No Bad Deeds Go Unpunished

No good deed goes unpunished, saws the old saw. But in the case of the governor’s $487 million in vetoes it’s bad behavior that goes unpunished.

The deal reached among legislative leaders and the GOP governor to close an estimated $26 billion hole in the budget year that began July 1 includes numerous unpalatable actions most of which affect Democratic priorities – health care for poor children, aid to the aged, blind and disabled, in-home care for the elderly, just to tag the greatest hits.    Read more »

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Help America — Buy Hamburger Helper

A tip of the hat to General Mills and its advertising agency.

The food maker has recently inaugurated an advertising campaign promoting Hamburger Helper, featuring its white-gloved, ever-smiling palm, cartoon Hand.

While the new ad campaign is probably rooted in the economic reality of families cutting home budgets and turning away from more expensive dining choices in favor of pantry stalwarts, General Mills hawks its Hamburger Helper with a nifty twist.    Read more »

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A Somewhat Troubling Joke

(Editor’s Note: The following comes from a reader who, rightly, thinks it hits a little close to home.)

One Hundred Dollars 

It is the month of August, a resort town sits next to the shores of a lake. It is raining, and the little town looks totally deserted. It is tough times, everybody is in debt, and everybody lives on credit.    Read more »

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The Curse of Spell-Check

The first sentence of a June 25 e-mail from Aaron McLear, the governor’s press secretary, is:

“I can’t imagine anyone is covering Assemblywoman Evans’s daily uniformed attacks on the Governor, but to the extent that you do please let me know so I can respond.”

(Editor’s Note: Emphasis added. California’s Capitol has found itself on the wrong end of Spell-Check more than once and, therefore, can easily relate.    Read more »

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Sorry UC Merced Graduates — It Never Happened

On June 23, the Los Angeles Times ran a story headlined: “Michelle Obama Launches Volunteer Initiative in San Francisco.”

The first paragraph of the story says this:

“On her first visit to California as first lady, Michelle Obama on Monday helped volunteers construct a school playground here on a site that has been barren for years.”    Read more »

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Free Political Advice — Worth Every Penny

Examining the Senate’s budgetary actions of June 24 from a political rather than a policy perspective, the majority party Democrats may not have achieved their objectives.

The measure brought up for consideration in the morning by the 40-member upper house would reduce state spending by roughly $11 billion as part of a budget-balancing plan offered by Democrats to close an estimated $24 billion shortfall for the fiscal year beginning July 1.    Read more »

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Guest Post: A Few Good Men (And a Woman)

Governor Schwarzenegger:  Senator, Madam Speaker, we live in a world that has budgets and those budgets need to be written by men and women with computers.  Who’s gonna do it?  You?  You, Speaker Bass?  I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom.  You weep for school kids, people in walkers and loons running around town talking to clouds while criticizing Republican ideals.     Read more »

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Bull Testicles, Psilocybin and the Gunnison Admonition

Those zany state politicians. What crazy, kooky cut-ups!

An eight-paragraph, four-reporters-credited report in the June 18 Los Angeles Times – so it must be true – says the governor of the Great State of California, grappling with an unprecedented budget disaster, took the time to send the president pro tempore of the state Senate, a pair of metal bull testicles.    Read more »

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Don’t Cry No Tears Around Me*

Assemblywoman Noreen Evans, a Santa Rosa Democrat, is the chair of a two-house conference committee stitching together a solution that closes a $24 billion gap between spending commitments and revenue.

Evans appeared close to tears as she haltingly delivered opening remarks during the committee’s May 26 hearing.

She said that she had just been briefed on Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s latest cost-savings proposals which include eliminating CALWORKS, the acronym for the state’s welfare program, ending state funding for state parks and phasing out CalGrants, the state’s program to help students pay for college — regardless of economic circumstance.    Read more »

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Press Release: California Continues to Lead the Way in Edible Garden Movement

(Editor’s Note: Good to lead the way in something although academic achievement, charitable giving and affordable health care might be better areas in which to excel. Not that Edible gardens aren’t good though.)    Read more »

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