Everybody wants to win.

That’s one reason why Las Vegas and Atlantic City attract people from all over the world, so much so that it utterly consumes some. But while private sector gambling is widely recognized as a risk and a return (if there is one) that is almost always based on pure luck, state lotteries promote the idea that there is “hope” and something almost virtuous in playing the lottery. This has never been more apparent than with the repulsive emotionally manipulative Holiday Scratchers ads the California Lottery is airing on your television today.

The one-minute advertisement softly plays Debussy’s Clair de Lune while depicting an old man, who presumably works at the post office, leaving work to head home. The man rides the elevator and walks past folks on the street completely ignored by his fellow citizens. He rides the bus alone in the rain and shuffles up… Read More

Today marks the end of eight full years of the FlashReport covering politics and policy here in the Golden State. This year alone we published thousands of blog posts and original columns. We published links to tens of thousands of articles and editorials — all with a nexus to what is going on here in California.

I wanted to take the time to express my appreciation to those that make this website possible.

The first shout-out goes to our readers (that’s YOU) for coming to our site day in and day out. Secondly I would like to thank our advertisers, without whom there would literally be no FlashReport to read. Thirdly, I would like to thank all of those people who penned columns and… Read More

In the midst of the last minute “beat the clock” emails from various elected officials and candidates appealing for donations before tomorrow’s deadline, Congressional Candidate Pat Marciariello just sent out an announcement that he was withdrawing from the race. I had heard some rumors that this was a possibility, but I must say I did not realize how soon it could actually happen. This now leaves Supervisor John Moorlach, Senator Mimi Walters and Greg Raths as the remaining contenders in the GOP field.

His statement is below:

After significant reflection with my family over the Christmas season we have decided that we will no longer continue in our candidacy for congress. I want to thank all of those who have supported us over the past four months, your kindness will not be forgotten. Monetary contributions made to my campaign will be refunded in the coming weeks.

Regards and God Bless.

Pat… Read More

Thirty years of political engagement in California politics has led me to the realization that the middle class is woefully underrepresented in this state. Not only that, but this injustice seems amplified with every passing year.

This column has covered the lack of meaningful representation for ordinary citizen taxpayers for more than a decade. Indeed, in October, we exposed the unfairness of Assembly Bill 8, a massive $2.3 billion car tax increase on everyone who relies on their cars for work, errands and everyday life.

Assembly Bill 8 was nothing less than a deal among very powerful interests who had no problem throwing taxpayers under the bus. Who were the winners? Environmental extremists (with support from Governor Brown) who got funding for a dubious “Hydrogen Super Highway.” Also, manufacturers of “green cars,” like the hyper expensive Tesla, got big tax breaks. Regrettably, some of our allies in the agriculture and trucking industry were in on the deal… Read More

Popular myth holds that Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union, ended Communism and broke up the Soviet Union. Yet, when the hammer and sickle were lowered over the Kremlin for the last time on Christmas Day 1991, it was over Gorbachev’s strenuous objections. The man most responsible for relegating Communism to what he called the ash heap of history was Ronald Reagan.

Most of today’s college students were born after the fall of the Berlin Wall. They never experienced Ronald Reagan in the White House as the leader of the United States of America and the western alliance of democracies built around NATO.

This holiday season it’s worth… Read More

November and December proved interesting times for teachers and their unions as the calendar marched toward 2014. While some unions are protecting teachers accused of abusing children, other teacher groups voted to decertify their union.

In the first major development, theLos Angeles School Report, an online reform news site, highlighted theNational Day of Actionsponsored by the teachers unions. On that day, theAmerican Federation of Teachersnationally emphasized “The Principles that Unite Us.” The AFT’s California affiliate is the California Federation of Teachers, the state’s second largest teachers union.

The… Read More

California wins yet another “superlative” from the business community. The 100,000 member nationalSmall Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBE Council)again ranked California the worst state in their Small Business Policy Index. I’m not sure how many years we’ve held our ground in this survey, but I know we were the same in 2012. We currently maintain a comfortable (though admittedly not insurmountable) lead over our fellow anti-business states.

It appears that the bottom 11 states are all controlled by the Democrat Party. And most of the best states are controlled by Republicans. But, of course, correlation doesn’t prove causation — yada, yada, yada. Still, one MIGHT start to wonder . . . .

http://www.sbecouncil.org/2013/12/12/sbe-council-ranks-the-50-states-in-small-business-policy-index-2013/

For the 3rdstraight year, 24/7 WALL ST ranks California the “worst run state” in the U.S. The comparison uses a variety of criteria to measure how a well a state is managed, which results in some otherwise attractive states scoring low. Nevada, South Carolina and Arizona are also listed among the bottom ten states.

Apparently the analysis does not give weight to the cost of living. If it did, California would probably be ranked 57thor so.

Seems that no matter what economic criteria one uses, California consistently scores in the worst five — often numero bottomo.

Ahhh, but there’s always the California weather to fall back on. Too bad businesses can’t crank weather into their income statements and balance sheets.

Top five well run states? In order: North Dakota, Wyoming, Iowa, Nebraska and Utah.

http://tinyurl.com/WorstRunState… Read More