I find it hard to muster up sympathy for the big wigs in the entertainment business when the are hit with ‘labor actions’ by their unions. After all, how many millions upon millions have been donated by the Hollywood ‘elite’ towards the liberal candidates and causes that have empowered these unions? Somehow there is some sort of justice in the Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Local 16, being the subject of a complaint by San Francisco’s LucasFilm. While you are busy crying for poor George Lucas, you can read about it here.… Read More

Orange County is in the midst of a Special Election frenzy that started with this Tuesday’s 48th CD ‘primary’.

On Nov. 8th we will vote on the statewide initiatives with the rest of you, as well as a slew of local county initiatives that mostly are about funding for the sheriff, DA and firefighters.

On Dec. 6th the run-off for the 48th CD will pit State Senator John Campbell against Minute Man Founder Jim Gilchrist and some Democrat that doesn’t really matter.

Then sometime early next year we can expect ANOTHER Special Election for state senate to replace then Congressman John Campbell.

I am not sure if this is any kind of record but it certainly creates opportunity for political consultants and observers.… Read More

The Governor was in Fresno yesterday, and for the 43rd straight time, members of our Lincoln Club were not summoned to go out into the masses and defend his agenda. That aside, it was good to see him out with the people again at the Fresno County Fair. There were a “few enemies of reform” ** following him with “For Sale” signs but they were generally pretty orderly. The Governor, as reported in the Fresno Bee, was in Fresno to receive the California State Farm Bureau’s endorsement of his upcoming special election issues. Responding to the Governor’s visit, “enemy of reform” spokesperson Steve Maviglio (of Gray Davis fame) said that “Clearly, he’s on the side of corporate interests in just about every field…”. Of course Steve, corporate interests are EMPLOYING your union members and providing the tax base for your monstrous spending schemes every year. The Governor did a great job yesterday and if he continues to go out into the masses of people, flanked by supporters who will defend his agenda ***, and define his opponents as “enemies of reform” he will win in November, even being outspent… Read More

Wow. A fight is brewing in Los Angeles over a bill sponsered by Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff and Republican CongressmanDavid Dreier over cop killers from Mexico. Mexico refuses to extradite cop killers and other accused of murder and some other crimes because the United States may executethe poor little cop killers or sentence them to prison for a long time.

The big case in Los Angelesis the murder of Deputy David March.

The bill would have originally stripped Los Angeles Distirct Attorney Steve Cooley and other locals from prosecuting killers of peace officers and given it to the federal government. The want the US to stop aiding Mexico until they turn them over. Dreier has voted against this approach.

Cooley and the Los Angeles Police Union were furious. Cooley went on the John and Ken radioshow to denounce it. Schiff-Dreier made some changes that still didn’t satifsy Cooley and Company. Read it here.

Enter Steve Ipsen, the head of the Assocaition of Deputy District Attorneys, who appeared at the re-eletction kick-off of Dreier to counter… Read More

BUSH OFFICIAL TO JOIN GOP AG PRIMARY? The top story in the FlashReport news link section today is from the San Francisco Chronicle, and is a must read. Pierre Richard Prosper, who is a Bush Administration war crimes investigator, hails out of Oakland, is black, and is ‘presumably moderate’ according to the story. He has praises heaped on him in the story from former State GOP Vice Chairman Mario Rodriguez, and from former Ambassador to Spain Billionairre George Argyros. Of course, up to this point (and still, since this is just speculation) the field has been clear for GOP State Senator Chuck Poochigian of Fresno. Poochigian is very popular with the GOP and has raised a lot of money (over $2 mil) so far. Of course, on the Dem side, the battle royale is between former Governor Jerry ‘Moonbeam’ Brown (now Mayor of Oakland) and Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo.

Analysis for now: Unless he ducks out quickly, look for Prosper to understand exactly NOT FUN it is to be in the crosshairs of strategist… Read More

Who is this man? He is an official with the Bush Administration, and he may run against State Senator Chuck Poochigian for the GOP nomination for State Attorney General.

Read more in my daily commentary posted with the news each day on this website.

There is always something going on in California politics. And I guarantee you and my fellow contributors and I will always have something to say about it.

Take care, Jon… Read More

Today’s SF Chronicle reports that Proposition 76, the Governor’s budget reform initiative, may be starting to see its financial support being redirected toward other Schwarzenegger ballot priorities.

"Campaign finance reports released last week showed that supporters of Prop. 76, which would give the governor more power over the state budget, had only $7,600 in the bank on Sept. 24, compared with $914,000 for Proposition 75 and $3 million for Proposition 77." Go to the story here.

Maybe this is just a natural ebb and flow that happens when the same donor base is funding four initiatives. But if this is part of a considered strategy, it’s a smart move. If you’re going to be outspent, it makes sense to target your resources as narrowly as possible. Passing redistricting reform and/or Paycheck Protection is enough for Team Arnold to claim victory, so concentrating their fire on one or both of them increases their chances for winning. Even if the budget initiative loses, Arnold can still legitimately make… Read More

Excerpted from the Wall Street Journal, October 5, 2005

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger made two big announcements at last month’s Republican state convention. The first was that he will seek a second term in 2006; the second was a formal endorsement of Proposition 75, a ballot measure in the November 8 special election that would affect how public-sector unions can spend members’ dues. The second is more important to the state’s long-run future. Mr. Schwarzenegger’s goals as governor include shaking up Sacramento, where an intransigent legislature beholden to special interests had turned the state into an economic basket case. Arnold does have something to show for his efforts to date, insofar as the fiscal bleeding seems to have stopped. California’s credit rating is out of the gutter, and the economy has created a quarter-million new jobs in the past year.

Still, important reforms remain unaddressed, and the passage of Proposition 75, also known as “paycheck protection,” would go a long way toward ending California politics-as-usual. By forcing public-sector unions to get written permission from employees… Read More