Late last month, a federal judge ordered the state’s largest public employee union, Service Employees International Union Local 1000, to repay as many as 28,000 non-union state workers, who were not given a change to challenge the union’s 2005 dues increase to fight the Governor’s slate of reform measures (the unions were not excited by the measures which, if they had passed, would have averted the fiscal crisis we find ourselves in today).

It’s a bit convoluted, the process by which non-union members can get stiffed with a union fee, but the real issue here is that this decision by Judge Morrisson England, is so after-the-fact so as to be almost laughable if it wasn’t tragic. Yeah, it’s morally right that the SEIU thug-bosses have to go back (under the Judge’s orders) and ask these state employees if they object to the assessment, and if so, refund them each around $135 plus interest.

But the point is that the damage is done.

We caught up with Lew Uhler, President of the National Tax Limitation Committee. We sought… Read More

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

The Pope of California

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It would appear that San Diego Major Jerry Sanders has reached his boiling point when it comes to dealing with challenger Steve Francis. At a recent gathering, Francis apparently reached out to shake the Mayor’s hand, and instead Sanders dropped the "F" Bomb on his opponent. I guess when you buy as much television time as Francis has done, it has gotten "under the skin" of Sanders. Check out the San Diego U-T’s blog post on this here.

I can’t figure out Steve Francis, by the way. I was pretty excited by his candidacy early on. But he keeps campaigning like an Arnold, Jr. For Earth Day, he sent out an e-mail in which he embraced the whole global warming alarmist agenda, leading one to wonder what new types of regulatory burdens he would place on the people of San Diego.

To be honest, I was pretty displeased with the way that the San Diego County GOP endorsed the incumbent, Sanders, with no notice and opportunity for Francis to make his… Read More

It seems like this morning on the main FR page, we did a "disservice" of sorts to our friend Malcolm Maclachlan, an ace reporter over at the Capitol Weekly. This morning’s Cap Weekly featured an interview that Malcolm conducted with "well traveled" pornographic film star Nina Hartley (see the cover of one of Hartley’s "publications" to the right).

However, we incorrectly attributed the interview to Shane Goldmacher, who used to work for CapWeekly and is now over with the Sacramento Bee.

Sorry for the mixup. Shane, to be sure, when you have a chance to interview a porn star, we’ll endeavor to get it right. In the meantime, it’s Malcolm whom FR Capitol readers can pester for the parts of the interview that didn’t make it past CW’s Editor, John Howard.… Read More

As California and its citizens worry about the bad economy and massive budget deficit facing the state, the University of California continues to run an island paradise for a few students and professors, subsidized with taxes and student tuition.

According to the San Jose Mercury News, (April 14, 2008, “Amid state budget crunch, UC runs island paradise”), “The University of California has created a little-known South Pacific station it calls research “paradise” on what some travelers consider the most beautiful island in the world.” It must be nice, “[s]urrounded by clear waters lapping white-sand beaches, and covered by forests topped by jagged peaks, it’s ‘UC Berkeley’s best-kept secret,’ declares the Berkeley Science Review. Real estate agents call it ‘Fantasy Island.’”… Read More

I’ve penned two commentaries (the first, the second) on the irrepressible Mark Nuaimi, who we call the "King of Fontana" because of his "my way or the highway" style of leadership. I still am getting stuff e-mailed to me on the guy, and since someone got this creative, I thought I would share this videos! You really have to have grated on someone for them to go through the trouble to produce this… … Read More

Longtime FR friend Frank Schubert writes a weekly column on his website, Frank’s Rants. When I read his latest one, I thought it was a perspective definitely worth sharing, and Frank gave me a green light to reprint it, in full, here. A "must read" for every Republican legislator in the Capitol — especially those in the State Assembly – Flash

Caution Assembly Republicans: Following Governor Schwarzenegger Could Be Fatal To Your Career By Frank Schubert

Governor Schwarzenegger is barnstorming the state telling anyone who will… Read More

Longtime FR friend Frank Schubert writes a weekly column on his website, Frank’s Rants. When I read his latest one, I thought it was a perspective definitely worth sharing, and Frank gave me a green light to reprint it, in full, here. A "must read" for every Republican legislator in the Capitol — especially those in the State Assembly – Flash

Caution Assembly Republicans: Following Governor Schwarzenegger Could Be Fatal To Your Career By Frank Schubert

Governor Schwarzenegger is barnstorming the state telling anyone who will… Read More