As I type this blog post into my computer, I am more or less lamenting the fact that Senate President-Elect Darrell Steinberg is such a nice guy. He was just by my office suite (he didn’t come to see me, but I did have an opportunity to chat with him for a few minutes). I found him to be extremely engaging, friendly and disarming. All traits that make him especially dangerous, I suppose, from the perspective of these qualities all working to make Steinberg more effective as a politician. That is to say, I think state government is way too big and spends way to much. Clearly he does not agree. Ahhh, such is life.

It struck me that he won’t be the source of nearly as much fodder as the guy whom he is replacing in the big chair — Don Perata — who is famous for his flamboyant ways.

Anyways, here’s a photo we just took. Myself (in the casual attire), Steinberg, and Chino Hills Mayor Curt Hagman, the GOP nominee in the overwhelmingly Republican 60th Assembly… Read More

The California Taxpayers Association ("Cal-Tax") is one of the leading pro-taxpayer organizations in Sacramento. I cannot tell you how many assaults take place on California taxpayers that only come to light because of the work they do focusing on the vast amount of terrible legislation proposed by Sacramento liberals.

Leading up to tomorrow’s 30th anniversary of Proposition 13, Cal-Tax President Teresa Casazza (pictured to the right) unveiled a new study today that lbusts a myth perpetrated by -the spending lobby. According to the Tax study, “Revisiting Proposition 13,” the landmark initiative has NOT shifted the property tax burden from businesses to homeowners, as the liberals constantly claim. Cal-Tax says: “Since passage of the initiative, the assessed value of non-homeowner property subject to Proposition 13 has grown an average of 8.5 percent per year, while homeowners’ property has… Read More

Downtown Long Beach’s military recruiting station was scrawled with anti-war graffitti. Did Democratic hate speech help cause it?… Read More

The California Taxpayers Association ("Cal-Tax") is one of the leading pro-taxpayer organizations in Sacramento. I cannot tell you how many assaults take place on California taxpayers that only come to light because of the work they do focusing on the vast amount of terrible legislation proposed by Sacramento liberals.

Leading up to tomorrow’s 30th anniversary of Proposition 13, Cal-Tax President Teresa Casazza (pictured to the right) unveiled a new study today that lbusts a myth perpetrated by -the spending lobby. According to the Tax study, “Revisiting Proposition 13,” the landmark initiative has NOT shifted the property tax burden from businesses to homeowners, as the liberals constantly claim. Cal-Tax says: “Since passage of the initiative, the assessed value of non-homeowner property subject to Proposition 13 has grown an average of 8.5 percent per year, while homeowners’ property has… Read More

Tuesday’s results indicate in that my own Assembly district, the 2nd, we still value private property rights. With Prop 98’s defeat and 99’s win statewide, there is some indication voters want to protect homes from takings but get nervous about anything beyond that as the 98 opponents did very effectively use the rent control fear and hype to deter voter support.

Up our way, we can point to the returns showing that of the 9 counties I represent, 7 voted in majority for Prop 98, with 3 of them, Modoc, Tehama and Colusa eachover 60% for 98.

Only one county in California had a majority voting no on Prop 99 and that was, again, in the 2nd AD, with Colusa County rejecting 99. [If Modoc had flipped 34 votes from "yes" to "no", it wouldve been in the No club too.]

In the 2nd Assembly race, it’s congratulations to former Senator Jim Nielsen, an active proponent of eminent domain reform, who won with a very strong showing in a 4-way primary. Jimreceived very nearly twice the votes of the 2nd place challenger and was first in all nine counties. I expect that he will hit the ground running and do very… Read More

“Obama has captivated the world.” That is the full banner headline in today’s Los Angeles Times. At least they had enough control of themselves to put it on the third page rather than the first.

I recall a time when political news sources in Los Angeles were limited to and dominated by the three traditional networks, PBS, and the Los Angeles Times. The best alternative media for conservatives in those days were the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, and the weekly Sam Yorty Show on KCOP. Thank God for the age of the internet and cable television.

Now with both less influence and readership, the Los Angeles Times nevertheless continues its 40 or so year-old practice of sugar-coating news in favor of liberal Democrat candidates for office, now centered on its certain-to-be-endorsed candidate for President, Barrack Hussein Obama. The gushing – in news stories mind you – is getting out of control even by New York Times standards of journalism.

Another example, for instance, was the report the other day that Obama had “swept past” McCain in a recent Gallup opinion poll. Mind you, the lead was just 3… Read More

Longtime FR friend and Political Editor of Human Events John Gizzi has penned his take on Tom McClintock’s crushing defeat of Doug Ose. It’s worth a read.… Read More

Last night, San Bernardino County Supervisor (and former FR blogger) Brad Mitzelfelt handily avoided a run-off in securing his election victory. (In these multi-candidate skirmishes, if a candidate gets a single vote above 50%, it’s game over).

Brad’s ~62% obviously cleared that hurdle with room to spare.

So imagine his shock when the local newspaper came out this morning (at oh,4ish) withcoverage of the race included the headline "Vogler Still Has Chance At Win For County Supervisor."

Newsflash – Um, no she doesn’t.

I guess this is the High Desert’s version of "Dewey Defeats Truman."… Read More