First and foremost, thank you for being a ‘customer’ of the FlashReport website on California politics! While starting as an e-newsletter, it has now been over two years since we made the shift to being a web-based publication. The response has been overwhelming, and I just wanted to say THANK YOU on behalf of myself, and the team of folks who are contributors to the site!

THE MAIN PAGE, COMMENTARY PAGE and E-MAIL NOTICE features of this site will be DOWN until Thursday, January 3rd. It has been an annual tradition since the FR started in 2001 for the Publisher (me) to take this time off. However, the FLASHREPORT WEBLOG WILL BE UP AND RUNNING throughout the holidays, where many of our contributors will still be posting tidbits and thoughts. I’ll be pitching in my ten cents, too. … Read More

Well, if I’m around and have a chance to surf the web, I’ll grab stories of interest.

The Feds are still investigating Senate President Don Perata, and in a subpeona battle with U.S. Representative John Doolittle: Sac Bee – Conflict delays Doolittle case SF Chron – Justice Dept. asks reporters for help in Perata case The Governor’s calling a special session to deal with a massive overspending problem. SF Chron – Governor predicts $3.3 billion revenue shortfall by end of June LA Times – Gov. considers major cuts in services Worth clicking on to see the cool photo of Assemblyman Todd Spitzer…… Read More

Yesterday’s announcement from the California Chamber of Commerce that their Board of Directors voted to place their organization in opposition to Proposition 93, the naked power grab being orchestrated by Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez to extend his own political career, is a major setback for the measure. But I can’t say that the Chamber’s position was unexpected — Nunez has to have been expecting it — because, frankly, he caused it.

You see, the leadership of the California Chamber was involved in an intense period of negotiations with legislative leaders to broker a compromise where some form of term-limits reform would be coupled with redistricting reform. Nunez abruptly ended these negotiations, turning his back not only on the Chamber, but also on the Governor and fellow legislative leaders, and filed his own ballot initiative. The Nunez measure, now Proposition 93, of course has no redistricting reform in it at all.… Read More

Have you ever qualified a referendum without huge amounts of money? CRFI is on their way. Having been involved in referendums before I know how hard this is. The time is short and unless you have a big special interest money it is very hard. Today is the last day to request petitions. You have to get plenty out there and the campaign has almost 400,000 petitions out there. That is huge. If only 15% come back full it qualifies. That is part one Then they have to get them back. To date they have over 161,000 signatures. That number doesn’t include the over 100 people or churches that promised 1000 signatures and … Read More

(If this post seems familiar, we’ve used the "Disneyland" analogy below before, as this isn’t the first time that the liberals in the media have "lept" onto a poorly worded survey to assert public opinion.) As FR contributor and public opinion pollster Adam Probolsky likes to say, a poll is only as good as what you ask, and to whom you ask it. So I was quite amused to see so much enthusiasm erupt from the liberal media and left-wing Democrats when the Field Poll released their latest survey response. The source of their glee?

Their question asks a sampling of random Californians if they support the current health care proposal before the legislature.

The response to this question: 38% Favor Strongly, 34% Favor Somewhat, 12% Oppose Somewhat, 11% Oppose Strongly and 13% No Opinion.

Here is the problem — the question is a "feel good" rosy one… Read More

Yesterday’s announcement from the California Chamber of Commerce that their Board of Directors voted to place their organization in opposition to Proposition 93, the naked power grab being orchestrated by Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez to extend his own political career, is a major setback for the measure. But I can’t say that the Chamber’s position was unexpected — Nunez has to have been expecting it — because, frankly, he caused it.

You see, the leadership of the California Chamber was involved in an intense period of negotiations with legislative leaders to broker a compromise where some form of term-limits reform would be coupled with redistricting reform. Nunez abruptly ended these negotiations, turning his back not only on the Chamber, but also on the Governor and fellow legislative leaders, and filed his own ballot initiative. The Nunez measure, now Proposition 93, of course has no redistricting reform in it at all.… Read More

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

Mitt Hitt

Much of Barack Obama’s sales pitch to voters is that he will "be a uniter, not a divider," a subtle slab at the polarizing figure many believe Hillary Clinton to be. As evidence for his claim, Mr. Obama touts his commitment to include Republicans in his cabinet. He often throws out names like Indiana Senator Dick Lugar and Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel, both moderate Republicans.

But now Mr. Obama has added a new name to the mix: none other than California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who will be forced to leave office due to term limits in 2010, midway through the next presidential term.

At a town hall meeting… Read More

I have to wonder if the Schwarzenegger early prison release proposal isn’t a way to force the GOP into voting for tax increases. Certainly, if the Democrats had their way, the only cuts that would be made to the state budget to solve this budget deficit would be to release prisoners. With the deficit as large as it is, the ONLY way the hole is closed is with massive cuts to health and social services, education and prison spending. It is no wonder that the governor’s office—run, at this point, mostly by Gray Davis staffers—is looking at prison spending first. How about forcing the schools to run efficiently? How about cutting chiropractor and acupuncture from the list of benefits Medi-Cal recipients receive? There is no arguing that the cuts needed in health and welfare will go far deeper than just these extras Medi-Cal currently pays for—and the cuts will be tough to sell—but the spending didn’t magically get this high. We’ve drastically added more programs and increased eligibility over the time the… Read More