At our request, State Board of Equalization Member and frequent FR Contributor Bill Leonard (pictured) penned these thoughts on the passing of California Taxpayers Association President Larry McCarthy… Larry McCarthy is gone and the world is a poorer place. It is right that conservatives honor his life and the dedication he had for each of us. Anyone involved in California tax policy over the last couple of decades knew Larry. Whether it was complex issues of unitary taxation of multinational corporations or simple principles that voters should be the final authority in approving tax increases Larry was in the thick of it. (And on both of these he helped me) His knowledge of taxes made him a resource for many and his unassuming generosity with his time made him high on that list of people you would want to call to get answers. His expertise… Read More

Freedom and liberty aren’t just words in America. They mean something. This is a country where you can start with virtually nothing, and achieve the dream of amazing financial success, whether it making hamburgers, or computers. But that freedom with a price — it is called individual responsibility. You see, the key to having a free country is that we have a truly limited government. Liberty means being able to take risks, and hopefully achieving tremendous success. But it also means that there is risk as well. Some people prefer to avoid risk, and that is their prerogative. But is a truthful statement that many of the self-made success stories in America occured because someone took a risk, and showed a willingness to potentially lose what they have to try to better their position in our society. It is with some level of amazement that I read that President Bush has unleashed his Treasury… 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

A number of Democrat members of Congress have been wearing pins while walking the halls lately here in the U.S. Capitol. The pins say simply "Article I." I inquired what the pins mean? They responded that the first Article of the constitution is the one the established the legislative branch of government. The executive branch is in Article II, and the Judiciary in Article III. The order of these, they believe, shows the primacy of the legislative branch in the Founders’ minds. They wear the pin because they believe that the legislative branch has ceded too much power to the executive branch, and that it’s time to take that power back. I agree. But I don’t agree for the same reasons they do. It is not, as they believe, because George Bush has established some imperial presidency. Certainly it is no more, and probably no less, controlling than other recent presidencies. But every time Congress passes a bill creating a new government agency, or a new government program, or a new department, or a new mandate, Congress creates a new implement of power for the executive branch. You see, all the agencies and departments… Read More

Some times things are written so well, there is no choice but to reprint them…

From the NO on 93 Campaign The bad news just keeps coming for the Yes on 93 campaign. Two of California’s top newspapers – The San Jose Mercury News and The Fresno Bee – came out in strong opposition to Proposition 93 on Sunday. This is on the heels of The San Diego Union-Tribune’s hard-hitting editorial against Prop. 93. Legislative leaders Nunez and Perata took it on the chops as all three papers singled out the Assembly Speaker and Senate President for harsh – but richly deserved – criticism. … Read More

This afternoon, Governor Schwarzenegger endorsed a redistricting reform measure that has been put forward by Common Cause of California, AARP, the League of Women Voters and the Los Angeles County Chamber of Commerce. They call is California Voters First (a summary of the initiative is here). This clearly is a big boost for this initiative, which presumably will target appearing on the ballot next November. I’ve not taken a formal position on this measure, and must now give it a more in-depth review. On the natural, anything that is promoted by Common Cause, AARP or the League of Voters would have me opposing it, and requiring convincing me to move me towards support. With the triple-crown of these "we love big government" groups all together on this one, it really makes a conservative like myself want to oppose it on… Read More

Larry McCarthy, president of the California Taxpayers’ Association since 1989, died Saturday in Sacramento after a long struggle with cancer. He was 59 years old. “California’s taxpayers have lost a friend and ally,” Cal-Tax Board of Directors Chair John Cmelak Cmelak said. “For more than 30 years, Larry provided an effective, articulate voice for lower taxes and greater government accountability, and he did so with unmatched integrity and grace.” McCarthy participated in too many statewide ballot measure campaigns to mention, defending taxpayers against unnecessary tax hikes and speaking out for improved government efficiency. In 2000, he signed the ballot argument for Proposition 35, which amended the state constitution to allow contracting out for engineering and… Read More

We are pleased to bring you this exclusive, original column from Meredith Turney, about a startling and biased memo sent from State Superintendent of Public Intruction to County and District Superintendent’s around California…

Jack O’Connell, Superintendent of Public Misinformation Meredith Turney As the public anger over Senate Bill 777 continues to increase, the campaign to discredit the Save Our Kids referendum has begun. Liberal California lawmakers often pass laws hoping the public will not be paying attention. However, SB 777 has awakened the public and the prospect of being held accountable to the people has many politicians very nervous.… Read More