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2008
Gerrymandering The Vote: How A “Dirty
Dozen” States Suppress As Many As 9 Million Voters
Democratic Leadership Council
June 2008
Editorial: Perata's Power Play
San Francisco Chronicle
June 30, 2008
Democrats Fear Redistricting Measure Would
Curb Their Power In State
San Francisco Chronicle
June 27, 2008
Election-Map Initiative Helps Voters, State
Progress
Sacramento Bee
June 27, 2008
Politics And California Redistricting
CaliforniaProgressReport.com
June 27, 2008
Millions On Line In Ballot Drives
Sacramento Bee
June 24, 2008
Democratic Leaders Accused Of Pressuring
Supporters Of Redistricting Measure
Contra Costa Times Sacramento Bureau
June 21, 2008
California Is Branded Among A 'Dirty
Dozen' On Gerrymandering
Los Angeles Times
June 19, 2008
Redistricting In California: Control or
Democracy?
CaliorniaProgressReport.com
June 19, 2008
Changing Method Of Redistricting Makes
Ballot
San Francisco Chronicle
June 18, 2008
Government Reformer Down On Redistricting
Initiative
PolitickerCA.com
June 18, 2008
Redistricting Initiative Makes California
Ballot
San Jose Mercury News
June 17, 2008
Democratic Party Takes Stands On Ballot
Measures
CaliforninaMajorityReport.com
June 17, 2008
Cavala: Republicans Kill Reform Bill That
Hurts GOP Chances While Democrats Support 'Reform' That Hurts Their Chances
CaliforniaProgressReport.com
June 9, 2008
Speaking With The New Speaker
Los Angeles Times
June 2, 2008
Two Plans Created To Reform Districts
Modesto Bee
May 19, 2008
New Speaker Should Focus On Public
Interest
Los Angeles Daily News
May 13, 2008
Why Schwarzenegger's Redistricting Plan
Won't Work
California Majority Report.com
May 13, 2008
Tony Quinn: Redistricting Reform OK, But
It's Only A Start
Sacramento Bee
May 11, 2008
Governor May Face Donor Fatigue
Contra Costa Times
May 11, 2008
California Redistricting Plan Faces Hurdles
Capitol Weekly
May 7, 2008
Dan Walters: Competing Proposals For Remap
Sacramento Bee
May 7, 2008
Initiative On Redistricting Closer To
Ballot
San Francisco Chronicle
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Nunez Pushes Ethics Plan As Rival Petitions
Are Filed
Sacramento Bee
May 7, 2008
To Get Leadership Reform, We First Need
Redistricting
Los Angeles Daily News
May 1, 2008
Good Intentions Could Harm Redistricting
Ballot Measure
Los Angeles Times
April 28, 2008
Redistricting On Track To Qualify,
Consultant Says
New America Foundation.com
April 23, 2008
Why Are GOP Contributors Putting Big Money
Into Redistricting Reform?
California Progress Report.com
April 19, 2008
Gov's
Giving To Remap Measure Tops $1 million
Sacramento Bee Capital Alert
April 21, 2008
‘Due
Process’ Democrats Have Their Heads Buried in the California Sand
California Progress Report.com
April 20, 2008
Opinion: Seeing The Light
Los Angeles Daily News
April 19, 2008
California
Voters FIRST Presents A Balanced And Bipartisan Effort For Redistricting
Reform
California Progress Report.com
April 17, 2008
Schwarzenegger's
Redistricting Plan Comes Under Fire
Contra Costa Times
April 17, 2008
Group Says Plan Will Put A Stop To
Gerrymandering
The Simi Valley Acron
April 4, 2008
The Need For Redistricting Reform From
This California Democrat’s Perspective
California Progress Report.com
April 4, 2008
Labor Says No To
Schwarzenegger/Republican/Common Cause Redistricting Measure
The California Majority Report.com
April 02, 2008
Revenge In Attack On Legislative
Redistricting?
