Is it just me, or does anyone else think that Phil Kurzner’s use of “Dr. Phil” in his campaign missives makes him sound less like a highly-qualified M.D. running for Insurance Commissioner than a daytime TV personality made famous by dishing out touchy-feely psycho-babble on the Oprah Winfrey Show? I know…this must have been gauged by some consultant (what, to reach out to the Oprah voting bloc?), but no one is actually gonna think he’s that Dr. Phil, are they?

Actually, looking at the two Dr. Phils, there is a striking resemblance.

Note to voters: Vote for the one with the hair.

Realistically, though, there may be strand of brilliance here. In the Republican primary, how many voters will actually know the difference between Phil Kurzner and Steve… Read More

Great news! You can run red lights in the city of Los Angeles without getting caught by those pesky civil rights violating cameras. A big thank you goes out to Republican Councilman Dennis Zine for letting the public know that a yellow lightmeans step on it. See the latest story here.

Two observations are in order. One is that it is wonderful that the LA City bureaucracy moves so slowly. Imagine how bad it would be in LA if the city were too effective?

Second is Councilman Weiss. Give me a break with his "If one person decides not to run a red light, and if one life is saved because of the deterrent effect of the cameras, that’s a good thing,"

Yes Dennis Zine wants people to die. If Weiss wanted to save… Read More

RICO OLLER LOOKS AT TREASURER BID? Ever since last week’s bomb shell news that Bill Simon was dropping his bid for the GOP nomination for Treasurer, the FlashReport has been receiving a steady stream of e-mails and ‘anonymous tips’ on potential candidates to replace him in that primary. There is wide-spread disatisfaction with the remaining candidates in the field. Claude Parrish, a Board of Equalization Member from Southern California (and quite an odd fellow) has failed to ignite any enthusiasm for his campaign with six years to work a district covering a quarter of California’s voters. The other candidate in the primary, Keith Richman, is so far outside of the mainstream of Republican thought that he might almost be dismissed out of hand. His opposition to the Governor’s last budget because it didn’t raise taxes, his opposition to the parental notification initiative, and his strong support for the recent open primary measure are just a few of his extreme positions…

… Read More

Official Welcome to Three New Contributors!!

I have had such great feedback from readers all around California on the FR BLOG – especially when our contributors write stories from their area. Because of the interest from FR BLOG readers to get more "local" political blogging, we are expanding the regional correspondent ranks of the site, to try ensure plenty of content for all to devour.

The decision about whether and how to expand is a tough one. But in the end, this blog is visited frequently (multiple times a day) mby many, and so there is a responsibility on my part, as the Publisher, not have a measured amount of content. Up to this point, we’ve had great posts, but sometimes we’ll go half a day, or longer without ANY posts. So, here are the reinforcements thus far:

Barry Jantz joins Duane Dichiara as a second correspondent from San Diego. Barry is a long-time Councilman from the East County city of La Mesa. He has been involved heavily with Republican and… Read More

The first time I voted in an Oakland election, I had to choose between two mayoral candidates who both loudly declared their vegetarianism as a way to attract voters (Jerry Brown and Wilson Riles, Jr). Next year, I get to choose between a socialist and the father of a rapist for the city’s new mayor.

Last month, the ultra-liberal Ron Dellums announced that he intends to run for mayor in Oakland. Dellums, readers will remember, was elected to Congress in 1970 on an anti-Vietnam War agenda. When he arrived in DC, the former Berkeley City Council member set up a Vietnam War crimes exhibit outside his office which featured large posters of atrocities allegedly committed by American soldiers. Later,… Read More

I had to chuckle today when I sawboth the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin and the Riverside Press-Enterprise editorially decryingpolitical parties’ involvement in local, "non-partisan" elections this November (here we go again). According to the Press Enterprise, "Local elected offices are nonpartisan for a reason. These officials handle the nuts and bolts of local government: mostly practical issues that transcend party lines." Read it here. The Daily Bulletin lamented the parties’ involvement as a "loss of political innocence" (how’s that for an oxymoron?): "We’d like to see community races stay nonpartisan, with voters evaluating candidates’ skills, experience and ideas on specific local issues rather than their political alignments." Read it here.

So let me get this straight. The single most useful piece of information that most voters rely upon… Read More

I’ve been a reader of the FlashReport since its inception. I had no doubt in those early days that Jon “Do You Have My Business Card?” Fleischman was just the person to sustain such an effort over the long term…that with his contacts and drive, the FlashReport would become a daily “read” of choice by many polunkies around California.

And, yes, for those of you new to this site, what was then an e-mailed collection of news articles and opinion from across California, supplemented by Jon’s preceding commentary, became a must read, thanks to every day getting himself up two hours early and reading darn-near everything.

So, when Jon announced he was taking the FlashReport to the next level, with a website, links to the important news around California, and blogs by experienced pols and pundits, I encouraged him.

But be-jeepers, when I saw Jon’s… Read More

FIELD POLL SKEWED TO THE LEFT I spoke last week on this commentary page about the insatiable appetite that the media has for these last-minute polls. Today there are many stores on the release of the "Field Poll." Let me start by reminding everyone that in order to accurately poll the electorate, you need to be able to figure out WHO IS GOING TO VOTE so that you can try to poll a REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE in order to be accurate. I haven’t found anyone yet who can tell me with any degree of certainty who it is that is going to turn out for this Special Election. There are so many different factors at play, from voter fatigue to trying to analyze which interests will mobilize for particular measures. So, before you get all concerned about these latest polling stories, remember this admonision.

Relative to the Field Poll itself, I would share these keen observations from a friend and expert on California politics… [I won’t cite him by name because I don’t know if he wants the… Read More