Yesterday Arnold Schwarzenegger announced a number of changes in key senior positions in his administrations. A number of them represent great moves, and a few of them are, frankly very disturbing. Let’s start with the great news! First and foremost, the Governor’s elevation of conservative Dan Dunmoyer to the position of Cabinet Secretary is outstanding news for all of us. Dan is capable, smart and effective. In this key position which acts as a liaison and coordinator between the Governor and all of the Agency heads will be in good hands. Undoubtedly this will be a big relief for former Assemblyman Fred Aguair, the GOPer who has been toiling out of the limelight in this role for awhile now. In other big news for conservatives — stalwart Cynthia Bryant has been given a big promotion. For years, Cynthia has been sitting second chair to Richard Costigan in the Governor’s legislative affairs unit, working to push the Governor’s policy agenda with the Senate… Read More

Today for lunch, I attended a presentation by the Orange County Forum where the featured speakers included three GOP and three Democrat Legislators. The Dems were State Senator Lou Correa, Assemblyman Tony Mendoza, and Assemblyman Jose Solario The Repubicans were State Senator Mark Wyland and Assemblymembers Jim Silva and Mike Duvall. All are a talented bunch and come into their respective chambers as freshman. Emcee for the panel was Orange County Register uber-political reporter Martin Wisckol (see his word via th OC Total Buzz link under the Blog Roll above). Everyone was amiable today. We’ll see how that changes after a year or two of struggling to make do with less in Sacramento!… Read More

In a brazen attempt to yank to the hard-left the discussions about how to deal with the fact that many Californians do not carry health care insurance, Senator Don Perata, the liberal President of the California State Senate predictably rolled out yesterday a massive government intervention into the healthcare marketplace. Perata is proposing that a hefty lien (tax, fee, or whatever you want to call it) on California employers to ‘provide’ health insurance for those Californian’s who are employed, but do not have coverage. Of course the impact of such a proposal will be exactly counter to what discussions are trying to achieve. If the goal is to reduce the number of Californians who are not currently buying health insurance, then putting Californians out of work, increasing the state’s unemployment numbers, and reducing income to the state of California but stifling tax-producing businesses, is not the way to go. The path towards seeing the number of uninsured Californians reduced is two-fold. The first is working to increase the income to these folks — through better jobs. Secondly there is the need to bring… Read More

In a brazen attempt to yank to the hard-left the discussions about how to deal with the fact that many Californians do not carry health care insurance, Senator Don Perata, the liberal President of the California State Senate predictably rolled out yesterday a massive government intervention into the healthcare marketplace. Perata is proposing that a hefty lien (tax, fee, or whatever you want to call it) on California employers to ‘provide’ health insurance for those Californian’s who are employed, but do not have coverage. Of course the impact of such a proposal will be exactly counter to what discussions are trying to achieve. If the goal is to reduce the number of Californians who are not currently buying health insurance, then putting Californians out of work, increasing the state’s unemployment numbers, and reducing income to the state of California but stifling tax-producing businesses, is not the way to go. The path towards seeing the number of uninsured Californians reduced is two-fold. The first is working to increase the income to these folks — through better jobs. Secondly there is the need to bring… Read More

Over at the San Diego Union Tribune’s America’s Finest Opinion Blog, FR friend Chris Reed has penned his own critique of Senator Perata’s expansion of government’s role in California healthcare. You should read it here.… Read More

Congressman Gary Miller continues to garner some unwanted attention — today the Wall Street Journal’s John Fund heaps on in the WSJ’s Political Diary e-mail:

Not ‘The Donald’

GOP Rep. Gary Miller of California was unopposed for re-election last month, so reports that surfaced last year about how Congressional earmarks he sponsored increased the value of real estate he owned in his district never became a campaign issue.

But now Republicans in his overwhelmingly conservative Orange County district will have to start asking hard questions about whether Mr. Miller, who came to Congress in 1998, deserves another… Read More

I’m out and about today, but wanted to post up (via PDA) these appointments (3 Dems, 7 Reps) right away. More analysis to follow I’m sure, from our FR Team…

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Gov. Schwarzenegger Announces Senior Staff Appointments Continuing to build his leadership team following the election, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced appointments and promotions within his office for the new term. Governor Schwarzenegger today announced the appointments of Cynthia Bryant, deputy chief of staff and director of the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research; Alice Dowdin Calvillo, chief deputy cabinet secretary; Dan Dunmoyer, deputy chief of staff and cabinet secretary; Margaret Fortune, senior advisor to the Governor; Chris Kahn, deputy chief of staff and legislative secretary; Ross LaJeunesse, deputy chief of staff and senior advisor to the Governor; Luis Portillo, director of constituent affairs; Michael Prosio, chief deputy legislative secretary; Sean Walsh, senior advisor to the Governor and Daniel Zingale, senior advisor to the Governor and chief of staff to Maria Shriver. “As we begin a new… Read More

I don’t blame Congressman Gary Miller for not wanting to talk to the Los Angeles Times. Would you? Miller did, however, talk with Erica Werner from the Associated Press. Here’s Werner’s story: Rep. Miller disputes report he used office for personal benefit By Erica Werner with the Associated Press GOP Rep. Gary Miller used congressional staff for personal errands and tried to get a federal appointment for a city councilman about to vote on buying Miller’s land, according to a published report Tuesday that Miller angrily denied. … Read More