California Progress Report.com
March 31, 2008
Weintraub: Governor Gets Another Shot At
Redistricting Reform
Sacramento Bee
March 30, 2008
Editorial: Can't Legislature Do Better Than
Bills On Dogs, Donkeys?
The Fresno Bee
March 30, 2008
Walters: Voters Irate At Budget Posturing
Sacramento Bee
March 28, 2008
New Foundation To Campaign For More Efficient
California Government
Sacramento Bee
March 27, 2008
Editorial: California Voters Should Support
Redistricting Ballot Measure
Fresno Bee
March 24, 2008
Editorial: Redraw the Map
Los Angeles Daily News
March 22, 2008
Walters: Court Ruling Offers Hope to
Dysfunctional California Politics
Sacramento Bee
March 19, 2008
Supreme Court to Hear Major Redistricting
Case
The Thicket at State Legislatures (ncsl.com)
March 18, 2008
Editorial: Let Citizens Redraw the Map
The Torrance Daily Breeze
March 17, 2008
Walters: Redistrict Reformers Miss Mark
Sacramento Bee
March 10, 2008
Let Citizens
Redraw Map
San Gabriel Valley Tribune
March 9, 2008
Governor Proposes Redistricting Ballot
Measure
North County Times
March 8, 2008
Redistricting Initiative Has Strong
Republican Backing
San Jose Mercury News
March 6, 2008
Governor Gathers Signatures to Qualify
Redistricting Measure
San Jose Mercury News
March 4, 2008
Manipulative Lawmakers Playing To The Crowd
Fresno Bee
February 14, 2008
State Voters Need To Do What Lawmakers
Won't
Los Angeles Daily News
February 14, 2008
Editorial: What We Need In Sacramento,
Redistricting, Not Retaliation
San Jose Mercury News
February 14, 2008
Redistricting Reform, Not Longer Terms, Is
The Answer
California Republic.org
February 12, 2008
The Buzz: A Hardball Tactic Could Ricochet
Sacramento Bee
February 11, 2008
Wake Up, Sacramento Media! Wake Up! Wake
Up! Wake Up!
San Diego Union Tribune
February 8, 2008
Editorial: Passive Aggressive Lawmakers
Just Play to the Crowd
Fresno Bee
February 8, 2008
Nunez Takes Blame For Prop. 93 Loss
Los Angeles Daily News
February 7, 2008
Weingand: Voters Got A Whiff and Said 'No'
Sacramento Bee
February 7, 2008
Lawmakers Believe In Term Limits But
Oppose The Measure
North County Times
February 4, 2008
Good For Us
Los Angeles Times
February 4, 2008
Commentary: A Conversation with Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger
Sacramento Bee
January 20, 2008
Walters: Two Party Structure Under Fire
Sacramento Bee
January 18, 2008
Walters: Governor's Brownian Flip-Flops
Sacramento Bee
January 16, 2008
Editorial: Corruption of a Good Idea
San Francisco Chronicle
January 15, 2008
Governor Supports Term Limit Measure
Sacramento Bee
January 15, 2008
A Deceptive Prop. 93
San Francisco Chronicle
January 10, 2008
Use Prop. 93 To Say 'No"
dailybreeze.com
January 3, 2008
more
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Surf's Up For Some
Legislators
By Jim Sanders
Sacramento Bee
November 8, 2007
Numerous California legislators are lodged in a $300-a-night Maui
hotel this week to mingle with business, labor and other interests
that do business at the Capitol.
The weeklong conference, in the luxurious Fairmont Kea Lani
resort, is touted as a chance to escape the capital's glare for
bipartisan policy discussions, scuba diving and beachcombing.
Lawmakers are picking up the tab themselves, either through
personal or campaign funds, but some political analysts say
lawmakers should be rolling up their shirt sleeves – not their
beach towels.
