Gov. Schwarzenegger issued the following statement following this morning’s votes in the Legislature:

"Today is an important day for all of California. For the first time in a generation, we are making a real investment in our state’s future. "First, let me thank the legislative leaders for all of their efforts to make the Strategic Growth Plan a reality. In January, I proposed the Strategic Growth Plan during my State of the State address. Everybody said it couldn’t be done. Everybody said it was impossible to bring both parties together for such a historic undertaking. … Read More

There is a story on today’s Drudge Report about a family getting kicked out of a Chinese buffet in Iowa for leaving too much on their plates. Kinda reminds me of last night when we were making $35 Billion choices at 3AM and watching how much of it will go for hog feed. I’m very disappointed in the process.

There is great need and merit in doing the effort to improve highways, levees/flood control/water storage. Unfortunately, less than half, perhaps by far, [the ink is still drying on the bill proposals asI tap this out] will get to this type of true infrastructure. For example, there was $3 Billion ostensiblyfor levees but no programming that it will actually go for levee work in that bond. It could still end up with any given amount of the $3B going for bugs and shrubs.

Sorry folks, but I’ve watched Lucy pull the football away from Charlie Brown on previous "water bonds"[btw, no water storage either, the… Read More

Federal lobbyist and former Congressman Brian Bilbray, the Republican, is LOSING to liberal school teacher Francine Busby, the Democrat in a “safe” GOP seat as conservatives nationally, and in this coastal San Diego County district are fed up with ‘big government’ Republicanism.

I just got off of the phone with Bill Hauf. The overwhelming majority of FR readers will be unfamiliar with who that is – Hauf is one of the conservative candidates who ran in the large field to replace ‘Duke’ Cunningham in Congress. Hauf, who ran a principled campaign on the issues, didn’t fare as well as he would have liked. But he was proud that nearly 70% of the votes that went to Republicans were cast for conservative/reform candidates. Of course, Brian Bilbray who is a liberal-moderate Republican, who one with about 15% of the vote, now has to consolidate Republicans and decline-to-state voters behind him for the special election run-off on June 6th.

A lot of… Read More

The California Republican Assembly Board of Directors will have a conference call on Monday at noon to discuss the bonds and the 50th CD and the possible Roach candidacy. Sen. Ackerman has been invited to participate.

You can see my personal view on the bonds here and my personal view on the 50th CD here.… Read More

The infrastructure bonds that the legislature put on the November ballot this morning will re-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger. Already armed with advantages over either of his Democratic opponents on taxes, driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants, and Jessica’s Law, the presence of bonds providing money for road, school and levee construction gives Schwarzenegger an issues arsenal that will be almost impossible for either Steve Westly or Phil Angelides to defeat.

The two strongest arguments against Arnold’s re-election — the criticisms that took him down in last year’s special election — have been that he has accomplished very little in office and that he’s short-changed the state’s schools. Earlier this week, it was announced that the state would take in roughly $4 billion more in tax revenue than had been anticipated. It’s a virtual certainty that Schwarzenegger will use the majority of that money to repay money that the teachers’ unions have argued he owes K-12 education, leaving his Democratic opponent to argue that they would have increased school funding one year earlier than Arnold did.… Read More

The FR got a hot tip that turned out to be very true.

I just got off of the phone with a staffer in the office of Democratic Assemblyman Juan Arambula (pictured) who confirmed that his boss has been told to pack his things — he is being moved to a new office, "5126", said the staffer. I asked him if he knew who occupied that office now, and he said, "Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee."

Have you been to Blakeslee’s office? It’s tiny.

Arambula last night had some very serious concerns about the Infrastructure Bond Package being forced through the legislature. (I hear there were issues surrounding unfairness to county governments, among other concerns). Anyways, he did not provide "aye" votes for ANY of the bond measures.

Sounds to me like the Speaker is punishing a member of his caucus for voting his conscience. I sure hope that all of his Democratic colleagues denounce this… Read More

As I write this, the California State Senate is voting on the various components of the BIG BOND$ deal. First to pass was this Prop. 42 ‘fix’ that would go on the ballot, though there is nothing in the other bonds requiring the Prop. 42 fix to actually pass for the bonds to also be authorized. This is key since the CTA opposes the fix. Also voted out was the Levee Repair Bond, as well as a one-time emergency appropriation of $500,000. They started a vote on the Housing Bond, but apparently Republican Leader Ackerman was not there, so that has been held open. Votes underway for the Transportation and the Education Bond measures.

And the State Assembly has just called their members into session… [UPDATE (Midnight): The Senate passed, with TWO Republican votes (the minimum # of GOP votes to give Democrats a 2/3 vote) the Housing Bond measure. The two GOPers that sold-out on that vote: Senators Dick Ackerman and Bob Dutton. Very disappointing.]

[UPDATE II (12:10am): Just got off of the phone with Dick Ackerman, who… Read More

Thanks to Flash for pointing out the piece from yesterday’s San Bernardino County Sun about the latest development in the misadventures ofRep. Joe Baca and Sons,aka the "Dismal Dynasty". I postedPart I of this year’s sagaon October 9th. The latest Baca blunder came in the form of their inability to get endorsements from the Democratic Party convention last weekend.

(Pictured, left to right) Joe, Joe Jr., and Jeremy — or as he is now known, "J. Baca", are either running for reelection to Congress (Joe the Father), for a promotion from the State Assembly to the State Senate in the overlapping district (Joe the Son, who likes to call himself "Genuine Joe"), or for promotion to the State Assembly from "education consultant" (the other son, "J. Baca", akaJeremy).

Since almost the dawn of… Read More