In today’s FR, publisher Jon Fleischman penned a column on the Protect Our Homes effort chaired by Mimi Walters and endorsed by Tom McClintock. See it here.In their fundraising pitch it mentions a Filipino Church in Long Beach targeted for eminent domain. See churches are "bad" for cities beacuse they only help people to live moral lives and provide no tax revenue like a mini-malls with liquor stores,a Costco or condoswould do.

In Long beach it looks like the church won’t be condemned. You can see the story here. Of course it could still happen later or to someone else. What we need is an initiative! Wait a minute we have one. Sign it and send it in. Protect Our Homes.… Read More

Morgan Crinklaw, the Press Secretary for the Assembly Republican Caucus, privides these answers to my questions:

Assistant Republican Leaders are an important part of the Republican Leader’s team. They assist the Leader in articulating the caucus message, promoting policy and maintaining unity among members. Assistant Republican Leaders work with the Leader to focus and frame the debate. Republican whips are also an important part of the Assembly Republican Leader’s leadership team, providing guidance on public policy issues before the Legislature. Whips also assist the Republican leader in devising legislative floor strategy, and advancing caucus positions and goals to the Assembly’s 32 members. Their primary role on the floor of the Assembly is to convey messages from the leader to the other members… Read More

When the unions are quiet the Governor’s approval ratings start inching up, so its no surprise the California Teachers Association is up on radio blaming Arnold for a supposed lack of "college opportunity" tied directly to his borrowing of education money a last year to shore up the budget.

The latest ads were heard on Newstalk 580, KMJ, a Fresno based station with huge reach in Central California.

Although this new ad is not up on the CTA Website yet, the rest of last year’s ads against the Governor are – and there is no reason to believe the summer of 2006 will be any different or any less effective.

Arnold’s fortunes in November are tied to one strategicaspect of his campaign – how does he deal with teachers, nurses, firefighters, cops and prison guards? If his campaign does not aggressively define these groups before they define him again, he won’t win re-election.… Read More

Those watching the Oakland mayor’s race should check out Chip Johnson‘s column in the San Francisco Chronicle today. Johnson rightly points out that former Congressman Ron Dellums is long on rhetoric but short on details in his campaign for mayor. Johnson says that Dellums offered soft-on-crime views during a recent meeting with the Chronicle’s editorial board. For example, Dellums said he doesn’t support the Oakland Unified School District‘s zero tolerance for violence or drugs because he thinks it disproportionately affects African American and Latino youth.

With the election just six weeks away, maybe Dellums will… Read More

Assembly Republican Leader George Plescia announced the following as the members of his Leadership Team.

I’ve made an inquiry to find out exactly the responsibilities of some of these positons. Caucus Chairman and being the Vice Chairman of a key policy committee are more or less self-explanitory in terms of added responsibility (and presumably staff positions). But it is unclear to me what you "get" if you are one of five Assistant Leaders or Six Whips. Do these folks all meet as a leaderhip team? Is there staffing augmentation? Do tell! In the meantime, you can figure each of these folks played a key role in the election of Plescia, either in helping him to get votes, or helping him by getting out of the way…

➢ Republican Caucus Chair: Assemblyman Greg Aghazarian, R-Stockton

… Read More

This morning I had an opportunity to listen to President George W. Bush speak for the better part of an hour at what I would characterize as an ‘intimate’ townhall-style ‘talk’ to several hundred Orange Countians who were arranged bleacher-style in a 360 degree layout around the President. It was a respectful audience, and clearly everyone in the room was proud to be an American, and was relishing in the opportunity to hear in such a direct, familial fashion from the President of the United States. Of course, to get into the Hyatt Hotel (about four blocks from my home in Irvine) you had to pass the two distinct groups of protestors — the ones who disagree with the President’s ‘guest worker’ solution for the illegal immigration problem, and those who just disagree with the President on everything. The event was hosted by the Orange County Business Council and I want to give a shout-out to FR friend Todd Priest (and to RD with Team43) for the hook-up, and… Read More

[Today’s guest commentary is from Adam Probolsky.]

Folks, I have a real hard time with anyone telling me in what language I have to communicate. Especially when its not English.

Today’s Flashreport features an exclusive column from OC Supervisor Chris Norby on multi-lingual ballots. As a pollster, I deal in many languages because my job is to identify public opinion. So sometimes that requires us to survey people in the language in which they are most comfortable speaking. But I sure wouldn’t want to be forced into such a practice. We only do it when it is necessary or prudent.

If you have tried to circulate recall papers or a local initiative for signatures lately chances are your attorney told you to publish the notice and circulate petitions in as many a five (5) additional languages: Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Korean and Vietnamese.

What a crock.

I mean no disrespect, but in the business of collecting signatures for a ballot measure, circulators do not have the time nor the interest… Read More

[Today’s guest commentary is written by Adam Probolsky]

Give me a home There is a lot of talk about affordable housing. There is also some legislation and local governments trying to solve the problem: fewer and fewer lower and middle income workers and retirees can afford to live in the established urban and suburban neighborhoods they want and need to live. Today’s OC Register touches on the issue and basically suggests lessening the burden on developers to speed the process and reduce the cost of building. That is a fine idea, but in a market where the million-dollar home is about all you can find, more needs to be done.

By more, I mean, more non-profits engaging in the process and more sane minded residents supporting projects that allow grandma and grandpa to live close to their grand-kids. I am a planning commissioner in … Read More