In September, on our main daily news page, the FlashReport featured an LA Times article, “Cities, counties pay price for Capitol clout,” which reported that last year local government in California spent nearly $40 million on capitol lobbyists – more than labor, oil or business.

The League of California Cities and the California State Association of Counties justified these enormous expenditures of tax dollars by claiming that unlike other private interests, they can’t make political contributions to legislators and causes.

Apparently that might not be the case… In recent weeks, the League of California Cities campaign finance reports and a leaked memo suggests otherwise. In fact, their reported lobbying expenses are just the tip of the iceberg of a large and powerful political machine financed by California taxpayers.

**There is more – click the link**… Read More

You have wonder about "Light" Governor John Garamendi. Perhaps he just has too much time on his hands since, in the Golden State, his job is primarily to hang out and be available in case the Governor becomes incapacitated. We have a suggestion for Garamendi — perhaps he should spend some time in his posh office today, seeing if he is capable of patting the top of his head while he rubs his tummy at the same time. It would appear that Garamendi doesn’t believe that mature adults know how to multi-task. In an effort to win a "Hot Air" award from the FlashReport, Garamendi started flapping his jaws yesterday, complaining that State Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner shouldn’t be spending any time opposing the Perata/Nunez Term-Limits End Run Initiative because all of Poizner’s time should be spent dealing with the aftermath of the wildfires. I know, Lt. Governor, that it might blow you away to hear this, since I guess it doesn’t work so… Read More

To: FlashReport Readers From: Dave Gilliard, Manager, California Counts RE: Electoral College Reform Initiative – An Update for FlashReport Readers! Just two weeks ago, the Electoral College Reform Initiative was destined to join many other great ideas that never made the ballot due to lack of money, organization or time. Today, thanks to the generous support from donors and herculean efforts from everyone working on the measure, I am very happy to inform… Read More

In September, on our main daily news page, the FlashReport featured an LA Times article, “Cities, counties pay price for Capitol clout,” which reported that last year local government in California spent nearly $40 million on capitol lobbyists – more than labor, oil or business.

The League of California Cities and the California State Association of Counties justified these enormous expenditures of tax dollars by claiming that unlike other private interests, they can’t make political contributions to legislators and causes.

Apparently that might not be the case… In recent weeks, the League of California Cities campaign finance reports and a leaked memo suggests otherwise. In fact, their reported lobbying expenses are just the tip of the iceberg of a large and powerful political machine financed by California taxpayers.

Recent campaign reports and an internal memo reveals that the League is well on their way to spending millions of dollars on an eminent domain ballot measure that the state’s independent Legislative… Read More

This last week, I filed a complaint against the Clinton campaign alleging that the campaign had co-ordinated with the opposition to the California Electoral College reform to defeat the initiative. Clintonistas and their operatives filed a complaint against the initiative claiming that it was a secret Giuliani operation, alleging on very flimsy evidence that the Giuliani campaign was really running the operation to benefit Giuliani.

Well, since I have been involved with this issue since 2001, working on the campaign from the day of filing, and an endorser of Mitt Romney, I knew this was false, but when the campaign sputtered in July, the Clintonistas were bragging to the newspapers and media everywhere, that their aggressive opposition to the initiative caused its death.

Well, news of the death of the initiative was clearly premature, and those who were fighting the initiative literallyadmitted to the press that they had committed the very sins that they had accused the Giuliani campaign of committing. Not very smart for these supposedly very smart campaign operatives, and, if the FEC wishes to maintain any semblance of impartiality, they will pursue the… Read More

This morning at a conference room across the street from the State Capitol, advocates in the campaign against Proposition 93 (the Nunez-Perata Term Limits Weakening Measure) will hold a press conference — the star attraction? California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner. While nothing "official" has been announced, we are just hours away from a likely formal commitment from Poizner that he has not only signed the official ballot argument against Proposition 93, but that he will be playing a key role in opposing 93, including a starring role for Poizner’s checkbook. For those who are unaware, before his entry into politics, the soft-spoken Poizner was very successful as an entrepreneur and inventor in the Silicon Valley. His company developed some technology that has been incorporated into virtually every cell phone on the planet, and in selling this technology to one of the largest communications firms in the world, Poizner came away with a net worth approaching a billion (with a "b") dollars. Poizner has already shown a willingness in the past, separate from his own campaign for office, to donate from… Read More

This morning at a conference room across the street from the State Capitol, advocates in the campaign against Proposition 93 (the Nunez-Perata Term Limits Weakening Measure) will hold a press conference — the star attraction? California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner. While nothing "official" has been announced, we are just hours away from a likely formal commitment from Poizner that he has not only signed the official ballot argument against Proposition 93, but that he will be playing a key role in opposing 93, including a starring role for Poizner’s checkbook. For those who are unaware, before his entry into politics, the soft-spoken Poizner was very successful as an entrepreneur and inventor in the Silicon Valley. His company developed some technology that has been incorporated into virtually every cell phone on the planet, and in selling this technology to one of the largest communications firms in the world, Poizner came away with a net worth approaching a billion (with a "b") dollars. Poizner has already shown a willingness in the past, separate from his own campaign for office, to donate from… Read More

The Orange County Board of Supervisors rejected a proposal today to put a charter amendment before the voters that would, if passed, give the board the authority to place county-wide elected officials on administrative leave–effectively remove a district attorney or county clerk for example from office, if 4/5 of them so choose.

It was a bad idea and I applaud the majority for their vote.

One of the most compelling speakers at the board meeting was Assemblyman Todd Spitzer–a former county supervisor and former deputy district attorney. Spitzer is known as a law and order Republican–someone who puts cop and prosecutor on a pedestal (more so than my libertarian sensibilities allow me to).

But Spitzer argued against the proposal because it is inappropriate for the supervisors to serve as judge, jury and executioner. DA Rackauckas also made similar and well put remarks recommending that the board reject the proposal.… Read More