And the People's Republic of California...

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Calif. lawmakers get free gasoline
SACRAMENTO, Calif.- California lawmakers enjoy a perk not available to their colleagues in any other state: unchecked use of gasoline charge cards that stick taxpayers with the bill.

Through the first seven months of the year, California taxpayers have spent $220,000 to pay for lawmakers' gasoline, according to a review of records requested by The Associated Press...
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T. Boone Pickens backs Proposition 10, from which he would profit
SACRAMENTO -- Perhaps you've seen oilman T. Boone Pickens on television advertising the "Pickens Plan" for alternative energy, urging Americans to wean themselves from foreign fuel by adopting natural gas and wind power.

Pickens has another plan he isn't advertising and from which he also stands to profit. He wants Californians to borrow $5 billion to invest in natural gas and alternative energy by voting yes on Proposition 10 on the November ballot....

[are we learning anything from the current credit crisis? Like maybe bright ideas that don't attract private market capital aren't that bright? Another boondoggle in the making - will we be duped again? {if we base our votes on 30-second TV spots we will}]
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