In many respects, “Things Can Only Get Better.” But is that true of
the California budget stall?
** BLAIR REPORT. After his initial five-day trip to the Middle East as the new envoy of the Mideast Quartet (US, Russia, European Union, UN), during which he met with top leaders in Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Jordan, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates, Tony Blair reports that he will have offices secured in Jerusalem and return to the region for two weeks in September before meeting again with the Quartet’s foreign ministers. After that, he should be in the region for a week each month.
** NEW NATIONAL BATTLEGROUND POLL: CLINTON TRAILS GIULIANI. OBAMA LEADS GIULIANI. The Battleground Poll conducted by the Republican Tarrance Group and the Democratic Lake Research has Hillary Clinton running much worse against the leading Republicans than Barack Obama.
Here are the numbers: Clinton 44%, Giuliani 50%. Clinton 47%, Thompson 45%. Obama 52%, Giuliani 43%. Obama 56%, Thompson 36%.
** CALIFORNIA BUDGET UPDATE: Nothing to report. Other than delayed transportation projects.
The California Transportation Commission has delayed $800 million in projects around the state until the Legislature passes a budget.
** SCHWARZENEGGER TO ADDRESS THE UNITED NATIONS ON CLIMATE CHANGE. Earlier this morning on his webcast from Echelon Corp. in San Jose, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger accepted the personal invitation of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to address a special session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The session, which will focus on climate change, which the UN chief describes as his top priority, will take place on September 24th. The gathering is in preparation for a beginning round of negotiations in December in Bali, Indonesia for a post-Kyoto set of accords on reining in the greenhouse effect.
Ban and Schwarzenegger made brief speeches and entertained some questions from the press — getting entangled at the beginning by the eternal question of Taiwan’s lack of membership in the UN — after touring Echelon. The company makes sensors that monitor energy usage, enabling automatic switch-offs when the power is not needed and allowing users to shift power usage to off-peak times when possible.
Schwarzenegger spoke enthusiastically of the world entering a new era, one that is no longer “carbon-based” but “carbon-free,” of moving “from the Industrial Age to the GreenTech Age.” For his part, Ban, a one-time California exchange student who was foreign minister of South Korea before the US, Britain, and others helped engineer his election as secretary-general, praised Schwarzenegger for his “visionary leadership.” He called the emerging moves of California in combating the greenhouse effect a model for the world. At which point it became fairly obvious he would be inviting Schwarzenegger to play a starring role at the UN meeting in September.
Schwarzenegger was asked by one reporter if he doesn’t emphasize technology too much as a fix for the greenhouse effect, which he has a tendency to do, with people “still driving around in their SUVs,” which didn’t seem to please the former action superstar all that much. The governor allowed as how it is certainly not simply a question of technology, but of conservation as well. And that the two go hand in hand, as is the case of the company they had just toured.
“I don’t think you dislike the SUV,” said Schwarzenegger. “You dislike the engine that is in that SUV.” He went on to say that the key is to change engines and fuels, noting that a California-based company, Tesla Motors, is producing a very desirable all-electric sports car and that “Detroit is still on its butt.”
After questions from the press, Ban asked Schwarzenegger to appear at the UN meeting in September. Not surprisingly, the former Mr. Universe agreed, saying he is “honored.”
** U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL SAYS CLIMATE CHANGE HIS TOP PRIORITY. Last night at a World Affairs Council event in San Francisco, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that climate change is his top priority. He’s visiting California now to learn about the state’s plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In September, he hosts a UN conference on climate change and wants President Bush to attend. That’s a meeting in preparation for a December conference in Bali to beginn planning for a new version of the Kyoto Accords.
** CALIFORNIA AIR BOARD ADOPTS TOUGH DIESEL REGULATIONS. In what should answer some questions about the direction of the Air Resources Board in the wake of its management shake-up, the board, under the leadership of new chair Mary Nichols — who chaired the air board under then Governor Jerry Brown in the late ’70s and early ’80s — yesterday adopted the toughest diesel regulations in the country. The regulations affect off-road diesel vehicles used in construction, at airports, and so forth. About 180,000 vehicles will need to be retrofit or replaced to come into compliance.
