CalWatchdog Morning Read – October 20

20 Oct, 2016 by CalWatchdog Staff

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Very brief debate recap
Government worker union nearing a strike
Attorney general launches Wells Fargo criminal probe
Attack ad suggests Hanford congressman is vulnerable
Why biz groups aren’t fighting tax increases on the ballot

Good morning. Quite the debate last night. Democrats have largely united behind Hillary Clinton, but many Republicans are still wrestling with what to do, writes the Orange County Register. Fortunately for everyone, the election will be over soon.

And while many media outlets are focused on GOP nominee Donald Trump’s refusal to say he’d support the results of the election (assuming he loses, since he’d likely have no problem supporting the results if he wins), Joe Scarborough, the co-host of MSNBC’s Morning Joe, had an interesting take on political hypocrisy and the parsing of words.

MSNBC has more.

And that’s enough about the presidential race. Back in California, the state government’s largest union, SEIU Local 1000, is “edging closer to a strike” over the size of its raise, reports The Sacramento Bee.

California’s attorney general, Kamala Harris, who is running for U.S. Senate, has “launched a criminal probe into allegations of criminal identity theft linked to the Wells Fargo unauthorized accounts scandal, the latest sign the embattled bank’s troubles are far from over.” The San Jose Mercury News has more.

Observers say a new attack ad from Congressman David Valadao, the perpetually vulnerable Hanford Republican, suggests the race is close. The Bakersfield Californian has more.

Notice anything strange about campaigns against ballot measures proposing an increase in the tobacco tax and an extension of a tax on the highest incomes? Business groups aren’t fighting very hard. The Los Angeles Times explains why.

Legislature: