Hotsheet for the Autumn Equinox

“If this governor makes us go to the mat, are we ready to go to the mat and to kick his ass?”

I must hand it to Governor Schwarzenegger. He held out for a better budget and got one that adds teeth to the creation of a rainy day fund. The latest, and presumably final, incarnation of the FY'08–09 budget passed without debate on Friday, and is expected to be signed by Schwarzenegger early this week. Perhaps now that the governor is willing again to flex his muscles, he’ll take another stab at battling the union bosses and deliver on two of his original promises: a spending cap, and redistricting.

Speaking of which, prison guards union boss Mike Jimenez (pictured above) led a raucous rally last week, denouncing Schwarzenegger and promising to make good on his recall threat. Schwarzenegger’s crime?

After more than two years without a contract…

Earning annual salaries of “up to $73,000 plus overtime that routinely vaults them into six figures,”

…the guards have watched helplessly as the governor has taken away treasured work rules they had won. Last year, Schwarzenegger rescinded their rights to call in sick without question and to veto many operational decisions inside prisons, which he has characterized as piggish and abusive.

I tuned in to an interview with Assemblyman Mike Villines on Friday, during which, he quoted former Governor Jerry Brown as admitting that his worst mistake as governor was instituting collective bargaining for government workers.

By jumping on the Proposition 8 bandwagon, California Republican leaders seem hell bent on solidifying the party’s minority status. No one is more eager to capitalize on this — and, in the process, strengthen his resume to compete with Gavin Newsom — than Mayor Villaraigosa, who participated in the opening of Los Angeles’ No on Prop 8 headquarters last Saturday. An item in the New York Times analyzes a conundrum facing supporters of both Barack Obama and marriage equality this November: what to do about those “traditionally conservative” black and Latino voters who will likely turn out in record numbers for Obama, only to vote for the constitutional marriage ban?

The Obama/Proposition 8 situation appeals to those opposed to same-sex marriage, who are banking on a high turnout by blacks and conservative Latinos. There’s no question African-American and Latino voters are among our strongest supporters,” said Frank Schubert, the co-campaign manager for Yes on 8, the leading group behind the measure. “And to the extent that they are motivated to get to the polls, whether by this issue or by Barack Obama, it helps us.”

Don’t look now, but summer ends today. It’s gonna be a long, interesting autumn.