With the state legislature deadlocked over submitting a sales tax to voters, Secretary of State Debra Bowen advised county elections officials to move forward with their legally required duties in preparation for the November 4, 2008, General Election.
"Rumors have swirled about changing timelines for last-minute ballot measures, so I want to reiterate: The statutory deadline for placing legislative measures on the ballot was June 26," Bowen said,
"In the past, the Legislature and the Governor have chosen to waive laws and place measures on the ballot after the deadline. We are at the point where that is unacceptable. At this late date, 67 days before the election, any more changes would seriously jeopardize the integrity of the election.

Lisa Gritzner gives her views on the final day of the convention at Fox and Hounds Daily

I don't even know how to begin to explain the experience of being at the Mile High Stadium today. I guess you could say that is exactly how I felt - at least a mile high.

It wasn't easy to get there - not for the Obama campaign nor for any of the 80,000 or so people who braved the whole of humanity to be there for this once in a lifetime shot at history. But all in all the stadium held up well. There were some moments where the stadium food vendors thought they were going to run out and some touchy times over getting back to your seats if you left at inopportune times, but overall, the joy of the experience was felt by all.

And, while you may think that sitting in a stadium for 8 hours in the hot sun would be a bad experience, it felt like no time had passed at all. Everyone was jockeying for good seats and getting to know their seatmates. Cell phones, cameraphones and blackberries were so heavily used that we all started to notice lags in the network and many of us powered down to save our juice. I won't be surprised at all if there were record numbers of texts, calls and emails.

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Sen. Dianne Feinstein says she's actively considering a run for California governor in 2010, but wants to see the results of the November election before she makes a decision. Mercury News

Feinstein, who didn't attend the Democratic convention in Denver because of a broken ankle, told the San Francisco Chronicle that she might choose to stay in Washington if Democrats gain a large enough majority in Congress to move major legislation.

"I can't say that since this (convention) started I haven't thought about it, because I have," Feinstein, 75, said Thursday of a possible run. "I want to see how close to 60 votes we can get in the Senate, what the committee structure is and how best I can use my time."

Welcoming administrators back to school Thursday, Los Angeles Unified Superintendent David Brewer III outlined new measures to track student performance and urged educators to work harder to improve test scores. George Sanchez in the Daily News.

Also, following a school year in which there were several reported cases of sexual abuse by teachers, Brewer said the district has developed a new system to report abuse.

About 1,800 principals, assistant principals and administrators attended Brewer's annual address, held at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Councilwoman Sherry Marquez said she is suspending her efforts to proclaim English the official language of Lancaster and will instead focus on passing English-only federal legislation.Karen Maeshiro in the Daily News.

After consulting with the city attorney and the city manager, Marquez said a local English-only ordinance would lack teeth and that city efforts would be better expended elsewhere.

"I'm just leaving it alone for right now," Marquez said Thursday. "Looking at what's going on and everything we're trying to do, we may be better served if the city attorney works on all the other things."

Dr. Judy Chu, chair of the state Board of Equalization, has been offering her views:

