Anyone paying attention has heard about the controversial Sacramento arena subsidy and observed the often bizarre machinations some politicians and subsidy advocates have resorted to in their effort to block a public vote.

Voters have been subjected to everything from an offensive event at a cemetery and a parade of overblown claims, to an embarrassingly ineffective “withdrawal” campaign that cost taxpayers tens-of-thousands of dollars to process almost 14,000 bogus withdrawal signatures (nearly 91% invalid).

Groups and individuals fighting to let the public vote on the subsidy have been met not only with baseless attacks, but have suffered from politically-motivated economic retaliation for daring to get involved.

The City is even attempting to bull-rush approval of the arena project and the $304 million public bond though the City Council, just days before the election – with the sole intent of subverting the vote and disregarding the public’s voice.

But the political flimflammery isn’t as troubling as the possibility someone crossed the line from unsavory political tactics to… Read More

As I write this blog post, I am in our nation’s capitol, Washington, D.C., participating in a meeting of the Republican National Committee. It is an honor to been elected to serve as one of California’s three RNC Members (along with National Committeewoman Linda Ackerman and CRP Chairman Jim Brulte).

It’s no secret that RNC Chairman Reince Priebus has three goals to help win the presidency in 2016:

Reducing the amount of time Republican candidates can slice and dice each other is priority one. In the last several presidential elections, Republicans engaged in over nine months of brutal divisive expensive primaries. Eventually all candidates are worn out, their negative ratings skyrocket, and the “winner”is deeply in debt and badly bruised. New rules will reduce the mutual combat to 5 months – January to May.

The RNC Rules Committee, on which I serve representing California, voted nearly unanimously for the compression of the present primary system to five months today. We will continue to enjoy the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary followed by South Carolina and Nevada in the months of January and… Read More

In politics, warnings are more useful than predictions. As the 2014 campaign begins to come into focus, there are some important warning lights flashing on the Republican dashboard.

Nationally, the environment for 2014 is turning increasingly favorable for Republicans. President Obama, who defines his party nationally, has seen his approval rating plummet from 52% to 41% over the last 12 months. The GOP has surged in generic ballot tests since the Obamacare rollout disaster. Nearly half of Americans believe Obamacare will make health care worse. Democrat Senators facing tough re-election fights are conspicuously distancing themselves from the unpopular President. Experts widely predict the GOP will hold the House of Representatives and have an improving shot at taking the Senate and sending Harry Reid into the Minority Leader’s office.

Yet, while Republican strength surges nationally, in California we are too close to a nightmare scenario where the statewide ticket is so weak that some Republicans give up and throw in with Gov. Jerry Brown, creating disarray and denying Republicans the opportunity to take advantage of a favorable national… Read More

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In 2008, at the start of the financial crisis, the American taxpayers bailed out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to the tune of $188 billion. They have yet to repay that money; in fact, the number is expected to grow to over $200 billion by 2015. But as the housing market has begun to recover, so too have Fannie and Freddie’s profits. At the first sign of money rolling-in, housing advocates are again pressuring the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to get a piece of the taxpayer-funded pie.

Specifically, these groups are looking to turn on the spigot of the national Housing Trust Fund, a program created to divert funds from Fannie and Freddie to groups promoting low-income housing and homeownership. Since being placed under federal supervision, or conservatorship, Fannie and Freddie’s profits have been directed back to the U.S. Treasury. As the federal regulator overseeing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the FHFA gets to make the decision if or when money should be put in the Housing Trust Fund instead of paying back the billions they owe. If I were in charge, all of the money would flow to paying down our debt, but the newly selected head of the FHFA, former Democratic… Read More

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Jerry Brown delivered his2014 State of the Statethis morning. It was largely a recap of his recent2014 Budget proposal press conference, but shorter.

As Brown often does, he first took on his critics:

“It occurred to me that these critics – who have long recited our state’s decline – perhaps have nothing to say in the face of California’s comeback – except, ‘please, don’t report it.’ Well, I’m going to report it, and what a comeback it is: A million new jobs since 2010, a budgetary surplus in the billions and a minimum wage rising to $10 an hour!”

Brown stressed again the need for “fiscal restraint” from the Legislature. But then he went on to discuss… Read More

Governor Brown provided a good executive summary of where California is now but with little direction for our future.

He outlined many of California’s problems, but did not propose tangible solutions.

I am pleased to hear Governor Brown’s continued calls for fiscal discipline. However, just as saving money in a rainy day fund is an important way to prepare for future economic downturns, additional water storage is vital to ensuring California is equipped for future droughts. I am disappointed Governor Brown did not provide a plan to deal with our current water shortage.

Governor Brown is a good cheerleader for California. The question is, will he stay strong when faced with a liberal Legislature that wants to increase government programs, taxes and regulations.… Read More

[Publisher’s Note: Today marks an infamous and somber anniversary— 41 years ago the United States Supreme Court handed down a decision decriminalizing abortion. To recognize this occasion we featurethis important column—Flash]

Important issues sometimes require a renewed call for clarity.

Such is the case in the Right to Life debate. I have been involved in this battle since 1977 and it never fails to amaze me that many proponents as well as opponents, have a habit of debating and wrangling over things that are in fact NOT part of the… Read More

Yesterday Neel Kashkari of Laguna Beach formally entered the race for Governor of California. Kashkari, a Republican, served as Assistant Treasury Secretary in Washington, D.C., and as an executive with PIMCO. He enters the Republican field at a time when the only other GOP candidate of note is Assemblyman Tim Donnelly. For the past year (it seemed) former appointed Lt. Governor Abel Maldonado had been engaged in a seemingly quixotic quest for relevance in the form of his own bid for Governor — one which he abruptly terminated last week.

No doubt over the coming months I will pen more than a view commentary and analysis pieces on the race for Governor. But with Kashkari’s entrance into the race, I wanted to open my coverage with an interview with Kashkari, who enters the race relatively unknown to California politicos and voters alike. The gubernatorial aspirant has sat down for many interviews in advance of his announcement, resulting in a number of articles and columns (like this one by my friend Steve Greenhut who writes for the Union Tribune San… Read More