** BROWN MOVING ON GREENHOUSE GASES. Very interesting article in today’s Sacramento Bee on how it’s turning out to be Attorney General and former Governor Jerry Brown who is having the first actual impact on greenhouse gas emissions in California. That’s because the state’s two big new laws on climate change haven’t gone into effect yet.
The former Oakland mayor and two-time runner-up for the Democratic presidential nomination is using a lawsuit against sprawling San Bernardino County and possible suits against other localities to start getting climate change included in the planning process. Key Brown quote: “We are looking for cooperative agreements with local government to get moving now on reducing greenhouse gas emissions where practical.”
The attorney generalship is an extraordinarily powerful office, the second most powerful in California. Brown got a good look at it as a boy when his father, the late Governor Pat Brown, was attorney general for eight years in the 1950s.
** NEW NATIONAL POLL. CLINTONS LEADS AMONG DEMOCRATS, GIULIANI AND THOMPSON TIED AMONG REPUBLICANS. A new Diageo/The Hotline poll has Hillary Clinton leading Barack Obama, 39% to 30% nationally among Democrats, with John Edwards a distant third at 11%. On the Republican side, it’s Rudy Giuliani 20%, Fred Thompson 19%, John McCain 17%, and Mitt Romney 8%.
** SCHWARZENEGGER WEBCAST THIS MORNING WITH U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger meets with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon this morning in Silicon Valley. The two will tour Echelon Corporation, a San Jose company making sensor equipment that may help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the Third World and elsewhere. A live webcast of their press conference takes place at 10:30 AM. Perhaps the secretary-general can mediate the California budget impasse.
It turns out, incidentally, that Schwarzenegger’s blind trust has invested in a huge investment fund that owns a share of the company. Conflict of interest? Coincidence? Unfortunate situation? No big deal? What do you think?
** REPUBLICANS AND THE CNN/YOUTUBE DEBATE: SO THEY DON’T LIKE VIDEO SNOWMEN. Top-level Republican participation in September 17th’s scheduled CNN/YouTube GOP presidential debate in Florida looks dicey. Mitt Romney says he doesn’t want to take questions from a snowman. And Rudy Giuliani’s staff reportedly says he’ll have a scheduling conflict.
Hey, I found it fairly inane, too. But let’s not pass up the chance for another exciting debate. Hmm. On second thought …
** AL QAEDA’S AMERICAN PRISONERS STILL NOT LOCATED. American troops are now in the midst of a 75th day of searching for the remaining two US soldiers captured by Al Qaeda in an ambush south of Baghdad. They have had no luck so far. A video put out by Al Qaeda forces in Iraq claims that all three men were executed after being captured. But, with the exception of the Californian found floating in the Euphrates River, that claim can’t be confirmed. The US high command in Baghdad has revealed that ID cards for the other two American prisoners were found in an Al Qaeda safehouse on June 9th.
** Track global and national energy prices in near real time via Bloomberg. Most crude oil prices are around $76 per barrel.
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The budget debacle is the latest demonstration of the limits of “post partisanship.” Last year Arnold got the Senate Repubs to go along so that he could look good in the general over Angelides. But that nearly cost the GOP leader and this year its purity time. So where is Swarzenegger’s “Leaadership” skills? Wan’t this the issue on which he ran in the recall?
Not that Nunez deserves any credit. Until the state faces the ridiculous 2/3 requirement and the screwed up tax system this will recure until Wall Stree says “No” to any more bonds – see New York, 1975.
Gee Bill I thought all debates were good. Didn’t you chide the Dems for pulling the plug on FOX? Actuall the YouTube debate a substantive clash on foreing policy between Obama and Clinto going. Not bad.
The real reason that Romney and Guiliani are skittish about the YouTubers is the fear of the kind of questions that would be asked. Rudy sure as hell doesn’t want to hear from a NYC Firefigher or EMT and Mitt has to worry about a religious right wacko questioning his Mormonism. In fact the possibility of right wing wackos spewing their nonsense should scare the crap out of the GOP that tries to hide these nuts.
The one that he and the rest of the Senate Republicans have locked up.
Oh, that one. I thought you were referring to something else.
The Senate Republicans’ cuts don’t seem to include education.
