VETO POWER

GOVERNOR VETOES TWO BAY AREA CAR TAX BILLS
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s first political act after becoming Governor three years ago was to overturn the wildly unpopular $4 billion car tax increase authorized by his predecessor, Governor Gray Davis.

The car tax revolt was a key factor leading to Davis’s recall and Schwarzenegger’s election in 2003. So it should come as no surprise to anyone that Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill on Friday, September 22, designed to reinstate the car tax for residents of San Francisco. The Governor also vetoed a bill that would have raised license fees up to $5 for motorists in 9 Bay Area counties.

VETO MESSAGES
The Governor vetoed AB799 by San Francisco Assemblyman Mark Leno. His explanation, “..if the vehicle license fee increase proposed by this bill were enacted, the people of San Francisco could pay more than twice the amount to register their vehicles than anyone else in the state.”

The Governor also objected to provisions that “the revenues generated by this bill would not be directed to projects related to vehicles, but used to bolster the city’s general fund. This is an unfair burden to place solely on the shoulders of motorists.”

The Governor also vetoed AB 2444 by Assemblyman Johan Klehs of San Leandro, who wanted to allow 9 counties in the Bay Area to increase fees by up to $5 a vehicle to address traffic congestion. Republican legislators revolted back in June, saying the fee hike should not come without a vote of the people. In his veto message the Governor agreed, saying, “I support the goal of increasing funds to mitigate traffic congestion, but cannot support the continued adding of fees such as this without the approval of the people upon whom the fees are imposed.”

FLUNK ARNOLD

FACULTY REVOLT

The California Faculty Association (CFA) is joining with college students at California State University Sacramento and California State University Long Beach in blasting Arnold Schwarzenegger, claiming the Governor has been “horrible to higher education”, because “fees are up” according to Katherine General of the CFA, which represents 22,000 teachers, librarians, coaches and counselors of the CSU system.

VIDEO CONTEST
The CFA is challenging students to “Flunk Arnold” by making 30-second videos mocking the Governor, with the winning entry to be aired statewide as an advertisement during The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Organizers say the winning video artist will also-win a free year’s tuition to the CSU campus he/she is attending.

RAPID RESPONSE
The Governor’s re-election campaign was quick to respond, saying, “In the 2 years preceding Governor Schwarzenegger coming into office, student fees increased at CSU and UC by more than 40% while Phil Angelides stood silent,” said Julie Soderlund, Press Secretary for the Governor’s re-election campaign. Soderlund added, “One of the Governor’s first priorities when he came into office was to control the rate of growth in student fees and this year the Governor’s budget made it possible for no fee increases to be imposed on CSU and UC students.”

For the record, the Governor’s budget this year calls for a 23% decrease in Community College fees and funds all education in California at $55.1 billion, a record level.

LANDSLIDE ELECTION?
Aside from student demonstrations, Arnold Schwarzenegger may not have too much to worry about this election. A growing number of political pundits are saying Phil Angelides may be a landslide loser in November. “I’m hearing now that there’s a 20-point lead” for Schwarzenegger, said political analyst Tony Quinn.

“The problem that Angelides is having,” added Quinn, “is the Democratic voters who voted for (Controller Steve) Westley, which was about 40% of the primary Democrats, are showing no enthusiasm for him. Therefore Angelides has not been able to solidify the Democratic base, which means he has to spend all of his time campaigning to the Democratic base, which isn’t enough to get you elected.”

OUT-OF-TOWN BROWN?
There’s not much of a contest for Attorney General. where Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown has a comfortable 20-point lead over his Republican challenger, Senator Chuck Poochigian of Fresno. But Poochigian has coined a clever name for his opponent, calling him “Out-of-Town Brown”, claiming he is frequently on the road, away from Oakland, where the homicide rate has now reached triple digits.

HOMICIDE HORRORS?
Oakland’s murder rate continues to climb, providing an opportunity for Poochigian to claim that Jerry Brown is unfit to be California’s top cop. “And yet he has said over and over again,” Poochigian told Capitol Insider, “That he will lead the fight on crime as he has as Mayor of Oakland. That’s a very scary thought.”

In response, Brown told me in Sacramento, “I’m not sitting here in the legislative chambers protected by innumerable guards and metal detectors. I’m walking the tough streets of Oakland.”

POLITICAL FALLOUT
Political analyst Tony Quinn thinks Oakland’s crime rate could spell trouble for Jerry Brown. “He’s way ahead now but that’s based on name ID. I do think that the issue of Oakland crime – he is the Mayor – is certainly going to be a major issue.”

STANDING TALL

SLEIGHT OF HEIGHT
Phil Angelides thinks he knows why Arnold Schwarzenegger has agreed to only one debate in their race for Governor. “Look this Governor has agreed to one joint appearance,” Angelides told supporters in Sacramento on Friday. Angelides then added this zinger about his opponent: “He’s insisted that we both sit down. I mean, big deal – so I’m taller, come on.” The crowd roared in laughter.

