Two weeks after the 2016 election, I spoke on the House floor and warned that the greatest single obstacle to meeting the expectations of the American people was the cloture rule in the Senate. I said: “Voters elected Republican majorities in both houses of Congress and they expect action. They’ll get it from the President and from the House. But in order for the Senate to rise to this occasion, it must reform its cloture rule when it organizes in January.” It didn’t.

Cloture is the Senate motion to conclude debate, and it is based on a sound parliamentary principle: as long as a significant minority – currently 40 Senate members – want to continue debate, that debate should continue. But this principle assumes it is an actual debate between real people regarding the merits of the subject directly at hand.

But that is not what cloture has become. Today, any Senator can block virtually any bill simply by filing a protest at the desk, and until 60 of the 100 Senators agree to take up the bill, it cannot be heard.

Ironically, a motion originally designed to protect debate has degenerated into a motion that very effectively prevents… Read More

With liberal Democrats busy trying to turn California into some kind of progressive utopia, conservatives can often be heard talking about our state in dire terms, deriding it and openly discussing either leaving or rationalizing those who do.

At the same time, literally hundreds of Republican candidates are running or preparing to seek state and federal office in California in 2018.

“California is terrible, elect us to lead it” is an awful message for our team.

Spend any time traveling around the country or around the world and one very quickly realizes that California has a tremendous global brand. Most people with an opinion of California have a very positive one: they either want to visit, live in, or at least have something from here.

There’s a good reason all Apple are products specifically labeled “designed in California.”

California has a powerful brand because it is in fact one of the most amazing places on Earth. We need to recognize that, and let voters know that we know it.

Sure, California state government is a complete mess. But that doesn’t mean California is a mess. And conservatives more… Read More

Here’s my U-T SAN DIEGO op-ed criticizing the CA State Supreme Court ruling that may allow local tax increases to be passed with a simple majority vote. It’s one of those “pro and con” formats with an op-ed representing each side.

I encourage those who agree with me in this crucial matter to make comments NOW on the U-T website (if you have access) — I’m sure my opponent (a labor union-funded functionary) is doing the same thing with his legions of union members. Also feel free to comment on my OPPONENT’S pro-tax op-ed at:

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/opinion/commentary/sd-utbg-tax-initiative-ruling-20170906-story.html

“Anappeaseris one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.”

Winston Churchill

While President Donald Trump has vowed that United States authorities will “destroy” the gang MS-13 as part of his crackdown on crime,the Sacramento City Council voted unanimously last week to pay gang members $1.5 Million to not kill people.

The controversial program the city plans to adopt, Advance Peace, claims it “interrupts gun violence in U.S. urban neighborhoods by providing transformational… Read More

The world is the product of some fantasy, perhaps I am Alice, passing through the looking glass into this world of fantasy, but I feel more like Winston Smith, part of a world of oppression.

What is violence is tolerated in the name of free speech. What is free speech is suppressed in the name of violence. What is free press is criminalized in the name of justice, what is justice is criminalized in the name of advancing freedom. What is democracy is suppressed in the name of democracy, what is democracy is undermined in the name of government power. Those who have actively participated in the advance of socialism in this state gather to cry when the monster they created eats them, and those who made housing so expensive that no one can afford to live through the use of government power now claim they can solve the problem they created by the exercise of more government power. The fantasy that is Sacramento is spinning out of control.

The Stories:

(1) The Mayor of Berkeley asks UC Berkeley, the birth of the free speech movement, to suppress the free speech of people with whom he disagrees under the guise of maintaining the public peace. His police… Read More

I usually don’t write articles on marijuana or its legalization. I don’t have a dog in the fight over the legalization of marijuana. Quite frankly, I don’t care. I think we have wasted a lot of time and money making it illegal, enforcing the law against it, trying to make it legal again, arguing over whether it should be legal or illegal, running initiatives to legalize its medical use, initiatives to legalize its general use, and way too much money on using it. The fight over marijuana is foolish, a waste of time, a testament to a country that has too much money and time, and not enough to do. However, there is a bill coming up in Congress in the next week or so that affects that fight, and Republicans have an opportunity to actually advance the causes of freedom and federalism

I believe in freedom and federalism. I believe that increasing and protecting freedom is an important thing. I also wish that those who have fought so hard to legalize marijuana devoted as much time and effort increasing and protecting freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion, private property rights and freedom of contract as they have to making… Read More

If you want to see why liberal apologists and teacher union bosses foam at the mouth when voicing their opposition to school choice, look how badly public schools come off in NY state — compared to the Success Academy Charter Schools. Read the full piece.

The tragedy is to realize that these successful kids constitute just a tiny fraction of the students that could be helped by school choice. Only the KKK and Democrat politicians can love the current repressive, monopoly, government plantation-mentality education found too common in urban areas.

NOTE: The students are selected for these charter schools by lottery. Most are minority, low income students. 93% are “children of color.” And they are kicking ass.

AEI

The amazing, ‘eye-popping’ success of Success Academy Charter Schools

Mark J. Perry

August 24, 2017 11:04 am |AEIdeas

… Read More

This article (click on the URL) details Seattle’s desperate (and likely unlawful) effort to impose a CITY income tax to pay for their runaway pensions — even though state and city charters forbid such a levy. It’s a worthwhile read.

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/08/22/what-seattle-income-tax-fight-says-about-our-countrys-pension-mess.html#

But in addition to the pension fiasco, for wealthy Californians there’s another lesson to be learned from this latest attempt to impose an income tax in Washington state. When (more likely than IF) a rich Californian finally decides to depart the Golden State and its sky-high 13.3% state income tax, it’s important to look at the POLITICS of the lower taxed state you move to (ALL of the other 49 states have much lower state income taxes!).