Gov. finds himself in a bigger budget bind
SACRAMENTO -- -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger could soon come to regard the epic budget mess he inherited four years ago as a minor nuisance compared to the challenge he faces now.As he prepares the budget blueprint that he will release in January, the governor is in a bind. There isn't as much red ink this time, or an emergency cash shortage -- at least not yet. But deals he made to keep the state afloat earlier in his tenure now hamper his ability to take on a rapidly swelling deficit that early projections show will hit at least $10 billion. Those deals, made when the deficit was substantially larger, put a lock on billions of dollars. Large pots of money that lawmakers have tapped to patch past budget deficits are no longer available to them. The prohibitions are even etched into California's Constitution, thanks to ballot measures championed by Schwarzenegger."There is no question this budget will be tougher" than when the deficit was $14 billion, said Mike Genest, the governor's budget chief. "A lot of options we had before have been removed."The governor has promised that the state would never again raid local government funds, never again borrow money earmarked for transportation and never again balance the budget through borrowing. Public university students were guaranteed no more surprise fee hikes through at least 2010. Courts were also guaranteed no more cuts. An after-school program the governor pushed costing more than half a billion dollars annually can't be suspended.Billions of dollars in potential cuts or funding shifts have been precluded in the last few years. Although the governor has long complained that his ability to tame budget deficits was held in check by "autopilot spending" -- programs that under state law get a set share of the budget -- there is more of it now than ever. And Schwarzenegger is one reason for that. "We have just tightened the noose around our neck instead of figuring out how to get out of the noose in the first place," said Hannah-Beth Jackson, a former Democratic assemblywoman from Santa Barbara who plans to run for the Senate next year. "We have all these spending requirements, and they end up working against each other. We can't take from this, we can't take from that; we've become immobilized."Lawmakers have been complaining for decades that voter-imposed budget constraints are a straitjacket, taking away needed flexibility to address fiscal problems as they arise or bring a rational approach to setting spending priorities during good times. But legislators have played a role in creating the dilemma they face. Citizen ballot initiatives often draw on the public's distaste for a Legislature perceived as financially incompetent and politically tone-deaf. Only 25% of likely voters trust state government officials to do what is right most or all of the time, according to a September poll by the Public Policy Institute of California. Lawmakers' slowness in addressing skyrocketing property tax bills led voters in 1978 to pass the landmark Proposition 13, limiting how much such bills can increase every year. In 1988, voters approved Proposition 98, which set aside about 45% of the state's general fund for education programs and gave lawmakers complicated rules for allocating it. "The reason voters lock in spending is because they don't trust the Legislature to share their priorities," said John G. Matsusaka, president of the Initiative and Referendum Institute at USC.Sometimes it's lawmakers who restrict what can be cut. The governor and legislators placed on the ballot the measures that voters ratified prohibiting the government from touching transportation and local government money. They did so after taking billions of that money to help narrow the deficit a few years ago. Then they said they would never do it again. But they need money again. Genest said the governor has no regrets. "It's like saying we no longer have the option of robbing banks," Genest said. "Why should we balance the budget by taking money that belongs to someone else? . . . The government will take from local government, transportation, anyone it can in lieu of making hard decisions." Now is the time, Genest said, for hard decisions."The governor made these deals fully aware that the day would come when some of us would say we wish we had more options," he said. But some question the fairness of a system that protects state money for programs whose advocates managed to get ballot measures passed and leaves other services to be cut to make up the difference. Polls consistently show that, given the opportunity, voters would opt to protect almost everything the state spends money on.Some interests are scurrying to get ballot measures passed even as the budget ax looms. An initiative that will come before voters in February, Proposition 92, would change the Constitution to protect community college funding and limit future student fee increases. Senate President Don Perata (D-Oakland), who campaigned for some of the existing budget constraints, now says those requirements have left the state's budget "fatally broken." In a letter to the governor in August, immediately after the 51-day budget stalemate ended, he said it was time for Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders to begin the long process of reviewing them and even dismantling some -- which would require voter approval. "We have finally reached the end of the line," Perata wrote. "If we don't seize the initiative now, the same competing special interests who . . . shaped the quagmire in which we currently find ourselves will lead us into another."In the meantime, lawmakers are jockeying to use the myriad rules governing state money to their advantage. Fiscal conservatives are hoping the limited options lawmakers now have to close the deficit will bring into sharper focus the need to restrain spending elsewhere. Others are hopeful voters will see that the state lacks the funds to provide all the services they expect, and a tax increase is not unreasonable.State Treasurer Bill Lockyer says that at minimum, that is a healthy debate to have. And one long overdue after years of the state spending more than it brings in and papering over deficits by shifting funds around from accounts that now cannot be touched. "The constraints limit our flexibility, but they do not cause overspending," Lockyer said. "The real problem is tooth-fairy budgeting."
