LAT: Schwarzenegger Considers Special Election (could redraw districts)

[DeepModem Mom]

Governor Considers a Special Election
Schwarzenegger and his team want to change the way California's political districts are drawn, put a limit on spending, and more.

By Peter Nicholas, Times Staff Writer


SACRAMENTO — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and his top advisors, meeting privately to plan an agenda for his second year in office, may call a special election that could upend the state's political order, redrawing legislative and congressional district boundaries, curbing spending and revamping the bureaucracy.

Schwarzenegger would embrace various ballot measures that would be voted on in a special election and bill them as a "reform" package meant to make Sacramento more accountable....

***

Democratic leaders are wary of Schwarzenegger's intentions. They contend that his aim to change how legislative district boundaries are set is a backhanded effort to stack the Legislature with more Republicans.

The minority party picked up no seats in Sacramento in the Nov. 2 election despite extensive campaigning by Schwarzenegger....


http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-arnold2dec02,0,3748213.story?coll=la-home-headlines

[bullimiami]

1. when a republican says "reform" run the other way.

watch out for the catch because it will be a whopper.

[tkmorris]

2. Wary? WARY??

The Dems are wary of the proposal? As in "Gee, we're not sure Mr Schwarzennegger has our best interests at heart"?

Let us make this as clear as we can for you, ok Cali Dems? Mr. Schwarzennegger wants to redraw districts in order to pack as many Repubs as possible into the Legislature. Nothing more, nothing less. You might want to umm, maybe fight this one. OK?

[geo]

4. not gonna pass as a ballot initiative... I can tell ya that!

:) - G

[maxrandb]

9. That's What We Thought About the Recall too! n/t

[eowyn_of_rohan]

27. Hmmmm, and what voting equipment do YOU use? .....nt

[rocktivity]

17. Is Cally-forn-nee-uh going to become the next Texas?

It's up to you, Cali! Start protesting, writing your representatives and complaining to local media NOW!!!

:headbang:
rocknation

[Ernesto]

29. I 2nd that!

This is the scariest shit I've heard since the election.

[BlueManDude]

18. Wary - how about "no fucking way" n/t

[rocktivity]

20. Ding ding ding! BlueManDude, you're our grand prize winner!

Now THAT'S what I'm talking about--the Cali Democrats should immediately from an agressive, united front, not of this "wary" bullshit. They should be making quotes and sending our statements effective saying, "This is nothing but a plot to consolidate absolute Republican power that is not in the interests of the people, and you're not going to fool us again, Arnie!"

:headbang:
rocknation

[annabanana]

3. He wants to TEXIFY California!

Look for him to call out Homeland Security to stop Dem pols from leaving the state.....And for them to DO IT!

Didn't Aahnold just get back from a trip to the treason state for some Texas Tips?

[jfern]

5. Damn it

It's time to start attacking Arnold non stop. His popularity is way too fucking high. Let's get this bastard to be no more popular in California than Bush.

[Pachamama]

6. OMG - he's pulling a Tom Delay! I wondered how long this was going to

be before he did this....

:grr:

[Ouabache]

13. My guess is this starts happening all over US

wherever there is a new gop governor and legislature, especially.
Other Shoes dropping.

[whistle]

7. Does the term "Gerrymandering" mean anything to anyone?

. . . Here is a brief review:

<links>

http://www.fairvote.org/redistricting/gerrymandering.htm

http://geography.about.com/library/weekly/aa030199.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerrymandering

And for those of you who really want to educate yourselves, here is a link to an internet class on the subject:

"In gerrymandered election districts, the voters don't choose their politicians - the politicians choose their voters!"

http://www.fraudfactor.com/ffgerrymander.html

[VivaKerry]

8. Wow, those dem leaders in california are sooooooo smart!

"
Democratic leaders are wary of Schwarzenegger's intentions. They contend that his aim to change how legislative district boundaries are set is a backhanded effort to stack the Legislature with more Republicans."

Well, doh!

[Deja Q]

10. The filthy bastards won't even play fair? This is the writing on the wall

of what appears to be that of a giant public bathroom. :-(

[GOPBasher]

11. I don't think this is going to happen. Dems have a large majority there

and there's no way they're going to let this happen.

[LynnTheDem]

12. Texas gerrymandering comes to a state near you!

California next.

[jamesinca]

14. I think they should redistrict

And when they do, cut up the state to eliminate more republicans. I think they should use some of the Bay Area and L.A. area to kill off Roy Ashburn and the like from the state and get rid of Darryl Issa and his ilk out of the federal government. Incorporate half of Orange county into the L.A. districts and eliminate those rats. Pull the area around Sacramento into the Bay Area districts and just cut out the republicans. Take Marin and Humboldt and pull the Shasta area into them. It will take perpetual repug areas and make them competitive. I think it will make the Dem areas 60/40 and it will make the repug areas 50/50 and always up for grabs not always republican. Monterey and Santa Cruz could pressure San Benito and Fresno counties. They would almost guarantee Merced went Dem every time. Lots of Bay Area commuters are going to places like Los Banos and working in San Jose. They will tip Merced with a little help from Monterey. Get rid of Issa, Pombo, Radanovich and Thomas. That would be an 8 seat turn in the house and undo all of delays TX shenanigans.

Turn this on Arnold, get the republicans to hate him and run somebody against him. The little piss ants already want to divide the CA electoral vote. They hate it that Kerry had 54% of the vote and got 100% of the electorate. They want to change it so Kerry would have only got 54% of the electoral vote, 27, not the 55.

