SACRAMENTO - Hamstrung by funding and staff shortages, California's political watchdog agency is dropping about 225 cases and instead is sending warning or advisory letters to some candidates or officials accused of violating election or ethics laws. "We have to prioritize cases," John Appelbaum, head of the Fair Political Practices Commission's enforcement division, said Tuesday. "If we don't have the resources, they may get closed." The enforcement division currently has 23 members, down from a high of nearly 33 in 1997. Overall, the FPPC has lost about 30 staff positions - a third of its work force - since 1991....