The Friday wrap-up of the 2014 legislative session brought passage of the ban on plastic bags, mandatory paid sick days,new groundwater regulations, more gun control, expanded tax breaks for Hollywood,and bilingual education bills. The Democrat-majority of the California Legislature has made it clear it honors only the interests of labor unions, trial lawyers, environmentalists and liberals politicians. And that’s it.

Gone is any pretext of concern for taxpayers, business owners and employers, or any respect for free enterprise and free markets.

The left has shown an historic distrust in free enterprise and free markets, and instead relied on socialism to artificially make market “corrections” following downturns, largely due to government intervention, heavy-handed regulations and manipulations.

California is a state whose politicians,… Read More

Surprisingly, Canada is the BEST major country when it comes to total corporate tax burden — by a LOT. Hence Burger King’s decision to relocate to the Frozen North. See the short article and tax table below. And keep in mind that total CALIFORNIA tax costs increase this tax differential substantially for our Golden State businesses.

Obama’s response to Burger King’s move (a move because of our punitively high U.S. tax structure) was predictable — further restrictions on American companies leaving. It’s the usual thuggish response of a Chicago community organizer against those who do not bend to his will.

Well, I have a wry suggestion: Obama’s plan to keep companies from moving to low-tax Canada should include installing along our Canadian border a 3,000 miles long string of machine gun towers and mine fields (a laEast Germany) to keep Ahmericans in AMERICA (well, wherever) — Land of the Free!

Think about it –it would… Read More

Instead of addressing the degrading hook-up culture young people have come to accept, the Legislature declared sex “a contractual event,” and redefined consensual sexual relations as “rape” if it occurs on a college campus.

Rather than promoting the education of college students about abstinence and self-respect, Senate Bill 967, by Sen. Kevin de Leon, will allow California colleges and universities to deal internally with campus sexual violence by requiring each school to adopt Legislature-approved “victim-centered sexual assault response policies and protocols that… Read More

Representatives of the State of Jefferson movement plan to submit declarations at the Capitol today, from Modoc and Siskiyou counties to withdraw from the State of California.

This historical move by the State of Jefferson shows the California State Legislature that the citizens of Modoc and Siskiyou counties are serious and have formally petitioned for appropriate representation.

The effort provides these counties with standing in the future to challenge the State of California in a federal lawsuit.

Differences between State of Jefferson and 6 States Initiative

This is not the 6 States ballot initiative, Silicon Valley resident Tim Draper’s effort. They are trying to split the Northern part of California off. It’s different than . There are major differences: 1. This is a grass roots effort – there … Read More

It appears there has been some back room deal-making between the United Food and Commercial Workers labor union and the California Grocers Association, over Senator Alex Padilla’s legislation, SB 270, that would put in place a ban on plastic grocery bags, and require a tax of at least ten cents on paper backs, the proceeds of the tax going into the pockets of the grocers. The legislature and people of California deserve to know what the “agreement” is between the Grocers Association and United Food and Commercial Workers labor union. First, the UFCW was in support of the plastic bag ban along with the ten cent paper bag tax. Then they were against it. Today, the UFCW is back in support of SB 270, but there aren’t any new amendments in the bill to precipitate a change of heart, making many wonder if a … Read More

I said it before, and I’ll say it again: “From the “You Can’t Make This Stuff Up” file, a bill currently in the California Legislature would require BB guns and Airsoft Pellet guns painted bright toy colors so they won’t be mistaken for real guns.” And they did.

The legislation has had difficulty passing, but finally made it out of the Assembly 41-34. The bill will go back to the Senate for a vote.

SB 199, by Sen. Kevin de León, D-Los Angeles,will require BB and airsoft guns to be painted bright colors to make them “readily identifiable” so law enforcement officers can distinguish them from real firearms.

BB guns are used for a variety of purposes, including competitive use. During shooting competitions, many prefer using BB guns as they are inexpensive and easy to learn and equip. Even soldiers use BB guns for target practice and skill improvement.

De Leónjustified this ridiculous bill because of incidents in which police officers shot people wielding realistic-looking BB or Airsoft rifles. DeLeónhas insisted… Read More

Whenever discussing politically viable policy proposals to improve the quality of life in California, the imperative is to come up with ideas that strongly appeal to moderate centrists, since that is how most Californians would describe themselves. And there are two compelling issues that offer that appeal: making California’s system of K-12 education the best in the world, and restoring financial sustainability to California’s state and local governments.

While these two objectives have broad conceptual appeal, there is a clear choice between two very different sets of policies that claim to accomplish them. The first choice, promoted by public sector unions, is to spend more money. And to do that, their solution is to raise taxes, especially on corporations and wealthy individuals. The problem with that option, of course, is that California already has the highest taxes and most inhospitable business climate in the U.S.

The alternative to throwing more money at California’s troubled system of K-12 education and financially precarious cities and counties is to enact fundamental reforms. And these reforms, despite the fact that each of them arouses… Read More

OnAugust 26, Gov. Brown hosts a luncheon for Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto in the historic Governor’s Mansion as part of reciprocal trade visits. The governor has invited members of the Legislature to join him at this luncheon. I have received such an invitation and intend to go. The visit and lunch, though, are not without controversy.

My colleague, Assembly Member Tim Donnelly, recently announced that he intends to protest President Nieto outside the Governor’s Mansion rather than attend the lunch. The reason for the protest is the continued incarceration in Mexico of Marine Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi on charges related to guns he brought across the border. The issue is an important one that has appropriately already engaged the attention of the Legislature. For example, I have already joined in an effort to engage the federal government on the Tahmooressi case. But I do not believe a sidewalk protest by members of the legislature is an appropriate or particularly effective way to continue advancing the cause of justice in this case.

Sidewalk protests and demonstrations have a long and honorable tradition in America. Our First… Read More