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

In light of all the latest in the scandal-ridden world the public sees that is the political arena, I thought I would share this campaign poster I ran across at a school campus the other day. The name has of course been left off to protect the…candidate.

Yes, politicians are role models. Young people watch what those that are in charge say and do and ‘learn’ that is how business is done. Like this current early primary/term limit deception isn’t fooling anyone I talk to. This poster reminds me of a statement back in the mid 90’s that, if memory serves, I think Clinton apologist [now Congressman] Rahm Emanuel was saying on one of the Sunday AM news shows in defending the latest Clinton deception then, when he said, "Well, the President has kept all the campaign promises that he intended to." Oh. Thanks Rahm.

At least this candidate for school secretary has tossed in a disclaimer with this head-fake tohis/her schoolmatecolleagues, "You’re not going to Disneyland!"… Read More

The Americans for Tax Reform’s Taxpayer Protection Pledge is very straight forward. It reads:

Such a simple pledge make the contrast between the Republican and Democrat Parties as clear as it can be. A look at our California Congressional delegation shows that every single Republican has signed this pledge, and that not one Democrat has done so.

Today at 11 a.m., Grover Norquist, the President of Americans for Tax Reform, along with State Senator Tom McClintock and other legislative Republicans will be holding a press conference where they will announce that enough State Legislators have signed the ATR Taxpayer Protection Pledge to guarantee that there are not the required 2/3 votes in either the State Senate or the State Assembly to pass a tax increase.

At the press event, it will be announced… Read More

The Americans for Tax Reform’s Taxpayer Protection Pledge is very straight forward. It reads:

Such a simple pledge make the contrast between the Republican and Democrat Parties as clear as it can be. A look at our California Congressional delegation shows that every single Republican has signed this pledge, and that not one Democrat has done so.

Today at 11 a.m., Grover Norquist, the President of Americans for Tax Reform, along with State Senator Tom McClintock and other legislative Republicans will be holding a press conference where they will announce that enough State Legislators have signed the ATR Taxpayer Protection Pledge to guarantee that there are not the required 2/3 votes in either the State Senate or the State Assembly to pass a tax increase.

At the press event, it will be announced… Read More

Last cycle Dems and their allies starting beating up Congressman Pombo well in advance of the 2006 election. This cycle they are back, this time targeting Congressman Gary Miller for some tax issues he may or may not have. See article here.

Where are the ads against Sanchez or McNerney??… Read More

I read today about the ambitious agenda in Sacramento and I just shake my head. Democrats and their Governor apparently don’t understand that when a building is on fire, you don’t go outside and plant flowers.

Already we are seeing devastating fissures in State revenues, after several years of record increases. Democrats and their Governor, along with just enough Republicans, have spent ALL of the increased revenue, borrowed more money, placed bonds on the ballot to incur further debt, and raised spending baselines to intolerable levels. Sounds like Gray Davis five years ago, except Arnold has sky high approval for all of this. Must be a better salesman.

I am heartened to see that Sacramento Republicans took the bold, bold step today of saying no to new taxes. What courage! The fact that a "pledge" even has to be signed in the first place is a joke.

All in all, this is shaping up to be a very bleak situation, and given the right dynamics, might be worse than what Gray did to the State from 1999-2003. What shall we say then?

After the Governor lost the special election in 2005 (the highlight of his term was… Read More