Actually, Richard, the debate was so lame that I switched off several times. And the Clinton-Obama dust-up, which occurred the next day, resulted from Hillary’s attempt to make something out of nothing. He then decided to do the same.
>richard locicero :
Gee Bill I thought all debates were good. Didn’t you chide the Dems for pulling the plug on FOX? Actuall the YouTube debate a substantive clash on foreing policy between Obama and Clinto going. Not bad.
Depends on whose list you use.
McClintock calls for $1 billion in direct ed cuts — more than $800 million of it K-12.
The Ackerman list takes $300 million in CalWORKS from children who will go to school hungry — try to convince any teacher this has no impact on education.
Denham’s choice was yes or no on a budget that spends 51 cents of every dollar on education — and the vote was no.
The Budget is boring.
The Budget is boring.
I’m using the Senate Republican list.
That’s not on it.
>Depends on whose list you use.
McClintock calls for $1 billion in direct ed cuts — more than $800 million of it K-12.
What do Republicans do when they’re ignored?
Know how many comments are on the Flush Report today?
ONE.
It’s from Steve Maviglio the Democrat flack. lol
Even the right wingnuts aren’t excited.
arnold at the UN on climate change…fantastic!!!!!! pizza in Tiburon ..yummy…california days and nights …beautiful…budget smudget dudgent crudgent ..harry potter forever! toodles
By your choice of language, I sense you’ve been reading Harry Potter …
It’s not exactly a mass movement …
>Ann :
Know how many comments are on the Flush Report today?
ONE.
It’s from Steve Maviglio the Democrat flack. lol
Even the right wingnuts aren’t excited.
Jul 27, 2007 04:19 PM
Either we’ve already found out.
Or we will find out …
>Capitol Boy :
What do Republicans do when they’re ignored?
Jul 27, 2007 04:13 PM
Do you know about the problem with the voting systems?
Bill – if you want to get CA GOP Chairman Ron Nehring’s thoughts about anything from the staff hires/fires to the party fundraising efforts, he will actually be in California this weekend, and will be speaking to the Greater LA Republican National Hispanic Assembly chapter on Saturday (picnic at Henry Acuna Park, 1700 W. Victoria in Montebello from 10 to 4). Don’t pass up this rare opportunity to meet Mr. Nehring without changing time zones.
Very nice!
And, no, I don’t know much about the voting problem other than that ther is a new report just out.
yes! I had a disagreement with someone on the last book and I had to reread a prevous one to prove my point.. I have some ME news and if I do not loose power I will post it….
The following
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT
is presented because you all have been far too serious this day.
At 7:28 p.m. PDT, Barry Bonds has left the yard with home run number 754. He’s now one away from tying the great Hammering Hank Aaron.
Stay tuned.
And, yes, I know…he’s a fraud.
the Palestinians are trying to form a third alternative party to Hamas and Fatah..Marwan did that but ened up in prison..but now the world is watching…
the Saudis meet with the Prez of Egypt on Tuesday in Egypt to compare notes on visit with Blair and Israelis…the Blair visit in Persian Gulf went well…The tuesday visit comes day after Putin and abbas meet in Moscow…its important to clock all the visits hence forward..
the Red Mosque reopened as the Green Mosque …was immediately taken over by militants and closed. army told musharraf they won’t support martial law…Musharraf is in UEA in persian guf meeting with Bhutto trying to make a deal to govern her party’s support… big political risk but she might do it…due to fears of extemists..Saudis very worried about Pakistan ..huge Muslim population …big complication for them if extemeism grows or takes control
Solon, mixed feelings about Bonds. I was on hand when he hit one of his record homers during the 73 home run season. Steroids don’t make him a great hitter. They increase powerbut decrease flexibility, so it may be a wash.
the House Appropriations committee increase funding in a big way for Israel defense …more promised in fall…i hope this helps getting Israel to talk about borders …i also hope Condi keeps using the word Occupation …and not just with her arab audiences…
What’s happening in Pakistan is more important than wha’ts happening in Iraq. But it’s hard to think about right now.
Bill,
Think I said a few days ago that Bonds was a great ballpayer prior to becoming a great home run hitter. That few, if any, have brought his gifts to the game or used them at well.
