There are some fighting words in Fred Ortega's article about the open Senate seat in the 29th District. State Sen. Bob Margett is vacating the seat, and now Bob Huff and Dennis Mountjoy are going to duke it out to represent the convservative district.

"Bob Huff has no name ID and Margett's endorsement doesn't mean much," said Mountjoy, whose father served in the Assembly from 1978 to 1995 and authored Proposition 187, the controversial measure that would have denied state services to illegal aliens. "The Mountjoy name has been on the ballot for 30 years and is still good and strong. It stands for principle."

Posted by Jennifer McLain at 8:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Cruz Bustamante, former Lt. Governor and possible consultant for the city of Irwindale, lost his throne today as the "King of the Highest FPPC Fine" to Sen. Carole Migden, the Sacramento Bee reported. Bustamante was fined $263,000 in April 2004 for a variety of FPPC violations

Commission approves Migden fine
By Aurelio Rojas - arojas@sacbee.com
Thursday, March 20, 2008

California's political watchdog agency today approved an agreement under which state Sen. Carole Migden will pay a record $350,000 fine for 89 campaign spending and disclosure violations, including illegal personal use of campaign funds.

The fine is the largest against a single state official in the Fair Political Practices Commission's three decades of existence and comes as the San Francisco Democrat is battling to retain her seat in a June primary election against Assemblyman Mark Leno and former Assemblyman Joe Nation.

Migden was campaigning in the Bay Area today and did not attend the FPPC hearing.

But her attorney, James Harrison, told reporters the violations occurred because of inadequate record keeping by Migden's former campaign treasurer and his assistant.

Harrison said the senator delegated authority because she was battling cancer at the time and her energy was focused on her duties as an officeholder.

"She's not pointing the finger at anyone," Harrison said. "At the end of the day, she's the candidate and she's responsible."

Posted by Jennifer McLain at 5:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Interesting comments, such as "Get the ILLEGALS out of this country," to "screw u bob huff"  made in response to Bethania Palma's story that ran today about Assemblyman Bob Huff, R-Diamond Bar, who is proposing a package of bills aimed at discouraging illegal immigration. Here's a clip of the story. Read more.

5-bill package targets illegals
Huff's legislation aimed at migrants said unlikely to pass
By Bethania Palma, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 03/15/2008 10:06:00 PM PDT

A package of Assembly bills aimed at discouraging illegal immigration is circulating the Assembly, though none of the five measures is likely to become legislation.

The bills, authored by Assemblyman Bob Huff, R-Diamond Bar, aim to revoke the constitutional birthright to citizenship for children whose parents are not U.S. citizens and eliminate other rights for undocumented immigrants.

"Most people don't think that just because you happen to be in this country and have a baby, it should be a citizen," Huff said. "What is it that inherently entitles that person to all the rights that belong to people here legitimately?"

Harry Pachon, professor of public policy at USC, said the bills are too extreme and not well thought-out.

"It's posturing to a certain ideology that believes unauthorized immigrants are the root of all problems," he said. "Drafting draconian proposals on them is easy, because who speaks for the unauthorized immigrant?"

Posted by Jennifer McLain at 7:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Reporter Dan Abendschein wrote this story today about a bill proposed by Sen. Ron Calderon that would open medical records to pharmaceutical companies. Oh, and by the way, Calderon got $15,000 in contributions from these companies, Abendschein wrote.

In 2007, Calderon received more than $15,000 in contributions from pharmaceutical companies and retail pharmacies, records show. Two of his contributors, Rite Aid and the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, are supporters of the bill. The sponsor of the bill is a drug company, Adheris, which is a for-profit company that works to keep patients taking their medications.

Company officials did not return phone calls Friday. Calderon says the bill would help companies like Adheris carry out their mission. He added that his concern is for patients, and it is irrelevant whether drug companies and pharmacies benefit or not.

But don't worry. It doesn't have any impact on Calderon's decision, Abendschein reported.

"I never look at who my donors are before I decide to sponsor a bill," said Calderon. "My idea is to help people get their medications."

Posted by Jennifer McLain at 11:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Sacramento Bee reported on Sunday that the Legilslature "plays by its own rules" when it comes to open government.

