The decision on campaign finance points to something more troubling than unlimited corporate contributions. via A partisan Supreme Court – latimes.com. Where’s the Republican cries of “activist judges”? You’re not going to hear any because the Republicans see this as a way to compete. Giving corporations the same rights as citizens? It couldn’t be more [...]

“He’s an action hero, and he wants to approach political office that way. He wants to be the Terminator. We have to be careful he doesn’t terminate California.” via California speaker: Arnold Schwarzenegger ‘desperate’ – Andy Barr – POLITICO.com. Unfortunately this is not the movies and our hack of a Guhvenor is trying to improve [...]

Instead, Schwarzenegger has proposed widespread privatisation of the prison system – on the dubious grounds that private prisons can operate at lower costs than do state-run prisons – and huge reductions in the amount of money spent on medical and mental health services for prisoners. via Schwarzenegger’s deficient thinking | Sasha Abramsky | Comment is [...]

A series of highly generous contracts with the prison guards union, whose political contributions make it a force to be reckoned with in Sacramento, contributed to a 32% jump in the corrections budget between 2006 and 2009, until the financial crisis forced legislators to make cuts in the corrections budget last fall. via A poor [...]

“Then there was Safari Sam’s, one of the most encouraging places I’ve ever been,” wrote Jim Washburn in an article for the Orange County Register. “Owner Sam Lanni and his partner, Gil Fuhrer, gave an embracing home to everything from punk to poetry, Texas blues, R&B street singers, experimental opera and Samuel Beckett plays,” continued [...]

Funding for the two sectors drew close in the early 1990s and prisons then pulled ahead consistently starting in 2004-05, the commission reported. via Governor’s call for giving colleges priority over prisons faces hard political tests – latimes.com. While we have to concede that this is a welcome message, it is amazing how the increases [...]

Such is what California’s initiative process has come to. It’s a plaything of powerful interests using deception and misdirection to line their pockets. via PG&E ballot measure is a stealthy power play – latimes.com.

Welcome to Reporting Transparency in Government Website – State of California. Hey Arnold – try slowing the amount of special interest contributions you take. You’ve made Gray Davis look like an angel as far as special interest contributions. Remove Paul Wachter, the manager of your blind trust as to avoid the image of using your [...]