"It's business as usual with the good-old-boy network,"
said Ted Costa of People's Advocate, a Sacramento-based watchdog
group.
Costa noted that the Maui get-together comes at a time when the
state is facing massive water and health care problems and is
bracing for a potential multibillion-dollar budget shortfall.
Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez, who is not attending the
conference, sparked headlines recently for campaign disclosure
statements listing tens of thousands of dollars in out-of-state
travel and luxury purchases.
"You'd think with all the notoriety they've had, they'd know
better," Costa said of legislators packing their bags for
Hawaii.
But Senate Republican leader Dick Ackerman of Irvine, who is
attending the conference, said it provides top-notch panel
discussions on energy, health care, water and other key issues.
"It's extremely valuable," Ackerman said.
He estimated that 15 to 20 lawmakers are attending this year.
They include Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, D-La Cañada
Flintridge; Assemblyman George Plescia, R-La Jolla; Assemblywoman
Patty Berg, D-Eureka; Assemblyman Charles Calderon, D-Whittier; and
Sen. Jim Battin, R-Palm Desert.
Few, if any, Sacramento-area legislators attended the event.
Plescia said he appreciates the chance to meet in a more relaxed
atmosphere with colleagues from both parties. "There's much
more open dialogue," he said.
Larry Gerston, a political science professor at San Jose State
University, said the state can benefit from such conferences.
"We have this huge deficit looming," Gerston said.
"This is the kind of a place where legislators can get away
from the posturing and say, 'How are we going to deal with this?'
... But I'm not saying they aren't having their share of mai tais;
I'm sure they are."
Besides lawmakers, other participants include representatives of
Chevron, Pacific Gas and Electric Co., Indian gambling tribes,
environmental groups and the California Correctional Peace Officers
Association, according to a daily agenda.
Calderon said panel or policy discussions are held until about
12:30 p.m. each day, after which lawmakers can plan their own
schedules.
The weeklong event ends Saturday at the Maui resort, where
visitors can enjoy championship golf courses, 11 tennis courts,
boutique shopping, snorkeling, kayaking, sailing or diving.
Several years ago, the correctional peace officers association
sponsored a similar Maui get-together each year, but there was a
public backlash at the prospect of legislators being a captive
audience to one of the state's most powerful labor unions.
Two years ago, a nonprofit group was created, Pacific Policy
Research Foundation, to organize the annual Hawaiian trek. Former
Assemblyman Tom Bordonaro serves as its president, and its board
includes Sherry Leonard, wife of Bill Leonard, a Board of
Equalization member; and Linda Ackerman, wife of the Senate
Republican leader.
Names of legislators booked into the Fairmont Kea Lani are not a
public record, though they ultimately must disclose any purchases
made with campaign funds or any gifts they receive in Maui.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's legislative secretary, Chris Kahn,
is attending the Hawaiian conference. But he is paying for the trip
himself while vacationing with his wife, who is a lobbyist,
spokesman Aaron McLear said.
Ackerman, Plescia and others contacted Wednesday in Hawaii
declined to identify colleagues gathered in Maui.
By law, lawmakers can use campaign funds to finance travel and
lodging expenses for themselves and their spouses to attend public
policy conferences anywhere in the world.
The Pacific Policy Research Foundation, as a nonprofit agency, is
not required to reveal its corporate donors or other funding
sources. Officials did not return calls seeking comment.
Ryan Sherman, one of three CCPOA officials at the event, said
holding the conference in Hawaii helps attract a good turnout, which
benefits policy discussions.
"It makes sense to have it some place where people are
interested in going," he said.
But Kevin Spillane, a leader in fighting a ballot measure to
alter term limits, blasted the Hawaii trek as legislative arrogance.
"It's an example of business-as-usual by the state
Legislature, the pursuit of political perks above serious
policy," he said.
Editor's note: This story has changed from the version that
appeared in print to correct Dick Ackerman's title.
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