There is an increasing crush of people descending upon Denver as we get closer to the day of Barack Obama's acceptance speech. This includes celebrities. As we California delegates watch the claustrophobic mass of people trying to move on the floor, we spot celebrities.
'Look, there in the white hat. It's Spike Lee!'
Those news cameras over there. They're talking to Jamie Foxx!'
That shiny bald head right there. It's James Carville!'
Daniel Kim from Lost!'
Up there in the balcony! Chelsea Clinton!'
I asked someone who was the strangest person they've seen. She said, 'Mitt Romney. He seemed to be scurrying to CNN to do Republican spin.' She showed me a picture that she took of the back of his head, every hair in place.
CNN and FOX have been trying to portray this convention as being very divided and contentious. I don't see this at all. I have talked to many Hillary delegates, who talked about being heartbroken after Hillary lost. I have the button with '300' on it, referring to the 300 signatures needed to ensure that Hillary's name is placed in nomination. But the sense that I got was that the delegates wanted to ensure that Hillary got the dignity and respect that she deserved in this convention, after having run such a pioneering campaign.
I was thrown for a loop yesterday morning when I discovered that the California delegation had to vote early because we were so large. Thus, we had to vote at the California Democratic delegation breakfast, before the official convention vote took place. I am 100% behind Barack Obama, but at the same time, I am an appointed elected official delegate for the Hillary Clinton campaign. What were we supposed to do?
I asked several people, and there was no definitive answer or direction from the Hillary campaign. However, I finally got the impression that we were free to do what we felt we had to do. Since I was appointed by the Hillary campaign, I voted for Hillary, assuming that somehow a later vote would ensure Barack Obama's nomination.
There were many Hillary delegates that felt the same way. Early that afternoon, Hillary spoke to her delegates and said, 'I've cast my vote this morning for Barack Obama. But I understand it if you feel you were elected to be a delegate for my campaign. I am releasing my delegates, but do what you feel you must do.' Ultimately, the California delegation vote was 273 to 166.
Later in the afternoon, both names were put in nomination, and the roll call commenced. State by state, the votes were announced, though California passed temporarily. When Illinois came up, everybody assumed that they would be the ones making Barack Obama's nomination. But they ceded to New York, and suddenly, there was a huge commotion over in the New York section. Hillary Clinton was coming down the aisle, and in the most dramatic moment of the day, stopped the roll call vote and asked that the convention endorse Barack Obama's nomination unanimously. The crowd went wild.
It was a night of incredible speakers, but I asked delegates which ones were the most memorable. The one most often named was Bill Clinton. They said, 'He's the master speechmaker,' 'He knows how to put things in the right perspective,' and most importantly, 'He made it okay for me to fully support Barack Obama.' The words and actions of Bill and Hillary Clinton were healing and the turning point in the convention.
The other person most often named was Beau Biden, the son of Joe Biden. He talked about the circumstances that Joe Biden faced in being elected, but not yet sworn in to his Senate seat, when there was a car crash that killed Biden's wife and daughter , and seriously hurt his two young sons . I saw several people wiping tears away as they listened to the story. As one delegate said to me, 'For anyone who is a parent, it is unimaginable to have faced those kinds of circumstances.'"

The master of ceremonies in the theater auditorium at Denver's Westin Hotel stalled for time before a restless audience Wednesday. Sacramento Bee

"Elvis is in the building," he insisted an hour into a "Better Tomorrow Forum" featuring authors, economists, venture capitalists and other political deep thinkers. "Mayor Newsom is moments away."

But it was one rare appearance that this Elvis of the Democratic National Convention wouldn't make.

Delegate Lisa Gritzner gives her views for Fox and Hounds Daily of the convention:

One of the things I wish I could take home with me from Denver is the rekindling of the spirit and soul of American politics that I have felt so greatly here. In every restaurant and every bar, on the streets and in every conversation - people are invested, interested and engaged. I have to keep reminding myself that this isn't "real life" - but I wish it was. Wouldn't it be amazing if when our political leaders spoke, people really did stop their idle chatter and pay rapt attention to the words and the issues?
Well, for one week here in Denver, government means something, our future makes a difference, and people everywhere feel a sense of ownership.
And I think that's what makes this time in our political history so special. For the first time in what has been a long, cold winter, people are shedding the apathy and disenfranchisement of the past 8 years and are waking up to a new America. One where things don't just happen but where people have a voice and a say in their future.

The seminal moment in the lives of many African-Americans who came of age in the 1960s often is related to the civil-rights movement: the Supreme Court desegregation of public schools, the freedom marches in the South, the "I Have a Dream" speech by Martin Luther King Jr. Tony Castro in the Daily News.

But Morris Pichon, himself a son of the South, says the most pivotal moment in his life occurred this year.

"The Iowa caucuses," said Pichon, a 66-year-old retired Lockheed Martin Corp. manufacturing analyst who lives in Pacoima with his wife, Barbara. "When I saw that Caucasians in Iowa were going to the polls and voting overwhelmingly for Barack Obama, a black man, I knew that for the first time, after all these years, Americans had woken up.

Assessors in Los Angeles and Ventura counties on Wednesday warned homeowners to be on the lookout for a "Property Tax Reassessment" letter that asks recipients to pay $171 for a reassessment and threatens a $67 late fine if the service is not used.Troy Anderson in the Daily News.

Ventura County Assessor Dan Goodwin said property owners are receiving solicitations from private companies offering to help homeowners lower their property tax bills, a service the assessor provides free of charge.

One solicitation in particular - asking homeowners to send a $171 fee to "Property Tax Reassessment" at a post office box in Los Angeles - has the appearance of "almost being a bill," Goodwin said.

Well, tonight's the big night. Barack Obama is set to make his big Democratic National Convention speech at Denver's Invesco Field. Greg Hernandez in the Daily News.

I won't be there because I don't have a ticket. But a lot of the Hollywood stars who are in the Mile High City this week will be - and they shared their feelings about the big speech with me.

"It's such an exciting time," said Lynn Whitfield, who won an Emmy for "The Josephine Baker Story." "I will be there. I cannot wait."

Don't let the recent dip in gas prices fool you. Sue Doyle in the Daily News.

