Here are some random thoughts on the passing California political scene…

— As a leading proponent of legislative term limits, I usually tell people that incumbents pretty much get to serve as long as they want if they are in a “safe” seat for their party. It would appear that I will have to add a caveat to that — which is that some of these politicians get too old, their own erratic or odd behavior ends up foreshadowing their leaving office before the end of their natural life. The text book example of this was in 2012 when Democrat Bay Area Congressman Pete Stark, seeking re-election at the age of 80, was clearly, clearly showing signs of going batshit crazy. He behavior was so off that he presented an opening for then 31 year old Eric Swalwell, who pushed Stark into a Prop. 14 era Dem vs. Dem runoff, to take him out. Stark had served in Congress for 40 years.… Read More

This past Tuesday night offered promising news for California Republicans. In local elections held across the state, GROW Elect, the GOP organization dedicated primarily to electing Latino Republicans to public office, scored impressive victories. With 100% of precincts counted, GROW Elect helped fifteen Republican candidates win seats in this November 2013 election cycle.

These results build on the momentum that GROW Elect has achieved in a short period of time. The winners of Tuesday’s elections join over thirty elected officials that GROW Elect has already successfully supported during the past two years. This brings to almost fifty the number of Latino Republicans that GROW Elect has helped to gain public office in California.

These Latino public officials strengthen the Republican Party at the grassroots level and help us build a diverse bench of potential candidates for higher office… Read More

The virtual silence is almost deafening out of California’s politician-class.

Given the startling and serious nature of the allegations against Ron Calderon — you would think that there would be a lot of legislators stepping up to decry what he has done. Or if they prefer more caution — then they could at least critique the allegations.

But I am aware of only one legislator, Democrat Cristina Garcia, who has called for Calderon to step down. And Senate President Darrell Steinberg has at least booted Calderon off of the California Film Commission and has called for him to be stripped of his committees.

Come on, people. Show some leadership. The cynical public will probably just assume that the only thing that distinguishes Calderon from the rest of you is that he got caught.… Read More

Legislators in Sacramento typically fall in line behind party leadership, but freshman Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia, D-Bell Gardens, appears to have a pronounced independent streak.

I had a chance to talk with Garcia about her experiences as a political reformer, and her recent call for a fellow Democrat, state Sen. Ron Calderon of Montebello, to resign amidFBI allegations of corruption.

Garcia has a solid record fighting political decay. She took on the corruption in Bell, volunteering her time with the city’s recall campaign, which ended with every Bell council member being voted out of office.

Garcia said her co-volunteers then wanted her to run for office.

Running as a government reformer, Garcia beat Democrat Tom Calderon, a former Assemblymanand Sen. Ron Calderon’s brother, in the June 2012 primary. She then went… Read More

I get that it is hard for die-hard Kings fans to understand how I can support building a new arena, but not support forcing the public to pay more than we can afford or pro-subsidy advocates determined efforts to evade voters.

Yet more and more leaders are starting to share that perspective. A new group – Voters for a Fair Arena Deal – is a broad coalition who agree on the simple principles that the public shouldn’t be forced pay without its consent or more than it can afford.

Remember when you went to buy a home? You didn’t start by asking your… Read More

Many are analyzing the surprisingly close Virginia gubernatorial race results, but I’m struck by a citizen vote in liberal Colorado that CRUSHED an increase in that state’s income tax.

Well over $10 million (theequivalentof spending about $75 million on a CA proposition) was spent by the unions and wealthy liberals to pass Amendment 66. That campaign spending included a million dollars EACH by Bloomberg, Bill Gates and the NEA. The governor and the establishment press fervently supported the tax. After all, it was “for the children” — the tax was supposedly for education.

A pathetic $30 THOUSAND was spent by the opposition. Yet the measure failed in this rather liberal state by a 66.2% NO! vote (vs. 33.8% yes) — essentially a two-to-one rejection of the tax.

http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Colorado_Tax_Increase_for_Education,_Amendment_66_(2013)

FROM THE TAX FOUNDATION:

“The tax increase would have changed what is currently a flat 4.63 percent tax on all income to a 5… Read More

“I believe there is a different way – and that is to work with the Republican members of every labor union and help empower those Republican union members to put additional pressure on their union leadership to spend Republican dues money on Republican causes.” – Jim Brulte, Chairman, California State Republican Party

Well that’s one way. And if you are tasked with reviving a political party that is financially challenged, ideologically conflicted, with dwindling membership and almost no power in the state legislature,you face tough choices.

The concept of constructive engagement with members of labor unions is a good one, although recognizing the validity of the concept is not the same as endorsing specific tactics. If unions, especially public sector unions, begin to financially support both major political parties more equally, anyone who believes in limited government will be in for a long, cold winter of cascading disappointments. There will still be choices for voters. They will vote Republican to expand the security state. Or they will vote Democrat to expand the welfare state. And crony capitalists, already on the… Read More

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Of course I know that the Republican Party, impacted by the incessant drumbeat of the Tea Party, is opposed to gun control, but my point here is that gun control is one of dozens of issues that President Obama has fumbled and is attempting to sweep under the rug, each fumble representing a missed opportunity for the Republican Party to take up the slack and earn oceans of votes. The list includes:

1. President Obama told the American people that it shouldn’t worry about the NSA ignoring the Fourth Amendment and having total,unregulated power to invade anyone’s private communications at will, then changed his mind and decided maybe it’s not a totally good thing.Net political benefit accrued by the GOP from this remarkable fumble: None.

2.The President urged an attack on Syria in response to its use of chemical weapons, then in the face of overwhelming and bipartisan opposition, backed off. Net political benefit accrued by the GOP: None.

3. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney, in explaining the catastrophic rollout of Obamacare, claimed that presidents are not supposed… Read More