California Forward

Panetta's Departure Could Be Blow to California Reform

Joe Mathews — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 20:27:00 -0500

Unintentionally, Barack Obama may have delivered a blow to political reform in California. Various news reports say former Congressman and Clinton chief of staff Leon Panetta is Obama's pick for CIA director. In California, Panetta has been a leading voice for budget and political reform, most recently as the leader of the reform coalition California Forward. 2009 has been shaping up as a year for reform, as various groups try to capitalize on the state's budget crisis and political stalemates to push big ideas (including the possibility of a constitutional convention). For those folks, losing Panetta is not good news. He can't be easily replaced.

New America Lauded For Being "Aggressive"

Joe Mathews — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 19:26:00 -0500

Sacramento Bee columnist Dan Walters draws a picture Sunday of the reform landscape in California. He puts Leon Panetta's California Forward as the incrementalist side of the reform movement and the Bay Area Council (which wants a constitutional convention) and the New America Foundation (your blogger's employer, which has been talking about changing the make-up of the legislature) as the big-thinking, "aggressive" side. More on this subject later--after I go out and aggressively hunt big game for dinner.

California Forward Panel: Two-Thirds, Income Tax Increase Could Be On '09 California Ballot

Joe Mathews — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 07:17:00 -0400

Politicker has the following account of a panel sponsored by California Forward, the new reform group led by former Congressman and Clinton Chief of Staff Leon Panetta. Speakers, including the state senate's incoming top Democrat, Darrell Steinberg, predicted that voters next year will be asked to reverse the two-thirds requirement to pass a budget. Unions also may sponsor an initiative to raise taxes. Such a move would make some sense because raising taxes requires two-thirds in the legislature but a simple majority of voters when a tax hike is offered by ballot initiative.

Redistricting as a Test

Joe Mathews — Thu, 08 May 2008 16:25:00 -0400

Capitol Weekly has a good piece on the Schwarzenegger redistricting initiative as a test of a new non-profit reform group, California Forward, led by former Congressman and Clinton Chief of Staff Leon Panetta. Panetta is one of the best strategic thinkers in the state, but fighting dysfunction in the Clinton White House is nothing compared to fighting dysfunction in California state government.