The Skinny

The Speaker’s consultant, Gale Kaufman, may be the lead political sheperd of Proposition 93, but it looks like Don Perata’s political team has gotten its piece of the action. The mail campaign for Yes on 93 will be spearheaded by Perata’s political consultant, Sandi Polka. To that end, a new committee for Senators to donate to has been established: “Yes on 93, Citizens for Accountability and Legislative Reform.” And the first big donation has just poured in to the committee: $150,000 from (wait for it….drumroll…) Darrell Steinberg! The irony, of course, is that Steinberg has perhaps the most to lose if Prop. 93 passes. Steinberg is a front-runner to succeed Perata as Senate leader if Prop. 93 goes down. If 93 passes, it’s quite possible that Steinberg would never get the chance to be pro tem. But the $150,000 is enough to earn Steinberg The Skinny’s Good Soldier Award. Congratulations, Senator! Let’s see if Alex Padilla can match it … Meanwhile, we just noticed the committee set up for Assemblymembers to donate has a newish name. It is now “A coalition of business, labor, teachers, public safety and Assemblymembers Bass and Lieu.” Now when we think Prop 93, Ted Lieu and Karen Bass are not the first two people we think of. But they are the only two members to donate $50,000 to the committee. Lieu and Bass gave their donations way back in September. Two other members—Dave Jones and Fiona Ma—made their donations at the end of October. Strangely, they gave $45,000, thereby keeping their names off the committee 
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