According to Shane Goldmacher over at Capitol Weekly, New York’s nominally Republican Mayor – who was elected on a “no new taxes” platform – has donated $250,000 to pass a new tax here in California – on cigarretes.

Billionaire Bloomberg is now officially a jerk. Who does this? Who pledges not to raise taxes in his own city, but finances a campaign to raise them elsewhere?

Bloomberg’s had a couple of appearances with Governor Schwarzenegger. No more, please. Time to roll up the red carpet!… Read More

San Diego Lincoln Club Executive Director Chris Niemeyer, largely responsible — with the support of his board — for taking the organization to a new level in recent years (see Duane Dichiara’s post of last December), is leaving for other pastures.I say "other," not "greener," in that my guess is Chris loves the political work, but also knows he’s capable of doing very well financially in the "real private" sector. He is right. The word is that Chris wants to take a stab at being a political donor, not just an operative. Good for him.

I wish him very well.

The rest of the inside word is that after running through about a half-dozen applicants, the list of replacements has been narrowed to two, a Republican legislative aide in San Diego (who will remain nameless for the present), and a local political consultant (who…yeah, yeah…I gotta keep this one nameless too).

My understanding is that the Lincoln Club may make a final selection tomorrow. More to… Read More

This just came over the trasem… MEDIA ADVISORY WHAT: Tom Del Beccaro, Chair of the Contra Costa Republican Party and Mark Pruner, Chair of the Yolo County Republican Party, will be holding a press conference to discuss their filing of a lawsuit that seeks declaratory relief that Jerry Brown is ineligible to serve as Attorney General, because he does not meet the minimum qualifications for the office as set forth in California law and injunctive relief directing Registrars of Voters not to count ballots cast for Brown due to his ineligibility. WHERE: In front of the Superior Court for Sacramento County, 720 Ninth Street, Sacramento, California WHEN: 10:30 AM, Thursday, October 19, 2006 … Read More

I have seen the numbers and they were good.

I just got the chance to review the internal polling numbers from the Strickland campaign for Controller. Chiang and Strickland are polling very close.

The numbers also show that no one knows who either of them are, although a more voters know and like Strickland than Chiang.

Here are the numbers from the Oct. 15 – 18 tracking poll conducted by Public Opinion Strategies:

In such a Democratic state, why is the GOP… Read More

This time of year is the silly season for candidates and their tripping all over each other to parade out their endorsements from newspapers. So I thought I would take a few minutes to share my ten cents about "newspaper endorsements" — which is this.

First and foremost — what IS the endorsement of a newspaper? In almost every case, it means that the editorial board of a newspaper has held some sort of vote and decided to put the good name of that paper behind a particular candidate for office. Who is on an editorial board? Well, to be honest, that varies from paper to paper. But it has been my experience that these are the editorial writers for the paper, and then add for good measure the editorial page director, sometimes it includes columnists, and even the local cartoonist. Decidedly NOT voting on the final decision to endorse a particular candidate are the political reporters from the ‘news’ side of a newspaper, though often the news reporters are invited to come and ‘explain’ the details of a race that they are covering, and answer questions from the editorial board. Of course, the important… Read More

On a recent trip a friend of mine suggested that, "Affordable housing is whatever I am willing to pay for it."

I have to admit I laughed when he said it. Call me cold. But the idea that government can or should successfully dictate housing costs in any particular market goes against my ideology. However, as a planning commissioner I am in the middle of the affordable housing debate all the time. And since the other leaders in my city don’t hold my philosophy, I am usually trying to improve the plans and programs rather than block them.

So whenever someone who I respect comes up with a cogent commentary on affordable housing I read it with interest. Diane Harkey is a Dana Point city councilwoman and financial whiz and one of the few elected officials I know that has a command of how our economy really works. Here are her thoughts on the subject: The Affordable Housing Dilemma…or the problem with living in paradise…

We love to read about how… Read More

Nothing is more frustrating than the lack of information available about judges. I’ve already given the LA County Lincoln Club picks for LA Superior Court and told everyone to vote No on Supreme Court Justice Joyce Kennard. The same provision that allows us to vote on State Supreme Court Justices allows us to vote up or down Court of Appeals Justices. There is hardly any information.

Outside of LA, CRA has recommended a NO vote on Kathleen O’Leary- an extreme Davis appointee in the Orange, San Diego and Inland Empire area. As for LA I (not CRA) make the following recommendations.

But, First the method to my madness. I looked at their bios. If you were a Brown and Davis appointee–easy no. Deukmejian, Wilson served in ReaganAdministartion, — yes. The current Governor of course is wobbler on these things. So if you were a Democrat, Brown appointee and then elevated by Arnold- More Likely No. I… Read More

The Lincoln Club of Fresno County’s radio buy on Fresno’s KMJ 580 has had the desired effect – 25,000 downloads of our voter guide in just six days. New memberships, and better yet, lot’s of recognition in the area. Our objectives are simple: drive turnout for the downticket candidates, our local endorsed candidates and the defeat of all of the bonds and tax increases.

We also know that many of these downloaded voter guides will wind up emailed all over the State.

Assemblyman Mike Villines reads our next ad, starting Thursday. Check out our voter guide at www.fresnolincolnclub.org.

By the way, I am in Ohio this week. You want to see negative ads, come out here. It’s a bloodbath.… Read More