For the average Democratic lawmaker in California, the most vexing mystery playing out in state capitols right now isn’t why Sarah Palin is stepping down or what will break the farcical stalemate in the New York legislature. It’s why Gov. Schwarzenegger, just months ago united (relatively speaking) with Sacramento Democrats against their vociferously anti-tax GOP counterparts to pass a budget that included both cuts and revenue increases, has now adopted such a hardline stance against taxes that the legislature’s Republicans look almost reasonable by comparison.
News
Ditch The Plastic Forks!
Exultant over the reduced garbage haul off Santa Cruz County beaches following the Fourth of July weekend, Save Our Shores Executive Director Laura Kasa turns to the next frontier: eliminating plastics. “We need a grassroots effort to say that we don’t want plastics in our ocean,” she writes.
Police on the Lookout for Groper
Santa Cruz police are searching for a man suspected of groping women as they window shop along Pacific Avenue.
Stun Guns Used in Restaurant Brawl
Oliver Walshaw and Ryan Lovejoy were standing in line at an Ocean Street restaurant when a dispute erupted between them and another man.
Fire on San Andreas Road Contained
The season’s first major wildfire consumed 10 acres of unused farmland along San Andreas Road yesterday. Firefighters using an air tanker managed to contain the blaze within just 90 minutes, and prevented it from reaching nearby homes and commercial buildings. Tracks belonging to the Union Pacific railroad were damaged by the flames.
Vanity Plate Victim of Bad Economy
Bay Area nature groups planned on launching a new vanity plate that could raise as much as $1 million a year to support nature preserves. Then the economy tanked.
Palin’s Resignation No Surprise
It’s been a helluva Independence Day weekend in the Last Frontier. Wow! First the Governor resigns, then she allows no questions, no open media coverage, provides no serious explanation and expects no one to wonder why in the world she would step down from the only platform from which she can claim any political legitimacy.
Tandy and Bobby Reunited
In a celebration of world vocal music, Tandy Beal and Bobby McFerrin have reunited in Switzerland for the Festival Stimmen. Based loosely on the story of Babel, their new show Bobble will premiere in an ancient Roman amphitheater along the Rhine River in Basel.
Santa Cruz Schools Team up to Fight Budget Cuts
With steep budget cuts to education looming, Santa Cruz school boards are launching a countywide coalition to petition lawmakers for the right to make their own cuts in spending. According to State Sen. Joe Simitian, “Local control has always made sense, but flexibility and local decision-making is now more important than ever.” According to Santa Cruz City Schools trustee Cynthia Hawthorne, “We are much more in tune with what our students need than the state is.”
NextSpace Lets Local Startups Stay in Santa Cruz
It’s well known in Santa Cruz that many firms that were launched here would rather stay local than make the move up north or across the country. Now that’s becoming more common. NextSpace co-founder Ryan Coonerty, who also serves on City Council, says that over 40 businesses have been drawn to downtown Santa Cruz through the co-working center he started with former economic development director Jeremy Neuner.
