OK, I have had about all that I can stomach of this post-primary Abel Maldonado ‘flame out’ on Arnold Schwarzenegger. While it is true that Senator Maldonado was an ally to the Governor — both in supporting his candidacies and in authoring the Governor’s controversial mandate on businesses, requiring them to pay a higher wage to employees — it is also true that the Governor was certainly very helpful to Maldonado in return. Maldonado wrapped himself in the Governor’s image, and happily sucked up to a lot of the Governor’s big donor friends. If the Governor had formally endorsed Maldonado in his contested GOP primary against former Assemblyman Tony Strickland, I don’t think it would have brought anything more to the table for Maldonado.

But you have to ask yourself, is it really that unexpected for an incumbent Republican Governor who is seeking re-election to not endorse one candidate over another in a contested Republican primary for statewide office? After… Read More

George Skelton writes today about Joe Klein’s new book, taking the common approach reporters love to take: bashing political consultants. Like reporters don’t play a role in shaping modern day campaigns.

Klein’s book is called "Politics Lost — How American Democracy Was Trivialized by People Who Think You’re Stupid." Klein and Skelton see the "People" in that title as political consultants; I’m sure the political consultants would say that "people" could easily be switched out with the word "reporters."

Klein writes: "I am fed up with the insulting welter of sterilized speechifying, insipid photo ops, and idiotic advertising that passes for public discourse these days. I believe that… Read More

OK, I have had about all that I can stomach of this post-primary Abel Maldonado ‘flame out’ on Arnold Schwarzenegger. While it is true that Senator Maldonado was an ally to the Governor — both in supporting his candidacies and in authoring the Governor’s controversial mandate on businesses, requiring them to pay a higher wage to employees — it is also true that the Governor was certainly very helpful to Maldonado in return. Maldonado wrapped himself in the Governor’s image, and happily sucked up to a lot of the Governor’s big donor friends. If the Governor had formally endorsed Maldonado in his contested GOP primary against former Assemblyman Tony Strickland, I don’t think it would have brought anything more to the table for Maldonado.

But you have to ask yourself, is it really that unexpected for an incumbent Republican Governor who is seeking re-election to not endorse one candidate over another in a contested Republican primary for statewide office? After… Read More

I voted for it before I voted against it…

More cellular coverage is a good thing and I have voted to support cel sites whenever they have come before me as an Irvine Planning Commissioner.

However, last month Sprint had an application before my commission for 10 ‘repeaters’ in the Turtle Rock area of Irvine (a hilly community notorious for lacking cel coverage). Repeaters are much smaller than traditional cel sites. They are simply appendages that attach to either side of a street light standard and tie into the local cable company’s fiber optic network below the street.

The LA Times had a story a couple weeks ago that indicated that I had voted against the proposal. In fact, I voted for it, before I voted against it. Weak, I know. But I had a good reason.

That night the commission was lacking one commissioner and the vote was two-to-two. After realizing I was not going to be able to muster the votes for an approval, I assumed as with any other 2-2 vote that it would be deemed a denial and the applicant (Sprint) could appeal the… Read More

Sometimes you read an article in the newspaper, and you just wonder aloud how some people’s views of the world can be so skewed, and wonder if they are even from the same planet as you. Now I admit that usually, in the context of politics, that is me reading the latest rant of a Howard Dean or an Al Gore. But in the article I am referring to today, it is Congressman Tom Davis of Virginia, a Republican, who heavily quoted in an article in today’s Washington Times entitled, GOP Left Slams Club for Growth. Davis is the head of a GOP Congressional ‘interest group’ called the Republican Main Street Partnership. On their website, the RMSP proclaims that they were founded in 1998 to, "promote thoughtful leadership in the Republican Party, and to partner with individuals, organizations and institutions that share centrist values." The translation of this lofty mission statement is that this organization has been formed by wishy-washy liberal GOPers who… Read More

Sometimes you read an article in the newspaper, and you just wonder aloud how some people’s views of the world can be so skewed, and wonder if they are even from the same planet as you. Now I admit that usually, in the context of politics, that is me reading the latest rant of a Howard Dean or an Al Gore. But in the article I am referring to today, it is Congressman Tom Davis of Virginia, a Republican, who heavily quoted in an article in today’s Washington Times entitled, GOP Left Slams Club for Growth. Davis is the head of a GOP Congressional ‘interest group’ called the Republican Main Street Partnership. On their website, the RMSP proclaims that they were founded in 1998 to, "promote thoughtful leadership in the Republican Party, and to partner with individuals, organizations and institutions that share centrist values." The translation of this lofty mission statement is that this organization has been formed by wishy-washy liberal GOPers who… Read More

There was an interesting comment posted yesterday responsding to what Kate Folmar wrote on the San Jose Mercury’s blog about the gubernatorial campaign and the theme of taxes. It’s a comment I can’t stop thinking about it. It reads:

"I really wish someone (Angelides campaign? the press?) would call Schwarzenegger out on this taxes thing. What does "not raising taxes" have to do with the 7 million Californians without health insurance, or the millions more who are struggling to survive under skyrocketting housing, child care and other costs? These are the problems that need fixing, and these are the problems that should be at the center of the debate.

"Raising taxes vs. not raising taxes is such a red herring, and out [sic] state will continue to suffer if that is where the debate is focused."

Indeed, there are a great many things at stake in California aside from tax increases. I’m beginning to wonder if there isn’t some truth to the idea that taxes are a red herring.

Our attention is being diverted from the ugliness of liberal corruption… Read More

Having been on the ballot twice in less than a year — once in November 2005 when it lost, and again last month when it won — the 1% sales tax increase in National City now has the opposition asking, "Would’ya go two out of three?"

Opponents of the tax are moving ahead on qualifying the rubber match for an upcoming ballot.

Officials in National City say city services will be drastically cut without the tax being at 8.75%, the highest in San Diego County. Opponents of the tax, including even a SD Union Tribune editorial, say if the city hadn’t increased pensions so significantly over the years, it wouldn’t be in this mess.

This in from SD Taxfighters:

The National City Sales Tax Increase Is Going Back on the Ballot Campaign Theme is “Two out of Three” San Diego – Last week, initial papers were filed to put the onerous National City sales tax increase back on the ballot for voter consideration. The new initiative will seek to repeal that city’s recently passed Prop D, the full 1% sales tax increase.

Starting this October,… Read More