Virginia Strom-Martin

Since Virginia Strom-Martin and her husband moved to Duncan Mills 30 years ago, the population has nearly tripled, increasing from 35 to 85.

The small Sonoma hamlet beside the Russian River was the terminus of the long defunct North Pacific Railroad. Black Bart held up stagecoaches on the trail between Duncan Mills and Pt.    Read more »

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Dear Sen. Cogdill:

WRITESTUFF INK 

Greg Lucas

1130 K Street, Suite 290

Sacramento, CA 95814

916-446-2013

February 21, 2008 

Dave – 

Just a note to offer my congratulations, which I assume is the right word, on your election as Senate GOP leader. 

Ross Johnson, a predecessor in your new post, once described the job of Assembly Minority leader as “herding cats through a minefield while juggling hand grenades.”     Read more »

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Big Expenditures By Independent Expenditure Committees

The Fair Political Practices Commission wants more disclosure of donors to independent expenditure committees, which have spent $88 million on legislative and statewide candidates since 2000. 

Use of the committees has sharply proliferated since voters enacted Proposition 34, a campaign finance initiative that imposed contribution limits on legislative and statewide candidates.     Read more »

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Johan Klehs

Former East Bay Assemblyman Johan Klehs was astonished to learn in a recent edition of the San Francisco Chronicle that he was a candidate for Don Perata’s Oakland-centered Senate seat.

“I have myself on permanent Google alert for Germany and the United States. I was driving to Sacramento in the morning and there it was,” Klehs said in recent interview at the Esquire Grill near the Capitol.    Read more »

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Reprieve — Albeit a Pricey One

When we left our intrepid family of three they faced the fearsome task of procuring health insurance as the clock ticked rapidly and inexorably toward a March deadline. 

Bugles blaring, Colts firing, the cavalry has just come over the ridge. 

Apparently, the nine months of COBRA health coverage the former employer of one of the family members was willing to pay to get that hard-working wretch to split does not expire until May 1.     Read more »

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Senate Picks New Pro Tem As Jockeying Intensifies for Assembly Speaker and Senate GOP Leader

Senate Democrats have selected Darrell Steinberg, a Sacramento Democrat, as the next leader of the California State Senate. 

In a closed-door caucus Thursday morning, the liberal, pro-labor lawmaker was picked by the upper house’s 25 Democrats to succeed Senate President Pro Tempore Don Perata, D-Oakland. 

Perata’s state political career ends this year because of the defeat of the term limits initiative, Proposition 93, on Tuesday’s ballot.     Read more »

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Steinberg New Senate Leader

Senate Democrats have selected Darrell Steinberg, a Sacramento Democrat, as the next leader of the California State Senate. 

In a closed-door caucus Thursday morning, the liberal, pro-labor lawmaker was picked by the upper house’s 25 Democrats to succeed Senate President Pro Tempore Don Perata, D-Oakland. 

Perata’s state political career ends this year because of the defeat of the term limits initiative, Proposition 93, on Tuesday’s ballot.     Read more »

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Health Cuts Hearing a Harbinger for Nasty Budget Battle

 In a forestate of the ugly battle over California’s cash-strapped budget, a packed sente hearing room was told by more than 100 witnesses Monday afternoon that the Schwarzengger adminsitration’s proposed cuts in medical services to the poor would be devastating.

While no vote on the reductions was taken by the Senate Budget Committee, the back-and-forth between witnesses, lawmakers and the administration was a good indicator of how sides will align as the Legislature tries to meet a mandatory February 23 deadline set by the GOP governor to cut $872 million from the current year budget, nearly half from public school spending.    Read more »

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Bill Campbell

At 72, former state Senator Bill Campbell finds himself the chairman of the board of Point Blank Solutions, a Pompano Beach, Florida maker of bulletproof vests.

The Coraopolis, Pennsylvania native and former Senate minority leader can’t say much about his new job since the company is suing its former CEO, David H.    Read more »

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Classic Chappie

While walking precincts for Ken Maddy of Fresno in Maddy’s uphill bid for the Assembly in 1970, then Assemblyman Bill Campbell of Hacienda Heights was told by fellow GOP Assemblyman Gene Chappie of Cool that he thought Maddy could pull it off.

“What gives you that idea, Gene-o?” Campbell said.

“Some guy just drove by and gave me half the V-for-Victory sign.”    Read more »

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