Opinion

Telecom immunity. Public financing. Faith-based initiatives. NAFTA. Just words?

Back in the day -- and today in reruns -- Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld put a show on TV "about nothing." Now, Arnold Schwarzenegger's tenure as governor of California would be lucky to be about even that. The same can be said for the state legislature.

"The governor doesn't seem to appreciate the seriousness of the situation," The Contra Costa Times editorialized about the current budget crisis. "When asked at a news conference last week whether the state would be running out of money soon, the wealthy movie star pulled out his money clip stuffed with cash and said, 'Not at this point. As a matter of fact, I still have some left.' He just doesn't seem to get it."

We just had quite a week on the money in politics front. The Democrats' presumptive presidential nominee informed his reform-minded public that he was opting out of public financing for the general election because the system is broken. This, unless you listen only to the Democrat's presumptive presidential nominee and his staff, is being seen as a flip-flop. The Republican's presumptive presidential nominee, unless you listen only to him and his staff, had his own pas de deux with public money earlier this campaign season before deciding to go private.

We just had quite a week on the money in politics front.  The Democrats' presumptive presidential nominee informed his reform-minded public that he was opting out of public financing for the general election because the system is broken.  This, unless you listen only to the Democrat's presumptive presidential nominee and his staff, is being seen as a flip-flop.  The Republican's presumptive presidential nominee, unless you listen only to him and his staff, had his own pas de deux with public money earlier this campaign season before deciding to go private.

We just had quite a week on the money in politics front.  The Democrats' presumptive presidential nominee informed his reform-minded public that he was opting out of public financing for the general election because the system is broken.  This, unless you listen only to the Democrat's presumptive presidential nominee and his staff, is being seen as a flip-flop.  The Republican's presumptive presidential nominee, unless you listen only to him and his staff, had his own pas de deux with public money earlier this campaign season before deciding to go private.

Back in January, the state's superintendent of public instruction said that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's budget proposal would change what the governor promised would be the "year of education reform" to a "year of education evisceration."

If the governor's proposal comes close to becoming reality, the impact on California schools would be an estimated reduction in funds of $3 to $4 billion. The Legislative Analyst's Office reports: "The Governor's budget provides total K-12 per-pupil funding (PPF) of $11,626 for 2008‑09. This is roughly $300, or 2.6 percent, less than total PPF for 2007-08. In inflation-adjusted terms, the reduction is about double-roughly $600, or 5 percent."

Over on the TellZell blog, an image of the newly redesigned Orlando Sentinel has been posted. A People magazine version of the Los Angeles Times can't be that far behind.

As I move into a new house, I quickly make a disappointing discovery. Either my new neighbors, whose sprinklers were on full blast, have little confidence in the credibility of the government or they haven't heard that there's now officially a drought in California. The governor said so on Wednesday of last week. The reaction, if not action itself, was swift.

"Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water)," the press release said, "expects Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's declaration of a state-wide drought to bring much needed attention to the water challenges facing California."

U.S Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach) couldn't get panties off his mind during hearings Wednesday with DOJ Inspector General Glenn Fine on the Justice Department's role in torture.