A virtual cathedral for Digital Age pilgrims
In a computer lab at UCLA, the worlds of cyberspace and Medieval Europe merge.A large group of computer engineers, scholars, students and other experts at UCLA have built a virtual cathedral -- a computer re-creation of the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral as the building probably appeared when it was dedicated in northwest Spain in 1211.Projected onto a screen curving nearly a half-circle, the image looks as if it belongs in the virtual world of a video game. Animated granite bricks rise up to form massive towers and Romanesque arches, and cartoon clouds fill a flawless royal blue sky. "We can go anywhere we want, at any moment," John Dagenais, chairman of the Spanish and Portuguese Department at UCLA, said as he "walked" visitors through the computerized cathedral. Actually, he did more than walk."If we could just proceed toward the altar at ground level and then we'll fly up later on," Dagenais said, giving instructions to undergraduate student Meghana Reddy, who was operating the simulation. "Let's slide on down that column." He turned to his visitors. "Prepare yourself for a big drop. Boom," Dagenais said, as the images flew quickly by, creating a roller-coaster sensation.For centuries, the real cathedral, which is still standing and is said to house the bones of St. James, rivaled Rome and Jerusalem as a destination for Christian pilgrims. In recent years, modern pilgrims have rediscovered Santiago; this year, government representatives said they expect that 200,000 pilgrims will pay homage at the cathedral. Since it was dedicated in the 13th century, a series of ornate Baroque-style embellishments have been added to the cathedral, making the modern structure almost unrecognizable from the original. Now, through the work of Dagenais and other members of the UCLA team, students and scholars are able to take a "virtual pilgrimage" that its creators say will help people understand the place that for centuries compelled thousands of pilgrims to set out on an arduous journey for months -- even years -- along often-dangerous roads. In its virtual realization, the cathedral and parts of the surrounding town are projected onto the curved screen in a specially designed theater; visitors can wear 3-D goggles that create an experience reminiscent of a ride at Disneyland."Why don't we just fly out that window and turn around and look back," Dagenais said, continuing the virtual tour. The cathedral shrank away and the visitors were given a bird's-eye view of the building's facade: simple but impressive. The aerial view also offers a look at the last part of the pilgrimage route, known as the Camino de Santiago, to the cathedral. There are many routes to the town, located in the Spanish region of Galicia, but the most common one stretches from the Pyrenees on the French-Spanish border through northern Spain. Modern pilgrims most often make the journey on foot or bicycle. Some walk only part of the road; an officially recognized pilgrim is one who walks at least 100 kilometers -- about 62 miles -- or bikes at least 150 kilometers, said Jose Suarez Otero, an archaeologist who is working with the Galician government to bring the computer reconstruction to Spain. More than the cathedral, it was the pilgrimage -- the mass movement of people across Europe to a remote portion of Spain -- that inspired Dagenais to immerse himself in the history of Santiago de Compostela. "I'm not a Catholic," he said. "I'm interested in what Medieval people thought, what they believed, how they behaved. For me it's this amazing human phenomenon that impresses me, that makes me think this is worth understanding."No one knows exactly what pushed so many people to Santiago de Compostela in the Middle Ages.For many, it was the perception that St. James, one of the 12 apostles, had a special relationship with Jesus, experts say."He's one of the closest to Jesus. Very often, Jesus would take only three people with him: Peter, James and John. They seem to be the closest," said Charles Hilken, chairman of the history department at St. Mary's College of California in Moraga.Modern pilgrims come for all imaginable reasons."Some come for religious reasons, spiritual reasons. They also come for health, tourism, to see the world, to enjoy Spain," Otero said. "I imagine it was the same even in the Middle Ages." Otero and Dagenais share a fascination with the centuries-old movement of people inspired by the cathedral erected on the site where many Christians believed St. James was entombed.
