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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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Democrats Shoot Themselves In
The Hoof
Their fumbling of the term-limits initiative Prop. 93
has given Republican Steve Poizner an issue that could carry him
into the governor's office in 2001
By George Skelton
Los Angeles Times, Capitol Journal
November 12, 2007
SACRAMENTO — The Democrats' fumbling of their term-limits proposal
has increased the once-unfathomable possibility that California's
next governor will be another Republican.
That Republican would be state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner,
50, who made a fortune in the dot-com boom and then turned his
attention to politics. He's currently pretty obscure, but you'll be
hearing a lot from him on talk radio and in TV commercials as he
leads the campaign against Proposition 93, the Democrats'
legislative term-limit initiative on the Feb. 5 presidential primary
ballot.
Sensing Proposition 93's vulnerability, Poizner is seizing an
opportunity provided by Democratic errors to expand his name
recognition and jockey into good position to run for governor.
It's far too early to speculate about the 2010 gubernatorial race.
But that doesn't stop us political junkies.
Some Democrat still must be considered the favorite to succeed Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger. After all, this is a "blue state."
The only Republicans frequently mentioned as possible candidates
have been state Sen. Tom McClintock of Thousand Oaks, who's idolized
by party activists but is far too conservative for the California
electorate, and the bland Poizner, who labels himself a moderate.
Funny thing about bland politicians in this go-go state. Voters tend
to warm up to them. The three governors who preceded Schwarzenegger
were bland. Who knows, after two terms of a high-velocity celebrity
governor, Californians may be ready for a more subdued style of
leadership.
All the prospective Democratic candidates carry some baggage.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa suffers from personal
scandal. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom easily won reelection last
week, but is the McClintock of the left. Lt. Gov. John Garamendi's
fundraising ability never has matched his political ambitions. Supt.
of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell not only is bland, but a
one-issue candidate. Treasurer Bill Lockyer isn't sure himself
whether he's burned out. Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown, the consensus
front-runner, is the epitome of a career politician. Will voters
really want to bring him back for a third term as governor?
Myself, I prefer multi-term political careerism. Sorely needed in
Sacramento are the legislating experience and policy knowledge --
from the governor down to the freshman chairman of an Assembly
committee -- to fashion a painful but practical solution to a knotty
problem, such as a persistent budget deficit.
Too much of legislators' time is spent plotting their next political
move after they're termed out. Term limits don't stop political
careerism. They just perpetuate the game of musical chairs.
Proposition 93 would reduce the total years someone could be a
legislator from 14 to 12, but allow all to be served in one house.
Currently, lawmakers are permitted just three two-year terms in the
Assembly and two four-year stints in the Senate.
There's an unfortunate self-serving provision, however, in
Proposition 93, which purports to be a "citizens'
initiative" but actually is sponsored by Assembly Speaker
Fabian Nuñez (D-Los Angeles) and backed by Senate leader Don Perata
(D-Oakland). That sweetheart deal would allow current lawmakers to
serve 12 years in their present house, no matter how many they
already had spent in the other house. So some members, including
Perata, could wind up serving more total years in the Legislature
than the 14 currently permitted.
Legislators are human too. And given human nature, it's probably too
much to expect that they'd craft a term-limits measure that didn't
benefit them personally.
"Then the heck with them," says Allan Hoffenblum, a former
Republican consultant who publishes the California Target Book,
which handicaps legislative races. "They got too cute. It
turned out to be nothing but 'me, me, me.' "
That was one fumble.
A bigger one was going the initiative route, rather than trying to
finesse a bipartisan measure through the Legislature with
Schwarzenegger's support. That would have made it tougher to mount
an opposition attack and probably have kept Poizner from committing
his pocketbook.
Poizner announced last week that he was dedicating $1.5 million of
his own wealth -- chump change for him -- plus "whatever it
takes" to kill Proposition 93.
"A smart move," says veteran GOP strategist Ken Khachigian.
"He makes nice with Republicans, who will end up opposing
term-limit extension. It will help with his conservative
credentials. Part of it is working to block Tom [McClintock]."
A head-scratcher for some is why Republican voters are the measure's
strongest supporters, based on polls. The answer is they're confused
and think that legislators -- mostly Democrats -- would be punished
if their total years were reduced. The attorney general's ballot
title and summary stresses the overall reduction and de-emphasizes
the sweetheart deal.
"I wouldn't be leading the charge with my money and passion
unless 93 was written to fool voters," Poizner says. "It's
deceiving, it's self-serving, it's a naked power grab."
The latest Field Poll shows Proposition 93 still ahead, 49% to 31%,
but losing support fast.
The initiative wasn't helped by the disclosure that Nuñez has spent
lavishly from various special interest-fed political pots for
luxurious travel and pet charities.
But the Democrats' biggest fumble was reneging on their promise to
produce a redistricting reform that surrendered the Legislature's
gerrymandering power. Democratic leaders made that pledge in 2005
when beating back a redistricting measure championed by Poizner.
The original idea this year was to pair redistricting and term-limit
reforms on the Feb. 5 ballot. That bipartisan package would have
been endorsed by Schwarzenegger. But Democrats failed to deliver,
presumably balking at giving up redistricting without being assured
of term-limits liberalization.
"There's a legitimate debate to be had about modifying term
limits that I'd be happy to enter into," Poizner says.
"But not without redistricting reform."
It would be ironic and fitting if the Democrats' next gerrymander in
2011 was vetoed by a Republican governor they helped create, Steve
Poizner.
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