Last week, the California Department of Fish & Game issued a permit for work on the 241 toll road completion — specifically on environmental mitigation measures.

It comes on the heels of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service announcing completing the 241would not threaten endangered species, and of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration saying it would not threaten the steelhead trout (which no one has really seen in that vicinity, anyway).

Dan Silver of the Endangered Habitat League dismissed the decision as "procedural and routine."

Yeah.

And if Fish & Game had denied the permit, does anyone think Mr. Silver would dismiss it as "procedural and routine"?

Not hardly.

He and the rest of the anti-241 enviros would be trumpeting it from the roof tops as "more prof" that finishing the 241 will turn that section of South OC into a wasteland.

Instead, the F & G, F & W and NOAA announcements have been greeted by crickets from Environmental Left, and received near-cricket treatment… Read More

A new verb was created during the hearings on Robert Bork’sunsuccessful nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court. He was "Borked" by his opponents.

A charter amendment I wrote for the City of Newport Beach, and proponents William Ficker, Jack Croul, and the Hon. Marion Bergeson, was adopted by a majority of the voters in February, despite opposition from 4 of7 city council members,and it places the new City Hall on City owned property near the Central Library. A pretty reasonable proposal. And a cost saving one.

But resident Alan Beek has a different idea. Despite overwhelming case law to the contrary, including a century-old California Supreme Court case, he is now suing the City to have the initiative and vote of the people set aside. It is a curious situation. The City Council, a majority of whom did not support the Measure, must defend it in court through their lawyers Reed and Davidson, and the exceptional Brad Hertz. So, the proponents, my clients, seek intervention to help protect the law. We set a hearing for June 5 to intervene in the case. But after that motion was filed, Beek and his lawyer, a… Read More

Roll Call* has published their list of the Top Ten Must Vulnerable Incumbents In Congress. Six are Democrats, four are Republicans — only one is from California — below is the relevant excerpt:

JERRY MCNERNEY Not only did McNerney oust then-House Resources Chairman Richard Pombo (R) in the 2006 general election, to get there he had to upset the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s preferred candidate in the primary. So McNerney has shown his mettle. Still, he’s sitting in a fairly conservative district. And his challenger, former state Assemblyman Dean Andal (R), carries… Read More

Jon Coupal, President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association has penned this very sobering column that exposes why the League of California Cities and the Redevelopment Community in California is so supportive of Proposition 99 — it is worse than doing nothing.

For the past several months, local government interests, including the League of California Cities and the California State Association of Counties, have spent millions of dollars touting Prop. 99 as ironclad protection for Californians who fear having their homes seized by local governments to be turned over to private developers for strip-malls and other for-profit projects.

But the list of property rights experts who reject this claim is growing. This is because Prop. 99 includes significant loopholes that will allow public agencies to continue… Read More

Jon Coupal, President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association has penned this very sobering column that exposes why the League of California Cities and the Redevelopment Community in California is so supportive of Proposition 99 — it is worse than doing nothing.

For the past several months, local government interests, including the League of California Cities and the California State Association of Counties, have spent millions of dollars touting Prop. 99 as ironclad protection for Californians who fear having their homes seized by local governments to be turned over to private developers for strip-malls and other for-profit projects.

But the list of property rights experts who reject this claim is growing. This is because Prop. 99 includes significant loopholes… Read More

I am very pleased to be working with my friend Floyd Brown onthe legalities of aproject to inform the public of Barrack Obama’s policy positions and what can be done abourt it. Check out this post by O.C. Register Political reporter Martin Wisckol.… Read More

In 1978, after years of scandalous actions by local agencies in the definition of property taxes, voters passed Prop 13 setting a single statewide standard. It has become the ‘third rail’ in California politics because of the protections against abuse it offers taxpayers as well as guaranteeing a great tax rate.

In 1980, Prop 8 was passed to define who, how, and why property was to be reassessed for lower values, again offering a landmark protection against bureaucrats who were continuing to raise property taxes even though property was going down in value.

For over 25 years these two bulwarks against government intrusion into our lives have protected families and land owners big and small.

That is why when a politician comes along promising to lower property taxes unilaterally, I smile – because even though it sounds great, they are really offering to repeal Prop 13 and Prop 8.

Hesperia Councilwoman Rita Vogler, a large land owner herself, is running against Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt in the First District in San Bernardino County.

Councilwoman Vogler has built part of her fortune on the low, predictable property tax rates afforded by… Read More

I thought I’d update FR readers on the Janet-owes-Jimmy situation down here in OC that I posted about on Wednesday.

Late yesterday morning, I spoke with Jimmy, who had earlier been in conversations with Team Janet.

According to Jimmy, the matter has been resolved and Janet’s campaign will pay Jimmy the final $2,500 of his win bonus.

Janet consultant Dave Gilliard said, "It was a misunderstanding among friends that was easily worked out once we all compared notes."

Kudos to Janet for making this right and lancing an unnecessary boil.… Read More