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[Publisher’s Note: As part of an ongoing effort to bring original, thoughtful commentary to you here at the FlashReport, we are pleased to present this column from Asm. Shannon Grove.]

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Pundits and politicians talk a lot about the importance of modernizing state government and making it more open and accountable to the people it serves. Republicans in the State Assembly agree and recently took several concrete steps to do so.

We recently introduced a package of bills that would modernize the legislative calendar, bring stability to the state budgeting process and increase transparency. These measures would make government more responsive and help restore the public’s trust in its government. We urge the stodgy Democrat majority to seriously consider these reforms – and the public to text and tweet their legislators in support.

Leading by example, last week… Read More

Gov. Jerry Brown has declared that opposition to efforts to reduce carbon emissions “borders on the immoral.” Hesitate though we might to debate Brown, a former Jesuit seminarian, on the nature of divine law, we have to question the “morality” of forcing working California motorists to bear the brunt of the cost of regulations required by Brown’s convictions.

In light of both economic concerns and a more rational understanding of climate change science, other nations and states are rethinking their aggressive policies. But here in California, the reigning political leadership is forcing the middle class and working poor to shoulder almost the entire burden of mankind’s response to climate change.

When it comes to the topic of climate change, there is really only one thing we know for certain. Climate change is a global concern that needs a global response. There are nearly 200 nations on earth. To ask the working families and small businesses of one state in one nation to suffer almost the entirety of economic harm is both unfair and foolish.

To read the entire column please click here:… Read More

If it wasn’t official before that Randy Voepel is seeking the 71st AD seat currently held by Brian Jones…

From the Voepel Campaign

While it has been the pleasure of my lifetime to serve as Mayor of Santee, I’ve determined it’s time for a new opportunity to serve. That’s why I’ve decided to run for the 71st Assembly District.

As Mayor of Santee since 2000, I’ve worked hard to build a strong record. Specifically, my tenure as Mayor has been a demonstration of how conservative policies can work at a local level.

As Mayor, I’ve been proud to accomplish the following:

Jon Coupal, President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, has accepted appointment to National Taxpayers Union Board of Directors. NTU is an organization that is continually championing taxpayer issues both here in California and nationally. This will allow HJTA members to benefit from the national exposure NTU offers and make both organizations stronger.

Coupal is (and will remain) President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association (HJTA), and Chairman of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Foundation; both organizations were founded by the leader of the California Tax Revolt that passed the landmark Proposition 13 in 1978. Coupal brings over three decades of experience working on tax issues and fighting for taxpayers to NTU’s board.

“I look forward to working with NTU members and its outstanding leadership team,” said Coupal. “The battles ahead over taxes and spending may well determine if our Country prospers or if we are to continue down the road to mediocrity or worse.”

HJTA and NTU have a history of working successfully together to take on taxpayer issues including defeating increased parcel property taxes (Proposition 88, 2006) and the… Read More

The city of Eureka on the far north coast of our state is part of a fabled land, far removed from the rest of drought stricken California. The winds that the ridiculously resilient ridge of high pressure push north find welcoming mountains and canyons in and around Eureka, drenching them with rain, nourishing endless grovesof thetallest trees on earth, the magnificent coast redwoods. Gushing rivers run through thick green forests scented with maritime air. Downtown, the mansions of the 19th century lumber barons defy time, marvelous, intricate, stunning. And on postcard perfect shorelines, the rugged Pacific surf surges against the rocks. It’s hard to imagine a more beautiful place.

But when it comes to government unions making sure their compensation crowds out any hope of fiscal sanity, Eureka is as ordinary, and as challenged, as every other city in California.

A few weeks ago the California Policy Center released a study “California City Pension Burdens” thatcompiled key financial indicators for every city in California. When it came to pension… Read More

Today during the 2015 Cal Tax Annual Members meeting, I called for a meaningful public discourse on tax reform ideas that make life easier for taxpayers. Specifically, I suggested replacing California’s income tax with a sales tax on services.

As you may know, Senate Bill 8 (Hertzberg) seeks to extend California’s sales tax to services. As currently written, the bill amounts to nothing more than a massive tax increase that would just make California less competitive while adding thousands of state auditors and tax collectors to state payrolls.

Reform, by its definition, should not include growing government or making taxes more complicated.

Any shift to a broader reliance on sales tax must be combined with real tax reform that removes barriers to doing business in our state. That’s why I proposed eliminating California’s personal and corporate income tax and the Franchise Tax Board. One less tax agency would make California a far more attractive place for jobs, retirees, and investment.

If California eliminated income tax, more… Read More

Editor’s Note: Tim Clark was the general consultant for John Moorlach’s State Senate campaign.

Combat experts teach that when facing an opponent four times your size, you must use his size and strength against him.

In a race that saw a 4 to 1 spending advantage in favor of our opponent, and a combined $750,000 attack campaign against John Moorlach, it was Moorlach’s opponent who finished the race with high negatives, low credibility, and a devastating loss.

I read with some amusement the… Read More

The California Democratic Party claims to be for the poor and middle class, but killed a bill Monday which would have cut California’s highest-in-the-nation gas tax.Californians pay 68 cents tax on every gallon of gasoline – the highest gas tax in the nation.

Not content to be the first state in the country to tax the air we breathe, California is the first in the nation to impose a cap and trade tax on transportation fuels.

In response, Assemblyman Jim Patterson, R-Fresno, and more than 20 other Republican lawmakers, introduced AB 23, theAffordable Gas for California Families Act,legislation to exempt transportation fuels and natural gas from the California Air… Read More