Friday, May 23rd, 2008

Indian Gambling: Native American Indian Tribes have been allowed to hold legal gambling in many states for a long time. The original purpose of this was to give some economic activity to large numbers of full-blooded Indians living on reservations in remote areas with little economic opportunity. In many cases, such legal gambling has been successful in achieving the desired result.

However, now there is much abuse of this privilege. This abuse comes from the fact that there is absolutely huge money to be made from establishing one of these casinos, particularly if you can get it in or near an urban area. That gigantic profit opportunity comes from several factors. First of all, in most states, Indian casinos are a government-sanctioned monopoly, with little competition except from other Indian casinos. Secondly, they regulate themselves, by and large. So, unlike Nevada where the Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC) establishes and monitors minimum payouts, Indian casinos can pretty much pay out as little in winnings as they can get away with so their margins are much higher. And, of course, they are not subject… Read More

The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), the state’s biggest and second-largest school district in the nation with more than 700,000 students, known for incompetence and corruption, has yet again, come under investigation for spending an enormous amount of taxpayer dollars on questionable contracts – while the district, not to mention the state, is facing historic budget deficits. According to the L. A. Daily News, May 13, 2008, “With Los Angeles Unified facing spending cuts of as much as a half-billion dollars amid a statewide budget crunch, the district is coming under renewed scrutiny for its nearly $175 million in consulting contracts with outside firms covering everything from legal help to improving student achievement.” Taxpayers should be shocked to know that, “The LAUSD has dozens of multiyear professional-services consulting deals … Read More

The 2008 presidential campaign is still months away from completion, but that’s no reason not to accelerate the level of speculation regarding the California 2010 election for governor. State Democrats have at least half a dozen viable potential candidates circling the field, who we will mock at another time. Republicans, on the other hand, seem to have been on a pretty clear glide path toward nominating Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner.

But the Poizner nomination may not be a foregone conclusion after all. State Senator Tom McClintock has decided that his future lies in Congress, but should he not win his primary next month, another campaign for governor could be in the offing. Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina seems to have decided that her immediate future lies in President McCain’s Cabinet, but should Democrats win the White House, she may decide that statewide office holds some allure instead. And one prominent former Republican officeholder currently residing in the private sector has begun laying the groundwork for a campaign as well.

But the most intriguing potential challenger to Poizner might be former eBay CEO Meg Whitman. Whitman… Read More

Well, we don’t have a happy ending to the Farm Bill follies. As we have written about, this Farm Bill before Congress is TERRIBLE public policy. It typifies everything that is wrong with our Congress. It takes BILLIONS of dollars and doles it out around the country to agricultural interests (from the family farm — many of which are huge) to big ag conglomerates. Anyways, the idea is that at the most basic level, this is the federal government taking from your pocket to place that money in someone else’s.

Is it shocking that such a bill would pass a Democrat-controlled Congress, no? Should it be shocking that a majority of REPUBLICANS voted for this dog with fleas? Yes. Is it really shocking. Unfortunately, no.

It is proof that Republicans in Congress don’t get it — that we lost Congress because we are no longer the party that stands for a limited federal government, lower taxes and returning the power to the people.

You can’t beat the Democrats by being 95% like them. This Farm Bill was an important vote because it helped to reinforce in my mind that our GOPers back there (well, the ones who voted for… Read More

If you haven’t already, be sure you check out the article on the main page today where former Assembly Speaker Fabian “Louis Vuitton” Nunez in essence accuses those of us who took issue with his lavish spending as being anti-Mexican — what a load of hooey. Anyways, here’s what Hector Barajas and Kevin Roberts of the State GOP have to say about it —

“There is little to be surprised by in Fabian Núñez’ outlandish statements that those who questioned his expenses were not looking out for the public’s best interest but rather was motivated by race.

In an interview with the Spanish-language program Voz y Voto on Univision, Núñez railed against the “anti-Mexican, anti-Latino” sentiment he claimed motivated the probe into his questionable expense reports. Even his spokesman, force-fed himself the racial Kool-Aid, stating, “You cannot deny there’s some overtly racial overtones to this.”

Let’s remember, as the representative of one of the poorest districts in California, the Los Angeles Times reported that Núñez spent more than $47,000 in airfare, more than $5,000 at… Read More

Capitol Weekly broke the story that now L.A. Congresswomen Laura Richradson’s house is in Sacramento is in foreclosure. Richardson now denies that the house has been seized.

Well, which is it? The issue is relevant becasue of the possible use of equity as loan to her Congressional Campaign.

Now is the time for Richardson to release her records.… Read More

Jon just posted a blog about President Bush vetoing the pork-laden farm bill. As Jon explained, the bill was rightfully vetoed because of all the subsidies for wealthy farmers. This issue is particularly important here in the 4th CD race. Former congressman Doug Ose (and current candidate for the 4th CD) has been the recipient of such federal farm subsidies for wealthy farm owners.

Doug Ose not only accepted $600,000 in farm subsidies (more than former Enron CEO Ken Lay), he approved those subsidies as a voting member of the House Agriculture Committee. Republicans are suffering from an image of corruption, and self-serving votes like Ose’s enforce this image, especially in a district where corruption is a hot issue. Republican voters should ask themselves if they want a millionaire congressman who will take their tax dollars to pay for his personal property.

Last week Tom McClintock launched a devastating TV ad regarding Ose’s self-enriching votes on farm subsidies while in Congress. I’m disappointed that my current congressman, John Doolittle, voted for this irresponsible bill. Based on Doug Ose’s record, Tom McClintock is the clear choice. I’m… Read More

Today I am proud of my President. He used his veto pen and sent the fat, bloated and irresponsible Farm Bill back to Congress. Bush rightfully said that the bill contained too many subsidies for wealthy farmers and “budget gimmicks” to hide its most egregious spending.

That said, it is expected that the U.S. Senate and the House will vote to override the President’s veto. To do so, a whole lot of Republicans need to do take part. And in doing so, while they "feather the nests" of the many who are financially assisted by the Farm Bill, they further take the GOP out into deep water without a life preserver. We again become the party of big government.

I reported last week that there were only four California Republicans who voted for this terrible bill — John Doolittle, Wally Herger, Elton Gallegly and George Radanovich. This veto provides each of these Republicans with a second opportunity to reflect on all of the billions in terrible spending in this bill, and now add to it the message being sent by overriding the veto of a… Read More