School Beat: 2011 — Time for a New Agenda for Public Education
By Lisa Schiff
Parents for Public Schools
2010 was a tumultuous year for public education, in keeping with the last several years and setting the stage for 2011 and beyond. From high profile but woefully inaccurate critiques in movie theaters (e.g. the film “Waiting for Superman”) to unexpected new heroes (e.g. former high-stakes testing champion Diane Ravitch) extremes seem to be the new condition of education.
New Leadership and a New Outlook in 2011
By Rebecca Greenberg
California Labor Federation
On Monday at precisely 11:19 a.m., Governor Schwarzenegger’s seemingly endless term finally came to a close as Jerry Brown was officially sworn in as our once and current Governor. And right away, it became clear that Governor Brown is about to usher in into a whole new era of California politics.
Unlike Schwarzenegger -- who spent his inaugurals hobnobbing with corporate lobbyists and courting wealthy donors -- Governor Brown instead chose to head straight to the People’s Inauguration Party on the Capitol lawn, sponsored by the Orange County Employees Association, where he munched on a free hot dog alongside thousands of working Californians who came out to celebrate the occasion.
Rep. Darrell Issa Puts Himself (and Oversight Committee) Up For Bid
By Lucas O'Connor
Note: “Issa Exposed” is a project of the Courage Campaign that tracks Darrell Issa's public record as well as the ongoing investigations and hearings he's involved with as the new chairman of the House Oversight Committee. The California Progress Report will occasionallycross-post particularly relevant campaign posts.
One of the hallmarks of the tea party gains in the GOP has been virulent opposition to earmarks. Their newfound influence within the Republican Party has led to a strong push to eliminate the practice of earmarks altogether, and Darrell Issa hasn't missed a beat jumping on board that train.
Issa was among the first Republicans to suspend his earmark requests, and even went so far as to declare "Mr. Speaker, I make a point of order that an earmark is tantamount to a bribe." Yet that never prevented Issa from requesting earmarks before Fiscal year 2010. And not just a few here and there- hundreds of millions of dollars worth.
