“Very Catholic”

— Gov. Jerry Brown’s description of his January 24 State of the State speech to a state legislator    Read more »

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Jerry Brown on the Viability of High Speed Rail

“We all know the story of ‘The Little Engine That Could.’

 “The big engines were asked to haul the freight train over the mountain. They said, ‘Can’t do it.’ They asked another, ‘Can’t do it.’ The little train said, ‘I think I can.’

“And so the engine pulled in front of the long line of freight cars and started puffing away.    Read more »

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Brown Offers Upbeat State of the State Speech

Saying California was “back” and “on the move,” a chipper Gov. Jerry Brown urged lawmakers in his annual State of the State speech January 24 to streamline funding for schools, focus on implementing federal health care reform and keep a tight rein on spending so the budget stays balanced.

The Democratic governor said he had “never been more excited” about California’s prospects, praising the Golden State’s promise and improved fiscal condition while largely reiterating the same policy agenda contained in the budget he unveiled January 10.    Read more »

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Bipartisan Effort to End the Legislature’s 30-Days-in-Print Anachronism

One of the Legislature’s archaic rules that lawmakers say needlessly delays action on bills would be eliminated through a newly introduced constitutional amendment Republican and Democratic lawmakers hope to place on the 2014 ballot.

If voters approve, the change would end the Legislature’s 30-days-in-print rule, which requires exactly that:

No hearing or vote can be taken on legislation until it sits for 30 days after being introduced.    Read more »

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“One Today” By Richard Blanco

One sun rose on us today, kindled over our shores,peeking over the Smokies, greeting the facesof the Great Lakes, spreading a simple truthacross the Great Plains, then charging across the Rockies. One light, waking up rooftops, under each one, a storytold by our silent gestures moving behind windows. 

My face, your face, millions of faces in morning’s mirrors, each one yawning to life, crescendoing into our day: pencil-yellow school buses, the rhythm of traffic lights, fruit stands: apples, limes, and oranges arrayed like rainbowsbegging our praise.    Read more »

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Worried About Keeping All Those New Year Resolutions?

“You only have to do a few things right in your life as long as you don’t do too many things wrong.”

–Warren Buffett    Read more »

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Why Not a Green Pencil? Perhaps Something in Mauve?

”Blue pencil,” the political verb that describes line-item vetoing, started as a noun.

Before Spellcheck and computers, editors used a blue pencil on manuscripts to instruct printers where to indent, which sections to delete and so forth.

A red pencil was used to correct grammatical errors.

Special pencils were once available that had red lead at one end and blue at the other.    Read more »

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Skirling

Verb: “To create a high, shrill, wailing tone like a bagpipe.” (An apt description for the vocal stylings of a number of lawmakers.)

Used in a Sentence: “Elimination of this important program would inevitably lead to widespread hardship and painful skirling.”

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From the “Stuff-Arnold-Schwarzenegger-Wouldn’t-Say” File

All the quotes in Latin and references to ancient Greek and Roman literature and philosophy would obviously be found in this file.

Other than the last sentence of the following quote, it’s  hard to imagine Gov. Jerry Brown’s GOP predecessor waxing poetic or otherwise about the ultimate “challenge” faced by American adn California:

“The challenge is we’re an aging society.    Read more »

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By Greg Lucas

Sacramento News & Review, January 10, 2013 –Perception depends on the perceiver. But also on the perceived.

Loath to buck the fact-based belief of America’s citizenry that they’re a tawdry nest of slack-jawed, self-promoting wastrels, the members of Congress piddled around for months before hurriedly cobbling together a rinky-dink hodgepodge of major tax-law changes, whose principal benefit, albeit temporary, is hastening the removal of “fiscal cliff” from what is generously called a “national dialogue.”    Read more »

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