Yesterday I penned a lengthy commentary entitled, Who’s in charge over at the Coastal Commission? The Commissioners? Or the Staff? Well, today we got the answer to that question. The members of the Coastal Commission voted by a large 8 – 3 majority to oppose Assemblyman Lloyd Levine’s extremest legislation that would have banned the use of fractional ownership (timeshares and the like) in coastal resort developments.

This after rumors were widely circulating that their own Commission Executive Director, Peter Douglas, had played a role in the crafting of the legislation. Douglas’ staff recommendation to the Commission, by the way, was NOT to oppose the bill, but to amend the bill (by the way, his recommended amendment would still have usurped authority currently held by his bosses on the Commission).

Apparently the dog is wagging the tail after all. Perhaps this is an indicator that the Commission staff needs to understand where it is the Commission would like to go, and work to get there. Not, as rumor… Read More

I think that Fabian Nunez owes a beer to his friend Jerry Brown. Below is the official Title and Summary of Nunez measure that WEAKENS term-limits. It’s sure hard to tell from what the AG wrote:

Date: April 11, 2007 Initiative No. 07-0004 Amendment No. 1S

The Attorney General of California has prepared the following title and summary of the chief purpose and points of the proposed measure:

LIMITS ON LEGISLATORS’ TERMS IN OFFICE. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT. Reduces the total amount of time a person may serve in the state legislature from 14 years to 12 years. Allows a person to serve a total of 12 years either in the Assembly, the Senate, or a combination of both. Provides a transition period to allow current members to serve a total of 12 consecutive years in the house in which they are currently serving, regardless of any prior service in another house. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: This measure would have no direct fiscal effect on state or local governments. (07-0004.)… Read More

Yesterday’s Washington Times headline, "Hunter’s son to run for dad’s seat," kind of missed the point. We already knew that.

Considering the story’s lede clearly points it out, a more appropo headline might have been, "Hunter’s son to run for dad’s seat from combat zone."

As Duncan Duane Hunter told me, "I found out recently that I might be called back to active duty in the Marine Corps and I might deploy this year to Iraq or Afghanistan. This is not affecting my plans on running for Congress, in fact it reinforces my desire to serve the people of San Diego supporting our President and troops in this time of war. If deployed, I will run for office as an active duty Marine serving a combat tour…it will be interesting."

Interesting, to say the least. As one local consultant put it, "If there are a dozen GOP candidates he can win from… Read More

I’m pleased to be reporting from Houston where I’ve just presented a seminar on election law and nonprofit rules to one of our clients, a national organization in favor of tax reform. And I must say, this city, which eschews many of the normal rules of urban development, looks pretty darn cool. Downtown Houston is undergoing a "Renaissance" that has included moving the Houston Astros from the old Astrodome to a new field, "Minute Maid Park," which is just steps away from major hotels and shopping and which include significant private sector support, unlike many of our new stadiums in California. The Rockets play basketball at a new stadium largely funded by Toyota (helping to keep some jobs, at least, in America!). And when I discuss the rules of election and nonprofit law here, the locals ask really great questions, such as "Why in tarnation would the government do that!?"

The last time I was in Houston was in 1981. Today, parts of the city look like Michigan Ave. in Chicago, the Galleria shopping area is great, the art museums are top drawer, and the tex-mex is outstanding! No wonder, with California, from 1976 to… Read More

Imagine a scenario where the Executive Director of the California Coastal Commission is frustrated because four different times in recent months, "his" Commission has over-ruled the recommendations of his staff, in granting approvals for fractional-ownership hotels in California’s coastal development zone. Then imagine that the Executive Director, rather than talking with the staff about adjusting their guidelines to stay in concert with the majority of the Commission, instead goes out and recruits a liberal extremist State Assemblyman to introduce legislation to have California ban the very type of "condominium hotels" that were being approved… Sound like the classic story of the tail wagging the dog? Well that may be, in fact, what you have with Peter Douglas, the longtime Executive Director of the Coastal Commission (pictured on the cover of City Beat magazine). At their… Read More

(Cross posted from Red County/OC Blog)

The race for the 60th Assembly District GOP primary is quickly heating up, as the incumbent, Bob Huff, has declared his candidacy for the State Senate, where Dick Margett is retiring due to term limits.

With the largest portion, by far, of this tri-county district (Orange, LA, and San Bernardino Counties) being here behind the Orange Curtain, the fact that Larry Dick is the only announced candidate from "The OC" makes him a very strong candidate to replace Huff. Mike Radlovic over in Los Angeles County was a candidate for only a brief period of time before deciding not to run (so I am told). The only other candidate is Chino Hills Councilman Curt Hagman. Hagman’s first… Read More

Legal opinion needed:

The Washington Times says Congressman Hunter’s son, Duncan Duane Hunter, may be called back into active duty in the Marines Corps and redeployed. Canhe run for Congress while on active duty?

In the Washington Times he says "if deployed I will run for office as an active duty Marine serving a combat tour".

My reading of the rules indicates that if on active duty he cannot run, cannot solicit votes, and cannot encourage anyone else to run.

Anyone?

Update… well several lawyers calls and emails later the short answer is I don’t have any better idea on any of htisthan I did two hours ago. First, though, I’d point out, none of this matters IF Hunter Jr. is not redeployed or IF he gets back before filing.… Read More

Imagine a scenario where the Executive Director of the California Coastal Commission is frustrated because four different times in recent months, "his" Commission has over-ruled the recommendations of his staff, in granting approvals for fractional-ownership hotels in California’s coastal development zone. Then imagine that the Executive Director, rather than talking with the staff about adjusting their guidelines to stay in concert with the majority of the Commission, instead goes out and recruits a liberal extremist State Assemblyman to introduce legislation to have California ban the very type of "condominium hotels" that were being approved… Sound like the classic story of the tail wagging the dog? Well that may be, in fact, what you have with Peter Douglas, the longtime Executive Director of the Coastal Commission (pictured on the cover of City Beat magazine). At their… Read More