It doesn’t take an economics professor to understand Los Angeles’ (LA) monstrous budget deficit.The math is simple: LA is spending more money than it’s taking in.It does get more difficult, however, when it comes to getting the city to curb spending, consolidate, and focus on bringing in revenue.But, a framework provided by LA’s Valley Industry and Commerce Association (VICA) may give us hope.

The LA Daily News reported (March 20th) that “The Valley Industry and Commerce Association (VICA) released a two-part report [that] detail[s] 50 solutions to help balance the City of Los Angeles’ budget.The report provides solutions for revenue generation as well as a comprehensive set of suggestions to address the current fiscal deficit without raising taxes.” VICA’s report begins with the following: “The city of Los Angeles faces a budget deficit of more than $150 million for the remainder of the fiscal year… Read More

Some legislators just don’t learn. Assemblywoman Sally Lieber has reintroduced her bill that will ban parents from spanking their children, AB 2943. You may recall that last session Lieber introduced identical legislation, AB 755. The bill received national media attention and California became the butt of many jokes for being so out-of-touch. Parents nationwide were rightfully outraged by the arrogance of one California lawmaker inserting herself into family discipline.

In fact, Lieber has no children herself and reportedly was inspired to author her bill after a visit to her cat’s veterinarian’s office. Apparently a discussion with the vet about how bad it is to strike a cat or dog led Lieber to the logical conclusion that children should not be struck either. This, despite the fact Lieber has no personal experience raising well-mannered children herself; and in spite of thousands of years of history that prove children need parental reproof in order to become healthy, productive members of society.

Capitol Resource Family Impact has the… Read More

DENHAM LAUNCES NEW RADIO SPOT The campaign of Senator Jeff Denham against this dumb, politically motivated recall, has launched a radio spot (click on the link below this post to hear it!) which really emphases how every newspaper in the Senate District (as well as, frankly, most of the major papers around the state) have come out against the recall. I figure Senate President Don "The Golden Pig" Perata must be getting used to this. After all, all of these newspaper editorial board (which for the most part are left-leaning or worse) frequently supportive of the policy goals of liberal politicians. But this recall, like Proposition 93 (where again, the Lion’s share of the media opposed that power-grab) has left Perata isolated. No one thinks this recall is justified. When I talk to folks in Sacramento whom I would characterize as "more friendly" to the goals of the left in the legislature, even they roll their eyes and some even say, "Perata will be gone soon…" … Read More

DENHAM LAUNCES NEW RADIO SPOT The campaign of Senator Jeff Denham against this dumb, politically motivated recall, has launched a radio spot (click on the link below this post to hear it!) which really emphases how every newspaper in the Senate District (as well as, frankly, most of the major papers around the state) have come out against the recall. I figure Senate President Don "The Golden Pig" Perata must be getting used to this. After all, all of these newspaper editorial board (which for the most part are left-leaning or worse) frequently supportive of the policy goals of liberal politicians. But this recall, like Proposition 93 (where again, the Lion’s share of the media opposed that power-grab) has left Perata isolated. No one thinks this recall is justified. When I talk to folks in Sacramento whom I would characterize as "more friendly" to the goals of the left in the legislature, even they roll their eyes and some even say, "Perata will be gone soon…"

SUPER-SLOW NEWS DAY On a… Read More

What’s that smell?

It’s the stink Don Perata’s ethically challenged ways all over the attempt to recall Senator Jeff Denham. We’ve all heard that fable of King Midas who could turn things to gold with a mere touch. Well, here in real life, we have Don Perata, who can turn anything into a smelly quagmire of questionable ethics with his mere involvement.

It seems like forever that Perata has been under the cloud of an FBI probe, which is probably more like an ongoing feeding frenzy as he keeps acting like some dictator with a Nietsche complex (the rules of mere mortals don’t apply to The Don).

In an article in today’s Merced Sun-Star Stephen Jones, the Merced County Registrar of Voters, has said that he will be filing an official complaint after the addresses given many petition gatherers working to qualify the recall were not residents of Merced County. An excerpt from the story…… Read More

What’s that smell?

It’s the stink Don Perata’s ethically challenged ways all over the attempt to recall Senator Jeff Denham. We’ve all heard that fable of King Midas who could turn things to gold with a mere touch. Well, here in real life, we have Don Perata, who can turn anything into a smelly quagmire of questionable ethics with his mere involvement.

It seems like forever that Perata has been under the cloud of an FBI probe, which is probably more like an ongoing feeding frenzy as he keeps acting like some dictator with a Nietsche complex (the rules of mere mortals don’t apply to The Don).

**There is more – click the link**

View Full Commentary… Read More

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

The Color Purple

Are the Clintons feeling a little desperate? Bill flew into a tirade at last weekend’s California Democratic Party convention. He was there to schmooze local superdelegates on Hillary’s behalf when he encountered activist and Clinton-supporting superdelegate Rachel Binah, who had been a Bill Richardson supporter until the New Mexico governor dropped out of the race.

According to a report in the San Francisco Chronicle, Ms. Binah took the opportunity to criticize Clinton ally James Carville for describing Mr. Richardson as a "Judas" for his subsequent endorsement of Barack… Read More

Hard to believe that this FlashReport video we took of Mitt Romney on the campaign trail, telling a joke to supporters, has been viewed over 17,000 times! … Read More