In this space not too long ago, an argument was made in support of the so-called “Citizens’ Legislature,” a new initiative proposed for the 2014 ballot that is now in the signature circulation stage. Proponents claim it will somehow reduce the pernicious effects of money in politics by increasing the number of politicians. It’s not just a small increase, either. It’s a radical one, i.e., by creating 100 times more legislators than currently in office. In short, the so-called Citizens’ Legislature initiative would change the state’s Constitution to create a 12,000 member legislature instead of the 120 members we have today. Every one of those 12,000 new politicians would then stand for election, be permitted to introduce legislation – as if we do not have enough hare-brained bills floating around Sacramento already – have to vote on all of those bills, and, most importantly, need to fundraise.

The idea may charitably be called counter-intuitive.

I have had the opportunity to meet with the… Read More

The news is mixed for Republicans as Gallup provides new insight on the political parties with which Americans are identifying, or, increasingly, not identifying.

Gallup found that only 25% of Americans now identify with the Republican Party when given the choice of Republican, Democrat or independent. This is a lower number than we have seen at any time since 1988. Self-identified independents have risen to a new high of 42%. Democrats are in between at 31%.

We can expect the predictable take from those within the party to explain the decline. Many conservatives will argue the decline is because elected officials don’t follow “the platform” and “don’t stand for anything.” Moderates will claim the decline is because the party has become “too conservative” and has “lost the center.”

Gallup suggests both arguments miss the mark.

“The rise in political independence is likely an outgrowth of Americans’ record or near-record negative views of the two major U.S. parties, of Congress, and their low level of trust in government more generally,” says… Read More

California’s legislature passed, as usual, hundreds of laws that took effect on January 1st, but two of them are prime examples of how the Golden State has turned its governance over to an alliance of public sector unions, environmentalist extremists, and wealthy elites. Nowhere within this privileged clique is there any recognition of how difficult they are making everyday life for ordinary people.

Do you want to remodel your kitchen? Starting in 2014, you will have to install energy efficient “luminaires” (that’s bureaucrat-speak for “light”) that will not pass inspection unless they’re in hardwired sockets. Normal “screw base luminaires” do not qualify as “high efficiency.” Courtesy of the California Energy Commission, here is “Chapter Six – Residential Lighting.” If you want to know how to install lighting in your new or remodeled kitchen, you’ll need to wade through 58 pages of specifications.

It gets worse.

Do you want to doanythingto your home that involves getting a building permit? Remember that… Read More

The new legislative session begins today and I thought I would use the occasion to take a shot at answering a virtually unanswerable question: What can we expect from Sacramento for the coming year?

First a bit of explanation as to why the question is virtually unanswerable. No one outside the deepest swamps of leftist ideology can possibly imagine all of the nonsense a progressive Democrat supermajority of California legislators can come up with. So any prediction of what to expect will inevitably miss some of the wilder and more unbelievable bits of legislation in store for us this session. In short, you can’t entirely predict the coming legislative year because you just can’t make some of their stuff up.

Another reason is that, frankly, no one knows enough about a majority of the Democrats to make a confident prediction. More than half of the members of the Assembly have been in office only a year or less. Because they have no significant track record, it is hard to predict how they will vote. Some claim to be moderates, but that claim needs to be proven with actual votes. There is some doubt that these self-styled… Read More

We’ve seen the election results. We read the polls, too. It’s no secret that Republicans have not fared well in California. So it’s up to us to reach out and build trust with the people. And building that trust depends on connecting with groups of voters who may have come to distrust who Republicans are – though not necessarily what we stand for. Talk is one thing, but actions speak louder than words. In 2014 and beyond Republican lawmakers will build trust through legislative efforts and policy initiatives that show we’re on the side of all Californians. We’re going to show California that Republicans believe government can work efficiently by doing what it’s supposed to do: serve the people.

… Read More

Today, the State Legislature will begin a new year of work with plenty of issues to tackle. While we will all take time to visit with the colleagues we haven’t seen in several weeks, there won’t be much time for socializing before we roll up our sleeves and get to work. The state budget, the economy, education, healthcare and public safety will be key issues in 2014. [1]" src="http://www.flashreport.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Conway-Headshot1-240x300.jpg" alt="" width="240" height="300" srcset="https://www.flashreport.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Conway-Headshot1-240x300.jpg 240w, https://www.flashreport.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Conway-Headshot1.jpg 249w" sizes="(max-width: 240px) 100vw, 240px" />[/caption]The budget will take center stage this month and will be a concern throughout the year. This Friday, the Governor will unveil his spending blueprint. While the non-partisan Legislative Analyst has predicted growth in revenues this year, this is not a sign that we should revisit the mistakes of the past and fuel spending.

The Governor has signaled that he would like to be prudent with this one-time uptick in unexpected revenues.… Read More

The California Legislature reconvenes this week and the politicians may be on the verge of a major miscalculation because they don’t understand how real people think.

The members of the political class in Washington and our state capitols are certain they know what Americans are thinking. Just ask them. After all, they read polls and this convinces them they know how we view Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives, high-profile politicians and policy issues like… Read More

In the middle of the holiday season, when Americans for more focused on travel plans and gift giving than politics, Gallup released powerful new survey data showing Americans are far more concerned about the threat posed by “big government,” compared to business or labor.

In liberalism’s heyday of the 1960’s, fewer than half of Americans considered big government to be biggest threat to America’s future. Today, it’s an astonishing 72%. To reach such a peak, Americans across the board are concerned about the size, scope and intrusiveness of government, not just Republicans or libertarians (although Republicans are the most concerned).

Not surprisingly, Americans have grown significantly more skeptical of government as it has expanded during the Administration of Democrat Barack Obama. The 2009 stimulus package, Dodd-Frank regulation of finance, Obamacare and revelations concerning NSA surveillance programs all contribute to rising concern about the role of government.

While 92% of Republicans say they see big government as the greatest threat to the country’s future, even a majority of Democrats (56%) say… Read More