However, if in fact he used steroids, the record will be tainted as are the careers of several other players, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa to name two.
That the use of steriods in baseball was widespread is hard to dispute. One need look no farther than Brady Anderson, a man who hit 50 homers in 1996 after never hitting more than 21 in nine prior major league seasons and never hitting more than 24 after that season.
As for Mr. Bonds, prior to hitting 49 homers in 2000, his number of blasts had deceased in each of the four prior years. That he followed that year with 73, at an age (36) when most players are in physical decline suggests that perhaps all things were not kosher and brings in doubt that it was a wash.
As you know, my friend, the question will burn for a long, long, time and whether someone who is certianly one of the greatest ever to play the game will ever be in the Hall of Fame will be hotly debated.
As for me, I’m watching history. Tainted or not, it’s history.
He will definitely be in the Hall of Fame. If nothing else, racial politics will guarantee that.
He was a lock before the home run records.
Besides, baseball is a game with a lot of sliding around the rules.
He will definitely be in the Hall of Fame. If nothing else, racial politics will guarantee that.
He was a lock before the home run records.
Besides, baseball is a game with a lot of sliding around the rules.
Bill,
I think we are on different sides of that issue. He was a lock prior to the steroids issue, was.
Disagree, baseball is not a game that slides around the rules to the extent that some of done so.
As I said, it will be hotly debated for a long time. At least five years after he retires and probably beyond that. My guess would be that it’s the Vet Committee that would put him in the Hall. I don’t think the media folks will.
the nice name about a short name like Bonds is that it leaves lots of room in the record book for all the asterisks.
I agree Pakistan is more important but also agree who wants to think about it on a starry night in Napa Valley…toodles! have a good weekend!
While I did read an article in the SF Chronicle on it, I have just checked the Sacramento Bee and the Los Angeles Times and found no mention that the Governor would be addressing the UN on climate change.
That those two “newspapers” failed to capture the story says much about what a wonderful place this is if you want to stay informed.
William, once again, thanks!
Well, those were the two pro-Angelides newspapers in the state.
The Bee in particular has become quite sulky and parochial about Schwarzenegger doing non-traditional gubernatorial things.
The Bee is becoming a joke. If it weren’t for the late sports and need of fish wrap I would cancel my subscription. Seldom visit the LAT site anymore except to read George Skelton.
Oh, well, off to see what trouble I can cause in Sacramento this Saturday. Ten miles on the path tomorrow…ten miles that will send me past the century mark for the month. Which, even if I say so meself, ‘taint too shabby for a old feeble person.
Sorry Solon but the “Jokey” BEE is a McClathcy paper – which along with its recently acquired Knight-Ridder people – has been miles ahead of the the big boys on Iraq, the fired USA’s and a host of other stories.
I won’t defend the TIMES.
I suspect he’s referring to the Bee’s coverage of California politics, which is its metier.
Richard,
Nice that we can have different opionions and still be friends. And in my opinion, The Stinger does an awful job of covering Sacramento.
It’s not AWFUL. It’s dull and petty.
Capitol Boy…
Whatever you said. Whatever.
What I can’t figure out, about that Echelon story, is how they found out that the Gov had a stake… Isn’t the point of a blind trust supposed to be that the owner doesn’t know what he’s invested in, and hence can’t take official action to benefit his portfolio? If so, shouldn’t the investments just be between the trustee, the IRS, and the SEC? Not trumpted out where the owner will hear about it?
Re: voting systems, you can find the report here:
http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/elections_vsr.htm
Key quote: “The red teams demonstrated that the security mechanisms provided for all systems analyzed were inadequate to ensure accuracy and integrity of the election results and of the systems that provide those results.”
I have a couple friends who were on this project, and they worked their hearts out, in the face of stonewalling from the corporations involved and pressure from registrars and opposing legislators. They, and Debra Bowen, deserve congratulations and thanks.
I’m really ticked at Congress right now for trying to punt addressing these issues back to 2012. I’m fine with using the current systems for the primary, but we must, MUST get rid of closed-source electronic voting by the general of 2008, or no matter WHO wins, there will be a conflagration over whether machines somewhere were potentially hackable.