Check out Campaign for Children and Families’ ballot recommendations:

CCF’s Recommendations on the 13 Propositions Vote YES on 1A, 83, 85 and 90

1A YES Makes it harder for the State to raid transportation funds for other “programs” 1B NO Instead of $38.9 BILLION in new debt, build roads with existing state funds 1C NO Instead $6.1 BILLION in new debt, ease state restrictions on new housing 1D NO $20.3 BILLION in new debt won’t improve academics or discipline in schools 1E NO This wasteful $8 BILLION expense won’t fix many levees or reform levee politics 83 YES Toughens laws on sex offenders, but 83’s actual impact is questionable 84 NO Costing taxpayers $10.5 BILLION, 84 is a slush fund for environmental activists 85 YES Protects minor daughters from secret abortions by requiring parent notification 86 NO $2.1 BILLION annual cigarette tax is money grab by the medical establishment 87 NO Taxing oil will raise gas prices, the wrong… Read More

You have to figure that things aren’t going so well for Republicans nationally if the 4th Congressional District in California is in play at all. This District, East of Sacramento, was specifically drawn to elect and keep electing a Republican for an entire decade. FR readers will recall that after the last census, the legislature passed an awful ‘incumbent protection plan’ redistricting measure that locked the GOP into about 20 safe GOP seats as compared to 33 safe Democrat seats. Anyways, despite all of the hoopla and national attention being given by the press to the battle in CD 4 between incumbent conservative Republican John Doolittle, and his opponent, a Democrat named Charlie Brown, the FlashReport still feels that Doolittle will retain the seat. The real loss for Republicans will be the ‘opportunity cost’ of having to spend a lot of funds in this ‘safe’ Republican seat — funds which could be better spent elsewhere. I’m penning this post… Read More

From the Desk of Thomas G. Del Beccaro President of the County Chairman’s Association Board Member, California Republican Party Chairman, Contra Costa Republican Party Court Delays Hearing on the Merits Brown Continues Avoidance Tactics Hearing On Merits to be in Mid to Late November ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today the Court decided to delay the hearing on the merits of this case until after the election. The Court agreed that the Plaintiffs have post-election remedies and that they are better pursued after election.

The Court did NOT decide the merits of whether Brown is eligible to become Attorney General. That issue will be decided after the election pursuant to a motion to be filed by the… Read More

On the November Ballot, California voters are going to have a chance to make a loud statement about spending. On the ballot are nine different ballot measures that together would increase government spending in the Golden State by epic proportions. Today we are featuring the FlashReport’s 2006 General Election Ballot Proposition Voter Guide where we have tapped Board of Equalization Member Bill Leonard (pictured to the right) to assist us in walking FR readers through our recommendations for the November ballot measures. Of course, we strongly recommend casting nine strong NO votes against the NINE SPENDING MEASURES on the ballot — Propositions 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 84, 86, 87, 88, and 89.

**There is more – click the link**… Read More

From today’s Wall Street Journal Political Diary E-mail:

‘I’m Barely a Lawyer’ Is Jerry Brown’s Popular Boast

Ever since he was governor of California in the 1970s, Jerry Brown has focused on the very big picture, earning himself the nickname "Governor Moonbeam." As mayor of Oakland in the 1990s, he did come down to earth and record some progress on crime and development issues, but still he was never known as a detail guy.

Now he faces an embarrassing lawsuit in his current race to become California’s attorney general. One of the requirements of the office is that anyone seeking it must be a lawyer… Read More

The FR is revamping our Blog Roll and so I need to get some input from readers on which blogs to go to that carry items of interest to those following California politics, from the Right, the Center or the Left. Here is a list I am starting with (red is from the right, blue is from the left, black is from the center):

The pro-family organization Campaign for Children and Families has an online voter guide as part of their Pro-Family Election Center (the CCF recommend the same positions on the 13 ballot measures as the FlashReport and our ballot measure guru, Bill Leonard). The reason for this post is that I thought that in their section under Judges, they offered up some great advice that I am sharing with all FR readers, whether your interest is in finding out more about a judicial candidate, or any other candidate for that matter. They walk their supporters on how to research candidates online. Now in the case of the CCF, their examples include research on where candidates stand on abortion or homosexual rights, but obviously you can utilize this research technique to look up whatever issues are of importance to you in deciding how to vote. They say:

The California League of Cities is hiring a "public affairs fund raiser" according to an ad they placed in this week’s Calpeek. You can see the job description here.

In general there is nothing wrong with special interests raising funds to promote their cause–their unique interests. However, so-called quasi-government organizations such as the League should perhaps be held to a different standard.

In fact, the League plays a major role in not just influencing government from the outside looking in like other lobby groups that represent doctors or labor, the League actually makes public policy and decides who is appointed to various major government bodies.

Take Orange County for example where it is the League of Cities chapter that selects what local elected officials will serve in many of our… Read More