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The Weekly Roundup
Thursday, Nov. 3
The Los Angeles Times’ Dan Morain reports today that pharmaceutical
companies supporting Proposition 78 paid “political leaders and civil rights
groups that have endorsed the industry’s initiative on the Nov. 8 ballot.”
“The measure, Proposition 78, would avert state caps on the price of
prescription drugs. Those embracing it while taking the industry’s money
include the conservative Traditional Values Coalition, an emergency-room
physician in Los Angeles, the California arm of the NAACP and the Mexican
American Political Assn.”
Morain writes that the industry has given a group that shares office space
with Mervyn Dymally $100,000, and has paid $720,000 to Alice Huffman‘s
political consulting firm. Huffman is the chair of the California State
Council of the NAACP, and the former government relations director for the
California Teachers Association.
The money didn’t do much to help Prop. 78 (See Tuesday, Nov. 8 for further
details)
Friday, Nov. 4
The Dalai Lama was in town today, specifically at Stanford University, where
more than 1,000 people came to hear Tibet’s spiritual leader speak for more
than two hours. Meanwhile, Price Charles continued his tour of the Bay Area,
visiting an organic farm in Bolinas and a farmers’ market in Point Reyes.
Charles, it seems, is a big fan of organic gardening. Who knew?
Saturday, Nov. 5
M.R.C. Greenwood, the No. 2 person at the University of California system,
was forced to resign after an investigation into the hiring of Greenwood’s
son and a UC Santa Cruz Vice Provost, Lynda Goff, with whom she owned rental
property.
“It appears that Provost Greenwood may have been involved in Dr. Goff’s
hiring to a greater extent than was appropriate, given her business
relationship with Dr. Goff,” said UC President Robert Dynes in a written
statement.
Sunday, Nov. 6
California has the reputation of being the nation’s political freakshow, and
we at Capitol Weekly have done little to dispel that notion during this
special-election year. Nothing illustrates the complete Californianess of it
all better than the final weekend of the campaign.
Warren Beatty spent his afternoon on a bus, with wife Annette Benning in
tow, stalking Gov. Schwarzenegger as the governor made a final campaign push
for his four special-election initiatives. Beatty took some time to mug with
Schwarzenegger spokesman Todd Harris, and to have another Schwarzenegger
advisor, Darrel Ng, inform the Dick Tracy star that he was officially not
invited to the party.
Monday, Nov. 7
Sen. Carole Migden told Capitol Weekly today that she is taking a “temporary
leave” from her job as chairwoman of the powerful Senate Appropriations
Committee. “Midgen says she is taking the leave to have more time to focus
on Steve Westly‘s gubernatorial campaign. She will remain in the Senate, but
with a lighter work load.
“I’m going to be talking to [the Westly campaign], and I’m sure I’ll have
some fancy title,” she said. “But I intend to spend a great deal of time
day-to-day working on this campaign, and I wanted a minimal workload in the
Senate during the next six months.”
Migden was later named chairwoman of the Senate Public Safety Committee.
Also today, two protestors from Breast not Bombs were arrested for taking
their tops off at a protest on the Capitol’s West Steps. This is what passes
for excitement during Legislative recess
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