A quick follow-up on the story I wrote yesterday regarding the multi-state agreement California has entered into with four other states to curb carbon emissions via carbon taxes and/or a cap and trade market.

Besides our Governor, the other four states’ governors (AZ, NM, OR, WA) are Democrats.

Two of our neighboring states, poised to welcome businesses that move shop fromCalifornia and it’s carbon reductionpartners (Nevada and Idaho), have Republican governors.

I would love to see headlines demonstrating some intra-party work between our Governor and his fellow Republicans in Nevada and Idaho to either get them to join the carbon club, or strike some sort of deal that will lessen the chance that our businesses move to those states.… Read More

Former Congressman Richard Pombo announced he will not seek election again in the 11th congressional district. Pombo is now a senior partner with public affairs firm PacWest and will serve as honorary Chairman for Partnership for America, which will allow him to continue his fight for conservative environmental and energy solutions with the same type of organization (a 501C4) that was used by his political enemies to defeat him last election.

Pombo’s announcement clears the way for CD 11 contenders Dean Andal and Guy Houston to get the ball rolling on their campaigns to take on first term Congressman McNerney.

Watching Richard Pombo and his dedication to conservative values up close is something I will always consider a special moment in my own political career. Here’s wishing him all the best in these new endeavors. He has been a courageous leader who did great things for the Central Valley and had the courage of his convictions to stand for what was right when many would have taken the path of least resistance. In his new role, it is obvious that he will still remain the premier voice in America for sensible environmental and energy… Read More

Former Congressman Richard Pombo announced he will not seek election again in the 11th congressional district. Pombo is now a senior partner with public affairs firm PacWest and will serve as honorary Chairman for Partnership for America, which will allow him to continue his fight for conservative environmental and energy solutions with the same type of organization (a 501C4) that was used by his political enemies to defeat him last election.

Pombo’s announcement clears the way for CD 11 contenders Dean Andal and Guy Houston to get the ball rolling on their campaigns to take on first term Congressman McNerney.

Watching Richard Pombo and his dedication to conservative values up close is something I will always consider a special moment in my own political career. Here’s wishing him all the best in these new endeavors. He has been a courageous leader who did great things for the Central Valley and had the courage of his convictions to stand for what was right when many would have taken the path of least resistance. In his new role, it is obvious that he will still remain the premier voice in America for sensible environmental and energy… Read More

Warning: This post is not for the weak of heart. Some of you may find the contents of these reports to be very disturbing, particularly if you value liberty and have respect for the dignity and choices of individuals. Be aware that freedom lovers may react to these reports with rapid movements and cries of anguish that could damage nearby breakable objects. In the event this occurs, however, do not immediately call a trial lawyer to begin class action proceedings. That will merely result in the payment of large attorney’s fees, and, as is often the case, the "injured party" (you) will get a nice gift certificate. Instead, vent your frustration in political activism for change.

Thought Crimes: I know it sounds a little like it’s out of George Orwell’s book 1984, but increasingly the federal government is creating new crimes based upon one’s thoughts. The latest is H.R. 1592 which passed the House last week by a vote of 237-180. The idea is to create a new and greater crime if you hurt or kill someone because you hate them…but only if you hate them for a particular reason. In 1994, Congress passed… Read More

A year go, when City Council cnadiate Peter Amundson declared that there should be "No Eminent Domain for Private Gain", other council members scoffed. Yet, he pulled an upset victory. Yesterday,The city of Arcadia approved a city council sponsered measure that bans eminent domain in the redeevolpment area. See the article here. It only got 75% of the vote!… Read More

Lately there are a lot of discussions about the state’s construction of a new death chamber at San Quentin State Prison. Perhaps someone who is more of an expert at the death-penalty process can help me out with this query…

I can understand the need for a death "chamber" if you are putting someone to death using lethal gas. I can also appreciate the need for a chamber if you were going to electricute someone. But given that the method of choice these days is a lethal injection, why do we need a ‘death chamber’ at all?

It seems to me that you would just give an inmate something to knock them out (a pill, a powder, an injection), then, perhaps in an infirmary, you would then administer a lethal dose of whatever quick-acting poison is best suited to put the criminal to death.

Why does this require a ‘chamber’ of any kind?… Read More

I just got off a conference call with 120 other people from CA, WA, OR, NM, AZ, and British Columbia. The purpose of the call was to introduce an initiative that the Governors of each of the states and the BC province have begun to regionally address reduction of greenhouse gas emissions through the development of a regional cap and trade market for carbon emissions. In a nutshell, a cap and trade market allows companiesthat exceed government standards in carbon emissions to sell carbon shares to companiesthat fail to meet government standards for reduction of carbon emissions. The Western Governor’s Association is providing assistance to the group, in terms of coordination. The goal for the member states and provinces is to set goals by August of this year, and by August of 2008 have some standards in place that will be enforced state-by-state, as well as regionally. The hope is that the members will adopt California’s motor vehicle emissions standards, and mirror the statutory requirements of AB 32.

While I was on the call, I had a flashback to the Governor’s Climate Change Summit last April in San Francisco. At that time, there were members of the panelwho… Read More

Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed the "Guam World War II Loyalty Recognition Act" on a vote of 288 to 133.

What this nobly titled bill does is force American taxpayers to pay reparations to Guam residents who suffered at the hands of Imperial Japan during World War II:

Guam World War II Loyalty Recognition Act – Recognizes the suffering and the loyalty of the people of Guam during the Japanese occupation of Guam in World War II.

Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to make specified payments to: (1) living Guam residents who were killed, injured, interned, or subjected to forced labor or marches resulting from, or incident to, such occupation and subsequent liberation; and (2) survivors of compensable residents who died in war or survivors of compensable injured residents (such payments to be made after payments have been made to surviving Guam residents).

66 Republican Congressmen voted for this morally obtuse… Read More