NOT AMUSED
The Schwarzenegger campaign did not take the bait. Press Secretary Julie Soderlund issued this straight-faced response, “Well Governor Schwarzenegger is looking forward to debating Mr. Angelides on October 7th.”

FOR THE RECORD
So who really stands taller between the two candidates?
Phil Angelides is 6-foot-1 according to Campaign Spokesperson Nick Pappas, while Arnold Schwarzenegger is also 6-foot-1, according to the Governor’s press office. That sounds right to me – I have interviewed both men and my observation is that both candidates appear to be the same height.

VOTING DISPARITIES

GROWING GAP BETWEEN VOTERS AND NON-VOTERS
A new survey released by the Public Policy Institute of California shows people who go to the polls are very different from those who don’t. “The population of this state is much younger, less affluent and less likely to be college educated than the people who vote in our elections,” noted Mark Baldassare, the PPIC’s Research Director. The survey of 24,000 Californians finds 70% of likely California voters are white and tend to be homeowners, while non-voters are more ethnically diverse with 66% live in rental housing. The study concludes that Californians who go to the polls do not reflect the population at large.

GOVERNOR’S RACE AFFECTED BY NOVEMBER NUMBERS
The PPIC survey estimates just one in three California adults will vote this November. But if the other 65% actually participated in the election, the race for Governor would be “too close to call” according to Baldassare. But it’s actual voters who count and that’s why Arnold Schwarzenegger enjoys a 13 point lead over Phil Angelides in the latest PPIC poll of likely voters. Overall, 8 million Californians are expected to vote this November, but 12 million eligible adults will not vote – often because of cultural and language barriers, but also due to a growing sense of frustration that their vote doesn’t count.

BOND MEASURE AFFECTED
If those 12 million non-participants did vote, then the affordable housing bond on the November ballot would pass easily, with 80% of non-voters supporting it. But likely voters are ambivalent about the $3 million bond package, with just 49% in favor, according to the survey. “The people who aren’t going to the polls are the people who want these measures the most,” Baldassare observed. “But ironically they won’t be voting in the fall.”

HEALTH CARE VETO

NO SOCIALIZED MEDICINE
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill on Tuesday, September 5 that would have provided a government-run universal health care system. In his veto message, the Governor said the program would raise costs and force patients to wait longer for treatment.

DEMS DON’T LIKE IT
In response to the Governor’s veto, the Democrats were quick to react. Bob Mulholland, Senior Advisor to Phil Angelides quipped, “One wonders if Schwarzenegger’s maids, cooks and gardeners have health care under Schwarzenegger. My guess is, probably not.”

GOP ACCUSES PHIL OF FLIP-FLOPPING
The Schwarzenegger campaign fired back with both barrels blazing, accusing Phil Angelides of political pandering. Communications Director Katie Levinson told me, “Phil Angelides supported universal health care in the Democratic primary. His spokespeople have since said that he does not support the bill. Last week he said he had no position. So we’re as curious as anyone else is on where Angelides stands on universal health care. He seems to be all over the place on the issue.”

L.A. CONNECTION
After months of silence on the matter, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa today finally endorsed Phil Angelides for Governor – with only 63 days to go before the November election. Why so little so late? Many political insiders say it’s because the Democratic Mayor wants to run for Governor in 2010 – and it’s much easier to do that with no Democratic incumbent – hence the Mayor would cry only crocodile tears if Angelides loses in November. The other half of the equation, insiders say, has – Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez running for Mayor of Los Angeles in four years if his good friend Antonio runs for Governor. The Speaker has been effusive in his praise for Arnold Schwarzenegger, even though Nunez has officially endorsed Angelides.

VICTORY IN CYBERSPACE

WEB SITES NOW FREED UP
The folks opposed to the $4 billion tax on oil production in California (Prop 87 on your November ballot) may be behind in the polls – but the “No on 87″ forces have won a victory in cyberspace by reclaiming their own Web sites. Click here to see the revised site http://www.nooiltax.com/

As we reported earlier, the “Yes on 87″ organizers “hijacked” up to half a dozen opposition Web sites only to redirect voters to the Californians for Clean Energy domain. But now the “Yes on 87″ campaign has surrendered the sites they seized, following an out of court settlement.

NO MEANS NO
In declaring victory, the “No on 87″ campaign had this reaction, “It’s against the law and what they did is clearly against the law” stated Al Lundeen, spokesperson for “No on87″. Lundeen added, “And by returning the Web sites or making them available to us, they essentially admitted that what the did was illegal.” Lundeen was referring to California’s law on Cyberfraud – that makes it illegal for a political campaign to seize a rival’s Web sites in order to mislead voters.

NOT SORRY
Meanwhile, the “Yes on 87″ side is far from apologetic. When Capitol Insider asked “Yes on 87″ spokesperson Beth Willon how her campaign justified “hijacking” the opposition’s Web sites, she responded, “That was not hijacking. As I said before, this is done all the time in campaigns. And instead of spending billions of dollars on frivolous lawsuits, what Big Oil needs to do is take some computer lessons and learn what you can and cannot do.” In other words – all’s fair in love, war and politics.