Californians

Re "On the road to sanity in licensing," Column, Sept. 5 Anyone from Britain, France or elsewhere in Europe who visits this country can obtain an international driving permit from his country and drive in this country for as long as his visa permits. Is there not some way to grant this courtesy to those who come here, do so much for us and who are so willing to work? Mexicans doubtless remember that California was part of Mexico and was taken from their ancestors by methods that cannot bear the light of day. They as well as we are a proud people and deserve to be a part of California, as they were and have been for hundreds of years.

Re "Obama's lead in California remains solid," USC Dornsife / Times Poll, May 29 It takes a long time, sometimes never, for people to wake up to reality. First, we elected an incompetent governor in Arnold Schwarzenegger. Then we follow that by electing Jerry Brown, and our deficit still soars. We continue to elect state Senate and Assembly members interested more in their careers than in running the state. We reelect Sen. Barbara Boxer, who lacks much influence in the Senate despite her seniority.

At least two Californians were wounded in the Boston Marathon blasts that killed three and left more than 176 wounded, including a Redondo Beach man and a boy from Martinez. Katherine Hern, of Martinez in Northern California, posted on Facebook on Monday night that her son Aaron was in intensive care with multiple cuts,  including a worrisome one on his left thigh that may keep him in the hospital for surgeries over the next seven to 10 days. His father said most of the blast hit him on the left side of his body.

Bicyclists, reacting to the governor's refusal to give them at least three feet of space on California roads, have coined a new phrase for getting clipped by a car: "Getting Jerry Browned. " Lest other California political figures feel left out of popular culture … ALSO: Cheering for Jesus Photo gallery: Ted Rall cartoons Pigskins or Redskins -- Washington's fantasy football debate Follow Ted Rall on Twitter @TedRall

SACRAMENTO -- Californians' optimism about the state's future is down slightly since September, but is still higher than it has been for most of the past decade, according to a new Field Poll. The survey found that 48% of registered voters say California is heading in the right direction compared with 44% who believe the state is on the wrong track. That's down slightly from a September survey in which 52% of state voters said they were confident in the state's direction. State voters give high marks to President Obama, whose approval ratings are higher than at any point since his first year in office.

The National Assn. of Realtors is the largest campaign contributor to members of Congress from California, according to a study released Tuesday that shows the nation as a sort of United States of Special Interests. The analysis by MapLight, a nonpartisan research organization focused on money's influence on politics, determined the top five campaign contributors to each state's congressional delegation. The realtors group contributed a total of $497,000 to California House members from July 2009 through last June and to the state's two senators from July 2005 through last June.

SACRAMENTO -- Though California is dominated by Democrats, the state is poised to once again be a key battleground in determining which party controls the House of Representatives in 2014. Democrats picked up four seats in the state in 2012, buoyed by newly drawn districts and President Obama's landslide in the state. However, Republicans are hoping to win back some of those seats in 2014, taking advantage of typically smaller and more conservative voter turnout in a non-presidential year.

As metaphors go, last week served up a doozy. A married member of the Legislature resigned his office after blurting out over an open microphone salacious details about relationships with two women, at least one of them said to be a lobbyist. The assemblyman later said he was not guilty of affairs but, rather, of "inappropriate story-telling." If you believe his original words, then, he was in bed with a lobbyist. If you believe his recantation, he just wanted people to think he was in bed with a lobbyist.