california update 7 / 31 / 01 there is a serious effort currently underway in california to unseat senator burton ( d - san francisco ) , president pro tem . even though the chances of this happening are relatively low , john bryson , ceo of socal , with the support of the governor , are making huge efforts to oust burton and replace him with one of two potential candidates - richard alarcon ( d - san fernando valley ) , majority whip or sheila kuehl ( d - los angeles ) . alarcon has already stated that he would not accept the position . however , at minimum , bryson , governor davis and / or other senators hope that burton will rethink his position on the mou and a socal bailout . additionally , behind the scenes , things are looking very grim for california due the implications of direct access . the biggest opponent of direct access comes from the governor ' s office as they realize the potential effects of direct access and how it could undermine the revenue stream supporting the bond issuance .