The San Francisco Citizen

California Senator Dianne Feinstein says it’s time for California lawmakers to put a water bond on the November ballot, but outfits like Clean Water Action and the Calfornia Coastkeeper Alliance rallied yesterday in opposition:

“Conservation and fishing groups representing over 180,000 Californians, including the California Coastkeeper Alliance, submitted a petitionto Governor Schwarzenegger and Senator Feinstein today and rallied at events throughout the state, calling for an end to the proposed $9.3 billion water bond, which is based heavily on ineffective and environmentally destructive dams.”

San Francisco Supervisor Tom Ammiano says he doesn’t want to start his term in the Assembly, “telling mothers that their local school district is closing  so we can build a dam.” Fair enough.

CoastKeeper Alliance Executive Director Linda Sheehan and daughter Madeleine on the steps of City Hall yesterday:

Dianne’s point of view is expressed here. Of course, the whole thing is a little complex.

There’s still time this week to work out a compromise, it looks like.

Let’s hope.

State Controller John Chiang, California’s independent fiscal watchdog, is having a thing with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger these days over how much salary to pay state workers during the budget crisis. See Hank Plante’s interview with “heroic” John here.

Our Controller was welcomed like a rock star. Click to expand:

There were a few “Chiang for Governor” signs here and there, but if you ask him if he’s running, he’ll say he’s not: 

This crowd of mostly state workers was large and intense. “We can’t survive on $6.55 [an hour].” 

Columnist Dan Walters thinks he sees the “fuzzy outline” of a solution.

Let’s hope.

That’s right, Conan the Destroyer has a posse and they’re all rolling on dubs. Check out these 22-inch monsters being used in an official gubernatorial motorcade:

And check out those balancing weights - do you see how much it takes to keep these massive rims rolling true? These wheels are about twice as large as what Vanilla Ice’s Five point-oh Ford Mustang had way back in the 1990’s.

There’s no good reason to have wheels this large on your vehicle. Some think them dangerous. Others don’t like the way they ride. Of course, sometimes you might be like Senator Don Perata and end up with a set of duece dueces because they come with the car, but not usually.

If you want to show off your wheels, why not keep them a little smaller and then load up on some bling bling? Diamond and ruby studded wheels from Asanti only cost $2,000,000 per set - will this be the next trend in fashionable wheels?

Arnold Schwarzenegger might be your role model, but don’t try to copy him with his huge wheels.

Asta la vista, baby.

Yesterday’s Day of Action was well-attended.

Paul Chambers from KTVU, Channel 2 strikes a pose and gets down in order to warm up the kids before his live stand up. They were fired up 

This is no mere ribbon cutting ceremony to open a new $429 million section of freeway approaching the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge. Oh no.

The last step to opening this short but vital stretch of superslab involved Governor Schwarzenegger, cowboy boots, sunglasses and a big blow torch.

[Update: or welding torch, or cutting torch (based upon the O2 trigger) - Arnie's tool is an oxy-fuel welder of some kind, as commenter Doc helpfully points out. Arnie's sunglasses actually are sunglasses, but you could say that they were being used as goggles. The light coming from chain didn't seem all that bright compared to arc welding or whatever. FYI]

Enjoy your new freeway, San Francisco!

Higher rez version after the jump.

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