Get free daily email updates

Syndicate this site - RSS

Recent Posts

Blogger Menu

Click here to blog

FlashReport Weblog on California Politics

- Or -
Search blog archive

James V. Lacy

Umberg’s jump start in potential Supervisor race

Former Assemblyman Tom Umberg will have more than just name identification and the ability to raise funds for the upcoming special election in Orange County for the supervisorial seat vacated on Lou Correa’s recent election to the 34th State Senate District. What Umberg also has is a little money left over from his own losing race against Correa in the Senate primary — about $45,000 cash on hand, according to his most recent campaign disclosures, most of which he will likely be able to use in the supervisorial race should he decide to run in the special election. Though the Orange County campaign ordinance as originally enacted bans transfers to a county candidate committee from other candidate committees, an opinion of the California Attorney General issued in March, 2002 [85 Op. Atty. Gen. Cal.4] determined that the Orange County ban was unconstitutional as applied to "intra-candidate" transfers (for example, a transfer of surplus campaign funds from a State Senate campaign account to a county… Read More

Mike Spence

Lawsuit filed against Los Angeles Term Limit Change

Activists David Hernandez and Ted Hayes filed a lawsuit challenging Measure R. Successfully passed by the voters, Measure R loosened term limits for Los Angeles City Council Members AND tightened control on lobbyists. The City Attorney had warned the council that such a measure combined to many issues to be constitutional. A previous lawsuit was dropped, but Hernandez and Hayes picked up the baton. You can see there website here.Read More

Barry Jantz

Who Will Carry the Torch on Team Mascot Names?

Now that Jackie Goldberg has been termed-out ofthe California State Assembly, I am at a complete loss as to which lawmaker, if any, will have the courage to carry the banner on a matter of significant state importance. It appears, unless some unknown legislator steps to the plate, that the vital issue of inappropriate, insensitive, politically incorrect team mascot names may not be debated in the California legislature this year.

Former Assemblywoman Goldberg made somewhat of a career in this arena,advocating for lawsto make unlawful the use of American Indian team mascots at public schools. Not surprisingly, a whole slew of fascists, racists, sexists, chauvinists, Huns, Republicans and readers of the FlashReport have long opposed the idea.

Personally, I could not believe at the timethat I had stooped so low as to allow myself to work for someone as obviously insensitive as now retired Assemblyman Jay La Suer, who said of Jackie’s efforts, “It’s political correctness taken 18 steps too far,” while puffing his chest and bragging openly that he had been both an El… Read More

Barry Jantz

Today’s Commentary: Who Will Carry the Torch on Team Mascot Names?

Now that Jackie Goldberg has been termed-out ofthe California State Assembly, I am at a complete loss as to which lawmaker, if any, will have the courage to carry the banner on a matter of significant state importance. It appears, unless some unknown legislator steps to the plate, that the vital issue of inappropriate, insensitive, politically incorrect team mascot names may not be debated in the California legislature this year.

Former Assemblywoman Goldberg made somewhat of a career in this arena,advocating for lawsto make unlawful the use of American Indian team mascots at public schools. Not surprisingly, a whole slew of fascists, racists, sexists, chauvinists, Huns, Republicans and readers of the FlashReport have long opposed the idea.

Personally, I could not believe at the timethat I had stooped so low as to allow myself to work for someone as obviously insensitive as now retired Assemblyman Jay La Suer, who said of Jackie’s efforts, “It’s political correctness taken 18 steps too far,” while puffing his chest and bragging openly that he had been both an El… Read More

Mike Spence

High School Cabaret Continues …without High School Credit

The high school senior projectof an Antelope Valley Union High School studet continued, but with out credit. School officials decided that the sexy attire and content of "Cabaret " was not in keeping with school policy. See article here.You can see my original post here.

Still undecided is whether the cast will receive vocational educational credit for exotic dancing.

Just kidding, but school officials still have to explain their supervision of the project.… Read More

Mike Spence

LInda Boyd re-elected LA County Chair

Today, Linda Boyd was re-electedwas County Chair of theLos Angeles County Republican Party. Thiswill beher third team. Linda is only the second person elected to three consecutive terms. Her leadership team and received only a few no votes. LA County has come along way in the last few years under Linda’s leadership. She is also a candidate for Chair of the GOP County Chairman’s Association.… Read More

Barry Jantz

Arabo First Out of the Blocks in Horton Seat

The other day I posted how hard it was to believe it had been four years since Shirley Horton was elected in AD 78, and that things should quickly be heating up for that seat’s 2008 triple-donnybrook.

I guess the four days between swearing-in on Monday and first official candidate on Friday is quick enough. Auday Arabo, presidentand CEO of California Independent Grocers & Convenience Stores, is throwing his hat in the ring…as a Democrat, which may come as asurprise to some that have otherwise assumed — or never asked — his Party registration.

Before we get to Auday, let me touch on my reason for calling the ’08 contest a "triple-donnybrook." As background, this seat was drawn a relatively safe Dem seat, with Vince Hall being that Party’s standard-bearer in 2002. When the smoke cleared, Republican Shirley Hortonhad won (one of two supposedly safe Dem assembly seats in the state, the other taken by Bonnie Garcia), due to Horton’s serviceas mayor in the area’s largest city (Chula Vista), the… Read More

Jon Fleischman

The PPIC Poll: Ask A Rosy Question, Get A Rosy Answer.

As FR contributor and public opinion pollster Adam Probolsky likes to say, a poll is only as good as what you ask, and to whom you ask it. So I was quite amused to see so much enthusiasm erupt from the liberal media and left-wing Democrats when the Public Policy Institute of California released their latest survey. The source of their glee?

One of the questions on the PPIC survey asks, "Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the way that the California legislature and the governor are working together in making public policy?"

The response to this question: 53% approve, 36% disapprove, and 18% don’t know.

Here is the problem — asking a ‘feel good’ question like this really doesn’t tell you much. It would be like asking, "Would you like prices to be lower to spend a day at Disneyland?"

Of course virtually all respondents would say yes. But what if the follow up question was, "Would you still want entrance prices lowered at Disneyland if you knew that many of your favorite rides and attractions would be closed?… Read More