I know I’m going to get a bunch of flak for posting this, considering I can’t let on where I got the numbers. And, yep, I’m sure the veracity of an auto-survey will be questioned (similar to that by done Datamar in the past, but just to be clear, they didn’t do this one). And, yeah too, I know the results indicate nada about likely voters, representative samplings, etc.

Whatever. I know the survey was done, I know who did it, I know how it was conducted, and I know the results. It was not done by Horn or Thompson. That’s what I do know. I can’t speak to anything past that. If that’s not good enough for you, well, ok….there’s plenty of web out there to blog on….plus you can always post pithy comments on this page.

The survey was conducted 5/22-5/30, asking the respondents to press the corresponding numbers on their keypad. Here are the results:

1) If you are a registered Voter.

Yes – 501 No – 0

2) How would you rate Bill Horn’s job performance as County Supervisor?

Very good– 37 Good – 67… Read More

The 36th AD is very safe. The fued between the Runners and Jim Ledford has been around as long as I can remember. Ledford is a Liberal, the Runners aren’t. His challenge to Sharon in preparation of a 2008 bid has been nasty. See article here. Of course the big question is Who is donating to Ledford? He is the Treas. for the campaign and hasn’t filed. See article here.… Read More

Over the years I’ve worked for candidates from the top of the ticket all the way down to Mosquito Abatement District. They all have one thing in common: they are obsessive about yard signs. How many they have up (never enough, although the bill for the signs is always outrageous), how many their opponents have up (always tens of thousands), and, of course, who is ripping down whose signs (not us, them).

The ripping down of signs. Years ago, this was fairly common practice for signs placed in public places. There were even clever little devises invented for the task, like “The Hook” which was basically a tree branch trimmer with which you could easily cut down hard to reach signs. Or sharp straight edge blades on a stick that could cut through those new plastic fiberboard signs like a hot knife through butter. Some years ago I nearly got beat to a pulp by a particularly muscular union thug in a wife-beater t-shirt who had big long chains behind his truck with steel hooks that, when attached to a 4×8 firmly planted firmly, allowed the truck to rip the sign to shreds. Or liquids that could be brushed or squirted on signs that would make the ink… Read More

Just came over the wire that Governor Schwarzenegger is putting National Guard on the border, and that he is claims authority over them. I think I’ll offer up a toast to the Governor tonight.… Read More

I read with great interest Karen Hanretty’s two previous posts regarding the Governor, the first theorizing that he will sign an illegal immigrant driver license bill if he is re-elected, and the second his apparent support of single payer health care for California during a second term.

It’s time to put him on the record on both of these issues. As soon as these primaries are over the State GOP Board or Executive Committee needs a commitment from him to oppose both of these issues if he earns a second term. If we can’t get a firm commitment, there isn’t any reason to work for his re-election. The Governor needs to understand who his primary constituency is.… Read More

The Oakland Unified School District board voted yesterday to ignore state law and grant diplomas to students who did not pass the state’s high school exit exam. It was a cheap political move by the board’s part because they know that State Administrator Randall Ward is unlikely to support the decision. Without Ward’s signoff, the vote was symbolic, allowing the board to placate the people who complain that the exit exam is unfair.

Dan Siegel, the board member who proposed the resolution, said that it is "very unfair to say to students who, for 13 years, have done what we have asked them to do, ‘You can’t graduate.’"

Clearly, the Oakland schools, as run by… Read More

There are several intense races going on here in Orange County, but I’d like to focus on one in particular: the 2nd Supervisorial District.

It’s a match-up between OC Treasurer John Moorlach and Stanton City Councilman Dave Shawver.

Some quick background. Moorlach originally ran — and lost –a race against the incumbent OC Treasurer in 1994, warning that the incumbent’s risky investment strategies were going to push Orange County into bankruptcy. The usual suspects denounced Moorlach as an alarmist and dismissed him. We all know what happened next.

After the county went bankrupt, the chastened Board of Supes appointed John to the vacated Treasurer’s spot.

Fast forward 12 years. Incumbent OC Supervisor Jim Silva is termed out and running for Assembly. John Moorlach is running to succeed him, and warning that the recent round of county employee pension spiking places county finances at serious risk.

The local government employee unions are apoplectic at the prospect of Moorlach on the Board of Supervisors.… Read More

[While this column space is usually devoted to FR Publisher Jon Fleischman’s Daily Commentary, today we are pleased to present commentary by FR’s State Capitol Correspondent Dan Schnur.]

Redistricting Reform Urged by Bi-Partisan Citizen’s Coalition by Dan Schnur What do respected conservatives like Bill Leonard, Jon Coupal, and Jim Brulte have in common with Leon Panetta, Fred Keeley, and the head of the League of Women Voters? Answer: they all agree that letting legislators draw their own districts is like letting third-graders decide how much ice cream they can have for dessert. To be fair, none of the… Read More