Jerry Brown is revoking your cell phone privileges

Gov. Jerry Brown wants to show voters that he means what he said in the campaign about cutting back on spending. And, so, he has ordered roughly 48,000 state-owned cell phones be confiscated from state employees, the Sacramento Bee reports.

From the Bee:

"It is difficult for me to believe that 40 percent of all state employees must be equipped with taxpayer-funded cell phones," Brown said in a written statement.

The state currently pays for 96,000 cell phones, the governor added.

"Some state employees, including department and agency executives who are required to be in touch 24 hours a day and seven days a week, may need cell phones, but the current number of phones out there is astounding."

Four in the morning

1. At least the headline isn't editorializing ... oh wait. Politico

2. The coming onslaught of privacy legislation. San Jose Mercury News

3. Journalists need to make readers understand why they need to pay attention. Nieman Lab

4. Like his Republican opponent, Jerry Brown will release a budget plan that can safely be ignored. PropZero

The Goldman Sachs connection

Gubernatorial candidates Jerry Brown and Meg Whitman trade charges over their connections to Goldman Sachs, which is being sued for fraud by the SEC. Whitman had direct financial ties, Brown had a somewhat tangential relationship via his time as mayor of Oakland. The Los Angeles Times looks at Whitman; California Watch looks at Brown.

AG to investigate Palin's speaker fees

Attorney General Jerry Brown has agreed to investigate whether Cal State University, Stanislaus must turn over records that reveal how much former GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is being paid to speak at the Turlock campus.

The university claims the fee does not have to be disclosed because the money is coming out of a foundation funds rather than from the school. Open-government advocates argue that the public university cannot use a foundation to hide what should be public records, since the school is funded through taxpayer money. Also, University President Hamid Shirvani serves as president of the foundation.

The full story is at California Watch.

California's center-left looking center-right

A new Field Poll has former eBay executive and Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman far ahead of her primary challenger, Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner.

This comes as no surprise.

What does is the news that Whitman edges out Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown, who had until recently been seen as the overwhelming favorite going into November.

From the Sacramento Bee:

Whitman ... overtook Brown in a possible general election matchup, winning the support of 46 percent of likely voters compared with Brown's 43 percent, the poll found. Brown had led Whitman by 10 percentage points in the January poll and by 21 points in October.

Apparently, independent voters are leaning conservative in this election, which means Brown will have to step up his campaign earlier than he might have otherwise.

Hear Jerry run

California Attorney General Jerry Brown talks about his race for governor on "Which Way, LA?" with Warren Olney. The interview starts at the 27 minute mark.

It's not illegal when the government does it

The Alameda District Attorney's office has concluded that the secret taping of reporters by a spokesman for Attorney General Jerry Brown were not illegal, as the reporters were conducting interviews and therefore knew the contents of the conversation "could be published to the public."

California laws makes it illegal to surreptitiously tape record a phone conversation.

Four in the morning

1. Caught on tape: A spokesman for Attorney General Jerry Brown's office admits to surreptitiously taping conversation with reporters when questioned by the San Francisco Chronicle. Taping a phone conversation without informing the other party is illegal in California. Now the secret recordings the AG's office made could become evidence of a crime. Chronicle

2. Pep talk: After subjecting its papers to severe layoffs, Gannett company comes back with mission statement aimed at getting that old newsroom swagger back. The statement itself is pretty straightforward stuff for shrinking papers - emphasize local watchdog reporting, use online to break stories, try to get young people to read, be helpful to readers, etc. Editor and Publisher

3. Citizen shield law: The Senate version of the reporters' shield law would protect both professional and citizen journalists; the House version would cover only for the pros. AP

4. Layoff Time: Time Inc. plans to layoff or buyout about 540 employees and the news department - Time, Fortune, Money and Sports Ilustrated magazines - is expected to take the hardest hit. NY Post

California's tireless Attorney General

Somehow a thief made off with two tires from Attorney General Jerry Brown's Toyota Prius Camry hybrid while the car was parked in front of Oakland City Hall. Did the thief leave the wheels? San Jose Mercury News

Take that, Gavin

California Attorney General Jerry Brown today asked the state Supreme Court to overturn Proposition 8, arguing that the gay marriage ban deprives people of a constitutional right, something that cannot be done through the normal initiative process. Prop 8 backers call Brown's action "outrageous," the LAT reports.

Stinking badges

Recently, the California attorney general held that a county sheriff could be held liable for issuing badges to civilians that too closely resemble the hardware carried by sworn peace officers.

This prompted a few of the cities that had issued realistic-looking badges to their city council members to rethink their policies - however, rethinking is not the same as reversing, as the San Gabriel Valley Tribune points out.

The central question reporters never seem to ask (Trib included) is why council members need badges in the first place?

Let me hazard a guess: Police like for council members feel a part of their exclusive club. It creates the kind of kinship that can be useful when contract negotiations come up.

On the other side, council members like to feel they are somehow above the laws they pass. Plus, an "official" badge is a handy thing to have when you get pulled over for weaving down Main Street.

Maybe the Trib will do a follow-up and ask the council members directly why they find it so hard to gives up their toys.