Let me begin this discussion by joining in the mixture of sorrow, disgust and anguish that is universally felt by all Americans at the recent spate of killings resulting in the deaths of children and students in schools and colleges around the country. The Sandy Hook Elementary school tragedy is one that will not, and should not, leave our collective memories for many years. My daily prayers include the families of these young victims. There is no disagreement that such violence is on the increase in our country. There is similarly no dispute that we must have a reasoned and serious debate about its causes and potential solutions.

With this writing, I will enter that debate.

With a few exceptions, the proposals to reduce such violence have been focused on increased gun control legislation. Some have also talked about increased mental health funding and reporting, while others have suggested armed guards in schools as a solution. I believe that these proposals all deal with the symptoms rather than the causes of such violence. Furthermore, I believe that most of these proposals are actually counterproductive in that they distract us from what perhaps are much more… Read More

Jumping on the anti-gun movement in the country, two of California anti-gun lawmakers will lead a hearing today about guns and violence. Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, Chairman of the Assembly Public Safety Committee, and Sen. Loni Hancock, D-Berkeley, Chairwoman of the Senate Public Safety Committee, will be taking a look at gun violence and firearm law in California.

However, putting Ammiano and Hancock in charge of the gun and violence hearing is like having Lindsay Lohan lead an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, and Tiger Woods in charge of sex addicts anonymous.

Ammiano was instrumental in getting rid of San Francisco’s High School competitive .22 cal rifle teams, and worked to put an end to the junior ROTC program in San Francisco’s High Schools. Ammiano supported the ban on allowing gun owners to carry an unloaded gun in public. ”Whether a gun is loaded or not, it’s still an act of intimidation and bullying,” Ammiano said.

It was reported yesterday that Ammiano is about to introduce a bill to tighten gun-safety laws already in place by adding a safe-storage requirement when a person prohibited from gun possession is living in the… Read More

With introduction of the twelfth bill to regulate plastic bags in 10 years, consumer choice doesn’t stand a chance in California. And unemployed Californians looking for a job can forget it – plastic bag companies will be just one more industry in manufacturing to get the boot out of the most business-unfriendly state in the nation.

“To continue the use of these bags would ignore the convincing body of global evidence proving that these bags are having a drastic effect on marine ecocultures,” said Freshman Assemblyman Marc Levine, D-San Rafael, author of AB 158. “Additionally, there are several easily available and affordable alternatives to plastic bags. We need to ban these bags once and for all.”

Despite a recent study by the National Center for Policy Analysis which found lawmakers’ banning or taxing such bags reduces economic activity and increases unemployment, Levine has put forward a bill to prohibit grocery stores with more than $2 million in annual sales, or retailers with more than 10,000 square feet of… Read More

If you watch the BBC-produced Downtown Abbey on PBS Masterpiece Theater, you can’t help but like the clan’s patriarch, Lord Grantham. Even when he’s doing the wrong thing, you hope that modernity will slap him in the face and detour him from the wrong decision.

As I watched this past Sunday’s episode, it occurred to me how analogous Lord Grantham is to the current state of the Republican Party.

For the uninitiated, I will explain. Downtown focuses on a family of British aristocrats in the early 20th Century and the trials and tribulations of feudal-style life for the nobility and their servants. Season three covers a period following World War I where enormous change is thrust on society, including women’s suffrage and the end of tuxedos at dinner.

Lord Grantham, as the lord of the manor, feels a sense of obligation to protect tradition and in so doing, often finds himself swimming against the tide and making decisions based on protecting the past rather than embracing the future. You root for Lord Grantham because you can see that he is intent on doing the right thing and that he is a good man, confused by societal change.

Such is… Read More

Much has been written about Democrats achieving “super majority” status in both the California State Senate and the State Assembly, where they can now pass all legislation with “urgency” (to take effect immediately), pass all tax increase measures, and even place measures on the ballot — all without a single Republican vote. I have spoken with many of the 36 Republican legislators in the Capitol since the beginning of session — and can tell you there is general consensus — being in in the “super minority” sucks.

That having been said, Republican legislators should be very concerned about the fact that things can get much worse they are now. Look no further than to states like Hawaii or Massachusetts to see how “super majority” can become “virtually non-existent” — scary stuff. Just for the heck of it, I went onto… Read More

This is a MUST in the Republican bill package for the upcoming session.

Democrats in the Legislature claim to be for the working man, to help people in their time of need. The problem is this — in the current economic times, lots of people have experienced serious problems paying for their homes, and in many (if not most) cases, the debt that is secured by their homes is much larger than the value of the homes. To solve this problem, people have begun negotiations with their banks to rewrite the loans, that is, to reduce the amount of the debt on their homes, or in some cases, they have sold their homes to third parties through a process known as a short sale, that is, selling their house for less than the debt, and having the bank agree.

The problem with this process is that, when the debt is renegotiated, there is debt “forgiveness.” That is, if the loan is for $400,000.00, and the house is sold, or the debt is reduced, to $350,000.00 (usually because that is what the house is worth), the borrower (the homeowner) experiences a $50,000.00 debt forgiveness. In the eyes of the California state government today that $50,000.00 of debt… Read More

While Gov. Jerry Brown announced a balanced budget and the magical economic recovery of California this week, too many Republicans fell all over themselves to praise him for it. It was difficult to see much of a difference between the two parties, yet there is a ideological chasm as wide as the state.

Brown’s State of the State address Thursday was predictable. He’s nothing if not consistent in his ability to give a speech. However, a fantastic opportunity was blown by Republicans to get out their message… any message…

What is evident is Republican lawmakers don’t seem to be on the same page.

There were a few tidbits worth noting, but most of the Republicans, whether newly elected or seasoned, espoused mediocrity. And we all know how that has been working for them.

There’s polite, and there is rolling over. Instead of agreeing with Brown’s “inner Republican,” more should have pointed out that what Brown says and does are often very different. And perhaps noting that Brown’s speech was peppered with Democratic talking points wouldn’t have hurt either.

Instead, statements praising the governor’s address were the apparent… Read More

Here’s a paid column I wrote for City Journal on the Phil Mickelson brouhaha. Included is a short discussion of the harmful effects of Prop30 on our California pro sports teams. Already one team — the Sacramento Kings NBA team — is being relocated to a tax-free state.

http://www.city-journal.org/2013/cjc0125rr.html

Golfer Phil Mickelson made a public relationsmistake, and thank goodness he did. While golf… Read More