February 28th, 2009 01:00pm
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Do you use an RSS Reader? If you do and you follow this blog, you can subscribe by clicking here.
BTW, even if you wouldn’t subscribe to this blog on a bet, you may find a news aggregator useful. With an RSS Reader, you have access to your favorite online sources without having to navigate to their Web sites. Blog posts, new stories and video arrive, automatically, on your desktop – …
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February 25th, 2009 02:39pm
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The groups that sponsored a government reform conference on Tuesday left Sacramento with ambitions to sponsor two ballot measures in 2010.
The first would authorize voters to call a constitutional convention. (Only the legislature now has the authority to call a convention – and good luck with that. It hasn’t happened in 125 years.)
The second ballot initiative would then ask voters to call for a constitutional convention to draft reforms.
Many obstacles …
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February 24th, 2009 04:35pm
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Are counties an anachronism from the 19th century? As Californians debate ideas for re-inventing state and local government, some argue that counties don’t make sense anymore. They should be abolished, it is argued, or at least consolidated.
During a question and answer session this morning at a Sacramento meeting on government reform, one audience member embraced the idea: “I live in Marin County,” he joked, “I think we should …
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February 24th, 2009 03:28pm
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California’s system of government doesn’t work, and in its current form, it can’t work, the veteran political columnist Dan Walters said this morning.
At a gathering of reform-minded organizations, Walters said the current structure of government was designed for an agrarian, sparsely populated society – not the large, culturally and geographically diverse state that exists today.
As a result, he said, government is is neither effective nor accountable. “To paraphrase Harry Truman,” …
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February 24th, 2009 02:27pm
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We’re in Sacramento today to watch a bunch of good-government types discuss what it will take to return competence and accountability to state government. The event – the California Constitutional Convention Summit – is sponsored by the Bay Area Council, Common Cause, the League of Women Voters and others. Speakers will include Sacramento Bee columnist Dan Walters, Lt. Gov. John Garamendi and former North Bay Assemblyman Bill Bagley.
“Good-government types” is …
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February 22nd, 2009 02:05pm
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The Press Democrat Editorial Board this morning explains how open primaries could lead to a more responsive and effective state government. You can read the editorial here.
To obtain a Republican’s vote for last week’s budget overhaul, Democrats agreed to a statewide vote on open primaries. Perhaps it was an unlikely way to seal the deal, but it’s worth noting that the serial budget fiascoes in Sacramento in recent years are …
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February 19th, 2009 12:03pm
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After months of deadlock, the California Legislature early today approved a plan to close a $42 billion shortfall in the state budget. This is welcome news because it spares the state from financial collapse. If, as expected, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger agrees, the state will be able to pay its bills (including tax refunds), and it won’t have to cancel billions of dollars in public works projects – which would add …
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February 18th, 2009 12:33pm
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State government has gone one more day without a budget fix and moved one day closer to an economic collapse. If nothing else, these endless budget impasses in Sacramento should persuade California voters that it’s not practical to require two-thirds majorities in both houses of the legislature to pass a budget.
State and local government is in crisis – and someone needs to be responsible for fixing it.
If the Congress of …
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February 16th, 2009 02:40pm
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On Sunday, thousands of Santa Rosans braved cold, wet weather to demonstrate their appreciation for the sport of cycling. If you were out there, you know this was a true test of loyalty. Still, the city won’t be confused with famous cycling towns such as Davis or Boulder, Colorado. As Staff Writer Kerry Benefield reported on Sunday – read her story here …
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February 15th, 2009 10:21pm
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Wow, those guys are tough. We just came in out of the rain after watching the finish of this stage of the Tour of California. I can’t believe those guys rode bicycles from Davis to Santa Rosa in the cold, wet weather, and I can’t believe that many people showed up to watch them finish.
In a carnival atmosphere, everyone seemed to be having a good time. If you’re looking for …
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Pete Golis is a columnist for The Press Democrat and a longtime resident of Sonoma County.
