He explains why to George Skelton. The governor is interested in looking at changes to the requirement of a two-thirds vote of the legislature to pass a budget. But he also wants to transform the executive branch, which wasn't on the agenda of many folks attending this week's summit in Sacramento on the idea. Schwarzenegger wants to get rid of the independently elected constitutional officers -- the lieutenant governor, the attorney general, the controller, the treasurer -- who sometimes make it hard for him to administer the government.

As a policy matter, Schwarzenegger has a point. There'd be more accountability if the governor could appoint the people in those roles. As a political matter, Schwarzenegger may have hurt the convention effort by saying that. Opponents of the idea will deride the convention as a power grab by a governor whose approval rating is at 33 percent in a new poll.

There's a lot of talk about new ballot measures circulating in California and other Western states. The California Teachers Assn., for example, has approved circulation of its initiative that would hike the state sales tax to create a new, protected fund for schools. But that initiative isn't in petition circulators' hands yet, according to a survey I conducted this morning. In fact, signature gatherers appear to be in wait and see mode. There are a handful of local measures. In Sacramento, circulators were just told to turn in signatures on a measure that would seek to put more power in the office of Mayor Kevin Johnson. But that's about it, for now. I'll check back again in a week, when, various circulators assure me, they expect to be busy.

New America is sponsoring a very important event this Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.  in Sacramento, "A Nation Without States,"  that will offer a whole new way of looking at California -- and some big ideas for reform that you may not have heard before. Below is a description of the event and its panel. To RSVP for it (there's no cost, but they try to get a count so they have enough food for lunch, which is provided), click here.

The first panel will describe California's regions, detailing the differences between and relationships among them and focusing on how each is transforming itself in response to the globalizing 21st century economy. The speakers will assess how well California's data collection and state agencies serve the needs of policy makers, both in the State Capitol and within the regions themselves.