Budget Woes, Hints of Graft Led to This Recall

And this recent Democrat to Democrat request: "I am contacting you today on behalf of the Draft Jim Traficant for President committee. As you may know, the Congressman is America's number one political prisoner who was targeted because of his strong beliefs against 'free trade' with the Chinese, the IRS and the income tax.... We are asking you as a candidate for Governor of California to endorse Congressman Traficant's bid for the presidency. We believe that an endorsement on your part would both help highlight the Congressman's wrongful convictions and bring your candidacy to National attention as a Democrat willing to stand up against the corrupt Federal Government."

Traficant was convicted of racketeering, bribery and tax evasion and kicked out of his House seat last year. He's serving an eight-year sentence -- that's two terms in presidential math.

Points Taken

* L.A. County supervisors Michael Antonovich and Gloria Molina are using money from office accounts to keep the water on. Antonovich is putting up $50,000 to keep Castaic Lake open a week longer than scheduled, and the Molina money will keep six pools in her district open through Labor Day.

* Flashback: In June 1998, the state's nonpartisan legislative analyst's office predicted that cutting the state's vehicle registration fee -- the car tax -- could result in (gasp) annual budget deficits of almost $850 million by the turn of the century!

* Former Assembly Republican leader Scott Baugh joins his old adversary and colleague, former Democratic Assembly Speaker Robert Hertzberg, in the California government practice at the law firm of Mayer, Brown, Roe and Maw. "We work together fabulously," Hertzberg told the L.A. Daily Journal.

* Los Angeles Democratic Rep. Diane Watson has been given the Democracy in Action award by the California Peace Action organization for her support for human rights, nuclear control and international cooperation measures.

You Can Quote Me

" 'Dianne, what's happening out in California? It's like you turned the United States on its side and all of the nuts fell to California.' "

-- California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, telling a group of West Los Angeles business leaders about being teased about the recall by a fellow member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The quote is a variant of one often attributed to architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

Patt Morrison's columns appear Mondays and Tuesdays. This week's contributor is Patrick McGreevy.