• Have you ever read the story of Chicken Little?  An acorn falls on his head that he proceeds to whip up everyone in his land up into a frenzy that the sky is falling?  I am reminded of that story when I read poll results that show many Californians so worried about global warming.  Lately, Arnold Schwarzenegger has been like Chicken Little with a megaphone, so of course everyone is worked up.  Eventually, in the story, everyone realizes that the sky, of course, is not falling.  The question I have is how much freedom and liberty will be eroded because an acorn fell on Al Gore’s head?
• A reader pointed out to me that the Communications Director for the California Restaurant Association, Jordan Traverso, has left there to accept a new job with the Consumer Attorneys of California (formerly the California Trial Lawyers Association).  Suggestion for the CRA — you should replace Traverso with someone who actually believes that trial lawyers bear much of the blame for the high costs of operating restaurants!
• There is a story today about hi-speed rail travel.  I am sure I speak for most when I vocalize my skepticism.  Amtrak, the federal government’s foray into preserving rail travel, famously loses money annually.  If a hi-speed rail system can be created and financed from user fees, by an entity that cannot sock it to the taxpayers if revenues don’t meet expectations (they never do), that’s one thing.  Otherwise, I would dump the idea as social engineering — trying to push Californians into mass transit at any cost.
• The legal prowess of FR friend and former State GOP Chairman Michael Schroeder continues to impress even his closest friends and colleagues.  On a pro-bono basis on behalf of Supervisorial candidate Trung Nguyen, he (along with fellow GOP Attorney Steve Baric) penned writ of appeal in the recent court decision that resulted in Garden Grove Councilwoman Janet Nguyen being sworn in as Orange County’s newest County Supervisor.  What were the odds that the Appeals Court would take up the matter?  Like 99 to 1, against.  Guess what?  After reading the writ, they have decided to take up the appeal.  The odds still heavily favor Janet Nguyen, but there is an important lesson to be gleaned here:  Note to all – Never underestimate Schroeder.  Those that do typically end up regretting it.
• Selective enforcement of the law is a bad thing.  Los Angeles City’s "Special Order 40" which, in essence, prohibits local law enforcement officers from detaining individuals with whom they come into contact because of their legal status in the United States, is extremely poor public policy.  Why not a new special order exempting those who break into the grocery store and steal food from being detained by the police?  Being a nation of laws only counts if you enforce all of our laws, not just the ones that a local City Council likes or doesn’t like.
• Guess what?  Most members of the California State Assembly do NOT go on to serve in the California State Senate.  Nevertheless Fabian Nunez is trying (with his Democratic buddies like Jerry Brown) to characterize a measure that allows a member of the Assembly to serve six terms instead of three a "strengthening" of our state’s term limits law.  That is ludicrous, and voters won’t fall for it.
• Democrat Assemblyman Lloyd Levine went to Boston to run in the marathon.  Rumor has it that he first met with city officials to provide them with suggested language for a city ordinance to ban runners who sweat too much.  He also supposedly suggested that they free the elephants in their local zoo, neuter all of the pets in the city, and switch out every light bulb in the city.  When he gets back to Sacramento, he’ll undoubtedly enjoy reading the letter from the Coastal Commission opposing his legislation to ban fractional ownership in seaside resorts.

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 12th, 2007 at 12:00 am and is filed under Blog Posts.