Despite the declining costs, fewer Southern Californians will be hitting the roads this Labor Day weekend, opting instead to lounge in their inflatable backyard pools or flip burgers on the grill.

This weekend, holiday travel -- which includes driving and flying -- is expected to be 1.4 percent lower than last year, when the number of Labor Day vacationers rose 1 percent, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California.

When the Republican convention opens Monday night, its prime-time lineup could be missing one of its biggest draws: California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Associated Press.
Shackled by the mundane business of state government, Schwarzenegger is vowing to remain in California if lawmakers fail to reach agreement on a state budget, now two months overdue.
"I made it very clear to Sen. McCain when I spoke to him yesterday and I made it very clear to his people that I am honored to be asked to speak at the convention ... and that I would be honored to do anything to help him win the presidency, but that the state of California and the budget is the most important thing," Schwarzenegger says. "So that if I don't have a budget, I cannot speak at the convention."

Delegate Lisa Gritzner is filing reports for foxandhoudsdaily.com

So its the topic on everyone's lips here in Denver. Every person you run into, its the first question they ask. Your answer determines your place in the social hierarchy...you answer incorrectly and believe me, your stock is tanking faster than Countrywide.
Its not what state you're from, its not who you're voting for. No, it's far more important than that folks - it's "what parties are you going to?"
Yes, I thought I would wade into this convention scene slowly. I thought you should hear about the big thinking going on, the beauty of the city, the greatness of our future (fingers crossed) first lady.
So now, I can tell you the truth.
It's not about the politics, it's about the party.
And I don't mean Democrat or Republican...I mean GQ, Rock the Vote, Recording Industry of America (RIAA -THE hot ticket), Sex, Cocktails, and Politics (Planned Parenthood smartly branding themselves), Politico, and Gavin Newsom.

Dr. Judy Chu, chair of the state Board of Equalization, offers her views of Day 2:
Yesterday I had breakfast with about 20 leaders of Asian American Pacific Islanders for Barack Obama. Who then showed up? Maya Soetoro Ng and Konrad Ng, the sister and brother-in-law of Barack Obama.
Maya had just finished speaking at the Democratic National Convention the night before. She said that the most nerve wracking part of it was speaking in between Jimmy Carter and Ted Kennedy! She thought, 'How did I get here?'
Maya is a high school history teacher, and Konrad teaches at the University of Hawaii. Konrad is a Chinese Canadian but went to the University of Hawaii to get his Ph.D., and that is where they met. They are both intelligent, articulate and down to earth.
It is startling to think about this fact because America tends to view race relations as black and white, but Barack Obama's story is also an Asian American one. He was 9 years old and living in Indonesia with his mother, when Maya was born to an Indonesian father. The family eventually moved to Hawaii, where both Barack and Maya grew up.
Maya says that when her father died, Barack decided he had to become the father to her. He took her to visit colleges and universities to see which one would be the best. Family is important to him and raising children with good values is also important. And so she tells the story of taking Barack's two daughters out for ice cream.
She wasn't supposed to because it was close to dinner time. So Maya said to Malia, the older daughter, to not tell her mother.
Immediately, Malia started crying. Maya asked why she was crying, and Malia said, 'Because I can't lie to my mother.'
At the convention last night, there was a cavalcade of Governors and Senators speaking, and the crowd became restless. They were talking so much to one another that I found it hard to hear the speeches. It was actually easier to hear the speeches by listening to the televisions in the hallway. However, there were three exceptions.
The California delegation was ecstatic when State Controller John Chiang spoke. The cheers from our section were loud and strong, and rang throughout the convention center. John is a hero because of his stand against Governor Schwarzenegger's order to cut state workers down to minimum wage. He did a magnificent job on his speech.
The second person to grab the delegates' attention was Governor Brian Schweitzer from Montana. He was quite the character in his cowboy outfit, and is a gun-toting Democrat who does not hesitate to speak his mind. He did not seem like the type to give a major policy speech on energy and the environment, but that he did in a funny and lively way. He exhorted the crowd, getting them to their feet to stand for Barack Obama.
And then there was Hillary Clinton. For her delegates who are going through the five stages of death and dying as they grapple with the fact that she will not be president, this was a difficult and poignant moment. I saw Roz Wyman wiping away tears as Clinton started to speak. I was sitting next to Congresswoman Jackie Speier. As two women elected officials that both had tough times getting elected ourselves, we commiserated on what might have been had there been the first woman President. Hillary was articulate and graceful. She strongly and clearly expressed her support for Barack Obama, and told us all to do the same. She waved, then turned around and disappeared into the curtain behind the stage."