Legislature's secrecy puts cloud over Sunshine Week, critics say By John Hill - jhill@sacbee.com Published 12:00 am PDT Sunday, March 16, 2008 Story appeared in MAIN NEWS section, Page A1

After years as a county supervisor, Todd Spitzer believed in open government and wanted to bring a dose of it to his new home in the California Legislature.

He was about to learn a hard lesson: When it comes to open government, the Legislature plays by its own rules.

A bill Spitzer carried in 2004 would have made the Legislature subject to the same public records law that applies to everyone from the governor to Galt City Council members.

Spitzer's Assembly Bill 2714 sparked a rare instance of bipartisanship. No one on the committee, Democrat or Republican, made a motion to consider it.

"I didn't even get a courtesy vote," Spitzer recalls.

The Orange County Republican had just run up against the Legislative Open Records Act – a state law with a name that some, including Spitzer, find ironic.

"We're great about telling everyone else about having open government," Spitzer said. "When it comes to ourselves, we're complete hypocrites."

Posted by Jennifer McLain at 12:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Assemblyman Mike Eng, D-Monterey Park, is proposing legilsation that could result in cost savings by reducing reliance on IT contractors, the Sacramento Bee reported today.

Union decries increasing number of outsourced IT contracts for state of California By Aurelio Rojas - arojas@sacbee.com Last Updated 12:23 am PDT Wednesday, March 12, 2008 Story appeared in MAIN NEWS section, Page A3

The number of information technology contracts awarded by the state of California has tripled since 2003, and the state could save up to $100 million annually by reducing its reliance on contractors, according to a new union study.

The report, titled "Too Many, Too Costly, Too Little Oversight," was compiled by the Service Employees International Union in preparation for a hearing today in the Legislature and based on information provided by the Department of General Services.

SEIU represents 7,800 state IT employees, 80 percent of whom work in the Sacramento region. The union is sponsoring AB 2603 by Assemblyman Mike Eng, D-Monterey Park, that would require state departments to report IT contract expenditures so that they could be compared to the cost of state employees doing the work.

According to a 2006 report by the independent California Research Bureau, outsourcing IT work cost 50 percent more than doing the work in-house.

"At a time when we have so many budget issues and a ($8 billion) budget deficit, it's very important that we pursue any avenues in which might save money," said Eng, who will chair today's joint hearing of the Assembly Committee on Business & Profession and Public Employees, Retirement & Social Security.

Posted by Jennifer McLain at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Sacramento Bee posted the economic interest forms for all statewide elected officials. Among them are Sen. Ron Calderon, D-Montebello, who received nearly $1,000 worth of golf trips, $264 in Disneyland tickets and a $1,700 trip to Taiwan; Assemblyman Bob Huff, R-Diamond Bar, who received a nearly $3,000 trip to France; and Sen. Jack Scott, D-Altadena, reported receiving $264 worth of Disneyland tickets, Rose Bowl parade and game tickets, totalling $390, and a three month gym membership at Capitol Athletic Club totalling $285. By the way, I also learned in reviewing these statements that Scott is a part-time minister at the Sierra Madre Church of Christ.

Have fun looking these over!

Posted by Jennifer McLain at 11:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Just got this from Crime Scene blogger and City Editor, Frank Girardot:

Apparently the gov's press office is actively reading our web-site. They called this afternoon after reading a brief online about an "edumacation" protest at the Capitol. The purpose of the call was to give Ar-nuld's side of the story.

So I asked the press girl to put him on the phone.

She said he was busy.....I didn't tell her I was to busy to pay attention to the rest of the call. I would listen to arnold though.

Posted by Jennifer McLain at 3:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sac Bee looks into the gifts that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger received this past year, which were disclosed in an annual statement filed on Monday with the Fair Political Practices Commission.

The gifts include $144 in spark plugs, a $60 dog tethering kit, an $86 clock from Clint Eastwood, a $280 food basket from Danny DeVito, $120 in chocolates from Tom Arnold, and about 90 gifts totaling nearly $14,000 – including about $2,500 in cigar products and $1,500 in liquor.

Here's my favorite quote in the story:

"In what other job in America do people get gifts just for having the job?" said Doug Heller of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. "I think there's a real problem when people consider their job a perpetual birthday party."

Posted by Jennifer McLain at 12:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)