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It’s really easy to point out when someone is about to do something wrong. Many of us did that this week when the Rancho Santa Margarita City Council majority indicated their intention to appoint a replacement for Councilman Jesse Petrilla while on a 3 month military training assignment out of state.

Well, today in a special meeting the majority of the Council changed course and decided not to make that temporary appointment.

I am not sure exactly why the Council majority changed but from the OC Register article it is clear that Councilman Jerry Holloway recognized the emotion involved in this and said so.

When people do something right we need to recognize them for that too. Thank you to Councilman Holloway.

Of course Councilman Steve Baric was solid on this issue the whole time.… Read More

According to the Associated Press, the President of the California Chamber of Commerce, Allan Zaremberg, weighed in on the current debate taking place in the State Capitol over Governor Brown’s proposal to balance the state’s book, in part, with a massive tax increase to be placed on a June Special Election ballot…

Having… Read More

The Left Wing unions of the Democrat Party completely control most California democrats.

California suffers more financial corruption and from angry and greedy union leaders, that they insist they will continue the kill the host…i.e. us taxpayers.

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This just in from former Assemblyman (and former County Supervisor) Todd Spitzer… (Never a dull moment in Orange County politics…) Moments ago, the Orange County Register reported that Orange County Board of Supervisors Chairman, Bill Campbell, confirmed that former appointed Public Guardian and current elected Public Administrator John Williams may be submitting his resignation tomorrow morning. Williams clearly wants something in return.

Some believe that Williams, who may be eligible to receive or is now receiving benefits as a former Orange County Marshal, a former trustee of the South Orange County Community College Board and now a former Public Guardian, is trying to coerce Supervisors into believing that he is owed his entire… Read More

Bankruptcy is not the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. But to read some of the advocacy in behalf of allowing states to go bankrupt you might think so. Want to break a labor contract why then go bankrupt. Want to reduce pension benefits why then go bankrupt.

Bankruptcy is used by families and businesses when either their expenses exceed their incomes or more likely when their debts exceed their assets. As big as California’s debt is there are a lot more assets to secure it. Regarding expenses, most all of the California budget can be adjusted downward if there is political willpower to do so. California does not qualify for bankruptcy.

The real problem is political willpower. As long as solutions exist short of bankruptcy whether it is cutting expenses or even raising taxes no bankruptcy judge is going to enter that thicket.

For those who honor the federal Constitution there is a big reason that states do not file for bankruptcy. They are sovereign entities who cannot cede their sovereignty to the Federal government. It is disappointing to hear so many conservatives ignoring the… Read More

Below, you’ll find a video clip of my questioning of Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke in today’s Financial Services Committee hearing. The Fed Chairman is always very careful in his choice of language, as markets hang and react on the nuances of every word he says. These are the strongest statements, I believe, that he has yet said publicly about the peril of our national debt. I believe that they must be very worried about this at the Fed and think that the day of reckoning is more imminent, or he would not turn up his rhetoric like this.

I’d say enjoy……but, this is not good news.

At the end, I lose some of my eloquence because I was so surprised that he was as candid as he was with me. My point was that Congress won’t act until they believe the consequences of not acting on this problem are so huge that they outweigh the political risks of the decisions that solve it. We see some such political courage in Wisconsin, Ohio and New Jersey right now. But, not enough yet in Washington or Sacramento. I hope that Mr. Bernanke’s words, as well as those of others, start to scare some of my colleagues into realizing that this is not… Read More

I recently switched over from a PC to a Macintosh computer. In talking recently with fellow FR blogger Meredith Turney, who made the same switch, she inspired me to try some video commentary, recorded right on my new computer. So, understand this is my first time playing around with it. They will get a little better with practice… (Like I will actually hold up my props a little higher — you’ll understand what I mean when you watch…) Enjoy…

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