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

What Did They Expect from the ‘Terminator’?

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is not much one for sentiment. He has bounced both his brother-in-law Bobby Shriver and his fellow actor and friend Clint Eastwood from the State Park and Recreation Commission.

Mr. Shriver, who chaired the commission, and Mr. Eastwood, who was his deputy, both opposed the Governator’s plan to build a toll road between Orange County and San Diego that would have cut through a corner of a state park.

"It shows you how strong these developers were that [they] were able to… Read More

When you are going into a fight for your life, you want to make sure that everyone in your fox hole is at the top of their game — and it looks like State Senator Jeff Denham, who is the subject of a frivolous and political recall effort but can take nothing for granted, has put together quite a team. Fresh off the "No on 93" team are lead consultants Wayne Johnson and Tim Clark of JohnsonClark Associates, consultant and media strategist par excellence Kevin Spillane, and uber-research specialist Mark Bogetich of MB Associates. They’ve already kicked Don Perata’s porky butt once, and I am sure relish the opportunity to do it again… Rounding out the team: Veteran pollster Steve Kinney of Public Opinion Strategies, Capitol fundraiser John Bovee of the Bovee Company, district fundraiser Jane Clark of the JLC Group — and on the ground: tapped as the on-site campaign manager is John Franklin (from Darrell Issa’s political team, he recently managed the successful election campaign of Brian Bilbray in the very high profile 2006 special election to fill Duke Cunningham’s seat). Franklin’s Deputy… Read More

In the wake of incumbent school board Trustee Luis Acle’s failure to qualify for the ballot in San Diego Unified (the FlashReport broke the story two Sundays ago and your extremely humble blogger alerted the “mainstream” media to the development), folks were scrambling in the days to follow for analternative candidate.

Last week, it was confirmed what I already knew. Charles Wesley Kim, Jr. had filed his nominating papers by the extended deadline, but even he guessed he didn’t get enough valid signatures submitted. The resulting U-T story even caused Jon Fleischmanto ask on the FR mainpage, "Keystone Cops?," given the fact thatboth an incumbent and a new candidate had failed to qualify, thus leaving labor organizer Richard Barrera as the lone, unopposed heir to Acle’s seat.

Please bear with me on this one.

The 200 signature requirement in the City of San Diego is… Read More

AB 1940, Assemblyman Chuck DeVore’s bill to grant pregnant women temporary disabled parking passes, failed to make it out of the Assembly Transportation Committee this afternoon. In an unusual move, every member of the committee abstained from the vote with the exception of Cathleen Galgiani (Yes) and Betty Karnette (No), the final vote being 1 to 1 (there are 14 committee members).

Assemblyman DeVore had offered an amendment to the bill that would have prevented use of the permits in paid municipal meters, which already have high usage in urban locations. The National Organization for Women testified in opposition to the bill, once again proving the hypocrisy of their group’s title. Responding to their allegations that AB 1940 classified pregnant women as disabled, DeVore stated that pregnancy is a temporary state, not a permanent disability, much like when an athlete is injured and needs some assistance for a few months.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists argued that such permits would discourage women from getting exercise. DeVore countered that many of the stories coming in to his office were from mothers who actually turn… Read More

The U.S. Supreme Court today announced a dismissal on jurisdictional grounds of the expedited appeal of Citizens United in their case challenging Federal Election Commission regulation (read: ban) of advertisements for a full-length feature movie that is highly critical of Hillary Clinton, a la the Michael Moore method. The law seems to be that Citizens United can show the movie, they just can’t tell anybody about it in the normal method of advertising, unlike what Michael Moore does for his movies attacking Republicans.

Citizens United filed the expedited appeal to try to get a decision on the constitutionality of buying advertising (the content of which would appear critical of Clinton – a presidential candidate) during this year. The Court’s action means that the Citizens United case can continue to work through the lower court, where it is still active, but that a final resolution of the issue will not occur until after the election, when the reason for it all will be rather moot.… Read More

San Francisco’s City Hall is going to install a ten-foot-long chunk of history and it’s projected to cost over $1.1 million dollars.This new wheelchair ramp has to be gold-gilded Yellow Brick Road that leads to the Land of Oz.How else can one explain the extravagant costs?

According to The San Francisco Chronicle (February 27th), “[t]hanks to a maze of bureaucratic indecision and historic restrictions, taxpayers may shell out $100,000 per foot to make the Board of Supervisors president’s perch in the historic chambers accessible to the disabled.”There is no truth to the rumor that the only way to enter the chamber is by clicking the heels of one’s red ruby slippers. “[T]he little remodel job that planners first thought would take three months has stretched into more than four years – and will probably mean the supervisors will have to move out of their hallowed hall for five months while the work is done.”As in Oz, time is relative when it comes to city money.… Read More

I’m a little late in posting this here on FR, but the editorial below recently ran in the Riverside Press Enterprise:

Deficit DéjÀ Vu California’s Democratic majority refuses to learn from budgets past By JIM BATTIN Our budget picture just seems to keep going from bad to worse — and I fear that we haven’t hit bottom yet. Recently, the state’s nonpartisan budget analyst revised the projected deficit upward to $16 billion. We are absolutely going in the wrong direction and real, substantial changes are needed. Considering my fellow Senate Republicans and I … Read More

Jon Coupal, President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association has penned this very sobering column about city finances in Los Angeles, and the thirst to raise tax there… Never mind that Los Angelinos already are among the highest tax Californians already…

City Unions To L.A. Taxpayers: Peel Me A Grape By Jon Coupal

Los Angeles city government is in trouble. Projections are that it will face a budget deficit of at least $400 million in the coming fiscal year.

The financial bind in which the city finds itself is no accident. It is the result of a series of conscious decisions by elected officials and bureaucrats.

According to the U.S. Census… Read More