those of us in the newspaper business, who take a certain amount of institutional pride in a commitment to publicly correct mistakes, know that such prominent corrections can be embarrassing. But it's always the right thing to do. Give the Chamber of Commerce credit; the correction gives some credence to the article's opening sentence: "Accuracy is important to the California Chamber of Commerce."
Posted by Timm Herdt at 3:18 PM | Comments (1)
Breaking a political tradition
A position on the California Integrated Waste Management Board has long been one of the most coveted political appointments in the state. The pay, $117,818, is fabulous, the work not overly taxing and the public profile rather low.
As he left office in early 1991, former Gov. George Deukmejian rewarded his chief of staff, Michael Frost, and finance director, Jesse Huff, to positions on the board to assure their financial security after a new administration took over. Former Gov. Gray Davis appointed Cheryl Peace, the wife of former state Sen. Steve Peace, to the board about the same time Steve Peace agreed to come on board as Davis' director of finance.
Apparently, Arnold Schwarzenegger never got the memo that the Integrated Waste Management Board was a place to dole out patronage.
Schwarzenegger announced an appointment to the board today and instead of naming a politically connected big shot, he went with someone who's qualifications appear to be outstanding. Quoting from then Schwarzenegger press release:
Gary Petersen, 57, of Santa Barbara, has been appointed to the Integrated Waste Management Board. He has served as the president of Environmental Problem Solving Enterprises since 1997 and was the chairman of BioConverter from 2001 to 2004 and remains managing partner of the firm. Petersen was previously vice president and director of environmental affairs for Recycle America from 1988 to 1997 and founder and president of Ecolo-Haul recycling from 1972 to 1988. He is a member of the task force for the Greening of the White House, is chairman of the board of Green Seal, is the co-founder of the California Resource Recovery Association and is a founding member of the National Recycling Coalition.
Most remarkable of all is Peterson's political affiliation. Likely a first for the Integrated Waste Management Board, Peterson's voter registration is decline-to-state.
Posted by Timm Herdt at 12:46 PM | Comments (1)
What will $800 buy?
Frustratated at their inability to win the minority votes that needed for passage and eager to show the public that they're trying, members of the majority party this time of year conduct what are known as "budget drills" on the floor of the Assembly and Senate. They are called drills because they are for show only: Everyone knows that the budget bill being debated will fail, so all that really matters is the rhetoric.
During these drills, lawmakers dig deep to come up with statements that have maximum impact, either because of their rhetorical flourish or outrageous content. Each speaker tries to top the one who came before.
The winner in the Assembly on Thursday was freshman Assemblyman Hector De La Torre, D-South Gate. Noting that Democrats had agreed to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's request to suspend cost-of-living increases to the aged, blind and disabled recipients of monthly SSI/SSP benefit checks, De La Torre said it had been a very painful decision.
"These are people who make $812 a month," he said. "The governor's ties are worth that much."
Posted by Timm Herdt at 11:29 AM | Comments (0)
Over the last 22 presidential elections, Ventura County voters have backed the winner 21 times, or 95 percent of the time. It is one of only a handful of counties in the nation that has been such a predictable bellwether.
The Ventura County Star's Sacramento Bureau Chief Timm Herdt on state issues and politics from Sacramento to Ventura County. He can be contacted at 
