California Roundup: Who Won? Who Pays? Who’s Stoned? And More

Tim Cavanaugh | September 2, 2010

Shoppers, diners, tourists, street performers and families enjoy the hustle and bustle of charming downtown Vernon. * Late reviews of Carly Fiorina/Barbara Boxer debate: Sac Bee's Dan Walters says Boxer won. OC Register's Brian Joseph calls the whole debate a "dud" and a "letdown," while 58 percent of Register readers give the win to Carly in a web poll. SF Chronicle's Joe Garofoli on Carly and Barb's "bare-knuckled exchanges." CalBuzz calls it a draw in which Fiorina "did not do what she had to do — kneecap Barbara Boxer or force her to make a mistake." Contra Costa Times' Josh Richman starts out with a long don't-read-me ("As per usual, there was a lot more to the story of tonight’s semi-epic debate between U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer and Republican senatorial nominee Carly Fiorina debate than I could fit into the story for tomorrow’s editions..."), then gives play-by-play. Chronicle's Drew Joseph has a fact-check.

* Is Gov. Schwarzenegger raising taxes on the masses? Last week the governor speculated about lowering state taxes on income, corporations and sales, and replacing that revenue with sales taxes on "all services" in California. Legislative analyst explains that a regressive tax would result in "a greater benefit to higher-income people. I think lower- to middle-income (people) would probably pay more."

* More shenanigans from the "town" of Vernon: City attorneys class themselves as public safety employees, get better benefits. The justification (which naturally passed CalPERS' smell test) seems to have been that district attorneys in L.A. want (but do not receive) treatment as public safety officers because they deal in criminal prosecution. However, city attorneys, whose job is to handle lawsuits and plead out misdemeanor cases, have no such claim. Former Vernon police chief tells the L.A. Times "he could not recall a single instance when Vernon's city attorneys appeared in criminal court."

* The system is the consciousness getting high: New agey L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca says medical marijuana programs have been "hijacked by underground drug-dealing criminals who are resorting to violence in order to control their piece of the action."

* Dodger Debt: L.A. Times hires an accountant to go over financial records in the divorce of Frank and Jamie McCourt, and finds that when the L.A. Dodgers owner and his estranged wife split the proceeds, they may end up with "about 10 cents on the dollar."

And if you can handle the Senate version of Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte, here are some highlights from the Carly/Barb dustup:

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Angry citizen of Vernon|9.2.10 @ 4:00PM|#

"he could not recall a single instance when Vernon's city attorneys appeared in criminal court."

Oh they will.... they will.

Paul|9.2.10 @ 4:02PM|#

when the L.A. Dodgers owner and his estranged wife split the proceeds, they may end up with "about 10 cents on the dollar."

Ain't marriage grand?

The Wine Commonsewer|9.2.10 @ 4:03PM|#

I would vote for anyone who ran against Boxer.

|9.2.10 @ 4:15PM|#

Hello! Where the fuck you been?

Apologetic California|9.2.10 @ 4:15PM|#

It wasn't as bitchy a debate as I hoped. What's the point of selecting two women candidates and not have them scratch each other's eyes out?

Leroy|9.2.10 @ 4:22PM|#

Since I don't think this thread is going to get a lot of comments, I want to hijack it.

So one of my roommates started her college classes this week. On the first day of class, her American Government professor told the class that they should get their news from (I'm not making this up) The Daily Show.

A College Professor telling students to watch Comedy Central for their news... is it just me or is that crazy?

cynical|9.2.10 @ 7:58PM|#

At least he didn't say MSNBC.

|9.2.10 @ 8:44PM|#

It'll help keep them from noticed what a dumbass they have for a professor.

Not that there are very many of those.

|9.2.10 @ 5:18PM|#

"Legislative analyst explains that a regressive tax would result in "a greater benefit to higher-income people. I think lower- to middle-income (people) would probably pay more."

Keeping taxes prohibitively high on the wealthy wouldn't matter so much... If only the job market depended on low-income people hiring higher-income people to work for them.

But that isn't the way it works. The fact is that higher income people have more money than the others with which to do productive things. They expand their businesses with extra money, they hire people with it, they invest it...

California has a lot of problems right now--policies that actively discourage high-income people from hiring, expanding their businesses and profiting from that is one of the biggest.

Somebody once asked Willy Sutton, a depression era bank robber, "Why do you rob banks, Willy?" He's said to have replied, "'cause that's where the money is."

Why should we cut taxes on the wealthy? 'cause that's where the investment money is! Sheesh.

Personally? I'd just as soon cut taxes across the board; regardless, beating the goose to death isn't about to make it lay any golden eggs. ...and whether the poor are hungry is completely beside the point.

They're gonna get a lot hungrier if we don't see some growth pretty soon--and money doesn't grow on trees.

Rick|9.2.10 @ 9:56PM|#

All in favor of ceding California back to Mexico? Aye.

|9.3.10 @ 1:25AM|#

They won't take it.

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