Next week the state’s redevelopment agencies are set to go out of existence — forever. Sure, some other lesser-incarnation of them may return, but if they do, they will be with much less influence, a lot less public funding, and (if I have anything to say about it) property rights protections placed on them so that no longer can eminent domain be used to take someone’s private property against their will so that local politicians can play a scary real version of “Sim City.”

There are a lot of reasons why RDA’s being abolished are a good thing — but this short commentary addresses just one today — which is that for some reason, RDA’s make Republicans act poorly. In theory, Republicans (whether in local office, or in partisan office) should be united around the principles of freedom, liberty, and the free market. Yet the entire way that RDA’s do business is counter to all of that. RDA’s take money using the force of the power of government, accumulate it, and then local government ministers start to spend those tax dollars to warp and influence the economic marketplace, changing the factors of supply… Read More

Yeah, it’s true — I DO fiendishly enjoy beating a dead iron horse — in this case, our California HSR choo-choo. But bear with me. New stuff! Three solid articles, as a matter of fact. At this point, it’s hard to imagine we Californians will continue with this HSR madness, but never underestimate the bull-headed stupidity of Democrat politicians — both state and national. Fortunately there now is a new stake (a silver spike?) that’s been driven through the putrid heart that sustains this beast. As an educational aside, let me suggest that this singleexample of government running amok at the behest of special interests — in this case, HSR train lovers, green religionists, labor unions and big rail business profiteers — a project justified by obviously fraudulent “facts” — could and should constitute an entire college political science course on how government REALLY works. Of course, it won’t make the course list (or even be mentioned as an aside in the classrooms), but collegiate pro-socialist bias (with the … Read More

Given my strong desire to see that President Barack Obama is returned to the private sector after only one term — it is pretty alarming to me how dispassionate, or non-interested I am in this new battle for the Republican nomination between Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich. While I had endorsed Texas Governor Rick Perry early on, and still feel strongly that of all of the contenders he would have made the best President, unfortunately he did not make the best candidate.

I could pen two entire columns (or more) on Romney and Gingrich, and the particular aspects of each that have them fall significantly short of where I need a candidate to be to get excited and motivated. I presume that as we get into the summer, and the throw-down with Obama becomes more imminent, that my need to get Obama the heck out of the White House will trump my current malaise about our Republican offerings, and inspire motivation and activism from this party leader. I sure hope so.

I will say that I did wake up with some clarity this morning, relative to the South Carolina victory of Gingrich last night. While I am not pro-Romney or pro-Gingrich (to be sure), I was very… Read More

In a partial rebuke to the City of San Diego that will likely have broader implications, a federal court today declared unconstitutional a city-hoped for $1,000 limit on the amount political parties can donate to local candidates, while further striking down the existing prohibition on candidates spending personal money 12 months in advance of an election.

In a summary judgement on nine separate cross-motions in the case of Thalheimer vs. City of San Diego, Chief Judge Irma Gonzalez of the U.S. District Court’s Southern California division ruled in favor of some of the plaintiff’s motions, while denying others, as follows:

City prohibition on candidates spending their own money prior to the twelve-month period — GRANTED for Plaintiffs. City barring the making and accepting contributions prior to the twelve-month period — GRANTED for the City. City imposing a $500 limit on individual contributions to candidates — GRANTED for the City. City ban on contributions to candidates by political parties — GRANTED for … Read More

I am very pleased to announce that we have a new addition to the FlashReport Blog Roll — our good friend Mark Standriff. Most FR readers will know Mark for his most recent professional sojourn as Communications Director for the California Republican Party — a position from which he is departing this week. With the election year upon us, Mark is engaging in a lot of fun new activities, which I am sure we will hear about as Mark is none too subtle about his actions and projects. Actually, one of the reasons I invited Mark to write for us is because, like me, he believes that politics is a contact sport!

Hailing from Toledo, Ohio, and being blessed with a face for radio (but fortunately a voice for radio as well), Mark has been a successful on-air radio personality. He is a talented media relations pro, and coach on public speaking. He’ll be a fine addition to this page.

Because we are trying to butter up the new guy, we’ve inserted a great photo of him (circa 2007). As things go, if it gets rocky, we’ll pull out some of our more recent photos that may not be as flattering…… Read More

I have joked that Jerry Brown is That 70’s Governor, but I was wrong. We have put a medieval doctor in charge of our sick economy.

What do I mean? Simple. Prior to the advent of modern medicine, doctors believed that the way to cure a disease, any disease, was to bleed the patient. Stick some blood sucking reptile on the patient, slit their wrists, or use some other rather gruesome blood sucking device on the patient and bleed them until they were cured. More likely than not, the patient was so sapped of nutrients and strength, that the blood sucking killed the patient, and not the disease.

California’s economy is seriously ill. As one who moved from the blood sucking side of the economy to the nutrient side, trust me, our economy is dying.

And what is our Governor/doctor’s solution? Slit our wrists, and bleed the disease out of us.

Except it is the blood suckers that are killing us. Whether it is the government unions, or the ecoterrorists, or the massive bureaucracies, or any number of other people who make money off of the government, these blood sucking ticks (as the old joke says about the meaning of the word… Read More

– On Tuesday, Republican State Senator Tony Strickland formally announced his candidacy for the newly minted, very competitive 26th Congressional District. Yesterday Strickland announced that he has already raised $317,915 (with none of that being transfers of any funds from his existing State Senate campaign committee). Strickland’s strong showing reinforces what I said when Congressman Elton Gallegly announced his retirement — Strickland is a stronger candidate for the GOP to win that seat than Gallegly would have been.

– No doubt the winner of the “most enjoyable response to the Governor’s State of the State Address award” goes to longtime FR friend State Senator Joel Anderson, with his press release entitled, “I want to work with the Governor but sometimes it’s hard to take him seriously.”

– Vice President Biden came into San Francisco to perform a series of “cashectomies” on the liberal donor class in the area. Apparently he… Read More

Here is the response to the Governor’s State of the State Address from Senate Republican Leader Bob Huff and Assembly Republican Leader Connie Conway:

Republican Response to Gov. Brown’s State of the State from CA Assembly GOP on Vimeo.

Here is the response to the State of the State Address from California Republican Party Chairman Tom Del Beccaro:

… Read More