InDecember I praisedthe creation of the San Diego Institute for Policy Research, an effort by AMN Healthcare Exec and one time mayoral candidate Steve Francis to inject some additional free market thinking into the veins of the City of San Diego. (Maybe the City Council majority could use more than a free market speedball, perhaps also an intervention.)

At any rate, SDIRP is up and operating, apparently, as they just completed a survey through Competitive Edge Research & Communication called a "Barometer of San Diegans Opinions." Thanks to Competitive Edge guru John Nienstedt for shooting it over.

The results show that most San Diegans find the city’s financial situation bad, but getting better under the leadership of Mayor Jerry Sanders, who has high approval ratings. Additionally, Mike Aguirre has a relatively good showing, while folks are not so sure about the SD City Council. And, San Diegans do love the Governor.

Here is the press release:

San… Read More

Understand first that I write these blog posts between meetings and other business commitments as part of my day job, which is President and owner of a thriving insurance brokerage business. So let me apologize in advance for deficiencies in spelling and content. In my previous post on the Governor’s Health Insurance proposal, I pointed out the economic and legal reasons why its dead on arrival. At the end of the blog, I also point out why, if the Governor’s proposal were implemented and was successful, the health care system in California would collapse.

Health care affordability is at the core of what I help employers do every day.

So what steps should be taken now to make health insurance more accessible and affordable? Here are a few ideas:

1. Put the new money on the table first.Increase reimbursement rates for government run health plans first.Cost shifting to private plans will end and health insurance rates paid by employers and employees shouldcome down. When rates come down, access… Read More

Understand first that I write these blog posts between meetings and other business commitments as part of my day job, which is President and owner of a thriving insurance brokerage business. So let me apologize in advance for deficiencies in spelling and content. In my previous post on the Governor’s Health Insurance proposal, I pointed out the economic and legal reasons why its dead on arrival. At the end of the blog, I also point out why, if the Governor’s proposal were implemented and was successful, the health care system in California would collapse.

Health care affordability is at the core of what I help employers do every day.

So what steps should be taken now to make health insurance more accessible and affordable? Here are a few ideas:

**There is more – click the link**

View Full Commentary… Read More

REPUBLICAN SENATORS: CAN THEY STAND TOGETHER? Today, Senate President Don Perata will bring up the confirmation vote for Joe Nunez to the State Board of Education. Nunez is one of the top public employee labor union hacks in the state, and actually served as Chairman of the organized union-led effort to sink all of the meaningful and importance reforms that the Governor brought to the voters in the special election of 2005. If you look up Joe Nunez in the dictionary, you will see that he is a total union political hack. Senator Jim Battin penned a post on this site urging his colleagues to vote no. Voting against his confirmation, which under state law takes a 2/3 vote, should be one of the easiest votes that a Republican in the Senate has ever cast.

But it isn’t just an easy "no" vote, it is an important one. At stake is the… Read More

REPUBLICAN SENATORS: CAN THEY STAND TOGETHER? Today, Senate President Don Perata will bring up the confirmation vote for Joe Nunez to the State Board of Education. Nunez is one of the top public employee labor union hacks in the state, and actually served as Chairman of the organized union-led effort to sink all of the meaningful and importance reforms that the Governor brought to the voters in the special election of 2005. If you look up Joe Nunez in the dictionary, you will see that he is a total union political hack. Senator Jim Battin penned a post on this site urging his colleagues to vote no. Voting against his confirmation, which under state law takes a 2/3 vote, should be one of the easiest votes that a Republican in the Senate has ever cast.

But it isn’t just an easy "no" vote, it is an important one. At stake is the… Read More

CTA political hack Joe Nunez, who championed the public employee union led effort in 2005 to sink the needed reforms on the special election ballot failed to achieve the two-thirds vote necessary to be confirmed in his appointment to the State Board of Education. Nunez needed 27 votes and he only got 25… But while Senator Dick Ackerman and almost all of the Senate Republican Caucus get credit for opposing the nomination, unfortunately two Republicans spurned the group decision made by the GOP Senators, and voted FOR Nunez’ confirmation – Senator Jeff Denham and Senator Abel Maldonado. However, two Democrat Senators were absent, and today was the deadline for Nunez to be confirmed.

So the good news is that a professional union political hack is off of the State Board of Education.

But the tragic news is that Denham and Maldonado, who both knew how big of a vote this

I spoke with Senate Leader Dick Ackerman who had this to say, "The education of California students will be in better hands now that Nunez is off of the board."

Ackerman is to be commended for his leadership on this issue.

Denham and Maldonado,… Read More

When Republicans lost their majority, Buck McKeon lost his Chairmanship of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. He has decided to go back to his old place on the House Armed Services Committee. See article here.… Read More

I just got the regular emailupdate from the Sacramento Bee. The headline reads:

Senate GOP rejects governor’s education appointee

I open the article and find a description of the rejection of Joe Nunez.

One paragraph caught my eye.You can see the whole article here.

"The Senate voted 25-11 on the confirmation of teachers’ union activist Joe Nunez, but with minority Republicans opposed, fell two votes short of the required two-thirds majority."Now that is interesting because several hours earlier. Jon posted on FlashReport a description of the defeat and pointed out that "Republican" SenatorsDenham and Maldonado voted FOR Nunez. See Jon’s post here. The post explain that two Dems were absent for the vote.

So which is it? The Sacramento Bee makes GOP Senators… Read More