"It's like my girlfriend says," said Will Chin, a San Francisco firefighter, "even if you don't see it, it's hard times now." Increased security in The City for the 4th of July weekend, economic pressures, heightened awareness. Heightened awareness in Sacramento at the California Assembly too. Maverick Democrat Dean Florez, was removed from a legislative committee that investigated the Davis administration's computer software contract with Oracle Corporation. Florez was about to hold hearings on Davis' management of veterans affairs, a move he and Republican lawmakers said Democrats wanted to block to protect the governor and his re-election campaign. Democrat...