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Glendale News Press, CA
June 5 2008
POLITICAL LANDSCAPE:
Scott praises Armenian community
Published: Last Updated Thursday, June 5, 2008 11:03 PM PDT
State Sen. Jack Scott, a four-term, nearly termed out legislator,
praised the Armenian community Thursday night as a culture deeply
committed to education during Glendale's Armenian National Committee's
annual banquet.
`As someone who chairs the education committee and someone who cares
about educating every child, I know that I stand shoulder to shoulder
with the Armenian community who cares deeply about education,' said
Scott, the keynote speaker at the event that also handed Glendale
Police Officer John Balian the Community Service Award and named
Glendale High School senior Henrietta Movsessian, 18, the Youth
Activist of the Year.
Scott's 10-minute address was as much a swan song for the two-term
senator - who also served two terms in the California State Assembly -
as a transition into his next venture, head of California's sprawling
system of 109 community colleges.
`I've had a great career and been successful in passing 158 bills in
my 12 years of service,' he said.
But his talk also highlighted the relationship with the
Armenian-American community in the region, one of the largest in the
U.S.
`I applaud you for the political efforts you have undertaken and for
the fact that you've recognized that in a land like America, the way
you make an impact is through grass-roots activism. I compliment the
Armenian National Committee for that.'
Scott has repeatedly co-sponsored legislation that would recognize the
deaths of up to 1.5 million Armenians around World War I believed to
be at the hands of the Ottoman Empire as a genocide. His support
stemmed from both political and humanitarian concerns.
`Of all the senators in California, I probably represent more
Armenians than anyone,' he said. `I was talking to my good friend
[Assemblyman] Paul Krekorian, and he said, `You probably represent
more Armenians than any legislator in Armenia. Well, that's probably
true, and I'm very proud of that.'
Democrats slam the governor's budget plans
As California's politicians returned to work after Tuesday's primary,
state Democrats wasted no time in rebuking Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger's plan to mend a budget deficit of more than $17
billion.
The Democratic version of Schwarzenegger's May budget revision was
unveiled Thursday in Sacramento by state senators and members of the
Assembly who called for increased educational funds, reinstating
MediCal cuts made in February and restoring $57 million in money for
Cal Grant awards, the state's primary financial aid for college
students.
`One of the most important things to me is that we restore education
funding,' Assemblyman Paul Krekorian said. `We are actively paying
down debt the state now owes.'
The Assembly plan provides $2.3 billion more than Schwarzenegger's
plan for education spending and restores a cost-of-living increase of
1.6%, something that had been wiped away in the May budget revision.
Democratic state senators moved to reduce the cut in the MediCal
provider rate from 10% to 5% and rejected Schwarzenegger's original
budget proposal to eliminate dental care, optometry and other MediCal
benefits.
Democrats have not revealed how they will restore programs and
maintain a balanced budget, which must be achieved with a two-thirds
majority in both houses, but tax increases are a possibility,
Krekorian said.
`This requires a consensus on new revenues,' he said. `It doesn't
necessarily mean new taxes, but Republicans want to achieve this
through cuts only, and Californians clearly disagree with that
approach.'
Assembly Democrats anticipate that Republicans will reject tax
increases and press for continued cuts to state programs, an approach
Krekorian called `irrational and immature.'
The Democratic plan will now go to the conference committees between
the state Senate and Assembly and could then be discussed by the top
five state leaders: Schwarzenegger, Assembly speaker Karen Bass,
Assembly Republican leader Mike Villines, state Senate President Pro
Tem Don Perata and Republican Minority Leader Dave Cogdill.
Both major political parties look ahead
With Tuesday's primary in the rear-view mirror, Democratic and
Republican observers are looking to shape the vote count to illustrate
which party is better prepared to pick up state and federal seats in
November's general election.
`There is definitely a blue wave,' said Mark Gonzalez, secretary of
the 44th Assembly District Delegation. `Now that the Democratic
[presidential] race has been decided, there is a lot of opportunity in
the party to move forward. We're definitely going to take back the
White House and seats in California. The way California goes, so goes
the nation.'
Incumbent Republican Rep. David Dreier is poised to face Democratic
rival Russ Warner for control of the congressional seat in the 26th
District, which includes La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta and
Montrose. Republican Charles Hahn, a Burbank resident and financial
advisor, will try to wrest control of the 29th Congressional District
from incumbent Rep. Adam Schiff.
In an attempt to defeat Dreier, Democrats have plowed more than
$700,000 into Warner's campaign, with some of that money coming from a
Political Action Committee established by Schiff, Gonzalez said.
`That is one of the most watched races of the Democratic Congressional
Campaign Committee,' he said.
The money Warner raised is of little concern to some Republicans, who
feel Dreier's nearly 30 years of experience is invaluable.
`I'm very confident Dreier will retain his seat,' said Don Meredith,
president of the Buck and Ballot Brigade, which helps elect
Republicans to state and federal seats.
After state Sen. Jack Scott is termed out, Democrat Carol Liu is
slated to run against Republican Teddy Choi in the race for the
Senate's 21st District, which includes Burbank and Glendale.
In the state Assembly, incumbent Democrat Paul Krekorian is poised to
face Republican Jane Barnett for the 43rd District that covers Burbank
and Glendale, while Assemblyman Anthony Portantino will face
Republican Brian M. Fuller for control of the 44th District, which
includes a portion of Montrose.
Krekorian's seat is the focus of Buck and Ballot, which is buoyed by
the more than 7,000 votes Barnett received and will focus its efforts
on electing the Burbank businesswoman in November.
