AB 2948, The Democrats "We’re StillApoplectic ThatGeorge W. Bush Won in 2000" bill passed 48-30.It wouldfurther shift Electoral College power away from what those "pesky" Founders thought would be fair to small states and rural areas, in presidential elections. This proposal even more so marginalizes places like theNorth State and boils the campaign down to the 11 most populated states having the number of Electors to decide the presidential election under this bizarre coalition. What if the 11 biggest states are all "blue" ones?

The bill, SB 1578, requiring dog owners to not tetherdogs for more than 3 hours at a time [the subject of numerous calls from farmers, ranchers, people with dogs and without huge yards] was stopped temporarily 40-33, with reconsideration today.

A bill [SB 927]to tax $30, every container that goes in and out of Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach scraped by 42-35, putting California exports at a further disadvantage and raising the costs of all the imported stuff to consumers.

A "locomotive air impact mitigation fee",SB 459, for the South Coast was… Read More

At least three times in the last week I have received what sounded like the same call from a sitting city council member in three different cities. In each case the call went something like this: "Adam, what is CANDIDATE X doing? If he/she is going to win a seat on this council/become mayor he/she needs to start NOW!"

Point well taken. In each case I put a call into the respective candidate who is a friend and gave them a swift kick in the rear.

The calls are illustrative of a big issue in campaigning, especially for local office. Supporters want to see activity, action, movement and progress. They get anxious when they see nothing happening. As well they should. Inaction at this hour in a campaign is inexcusable.

I say be every where and any where. This is the time when reporters and insiders make up there mind and put candidates in a box: winner or loser. Don’t be the latter.

As inefficient a use of your time it might seem to be, walk a few precincts with just a… Read More

Every piece of legislation that comes up for a vote in the legislature is analyzed by consultants on both the Republican and Democrat sides of the isle. This review and summary of a bill help legislators to sort out the good from the bad.

Well, it is no wonder why Republicans are distancing themselves from Assembly Bill 523, by LA Democrat Carol Liu, that would allow the Coast Community College District to sell their television station (KOCE) to KOCE’s Foundation for millions under top market value. Current law prohibits that, but now the district, helped by Liu (who isn’t even from Orange County) are working an end-run around the law, by trying to ‘sneak through’ legislation that, literally, only applies to this one instance, and would specifically allow the station to be sold at less than market value.

Well, the experienced analysts for Senate Republicans looked at this bill and they have some very serious concerns that this bill could in fact allow for a "gift of public funds" by allowing a government asset to specifically be sold at less than market value, and therefore the proposed law if enacted could very well be a… Read More

[The Daily Commentary for Wednesday, August 30, 2006, has been penned by FlashReport San Diego Correspondent Barry Jantz. After I read this piece, I had two thoughts come to mind — the first is that Barry’s daughter, Kayleigh, rocks! The second is that because he signed SB 1441, I don’t know how to deal with the Governor on a go-forward basis. It was such an obviously bad bill that you wonder what was going through his mind – Flash] Today was my daughter’s first day of kindergarten. A great day. It goes without saying that Colleen and I are proud of Kayleigh, but we are also blessed to be able to send her to Christian Elementary near La Mesa, part of the acclaimed Christian Unified Schools of San Diego.

Kayleigh had no separation anxiety or any other problem this first day. She’s about as well-adjusted as a kid can be (I know I’m biased, of course), but it also helps that shewas in the Pre-K program at the school last year with many of the same classmates,makingthis "step up" perhaps… Read More

AB 2911, the bill forcing drug companies to offer voluntary discount drug pricing is up on our floor. It had passed out of the Senate, party line, 25-12 previously. "Republican Ally" Al Sharpton even opposes this legislation as it would hurt the poor as well as suppressing new drug research. It costs hundreds of millions to bring new drugs to market, especially considering the ‘dry wells’ that don’t work out after much research costs.

It’s funny [not funny] to hear how the drug companies have 3 years to comply with this "voluntary" mandate. The first tally is 42-28 on a party line vote.… Read More

FR friend Hank Shaw, State Capitol reporter for the Stockton Record, penned a blog post yesterday where he noted that Congressman Richard Pombo’s Democrat challenger in the 11th District, Jerry McNerney, had dumped his campaign spokesperson (after some stories surfaced about person’s drinking habits). In his place, McNerney has brought on Rob Caughlan, who was the spokesperson for Pombo’s now-decimated Republican primary opponent, Pete McCloskey.

McNerney has famously changed his positions on dozens of issues since winning his Democrat primary. You have to wonder, by bringing on McCloskey’s old flack, if that means that McNerney shares McCloskey’s alarmingly dismissive views about the "so-called Holocaust" (those are McCloskey’s words).

I’m not in Stockton, but as a Jewish kid, I will be offended at long-distance. McNerney should be distancing himself from anyone and anything having to do with McCloskey — instead,… Read More

[The Daily Commentary for Wednesday, August 30, 2006, has been penned by FlashReport San Diego Correspondent Barry Jantz. After I read this piece, I had two thoughts come to mind — the first is that Barry’s daughter, Kayleigh, rocks! The second is that because he signed SB 1441, I don’t know how to deal with the Governor on a go-forward basis. It was such an obviously bad bill that you wonder what was going through his mind – Flash] Today was my daughter’s first day of kindergarten. A great day. It goes without saying that Colleen and I are proud of Kayleigh, but we are also blessed to be able to send her to Christian Elementary near La Mesa, part of the acclaimed Christian Unified Schools of San Diego.

Kayleigh had no separation anxiety or any other problem this first day. She’s about as well-adjusted as a kid can be (I know I’m biased, of course), but it also helps that shewas in the Pre-K program at the school last year with many of the same classmates,makingthis "step up" perhaps a much bigger deal for mom and dad than it is… Read More

Bill fails 39-37, can be reconsidered tomorrow.

AB 352, the bill to require that ammo cartridges have an ID stamp on them so they can supposedly be traced back to the gun owner in a crime scene, is on the floor, amidst a hot debate. It passed the Senate 22-18 previously withall Republicans voting no.Assembly votes sit at 37-29 in favor, on call.… Read More