[DeepModem Mom]

15. Important -- link to thread about bill to apportion CA's electoral votes:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1037645

[clwilk]

35. Orange county Rats

Not all of us in O.C. are repugs buttwipe.

[quiet.american]

16. Ya think?!

QUOTE: Democratic leaders... contend that his aim to change how legislative district boundaries are set is a backhanded effort to stack the Legislature with more Republicans.

======================================================

This cannot stand. If they proceed with redistricting, I'm flying to the West Coast to join with California Democrats in shouting them down and it seems to me every available Democrat in the country should, too. It's still a travesty that Ah-nold is making any policy in this country.

[cally]

19. For all who argue that Arnie isn't so bad

Read this article. Also read the one above of Arnie getting rid of the activist CalPERS chief. This guy is dangerous and Dems need to organize now.

[Liberty Belle]

21. RECALL ARNOLD!

Let's all call Arnold and tell him if this goes on the ballot, so does a recall measure for his ass.

[realFedUp]

22. Time to terminate the Gropinator

RECALL.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

23. Fat Chance

He's too popular and seen as a real "doer" as opposed to Grey Davis who was a wash-out. And most people don't know what this would mean.

Plus, there were was a 55-45% split in the presidenttial election.

It just shows what a pro-active Republican can accomplish these days.

There's still hope, but it's going to be interesting.

[DeepModem Mom]

24. Hi, Sleepless -- welcome to DU!

[SleeplessinSoCal]

28. Thanks

I was unnerved by this article last night when I read it.

I believe this is going to be his next big "accomplishment"- turn California "Red". It is very troubling knowing that DeLay can do as he pleases and is rewarded despite bribes and criminal behavior. Dems are apparently in "The axis of Evil". We've become the enemy...

I agree that the DNC needs to get involved in this. Dems are demoralized and we're tapped out. This would be like a bigtime assault on the Democratic Party if he pulls this off. And I would not underestimate him.

[realFedUp]

31. www.arnoldwatch.org

He seems to be more of an opportunist than
doer...not as popular as some would have you
believe. I'd say the man is "steroided up"
if you want to compare physical characteristics
with former Gov. Davis. He's borrowed more money, raised
fees (alternate for raising taxes) everywhere
and gas prices at the pumps and heating our
homes has doubled and tripled.

It's expensive to live in California unless
you're part of the growing homeless. To
attract business, you have to factor in the
costs of living here, as you know.

The prison system is a mess and he's not doing
squat about it. Nurses are striking and picketing
in Sacramento and CalPers has it's own problems
now.

Arnold is simply a store front for his own
self interest and Republican's excuse to further reconfigure
districts to benefit themselves.

[oneold1-4u]

25. Late,late, and way too late

Someone should have thought of recall when he first asked bush if he could change things so that he could run for president, or at least be a vp in 08. Please realize that ambiguous ambitions are what is being forced on americans by the now regime! When america allows the doors of freedom to close one by one, they forget quickly which ones to try to use to get out.

[DeepModem Mom]

30. Sadly true, oneold -- and welcome to DU --

[DFWJock]

26. Tom Delay-

Please phone your office.

[George_S]

32. What of this? Seems it died.

"I'm delighted that the governor seems to agree with us that Prop. 59 importantly changes the law in this area," said Peter Scheer, executive director of the California First Amendment Coalition. "I'm very much looking forward to discussing the fine points of what will be disclosed and what will be withheld for security or other permissible reasons."

Previous California governors have refused to release detailed appointment logs. In the 1980s, the Los Angeles Times sued to obtain the schedules of former Gov. George Deukmejian. The state Supreme Court rejected the request in 1991. The justices said releasing the information could jeopardize a governor's security and interfere with government's deliberative process.

On a separate matter, Schwarzenegger said he sees no reason to impose a ban on his top aides accepting gifts even though they received thousands of dollars worth of meals, basketball tickets and other items from special interests.

"Those are the things that I don't think anyone has to worry about. There's no one selling out in my administration," the governor said in Tokyo. "It's all a character issue. I have never done a favor for anyone. I will never do a favor," he said.

While California limits the amount of gifts that one special interest can provide to state officials, the governor's aides reportedly used a legal loophole to accept such items as $767 worth of Sacramento Kings basketball tickets from the SBC telephone company and oil giant BP.

Former Gov. Gray Davis had a written policy that his appointees could not accept gifts from groups lobbying the administration.

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2004/11/14/news/state/17_04_0711_13_04.txt

[George_S]

33. A slight update and important info....

First Amendment and open government news

Schwarzenegger says he will comply with CFAC's public records request. Move follows by only 2 weeks voters' overwhelming approval of Prop 59.

By Peter Scheer

(CFAC) -- Governor Schwarzenegger surprised just about everyone Friday by announcing that he would comply with CFAC's request, filed just days after passage of Prop 59, for the Governor's records of his appointments and meetings since taking office a year ago.

Since we don't know exactly what records will be released, or the Governor's exact reasoning ­- legally speaking -- for complying with the request, it's hard to assess the full import of the announcement. Nonetheless, for even the most circumspect and jaded of open-government activists, the Governor's announcement should be an occasion for celebration.

After all, gubernatorial records that for 13 years have been categorically off-limits under the Public Records Act will now be made public. The records have been viewed as exempt under Times Mirror v. Superior Court, a 1991 California Supreme Court decision involving identical records of then-Governor George Deukmejian. Prop 59 is the only change in the legal landscape that can account for the change in the status of these records.

http://www.cfac.org/

[abelenkpe]

34. when your team can't win change the rules! nt