Well, this day came much faster than I expected.

After penning hundreds of these missives, I find myself now sitting down to write what will be my last “Laptop Report” to all of you as a Member of Congress.

For the last decade and through several sessions of Congress, you’ve given me the opportunity to share my thoughts on a myriad of issues facing this nation and our world. This has truly been a privilege and honor that I never took lightly.

These reports have been a way for me to talk to you directly and to engage with you on complicated issues that weren’t always easy to solve with a polished quote or quick sound bite. In turn, many of you responded with thoughtful feedback each time. I want you to know that I read and appreciated those replies.

For those who asked to be added to my “Post-Congress” list, this will not be the last time you hear from me. We will continue our discussion sometime next year.

However, I want to take this last chance to just say thank you. I enjoyed writing these reports and I hope they offered you a perspective that you were not getting from the usual… Read More

Our remarkably anti-business country (well, our country’s governments) works 24/7 to help businesses prosper everywhere else— except perhaps France. Thank goodness for socialist France — we can count on these losers to keep us off the bottom of the pile. And then America’s politicians claim to be shocked that businesses seek to leave the “free market” USA. And that foreign businesses are reluctant to come TO this country with anything but retail stores and imported goods.Of the 34 OECD countries (the developed countries), the U.S. ranks 32nd in “tax competitiveness,” according to the Tax Foundation. France is the worst. Plus we “beat” Portugal (big whoop!). Even economic basket case Italy is not quite as bad as the U.S. Adding insult to injury, of the 50 states, California’s 2015 “business tax climate” ranks 3 … Read More

Wednesday the California Air Resources Board announced the first joint cap-and-trade carbon credits auctionbetween California and Québechas been postponed due to “technical difficulties.” Some carbon followers say the new auction will be scheduled in the next three working days.

Under AB 32, California’s Global Warming Solutions Act, the 2006 legislation signed into law was to supposedly lower the state’s carbon emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. CARB recently added to the carbon reduction plan the goal of 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050, because California already reached 1992 levels just with technological advances in autos, as… Read More

FROM BRAD BOSWELL: Check out the 2012 CCW lists of states below. Look at where things were in 2002.In 1987, Florida was just the 9th state that addedconcealed carry permits. The NRA has done awesome work over 25 years.Violent crime has not gone up with the dramatic expansion of CCW permits.

http://www.gunsamerica.com/blog/one-needs-know-guns-crime-three-charts/

byS.H. BLANNELBERRYonNOVEMBER 12, 2014

Admittedly, this isn’t all one needs to know about crime and guns in three charts, but it does substantiate the general claim made by many pro-gun advocates, including myself, that expanding concealed carry does not increase crime rates. In fact, one can argue the opposite is true based on the… Read More

The Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Justice just ‘settled’ an historic lawsuit with Hyundai, Kia, et.al. over alleged Clean Air Act violations, based on the carmakers’ sale of vehicles that are anticipated to emit more greenhouse gas emissions than certified to the EPA.

The EPA and DOJ are hitting the automakers with collective penalties valued at around $300 million for Clean Air Act violations including $100-million in civil penalties, the largest such fines in EPA history.

The $100 million… Read More

“The bottom line is that claiming the unfunded liability cost as part of an officer’s compensation is grossly and deliberately misleading.” –LAPPL Board of Directors on 08/07/2014, in their post “Misuse of statistics behind erroneous LA police officer salary claims.”

This assertion, one that is widely held among representatives of public employees, lies at the heart of the debate over how much public employees really make, and greatly skews the related debate over how much pension funds can legitimately expect to earn on their invested assets.

Pension fund contributions have two components, the “normal contribution” and the “unfunded contribution.” The normal contribution represents the present value of future retirement pension income that is earned in any current year. For example, if an actively working participant in a pension plan earns “3% at 55,” then each year, another 3% is added to the total percentage that is multiplied by their final year of earnings in order to… Read More

UPDATE: The Berkeley City Council voted 7-2 to proceed with its plan to mandate climate change warning labels on fuel pumps. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors is also expected to consider a label mandate.

Tonight (November 18, 2014) the Berkeley City Council will discuss issuing a directive to the City Manager to “draft an ordinance within the next three months, enforceable under Berkeley Codes, to require climate change labels at fuel dispensing facilities.” A staff report indicates that the costs of this program are expected to be less than $20,000 in the first year and considerably less thereafter. (What a deal!) Enforcement fines are anticipated to pay for some of it.

Staff would be assigned to develop the ordinance, procure and distribute the labels, monitor compliance, and enforce the ordinance. The city would also incur costs to design, produce and deliver the labels.

According to a staff report, this label program is a “behavioral change strategy to encourage people to use alternative methods of transpiration (sic).” The Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA) has threatened to file a lawsuit challenging this… Read More

The far left smugly promotes a cartoonish image of upper income individuals as those who enjoy limousines, expensive wine, travel and lavish parties. If one listens long enough to so-called “progressives,” one may begin to imagine that all rich people look like Uncle Pennybags, the little tycoon mascot of the Parker Brothers Monopoly game.

The myth, as perpetrated by progressives, is that the wealthy got to the top by cheating the little guy, gaming the system and evading taxes. Of course, under this view, the rich are unquestionably evil and the very rich are known as the “One Percent.” You don’t get any more evil than members of the One Percent. (Unless, of course, an extremely wealthy individual devotes millions of dollars to advance Al Gore’s view of global warming, in which case they get a pass and advance directly to Go).

Given this myth – and it’s perpetuation by main stream media – it is ironic how many of those associated with government, most of whom share the far left ideology, are living like the cartoon version of the One Percent.

Please click here to read the entire column… Read More