Forging a complex bond between recruit and DI
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and television news reporter Mirthala Salinas have ended their romantic relationship, two sources familiar with the situation said Friday.Months after revelations about the affair damaged the mayor's political standing and devastated Salinas' broadcasting career, the two sources said the relationship disintegrated weeks ago.
mayor
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Mayoral 'relationship'"They broke up earlier in the fall. They've both moved on. And Antonio is focused on his relationships with his kids," said one person who said he learned about the breakup in October.The other source -- who described himself as a longtime friend of Villaraigosa's -- said the relationship ended two or possibly three months ago."I think it was a tough summer. I think it was hard on his family. And I think he's trying hard to get past everything that was that summer," the friend said.Both sources spoke on the condition of anonymity, saying they were not authorized to discuss the matter.Salinas did not respond to requests for comment. Lisa Cohen, who briefly served as a spokeswoman for the anchor last summer, said earlier this week that she no longer represents the former Telemundo employee.Deputy Mayor Sean Clegg said Friday that the mayor has already "fully addressed" the issues surrounding the end of his marriage.Villaraigosa and his wife, Corina Villaraigosa, separated in June, weeks before he confirmed that he was romantically involved with Salinas. From the moment it became public, the affair between the mayor and the rising media star had a largely harmful effect on both parties.Villaraigosa, whose handling of education reform, immigration and public safety were subjects of Salinas' reporting, was dogged by questions about whether his extramarital relationship had distracted him from his policy duties -- and whether he had provided any inside information to the reporter.Salinas was one of a handful of employees at Telemundo who were disciplined because of the affair.A rising star in Spanish-language television news, Salinas read on the air the news of Villaraigosa's marital breakup on June 8 without disclosing that she had been romantically involved with the mayor for several months.Salinas received a two-month suspension for her handling of the situation.At the end of that suspension, she was reassigned from her post as temporary anchor to a Telemundo bureau in Riverside County.Instead of returning to her job, she quit.Asked in September why Salinas didn't show up for work, Villaraigosa said at the time: "I don't have any knowledge about that. I just couldn't tell you anything. I wouldn't have any information."Revelations about the affair damaged the mayor's credibility in the eyes of some voters, particularly women, said Jaime Regalado, who heads the Edmund G. "Pat" Brown Institute of Public Affairs at Cal State Los Angeles.With several of his news conferences dominated by questions about the affair, the mayor kept a relatively low profile for two months, staying out of the spotlight as the state Legislature raided $336 million in transportation funds from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Regalado said."I think he was hurt by it politically. I don't think there's any question about that," he said.The affair even raised questions about the mayor's name. "Villaraigosa" is a merger of his name, Antonio Villar, and his wife's maiden name, Corina Raigosa. Although the mayor's wife filed divorce papers in June, Villaraigosa said he would not change his name back.Villaraigosa has sought to regain his political footing since Labor Day, introducing into his speeches the notion that he has made mistakes but will continue to work hard for the city. That theme was echoed, to some degree, in an e-mail sent Friday by his top spokesman."The mayor has repeatedly expressed his profound regret and apologized," wrote Clegg, the deputy mayor."He is focused on doing the job people hired him to do: leading the city forward on the tough issues of public safety, traffic and school reform."Despite all the publicity the relationship garnered, Villaraigosa and Salinas were rarely seen in public once the affair was known. Most prominently, they were caught on video in August shopping for shoes together at a mall -- images that were broadcast on the celebrity gossip website TMZ.com.In the video, the mayor greeted the shopper who taped him using his camera phone. Salinas moved out of the way to avoid being seen.david.zahniser@latimes.comTimes staff writer Steve Hymon contributed to this report.
mayor
click to enlarge
OracleJSP: java.io.FileNotFoundException:
Set the init-param debug_mode to "true" to see the complete exception message.
