Politics and Elections

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Skelton Right on Initiative Reform

John Seiler: I was so shocked this morning when I saw George Skelton’s column that I had to read it twice. I actually agreed with him. He’s calling for reform of the state’s broken initiative process. He bashes Attorney General

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11 More Ways to Fix Busted Redistricting

FEB. 13, 2012 By JOHN HRABE My list of 10 Ways To Improve the Redistricting Process has elicited a large number of thoughtful responses from experts in the Capitol. One legislative office told CalWatchDog.com that they’re investigating whether any of

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Obama Backs High-Speed Boondoggle

John Seiler: Presidents live in a cocoon. Inside the cocoon are a few advisers and Secret Service agents. The cocoon gets smaller and tighter the longer a president is in office. It happened to President Bush, who was totally clueless

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10 Ways to Improve Redistricting Process

FEB. 7, 2012 By JOHN HRABE Parents and gamblers have a hard time being objective. “If you ever put that much money on a pony, you kind of like it when it rounds home,” the self-described “proud father” of the

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CA GOP ‘Idiots’ Lose State Senate

FEB. 6, 2012 By JOHN HRABE Back to the campaign drawing board for California Republicans. The California Supreme Court recently upheld the maps drawn by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission. The immediate fallout: State Sen. Sam Blakeslee, R-San Luis Obispo,

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Occupy Squatters Don’t Know Squat

Katy Grimes: Four days ago, more than 300 Occupy protestors were arrested after breaking into Oakland’s City Hall. Demonstrators burned a U.S. flag, threw rocks and bottles at police, and tore down fencing at the convention center, and then tried

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Todd Spitzer = Gloria Allred

Steven Greenhut: Former Assemblyman Todd Spitzer is running to once again win a seat on the county board of supervisors. His underdog opponent Deborah Pauly certainly pegged Spitzer during a recent debate, referring to him as the male version of

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How To Kill Death-Row Costs

John Seiler: I have a lot of problems with the death penalty. It is just to kill the worst criminals, who have removed themselves from civil society because of their murders and other high crimes. But I don’t trust the

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Dogfight Growls in 26th District House Race

JAN. 30, 2012 By JOHN HRABE “If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog,” goes an old adage. Just getting to Washington will be a test of friendship for the candidates in the dogfight over California’s new, redistricted

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Bored CA Billionaire Groups Merge

JAN. 28, 2012 “Think Forward and Long” or “Think Long and Forward California.” I suggest one of those as the new name for the merging government reform groups California Forward and Think Long.  Because the ridiculousness of the name should be as

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