As Proposition 13 approaches its 39th birthday, it is still subject to the same dishonest attacks in the media that were used against it when it was on the ballot in 1978. Proposition 13 was one of the first victims of “fake news.”

“The bigwigs in labor and business went all out to defeat 13,” said its principle author, Howard Jarvis. “They tried to outdo one another in issuing doomsday prophecies about what passage of 13 would mean.” The media slavishly supported the exaggerated and dishonest claims, often endorsing them through editorials and by giving prominent placement to negative stories on the tax revolt.

The politicians, including Gov. Jerry Brown, and government agencies from top to bottom weighed in. Here is a typical example: Before the election, Alameda County Transit told the public that passage of Prop. 13 would result in the termination of 80 percent of its 2,000 employees. Two months later, the Fremont-Newark Argus reported on the aftermath of the passage of Proposition 13, “To date, no one in the district has been laid off and officials now believe there will be no massive layoffs.” The paper added that three local fire districts… Read More

The California Legislature never ceases to amaze with some of their most creative, imaginative schemes to tax, regulate, and mandate small businesses and taxpayers in new ways. It’s a dangerous game—one minute, we might joke in passing about how California would love to figure out a way to assess property taxes on a satellite orbiting the planet—and the next minute, the County of Los Angeles tries to do just that. The legislature reminds us to be careful what we joke about.

In just the first three months of the new 2017-18 legislative session,… Read More

California Senate President pro Tempore Kevin De Leónis facing another scandalous issue.

A letter from Sen. Andy Vidak (R-Hanford) spelled out an appalling episode, in which several fruit growers whom Hall allegedly threatened, on the eve of his confirmation hearing to the Agricultural Labor Relations Board.

Vidak said he personally heard from several witnesses that on the eve of his confirmation hearing before the Senate Rules committee, that ALRB Commissioner Isadore Hall, “in an obscenity-laced tirade, threatened to use his position to ‘get’ several farmers who oppose his confirmation. The incident occurred at the Hyatt on February 28,” Vidak wrote.

Feb. 28 was the date of the California Fresh Fruit Association Annual Government Relations Trip in Sacramento. In the evening, many of the members met in the bar at the Hyatt, where they were confronted by former Senator Hall.

I also heard about Hall’s “obscenity-laced tirade.” I was told Hall said, “Are you… Read More

In 2015, it was discovered that in the California Assembly, under Democrat control, women made 92 cents on the dollar compared to men. In the Senate, women made 94 cents on the dollar compared to men.

Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential candidate, and feminist against unequal pay for women, paid her own female employees $15,708.38 less than her male staffers when she was a U.S. senator from New York.This happened under Democrats. Gender Hustlers.

Rather than write another lengthy article about phony gender hustlers known as feminists, let me instead dispel that myth that women make less than men, with some facts… Read More

Senate Bill 54threatens public safety, protects criminal illegal aliens, and puts federal grants for California’s local law enforcement agencies in danger, according to Senator Joel Anderson (R-Alpine), Senator Jim Nielsen (R-Gerber), and three California sheriffs who traveled to the State Capitol Monday to discuss just how dangerous the bill really is.

California Senate Democrats are rushing a bill through to restrict local law enforcement in the state from cooperating with federal immigration authorities on criminal illegal aliens. Why? Out of little or no concern for the welfare of immigrants, most say illegal immigrants are the Left’s most reliable voting bloc, especially in California where illegal aliens can obtain a drivers license and vote.

Despite President Donald J. Trump’s recent warning that his administration will defund Sanctuary cities,Senate President Pro Tem Kevin De Léon (D-Los Angeles), the author of… Read More

“When I see someone attacking the benefits the Fire Department receives or the Police Department receives, my concern is: Why wouldn’t you expect the same for yourself? We should act as a beacon.” – Mike Mohun, president of the San Ramon Firefighters Union, quoted in theNew York Times, March 2, 2017

There are many compelling reasons to examine this statement by Mr. Mohun, since pension benefits for state and local government workers are consuming ever increasing percentages of tax revenue. For starters, using the term “attack” is unfair. More accurate might be “counter-attack,” since the costs for these pensions are what has become extreme, not our reaction. If these pensions were financially sustainable, California’s citizens would not beunder attack by continuously escalating taxes, and continuously diminishing public services.

But why shouldn’t we expect the same for… Read More

California’s employment figures have definitely improved from the depths of our disastrous recession. Our Left Coast state suffered worse from the downturn than the rest of the country, and have until recently lagged in the recovery. Democrats like to paint California today as experiencing a “miracle” rebound, with CA leading the nation in the employment surge. They are in some ways right. And dead wrong.

Let’s drill down a bit into the numbers to get a more complete picture. The devil is in the details, as they say. After lagging for years, we had a surge in CA jobs in 2015. But that surge seems to be petering out, as the numbers below indicate.

First, let’s be clear. We have NOT fully recovered from the recession. Nor are we doing better than the country’s average unemployment figures. But we have had a recent surge to narrow the gap. Here’s my latest figures from the BLS:

Several hundred members of the Vietnamese American community traveled to the State Capitol in SacramentoMondayto demonstrate their support of Sen. Janet Nguyen (R-Garden Grove), including more than 100 Vietnamese Americans who rode the bus from Nguyen’s Orange County district.

Nguyen was forciblyremoved from the Senate Floor Feb. 23, 2017 for speaking about the late Senator Tom Hayden, and his involvement with communists in Vietnam. Hayden’s memory triggers outrage in the Vietnamese community.

The rally Monday was a patriotic event, with most of the Vietnamese carrying American flags, and the flag of Vietnam, and many wearing American flag clothing. As the rally officially… Read More