I just received the following alert from Alliance Defense Fund:

Calif. Court of Appeal agrees to reconsider homeschooling caseCourt grants petition for rehearing filed by attorneys with ADF

LOS ANGELES — The California Court of Appeal agreed Wednesday to a request by attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund to reconsider a Feb. 28 decision making most homeschooling a crime in the state.

“Parents have a fundamental right to make educational choices for their children,” said ADF Senior Counsel Gary McCaleb. “Because this ruling impacts all Californians, we believe the case deserves a second look. We look forward to presenting this case for rehearing.”

Ruling against a child enrolled at Sunland Christian School, a private homeschooling program, the California Court of Appeal found, in the case In re: Rachel L., that parents who educate their children at home could be criminally liable under California law

“Another look at this case will help ensure that the fundamental rights of parents… Read More

Jon – you "missed the Mark" in your scathing commentary on Fontana Mayor Mark Nuaimi. I posted a similar message as a commentary to your post, but I felt strongly enough to revise and post it here.

I have worked with Nuaimi numerous times (including running his campaigns for Mayor), and yes, I am proud to have done so.

Mark originally gained notoriety in a virtually one-man crusade to crack down on widespread prostitution and drug sales along Foothill Boulevard in Fontana – just blocks from schools and playgrounds. His efforts led to a massive crack down and propelled him to the City Council.

Then Mark took on incumbent Democrat Mayor David Eshelman, when no one thought he could win. He won because he showed a real passion and vision for his city. He had the courage to stand up while the polished politicians hid in the back room.

Since then, Mark has been an effective and able Mayor for Fontana – helping develop new leaders; transforming the City Council from a squabbling sandlot to an effective, cohesive body; and bringing a new sense… Read More

When scanning political news stories from around California this morning, as I do each day, from time to time I come across something, or someone, worthy of special note, this time out the San Bernardino County Sun…

The City of Colton has about 175,000 residents, and you can find it on a map by sticking a pin right at the intersections of the 10 and 215 freeways.

Once upon a time Colton was the home of famous wild west frontiersman Wyatt Earp. But for those who follow politics, I guess it is notable that in recent years, several members of the City Council have left office in scandals, and that the Mayor of this city, Kelly Chastain, is facing a recall on this June’s ballot.

**There is more – click the link**

View Full Commentary… Read More

When scanning political news stories from around California this morning, as I do each day, from time to time I come across something, or someone, worthy of special note, this time out the San Bernardino County Sun…

The City of Colton has about 175,000 residents, and you can find it on a map by sticking a pin right at the intersections of the 10 and 215 freeways.

Once upon a time Colton was the home of famous wild west frontiersman Wyatt Earp. But for those who follow politics, I guess it is notable that in recent years, several members of the City Council have left office in scandals, and that the Mayor of this city, Kelly Chastain, is facing a recall on this June’s ballot.

None of that, however is what drew my attention to this city. It was an article referencing destroyed e-mails in city government, which led me to read further down where I got to what I thought was the … Read More

I am not the world’s greatest negotiator. If I were, I would be rich. I have however learned one thing in life. Negotiating in the government sector is not like negotiating in the private sector. Every deal in the private sector is a win/win deal (or at least it is perceived to be so at the time the deal is made). It has to be win/win, since both sides enter into the deal voluntarily. Yes, any person wants to get the best deal possible, but in the end, both sides have to get something for the deal to be consummated. That is why voluntary transactions are preferable. By definition, if both sides perceive themselves to be better off from the deal, the result to society is a net positive, all of the time.

Government deals, however, are win/lose, or maybe even lose a little/lose a lot. The only reason government intervention is necessary is when one side or the other thinks they will lose something from the deal. If they are going to lose in the deal, they have to be forced to enter into it, and government is the only party that has the right to use force to require people to interact. Since the best that a deal can be with government intervention… Read More

[Cross-posted from OC Blog]

I wanted to follow up on my earlier posts — here and here — regarding the denouement of powerhouse consulting firm Cerrell Associates‘ peculiar straddle regarding 241 toll road advocacy.

On one hand, Cerrell provided public and media relations services to the Southern California Association of Governments to the tune of at least $250,000 a year. SCAG is a important proponent of completing the 241.

On the other hand, Cerrell Associates is also a consultant to the California State Parks Foundation (CSPF) and its campaign to stop completion of the 241.

This biting of the hand that feeds you $250K a year… Read More

With an out-of-touch majority in the capitol, the underrepresented (minority) viewpoint in Sacramento has been forced to use the initiative process to protect our freedoms. Because of the success in using initiatives, liberals have decided to protect their concentrated power by reining in the initiative process. Assemblyman Alberto Torrico has introduced AB 1914, a bill that will deter average citizens from participating in initiative, referendum, or recall campaigns. The bill will be heard in the Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee this afternoon.

Under current law, it’s a misdemeanor for petition circulators to “intentionally misrepresent or make any false statement” about a petition’s content or effect in order to obtain signatures. Torrico wants to invalidate every signature collected by a circulator convicted under the existing law. This means that an average citizen volunteering for a campaign could be charged with a crime for simply misstating the content of their petition. Going even further, he then wants the proponents of the… Read More

From today’s Wall Street Journal Political Diary E-mail…

Meet Chris Cox

While the Democratic slugfest sucks up all the media attention, John McCain will have at least one big chance to move back to center-stage — when he picks his veep nominee.

Mr. McCain needs to bolster his economic street cred, especially after admitting minimal expertise on the subject. He needs to rally pro-growth Republicans and calm the fears of ordinary voters amid the mortgage meltdown. Who to call? California Republican Chris Cox was on George W. Bush’s shortlist eight years ago and didn’t get the nod. Now his… Read More