`We have to get out and continue to advance the message,' he said.
http://www.glendalenewspress.com/articles/2 008/06/06/politics/gnp-pollandscape06.txt
From: Baghdasarian
June 5 2008
POLITICAL LANDSCAPE:
Scott praises Armenian community
Published: Last Updated Thursday, June 5, 2008 11:03 PM PDT
State Sen. Jack Scott, a four-term, nearly termed out legislator,
praised the Armenian community Thursday night as a culture deeply
committed to education during Glendale's Armenian National Committee's
annual banquet.
`As someone who chairs the education committee and someone who cares
about educating every child, I know that I stand shoulder to shoulder
with the Armenian community who cares deeply about education,' said
Scott, the keynote speaker at the event that also handed Glendale
Police Officer John Balian the Community Service Award and named
Glendale High School senior Henrietta Movsessian, 18, the Youth
Activist of the Year.
Scott's 10-minute address was as much a swan song for the two-term
senator - who also served two terms in the California State Assembly -
as a transition into his next venture, head of California's sprawling
system of 109 community colleges.
`I've had a great career and been successful in passing 158 bills in
my 12 years of service,' he said.
But his talk also highlighted the relationship with the
Armenian-American community in the region, one of the largest in the
U.S.
`I applaud you for the political efforts you have undertaken and for
the fact that you've recognized that in a land like America, the way
you make an impact is through grass-roots activism. I compliment the
Armenian National Committee for that.'
Scott has repeatedly co-sponsored legislation that would recognize the
deaths of up to 1.5 million Armenians around World War I believed to
be at the hands of the Ottoman Empire as a genocide. His support
stemmed from both political and humanitarian concerns.
`Of all the senators in California, I probably represent more
Armenians than anyone,' he said. `I was talking to my good friend
[Assemblyman] Paul Krekorian, and he said, `You probably represent
more Armenians than any legislator in Armenia. Well, that's probably
true, and I'm very proud of that.'
Democrats slam the governor's budget plans
As California's politicians returned to work after Tuesday's primary,
state Democrats wasted no time in rebuking Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger's plan to mend a budget deficit of more than $17
billion.
The Democratic version of Schwarzenegger's May budget revision was
unveiled Thursday in Sacramento by state senators and members of the
Assembly who called for increased educational funds, reinstating
MediCal cuts made in February and restoring $57 million in money for
Cal Grant awards, the state's primary financial aid for college
students.
`One of the most important things to me is that we restore education
funding,' Assemblyman Paul Krekorian said. `We are actively paying
down debt the state now owes.'
The Assembly plan provides $2.3 billion more than Schwarzenegger's
plan for education spending and restores a cost-of-living increase of
1.6%, something that had been wiped away in the May budget revision.
Democratic state senators moved to reduce the cut in the MediCal
provider rate from 10% to 5% and rejected Schwarzenegger's original
budget proposal to eliminate dental care, optometry and other MediCal
benefits.
Democrats have not revealed how they will restore programs and
maintain a balanced budget, which must be achieved with a two-thirds
majority in both houses, but tax increases are a possibility,
Krekorian said.
`This requires a consensus on new revenues,' he said. `It doesn't
necessarily mean new taxes, but Republicans want to achieve this
through cuts only, and Californians clearly disagree with that
approach.'
Assembly Democrats anticipate that Republicans will reject tax
increases and press for continued cuts to state programs, an approach
Krekorian called `irrational and immature.'
The Democratic plan will now go to the conference committees between
the state Senate and Assembly and could then be discussed by the top
five state leaders: Schwarzenegger, Assembly speaker Karen Bass,
Assembly Republican leader Mike Villines, state Senate President Pro
Tem Don Perata and Republican Minority Leader Dave Cogdill.
Both major political parties look ahead
With Tuesday's primary in the rear-view mirror, Democratic and
Republican observers are looking to shape the vote count to illustrate
which party is better prepared to pick up state and federal seats in
November's general election.
`There is definitely a blue wave,' said Mark Gonzalez, secretary of
the 44th Assembly District Delegation. `Now that the Democratic
[presidential] race has been decided, there is a lot of opportunity in
the party to move forward. We're definitely going to take back the
White House and seats in California. The way California goes, so goes
the nation.'
Incumbent Republican Rep. David Dreier is poised to face Democratic
rival Russ Warner for control of the congressional seat in the 26th
District, which includes La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta and
Montrose. Republican Charles Hahn, a Burbank resident and financial
advisor, will try to wrest control of the 29th Congressional District
from incumbent Rep. Adam Schiff.
In an attempt to defeat Dreier, Democrats have plowed more than
$700,000 into Warner's campaign, with some of that money coming from a
Political Action Committee established by Schiff, Gonzalez said.
`That is one of the most watched races of the Democratic Congressional
Campaign Committee,' he said.
The money Warner raised is of little concern to some Republicans, who
feel Dreier's nearly 30 years of experience is invaluable.
`I'm very confident Dreier will retain his seat,' said Don Meredith,
president of the Buck and Ballot Brigade, which helps elect
Republicans to state and federal seats.
After state Sen. Jack Scott is termed out, Democrat Carol Liu is
slated to run against Republican Teddy Choi in the race for the
Senate's 21st District, which includes Burbank and Glendale.
In the state Assembly, incumbent Democrat Paul Krekorian is poised to
face Republican Jane Barnett for the 43rd District that covers Burbank
and Glendale, while Assemblyman Anthony Portantino will face
Republican Brian M. Fuller for control of the 44th District, which
includes a portion of Montrose.
Krekorian's seat is the focus of Buck and Ballot, which is buoyed by
the more than 7,000 votes Barnett received and will focus its efforts
on electing the Burbank businesswoman in November.
`We have to get out and continue to advance the message,' he said.
http://www.glendalenewspress.com/articles/2 008/06/06/politics/gnp-pollandscape06.txt
From: Baghdasarian