Gray Davis

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Two former state politicians received fines from the California Fair Political Practices Commission Thursday, in both cases for campaign finance violations from several years ago.

Former Gov. Gray Davis, a Democrat recalled from office in 2003, received a $4,950 fine for his anti-recall campaign committee's failure to properly disclose accrued expenses and failing to disclose in a timely fashion a late contribution made to the committee.

"We believe that Californians are sending enough of their money to Sacramento," said Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's press secretary, Aaron McLear, "and we ought to live within our means."

McLear was responding to a proposal by Democrats in the state Senate to raise taxes by $11.5 billion, "more than double the tax increase proposed by their counterparts in the Assembly," the San Jose Mercury News reported. 

A plan by outgoing Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez to change the way legislative districts after the 2010 census isn’t likely to gain much steam, especially with Karen Bass poised to become the new Speaker next week. Núñez wants a bi-partisan commission to draw districts – but his newly-found reformer position comes in response to a ballot initiative pushed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to create a different kind of commission. Former Gov. Gray Davis, Common Cause, the League of Women Voters, and AARP are backing Schwarzenegger’s plan.

It’s no secret that Lt. Governor John Garamendi has always wanted to be Governor, but at age 63 his biological clock – politically speaking – is ticking away.  If he doesn’t run in 2010 (Jerry Brown, Gavin Newsom and Antonio Villaraigosa seem to be ahead of him on line) he may never get another chance. 

Garamendi first ran for Governor in 1982 and lost the Democratic primary to Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley by a 61%-25% margin. Gray Davis beat him in a 1986 primary for State Controller.  He won a 1990 race for Insurance Commissioner, and lost his second bid for Governor in 1994 when Kathleen Brown defeated him in the primary, 48%-33%.  He came back and won the Insurance post again – after a stint in the Clinton administration – in 2002.  Garamendi passed on a run for Governor in the 2003 recall, and ran for Lt. Governor in 2006. 

I know, I know. I expect way too much of journalism these days. Of course, my disappointment is the rationale for the existence of this column, so I’m not going to complain too much. Let me just point out that the news media are fiddling while the Golden State’s economic condition – an estimated $16 billion deficit – is burning like a Malibu hillside sparked by a fresh Santa Ana.

Yes, there are transcendent and competing distractions. Lindsay Lohan was or wasn’t having sex on tape and, sure, some of the nation’s best and brightest contract workers played voyeur with the passports of the major presidential candidates, but I’m going to state unequivocally: The California budget is the most important California story of the year.