This is just in from State Senator Mark Wyland on the California budget impasse. It is definately worth reading — it just makes a lot of sense! My fellow Republican Senators have explained in columns on the Flashreport why we have resisted voting for the state budget which is several weeks overdue. The budget passed by the Assembly contains a projected deficit for next year in the $5-6 billion dollar range. How can we pass a budget with a deficit in a state that mandates a balanced budget? We can’t – both in the short term and the long term. In the past, budgets have included… Read More

"I don’t think Democrats should mention the T-word for two or three years"

Rep. Jim Cooper D-TN

Jim Cooper is actually probably the least liberal Democrat in Congress. He has actually voted for many of the earmark reductions that I or Jeff Flake (R-AZ) have offered. But what he said here is very revealing. The "T-word" of course is taxes. The message is that Democrats ought to wait until after the next election before they do what they really want to do because raising taxes is not popular. In other words, hide your real agenda from the public because they won’t like what they hear. I have often said that the greatest fearfor Republicans is that the public won’t understand what we’re saying. Democrats, on the other hand, fear that the public will understand what they are… Read More

I am blogging live from the Balboa Bay Club right at the water’s edge here at the beautiful Newport Harbor, in the heart of Newport Beach.

Congressman John Campbell represents an amazing House seat, that spans from Newport Beach all of the way down the coast to Dana Point. He is having the regular gathering of his Congressional Club, and I am pleased to be here supporting John. He has been and outstanding United States Representative.

Campbell’s special guest is a mutual close friend, John Fund, an editorial board member of the Wall Street Journal. We frequently feature John’s writings on our blog page, and he is one of our most honored “Golden Pen” award winners on our main page.

Fund’s remarks were on a myriad of topics, starting with what impact Rupert Murdock’s aquisition of the Wall Stret Journal. He thinks the effects will be positive — especially an anticipated short-term infusion of funds into the Journal.

John talked about the Presidential primaries – both the Democratic and Republican side. After spending time talking about “Hillary-zilla and “O-Bambi”… Read More

The slugfest for AD 60 continues with Curt Hagman earning the endorsement of State Sen. Bob Margett. Margett represents most of the 60th and cited Hagman’s fundraising and service as the reasons for his endorsement. See previous post with links to other posts here.… Read More

Over at his Citizens for the California Republican website, State Senator Tom McClintock has posted an outstanding column with a little bit of "budget terminology 101" an some ominous numbers foreshadowing challenges ahead.

My eyes were drawn to the last part of what he wrote, and I am reprinting it below:

HOW DID YOUR LOCAL MEMBER OF CONGRESS CAST THEIR VOTES ON FIFTY SEPARATE OPPORTUNITIES TO STRIP EGREGIOUS PORK OUT OF FEDERAL SPENDING BILLS? Perhaps one of the most influential and important groups in Washington that is dedicated to market-based economic principles, and cutting government spending, is the Club for Growth. Of the handful of key websites that our FR team goes to every morning when we compile news of interest, the CfG’s site is one of the best.

The Club for Growth has compiled a RePORK Card on how all of the members of the United States House of Representatives voted on 50 anti-pork amendments that were introduced on the floor of Congress. Over the past many weeks, Democrats were moving out all of the mammoth appropriations (spending) bills that provide… Read More

Arnold was in town yesterday upbraiding our good conservative State Senator Dave Cogdill for holding out for a balanced budget. The event was your classic "sky is falling" nonsense.

Yes, the health clinic the Governor visited is in danger of not being funded. A late budget has nothing to do with this issue. Senator Denham, as has been widely reported, offered a spending bill to fund healthcare during the impasse and Senate Democrats said no.

The Governor should look in the mirror as he assigns blame for this "crisis". Hardly a fiscal conservative, he has spent all of the record increase in State tax revenues and then some. With all the new bonds being sold for infrastructure, and with spending baselines raised so dramatically under Arnold, only a slight downtick in tax revenue will create a real fiscal crisis.

The Governor has only himself to blame for this. I add my voice to those urging Senate Republicans to hold firm. It’s a game of chicken we should have been playing and winning every year since 1999.… Read More

This just in exclusively for FR readers from GOP Assemblyman Ted Gaines:

Senate Republicans are standing firm, demanding that state spending be reduced even further in the budget plan currently being debated, so our fiscal problems don’t grow worse. I commend them for defending taxpayers and wish them well as they advocate for lower spending. This summer’s budget stalemate – and the divide between Democrats and Republicans on increasing spending – reinforces the need to pass common-sense legislation I have introduced to end runaway spending once and for all. … Read More