Eastward, Ho

Arnold Schwarzenegger made lots of friends on the left when he declared that he won’t wait for federal action to combat global warming. Mr. Schwarzenegger announced a plan of mandatory carbon-dioxide emission reductions of 15% in the Golden State by the year 2020.

Now other states and even localities are catching the green wave. Washington, Oregon, Arizona and New Mexico have announced their own emissions reduction programs through regulatory mandates on businesses, homeowners and commuters. Washington’s new law will require a reduction in emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 and to 50% below that by 2050. In Seattle, King County Executive Ron Sims has proposed his own plan to save the planet from climate change. "Global… Read More

FR friend Carol Bone put this together, that is worth a read by all those who chance upon this website:

Earth’s Climate Change

Earth’s climate is one of continual change. It has been much warmer than the present and much colder. For most of the Earth’s history global temperatures were 8 to 15° C warmer than today. Over the last 2 billion years, glaciers have advanced and retreated many times. During the last major ice age, massive glaciers buried much of North America, Europe, and Asia. Sea levels were 300 feet lower than today. Then about 14,000 years ago, glaciers began to retreat. By 8,000 years ago, the land bridge across the Bering Strait was under water, stopping the migration of humans and animals to North America. Forests replaced sheets of ice. The earth cooled again about 12,000 to 10,500 years ago, and then warmed again. Around 5000 to 3000 BC, when many ancient civilizations began, temperatures were warmer than today. From 3000 to 2000 BC a cooling … Read More

Orange County Supervisor and legend who predicted that his predecessor would bankrupt the county coffers, John Moorlach has asked his successor to resign.

For more than a decade Moorlach served in the post of Orange County Treasurer-Tax Collector after having been appointed by the Board of Supervisors to fill out the term of Bob Citron, the now infamous County Treasurer who bankrupted the county through risky investments.

Last year Moorlach was elected to the Board of Supervisors and his successor, Chriss Street eased into office with limited opposition. But Street had been dogged by allegations of fraud in his dealing as a trustee for a bankrupt trucking concern.

Recently it has been reported that Street is under investigation by Federal authorities as well as the District Attorney. Although it is unclear what the investigations are about.

Orange County looks to Moorlach for guidance on everything related to public finance and he is an honorable man who is known for his integrity. So when he points the finger, people listen.

Next: The Orange County Board of Supervisors meets on Sept. 11 to discuss whether to pull investment authority… Read More

You knew it was going to be a tough budget year for fiscal conservatives from the minute that Governor Schwarzenegger introduced his budget to the legislature — one that was more or less embraced by the ultra-liberal legislators that dominate the State Senate and State Assembly. As a Governor who campaigned in two different elections as a fiscal conservative, we were looking to him to propose a budget that reduced the size and scope of state government. But instead, again, he introduced a budget that contained deficit spending. Using some football parlance, I equate the introduction of this bloated budget by the Governor the equivalent of a football team downing the ball on their own 20 yard line! Where we wanted strong negotiation between Democrats advocating big government on one side and the government championing taxpayers on the other — instead we got a ‘status quo’ budget.

(Need some ideas on how to shrink state spending? Remember this? Or how about these… Read More

Hundreds of printers, 3,000 cartridges, and truckloads of other paraphernalia in undisclosed warehouses, all leading to millions of wasted dollars. It would be fitting to assume this report is about a counterfeit money production crime ring. Instead, it’s about the LA County Department of Children and Family Services, led by apparent shopaholics with a knack for squandering taxpayers’ money.

According to the Los Angeles Times (August 9, 2007), an audit has uncovered that “Los Angeles County’s child welfare agency wasted more than $1 million on unnecessary or overpriced equipment and failed to adequately keep track of hundreds of thousands of dollars more in supplies.” Despite LA County’s tarnished financial records, the magnitude of this agency’s overzealous buying habits is alarming. “I think it’s probably the most significant departure from purchasing practices that I’ve ever seen,” said the auditor-controller, whose career with the county has… Read More

Just off the transom from State GOP Communications Director Hector Barajas:

Assembly Speaker Fabian Nùñez continues his disingenuous rhetoric regarding the budget delay, even though a budget deal has been reached. Perhaps the Speaker had a lapse in memory, as he seems to have forgetten that he left California’s needy high and dry while a budget deal was still in the works. For all of his political posturing, Speaker Nùñez has failed to mention that, when he left Sacramento for his European summer vacation, he not only left the wheels of the budget process still in motion, he also consequently left thousands of Californians at risk of losing their Medi-Care coverage and hundreds of summer programs at risk of being reduced or eliminated. Upon returning to California,… Read More

There is a vibrant Republican primary taking place in the Inland Empire’s 64th Assembly District (a "safe" seat for the GOP). This district that spans from Riverside out to the Coachella Valley is currently represented by conservative Assemblyman John Benoit, who is a candidate for the State Senate. One of the front running candidates in that primary was businesswoman Rose Girard. Well, not anymore. We’ve found out that Girard has made a relatively sudden decision to end her candidacy, supposed to focus more on personal business opportunities. I’m sure that we’ll hear more about this. That said, her departure certainly leaves a vacuum in the field. But, she was also not the only candidate running. Others in the race include John Pate (Cons. Tim Clark/JohnsonClark), Kelly McCarty (Cons. Matt Rexroad/Meridian Pacific), and Angel Sanchez (Cons. Joe Giardello). I caught up to the local State Senator (and a FlashReport correspondent) Jim Battin, who told me that he felt that Girard’s departure makes Kelly McCarty the front runner in the race. In doing a little poking around tonight, it… Read More

Test… Read More