Posted on 02/21/2005 10:34:57 PM PST by NormsRevenge
SAN LEANDRO — A battle is brewing in Sacramento this year, and left-leaning lawyer Robin Johansen has drawn her lines in the sand. She's not the only one.
Less than two months into what Gov. Arnold Schwarzenneger promises will be "the year of reform," at least 71 proposed state-wide ballot initiatives are already pending at the state attorney general's office.
Johansen said she is knee-deep in working on about 15 ballot propositions intended to thwart some of the governor's proposed fiscal overhauls.
Her San Leandro firm, Remcho, Johansen, & Purcell, has officially filed about five so far.
"It's just a free-for-all, basically," Johansen said during a recent interview at her office. "We fully expected this to be a quiet year, not being an election year. It's really all because the governor has talked about calling a special election."
Even in a state used to running by referenda, this year appears to be filled with ballot contenders from across the political spectrum.
In 2004, despite a presidential election that engaged voters, there were only 38 initiatives for the entire year, Johansen said.
Now that Schwarzenegger has announced his intent to bypass the Legislature and help push his budget packages at the ballot box come November, there have been 71 filed in 2005's first two months.
"It's just — it's just crazy," Johansen said.
Johansen and her colleagues have usually kept to the sidelines when their clients fought big causes in the public sphere.
The firm, for more than two decades a Democratic Party powerhouse, sits almost anonymously in a former bank at the corner of busy E. 14th Street and Dolores Avenue.
Its founding partners — Johansen, Kathleen Purcell, and Joseph Remcho, who died in a helicopter crash in 2003 — all moved their business here in 2000 after San Francisco rents skyrocketed.
Johansen said most people who come off the street looking for a lawyer probably aren't looking for an election attorney.
But organizations like the California Teachers Association are.
"I think people are willing to pay more in taxes for better schools," Johansen said. "I firmly believe the schools in California are woefully underfunded."
Johansen perks up when she talks about policy, particularly education issues, but is more reserved when discussing her clients. She is unwilling to disclose — at least not yet — any of those who are backing the firm's recently filed initiatives.
"We're doing stuff we feel is important," she said. "We like to think we do good work with good people. We like our clients very much."
Johansen said she is impressed by the governor's political skills, but troubled by the thought of across-the-board cuts and Schwarzenegger's perceived attacks on teachers and public employee unions.
One ballot proposition written by the San Leandro firm on behalf of an anonymous client is dubbed the "High Quality Classroom Act."
The measure would have businesses take on a bigger property tax burden than private homes, then makes the state use the increased revenues to improve the quality of public schools.
Another effort, a consumer-protection measure known as "A Car Buyer's Bill of Rights," was filed by the firm after a similar effort has struggled through the Legislature. Yet another involves closing corporate loopholes while raising state sales taxes.
Johansen admits that the potential chaos of a lot of competing ballots means many voters end up voting no on all of them.
"Which is fine," she said, since it means they won't be voting for the governor's proposals, either."
..the potential chaos of a lot of competing ballots means many voters end up voting no on all of them.
Welcome to No Fault Gubamint.
Of the prop, by the prop and full of the prop.
But organizations like the California Teachers Association are.
"I think people are willing to pay more in taxes for better schools," Johansen said. "I firmly believe the schools in California are woefully underfunded."
Johansen perks up when she talks about policy, particularly education issues, but is more reserved when discussing her clients. She is unwilling to disclose — at least not yet — any of those who are backing the firm's recently filed initiatives.
"We're doing stuff we feel is important," she said. "We like to think we do good work with good people. We like our clients very much." Johansen said she is impressed by the governor's political skills, but troubled by the thought of across-the-board cuts and Schwarzenegger's perceived attacks on teachers and public employee unions.
Sweetie, you and your gang of thugs with degrees are Nothing more than shills for a disease masquerading as good for what ails ya,, liberalism.
We've got problems here in Texas for sure but it sure does seem like Cali just can't head over the cliff fast enough.
Let's see about that. All who favor this just send a check to the state with your contribution & earmark it to schools only. Now sit back & see all of $162 contribued over the next 6 months.
(Denny Crane: "There are two places to find the truth. First God and then Fox News.")
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