Three Years of the State Cutting Its Support Can’t Be Helping

The number of school districts in financial jeopardy increased by 33 to 143 over the past three months, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced June 17.

That’s almost 14 percent of the state’s 1,032 districts and county offices of education.

“These numbers underscore how urgently school districts across California need a balanced state budget in place that provides a full year of stable funding for education,” Torlakson said in press release announcing the increased numbers.    Read more »

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Today’s Latin Lesson Is a Compliment Not Heard Often Enough in the Capitol

Ore Rotundo

“A Nicely Given Speech”

(Literally: “With a Round Mouth”)

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Since So Many Republicans Called the Democratic Budget Plan a “Sham”…

This from the Oxford English Dictionary:

The origin of the word ‘sham’ is shrouded in relative obscurity and dates back several hundred years.

Its earliest recorded use is in 1677. However, the word first appeared in the context of English slang, where it quickly gained popularity and widespread usage.

Sham is suggestive to being connected with the north England dialect word “sham,” meaning “shame,” however, its earliest recorded contexts appear to be contradictory to that definition.    Read more »

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Today’s Latin Lesson Is a Quote from Cicero That Republicans Want Applied to the Budget

Magnum Vectigal Est Parsimonia

“Economy Is a Great Revenue”    Read more »

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Bertrand Russell, A History of Western Philosophy, Page 510

Explaining Machiavelli’s political view:

“But there is also, in politics, the question of means. It is futile to pursue a political purpose by methods that are bound to fail; if the end is held good, we must choose means adequate to its acheivement.

“The question of means can be treated in a purely scientific manner, without regard to the goodness or badness of the ends.    Read more »

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Another Episode of “Politics on Tap” with Capitol Weekly‘s Malcolm Maclachlan, Assemblywoman Holly Mitchell and Jason Kinney, California Strategies communications consultant    Read more »

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Brown Stumps For Legislative Support of Temporary Tax Extension

Two days before the Legislature’s often-missed deadline to pass a budget, Gov. Jerry Brown took his case to the court of public opinion attempting to push a handful of Republicans to vote for an extension of temporary taxes set to expire in two weeks.

Backed by a diverse coalition of business groups, educators, labor and law enforcement Brown called on lawmakers to pass the plan he proposed or “something very close to it” and do it soon.    Read more »

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Today’s Latin Lesson Comes From a Common Trait of Politicians

Cacoethes Loquendi

“An Itch for Talking”    Read more »

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Bertrand Russell, A History of Western Philosphy, Page 624

“In Locke’s theory of government … there is little that is original. In this Locke resembles most of the men who have won fame for their ideas. As a rule, the man who first thinks of anew idea is so much ahead of his time that every one thinks him silly, so that he remains obscure and is soon forgotten.    Read more »

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State Senators Count Rhetorical Budget Coup

After hours of often repetitive rhetoric, the Senate approved eight bills on June 10 aimed at balancing the budget but failed to win enough votes for a measure to extend $9.4 billion in taxes set to expire this year.

Among the measures passed was what lawmakers called “Budget Jr.,” a 575-page bill, AB 98, that amends the previous spending plan lawmakers approved in March.    Read more »

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