Monday, September 8, 2008

California News Roundup - September 8, 2008

How would they close a budget deal? -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has tried to cut state worker pay to the federal minimum wage until a state budget is done. He's tried laying off more than 10,000 part-time and temporary state workers. He's tried calling on voters to demand action from their legislators. He's tried calling for bipartisan cooperation. He's tried suggesting that lawmakers are cowards. He's tried abandoning his determination not to raise taxes. He's tried threatening to veto all bills.


George Skelton: Allow a majority budget vote -- on't blame Democrats for the record-long budget stalemate that is forcing the state to stiff private suppliers, community colleges and healthcare centers for the poor. They've tried to compromise, agreeing to cut programs for schools, welfare families and the impoverished aged, blind and disabled. They're even willing to accept some of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's budget "reforms."


Dan Walters: Health battle still raging on final day -- When Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's ambitious, but deeply flawed, scheme to provide health insurance to millions of Californians died in the state Senate early this year, it reignited the Capitol's perennial political war over who should get what care and who should pay for it. No other political issue directly affects more people, is more complex, or generates more emotion, for obvious reasons. And no other segment of the California economy involves so much money, upward of $200 billion a year, more than 10 percent of the state's economic output.


Budget mess may mean another ballot -- Another election? California voters, who will head to the polls in November for the third time this year, could be asked to cast ballots again early next year as part of a deal to break the record-long budget stalemate. A special election would cost taxpayers up to $100 million at a time when lawmakers are considering cuts to state services and tax hikes.


Orange County donors give $1.6 million for ban on gay marriage -- Local Proposition 8 supporters contribute 30 times more than opponents.


Illegal immigrants who return after deportation commit more crimes, study finds -- In L.A. County, 75% of inmates who reenter the U.S. engage in more criminal activity within a year. The rate is less for illegal immigrants who have never been ordered to leave.


Study finds California can cut farm water use -- By growing less thirsty crops and investing in more efficient irrigation technology, California farmers could save billions of gallons of water each year - the equivalent of three dams to 20 dams, according to a controversial new report by an influential water policy think tank. In a study to be released today, researchers at Oakland's Pacific Institute say that before Californians take on costly new dam and reservoir projects, state and federal policymakers need to build on existing methods for reducing agricultural water use.

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