A recently released Survey USA poll shows that the California Counts initiative (otherwise known as the initiative to tinker with how Electoral College votes are assigned) is up by 12 points.

I know a lot of pollsters are dubious of the results of these types of automated surveys, but that fact that it is up substantially at first glance shows that the hook of “fairness” has some serious legs.

Among all Californians, it polled 47% support, 35% oppose, and 19% undecided.

Other bits I found interesting: It was supported by an even wider margin among women (47/28). Among whites it polled 51/32. Among Republicans, it was 54/29 and 59/30 among Democrats.

Very good news… now it just has to qualify.… Read More

Last week America lost a true hero when retired Congressman Henry Hyde (R-IL) passed away. Hyde was an unquestioned icon in the conservative movement. We reached out to Congressman John Doolittle, who served with Hyde, to ask him to share his thoughts on Hyde’s passing…

Henry Hyde: A Giant Who Will Long Be Remembered By Congressman John T. Doolittle To know Henry Hyde was to know that you were in the presence of a special human being. He was a man with presence. He had confidence and the intellect to make a difference with his public service. In 1998, he was Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee when the House of… Read More

I don’t know Richard Edelman, but he has been quite successful in business, growing his public relations firm to be one of the largest and most influential on the globe. The reason why Edelman ended up tracking on my radar screen, as a publisher of a website on California politics, is that his company has just hired FR State Capitol Correspondent Dan Schnur to lead its California Public Affairs Practice.

What an outstanding pick by Edelman.

I have known Dan (pictured) for the better part of two decades now, and I know he is going to do a great job for Edelman, and its clients. But wait, before anyone assumes that my heaping of praise means that Dan is (like me) somewhere to the right of Attila the Hun, he is not. Dan’s somewhat more moderate in ideology than me, and definitely more moderate in his temperament. Nevertheless, it is a testament to Dan’s… Read More

I don’t know Richard Edelman, but he has been quite successful in business, growing his public relations firm to be one of the largest and most influential on the globe. The reason why Edelman ended up tracking on my radar screen, as a publisher of a website on California politics, is that his company has just hired FR State Capitol Correspondent Dan Schnur to lead its California Public Affairs Practice.

What an outstanding pick by Edelman.

I have known Dan (pictured) for the better part of two decades now, and I know he is going to do a great job for Edelman, and its clients. But wait, before anyone assumes that my heaping of praise means that Dan is (like me) somewhere to the right of Attila the Hun, he is not. Dan’s somewhat more moderate in ideology than me, and definitely more moderate in his temperament. Nevertheless, it is a testament to Dan’s… Read More

Capitol Resource Family Impact SaveOurKids.net campaign has reported that they have mailed or shipped over 300,000 petitions to Californians.

The campaign is trying to place on the ballot a referendum to overturn SB 777. SB 777 requires schools to view everything from textbooks and school events through the prism of almost every sexual preference imaginable. They are still sending out more petitions but only have 6 weeks to get them back. That will be the tough part. If they (we) fail our kids will learn more than how to spell transgendered in school.

… Read More

From today’s Wall Street Journal Poltiical Diary…

Arnoldmander

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has revived an idea that his California voters already rejected just two years ago: giving an independent citizens commission the power to draw legislative districts. It’s a noble and useful concept, but the governor’s plan is fatally flawed and wouldn’t represent meaningful reform, even if it serves to spank a legislature that recently spurned his deals on health care and water policy.

Ted Costa, head of the citizen’s lobby People’s Advocate, has been agitating for decades to end the gerrymandered districts that mean California’s elections are… Read More

Among the most enduring legacies for any US President are their judicial appointments. Unfortunately, former Attorney General Gonzalez and Gerry Parsky set up an unprecedented "commission" with Senators Feinstein and Boxer to pre agree on any California federal judges.

Unprecedented, in that never before in American history did any President simply give up his right to select who he wanted to serve in the federal judiciary.

Some of us strongly objected [ see LATimes Op-Ed "Lionesses of the Left" , May 26, 2002] a commission that gave absolute veto power to either Feinstein and Boxer’s. Generally, a few good judges were… Read More

When I started to write this post the conclusion was going to be very different. I had gathered information about the language of Prop 63 and the pending litigation on the matter.

I did not vote for this ballot measure in 2004. I rarely vote for tax increases.

Despite this, it appeared to me that the will of the voters was not respected by the Governor and Legislature during the last budget deal. The language of Prop 63 requires not only additional dollars to be spent on mental health in California but also additional program additions as well.

Briefly, Proposition 63 was a measure passed by the voters in 2004 that placed an additional 1% income tax on income over $1 million. I did not support the measure because we already have a graduated income tax system. If the state wanted these programs then they should figure out a way to give the counties money to pay for them. The driving force behind this effort was then Assemblyman Darrel Steinberg.

On Tuesday, the Yolo County Board of Supervisors approved the expenditure of $91,000 of these funds for the mentally ill in our… Read More