Photo Gallery
Mayoral 'relationship'"They broke up earlier in the fall. They've both moved on. And Antonio is focused on his relationships with his kids," said one person who said he learned about the breakup in October.The other source -- who described himself as a longtime friend of Villaraigosa's -- said the relationship ended two or possibly three months ago."I think it was a tough summer. I think it was hard on his family. And I think he's trying hard to get past everything that was that summer," the friend said.Both sources spoke on the condition of anonymity, saying they were not authorized to discuss the matter.Salinas did not respond to requests for comment. Lisa Cohen, who briefly served as a spokeswoman for the anchor last summer, said earlier this week that she no longer represents the former Telemundo employee.Deputy Mayor Sean Clegg said Friday that the mayor has already "fully addressed" the issues surrounding the end of his marriage.Villaraigosa and his wife, Corina Villaraigosa, separated in June, weeks before he confirmed that he was romantically involved with Salinas. From the moment it became public, the affair between the mayor and the rising media star had a largely harmful effect on both parties.Villaraigosa, whose handling of education reform, immigration and public safety were subjects of Salinas' reporting, was dogged by questions about whether his extramarital relationship had distracted him from his policy duties -- and whether he had provided any inside information to the reporter.Salinas was one of a handful of employees at Telemundo who were disciplined because of the affair.A rising star in Spanish-language television news, Salinas read on the air the news of Villaraigosa's marital breakup on June 8 without disclosing that she had been romantically involved with the mayor for several months.Salinas received a two-month suspension for her handling of the situation.At the end of that suspension, she was reassigned from her post as temporary anchor to a Telemundo bureau in Riverside County.Instead of returning to her job, she quit.Asked in September why Salinas didn't show up for work, Villaraigosa said at the time: "I don't have any knowledge about that. I just couldn't tell you anything. I wouldn't have any information."Revelations about the affair damaged the mayor's credibility in the eyes of some voters, particularly women, said Jaime Regalado, who heads the Edmund G. "Pat" Brown Institute of Public Affairs at Cal State Los Angeles.With several of his news conferences dominated by questions about the affair, the mayor kept a relatively low profile for two months, staying out of the spotlight as the state Legislature raided $336 million in transportation funds from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Regalado said."I think he was hurt by it politically. I don't think there's any question about that," he said.The affair even raised questions about the mayor's name. "Villaraigosa" is a merger of his name, Antonio Villar, and his wife's maiden name, Corina Raigosa. Although the mayor's wife filed divorce papers in June, Villaraigosa said he would not change his name back.Villaraigosa has sought to regain his political footing since Labor Day, introducing into his speeches the notion that he has made mistakes but will continue to work hard for the city. That theme was echoed, to some degree, in an e-mail sent Friday by his top spokesman."The mayor has repeatedly expressed his profound regret and apologized," wrote Clegg, the deputy mayor."He is focused on doing the job people hired him to do: leading the city forward on the tough issues of public safety, traffic and school reform."Despite all the publicity the relationship garnered, Villaraigosa and Salinas were rarely seen in public once the affair was known. Most prominently, they were caught on video in August shopping for shoes together at a mall -- images that were broadcast on the celebrity gossip website TMZ.com.In the video, the mayor greeted the shopper who taped him using his camera phone. Salinas moved out of the way to avoid being seen.david.zahniser@latimes.comTimes staff writer Steve Hymon contributed to this report.
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