The 5th anniversary of 9-11 is this Monday, and there are can’t miss television programs providing a look at this terrible catastrophe. This link to a short video is one that should be viewed by everyone possible, especially liberals, who represent a grave threat to our freedom and security.

I might note that the President is back to being the President again, stridently defending his policy on terrorism, and guess what, his polling numbers are up and so are the GOP’s prospects for retaining Congressional majorities. I love watching him on offense. The GOP is on offense so little of the time no wonder we don’t have points on the board.

Stand for something, articulate your position, and results will come. What don’t our elected officials understand about this?… Read More

Residency – the act of dwelling in a place.

The laws governing residency are actually fairly liberal. But you kinda sorta have to live in a city to run for city council. Saying you live at your son’s house in Orange and really shaking up with your husband in Newport Beach doesn’t cut it.

This is the case of a local candidate for Orange City Council. She is Carol Rudat, wife of the former city manager who was (fired, let go, left on his own terms) feel free to call it what ever you want, but he ain’t running the city anymore.

Carol, the wife and real estate professional that profited from the sale of land involving a trash company that was bidding on a city contract at the time while her husband was city manager and her husband was eventually fined by the FPPC for the incident was not available to comment about where she lives when are reporter called so her San Diego spokesperson chimed in to say how rude it was to question where she lived.

Interesting is that the Rudat spokesperson said she moved into the home owned by her some in Orange in July. The thing is she re-registered at the residence in April.… Read More

I see how this is going to work – it is going to be the love/hate month where it comes to Arnold Schwarzenegger and pen — whether he uses it to sign a bad bill, or uses it to veto one. I am still trying hard to discern the ideology and principles that he is applying when reviewing bills so that I can try to have an accurate anticipation of what he will do.

Assembly Bill 172 by Democrat Assemblywoman Wilma Chan of Oakland was a veto waiting to happen. This legislation clearly puts the State of California further into the business of operating preschools (you’ll recall that the voters soundly rejected an attempt by ultra-liberal Rob Reiner to pass a tax increase to do just this). As a matter of fact, this bill was an end-run around the voters who rejected that plan. The clear lesson of that rejection was that voters do not want their tax dollars going into government pre-school. But, of course, someone is trying to take as the lesson that the objection was not to the government schooling, but just to raising taxes on smokers to do it.

Anyways, about a half-dozen moderate Republicans voted for this bill — and there was an odd and… Read More

Yolo County’s strong arm tactics to takeover from private ownership the 17300 acre Conaway Ranch in eastern Yolo County has been thwarted. Eminent Domain was invoked over a yearago by the county since the owners wouldn’t sell, in order to ‘protect’ the ranch, ostensibly. The owners had been operating it as it had been for many years, as a rice farming operation and as duck clubs with much natural wildlife habitat. The owners were even awarded for their stewardship by wildlife organizations. But the county, sensingthat some of theownership, having a history of being in the development history [the horror!]may want to turn the 17300 acres into houses and strip malls, thereby the county must take the land to ‘save’ it! Never mind that about 15,000 acres is virtually undevelopable as it is so highly susceptible to flooding you would be out of your mind to try. Our helicopter ride with the Guv and Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff early this year gave me abirdseye view of the vast majority of the land under several feet of water, up next to the Sacramento River and it’s working, intact levee.

So what… Read More

Some of you may have seen Drudge‘s recent headline, "Fury as academics claim 9/11 was ‘inside job.’" I read it intrigued, as I always am, by these people who have a need to believe in more complicated versions of events. There’s this psychological demand in each one of them that "facts" exist to fit their worldview. They have to believe that President Bush, Prime Minister Blair, the CIA, and the United States military-industrial complex conspired to commit bloodshed in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania or the rest of their worldview won’t line up. They’ll actually experience cognitive dissonance for defending bin Laden, al Qaeda, Arafat, Hamas, Hezbollah, Ahmadinejad, Gaddafi, Chavez, Castro and others if they can’t point the finger at Bush et al for every one of the world’s ills. It’s beyond cynicism. It’s a pathology.

I’ve read the enthralling 9/11… Read More

I don’t know the guy at all, but I REALLY appreciate him helping our down-ticket GOP candidates (see Jon’s posting). Am I the only one wondering why Rudy Giuliani can make it California to help out Tom McClintock, Chuck Poochigian and Tony Strickland when Arnold Schwarzenegger couldn’t find the time to appear with these guys at the state’s GOP convention last month? Maybe I’m judging the governor too harshly and after bill signing is over, he’ll come out to help our down-ticket candidates in a big way. (I’d love to see Schwarzenegger shine a little of his movie-star light on badly Jerry Brown has failed to deal with Oakland‘s crime problem and why he shouldn’t be promoted to be the state’s… Read More

Datamar Inc. released a survey of San Diego City this morning that should put to rest a few questions. I’ve been pretty hard on the accuracy of Datamar in the past (they use an automated system), but the last few polls I’ve seen have started matching more traditional surveys. This poll in particular hits the truth pretty squarely between the eyes.

Point 1: Reformers who are seen as willing to buck the system are popular. Republican Mayor Sanders, in his calm and re-assuring way, Democrat City Attorney Mike Aguirre, in his shrill and disquieting way, and Democrat Donna Frye, in her off-the-cuff but probably honest way are all popular for the same reason. All are willing to stand up against what voters view as a corrupt, self-serving city establishment that includes the ring of politicians, civil servants, union bosses, and other special interests that got the city in this mess to start with. The Mayor’s positives are 79.1%, the City Attorney is at 63.8%, the Councilwoman 54.8% (Frye’s question was a bit different and probably led to a lower number). Note to politicians or aspiring politicians: the are periods of time when it’s good to be… Read More

And the Garden Grove City Council said let there be daylight…and there was daylight. And the Garden Grove City Council said let there be stars in the sky…and there were stars in the sky.

It might sound a bit odd to think that until last week it was illegal to have a bowl of Kim-chi while gazing at the passing cars or twirl a fork full of spaghetti marinara under the stars above, but somehow it has taken this long for the wise city council members in Garden Grove to allow outdoor dining.

Free at last, free at last, thank Janet Nguyen, we are free at last.

Garden Grove Councilwoman Nguyen was kind enough to send a press release on the subject. She says, "What we are doing is continuing to make Garden Grove a business friendly city and eliminate unnecessary red tape when doing business with city hall."

Amen!

Nguyen the first woman in over 30 years on the Garden Grove City Council has a good shot at being Orange County’s next supervisor (should Sup. Correa best Daucher in the 34th Senate). I can only hope Janet will bring the same kind of ideas to county government.

Outdoor seating ordinances is exactly… Read More