Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, speaking to business leaders while being dogged by protesters Wednesday, continued tweaking his rhetoric on what it will take to close the state's $8 billion budget deficit. This, combined with his past comments — such as last week, when he said that lawmakers must be "very creative" in finding revenue for the state — implied a softening in the staunch anti-tax stance he has taken in the past. CC Times 4/17/08
The high speed rail project has been met with opposition from environmentalists on the left and some on the right who want there to be a private investment component to the plan. Caught in the middle is the Legislature and the five-year old state budget crisis. Since 2004, the Legislature has exercised its right to shove the bond proposal off the ballot, in hopes of waiting for a rosier set of fiscal circumstances to increase the chances voters would open their wallets for the proposal. Capitol Weekly 4/17/08
The Senate on Wednesday turned aside an amendment that tried to eliminate earmarks from a highway bill, including $45 million to support a magnetic levitation train project in Las Vegas. Senators voted 78-18 to defend the bill that was supposed to fix minor technical errors in a highway bill Congress passed three years ago. The bill has sparked major debate over spending and gasoline taxes among other issues. Las Vegas Review Journal 4/17/08
Some 500 preservationists will be coming to Napa next week for a four-day conference, with local wineries, homes and commercial buildings playing a starring role.The California Preservation Foundation will use the Napa Valley as a backdrop for “Balance and Complexity: The Vineyard and Beyond,” which will include 30 workshops and tours about preserving the state’s cultural heritage, said Cindy Heitzman, the foundation’s executive director. A panel discussion will focus on the debate over tourism. The conversation will contrast St. Helena, which is trying to cap the influence of tourists, with Napa, which is trying to draw visitors to downtown St. Helena Star 4/17/08
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