A Lowenthal joins the refuseniks
Monday, I wrote about a handful of state lawmakers turning down the legislature’s latest pay raise, out of concern for the $10 billion hole in the state’s budget. Today, the Sacramento Bee reports that Sen. Allan Lowenthal has also decided to decline the extra $3,110. He’ll just have to scrape by [...]

Health care reform goes the way of Elvis
Nine days ago we noted that on the same day the Sacramento Bee reported the prospects for a deal between the governor and the legislature on health care reform were dead, the San Francisco Chronicle said the deal “draws closer”. Today the Chron, nine days older and nine [...]

Best paid get better paid
If you’re worried that the $10 billion (or so) hole in the state’s budget will lead to lawmakers losing their distinction as America’s highest paid state legislators, rest easy. The Sacramento Bee reports:
California’s legislative salaries, already the nation’s highest, will rise to $116,208 today for all but a handful of [...]

Is the I.V. bag half-full, or half-empty?
Today’s Sacramento Bee says the chance of a successful deal between the governor and the legislature on health care reform is nil. Health care reform is dead.
Today’s San Francisco Chronicle says the deal on health care “draws closer”. Health care reform lives.
Feel free to choose the story you [...]

Taking the health and care out of the “year of health care reform”
Today’s Sacramento Bee shows us what irony looks like when it isn’t funny: “Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared 2007 the “year of health care reform” in California, but thousands of children could actually lose insurance coverage in the coming months.”
If you were wondering what [...]