Survey USA just released poll results that show Proposition 14 is “positioned to pass” tomorrow. I know the Flash Report contributors have been vocal about the dangers posed by Proposition 14 and its “top two” primary system. Although the measure is being sold as way to lessen the influence of “special interest”—especially the political parties—Proposition 14 will actually create even more of the backroom political deals that voters despise. The latest political scandal creating headlines is the allegation by Democrat U.S. Senate candidate Joe Sestak that the White House privately pressured him to end his challenge against incumbent Arlen Specter. Amazingly, Sestak actually rebuffed the emissary sent by the White House: former President Bill Clinton. In the end, it worked out pretty well for Sestak when he defeated Specter in the Pennsylvania Democrat primary. Voters are … Read More

As an elected officer of the California Republican Party, my least favorite part of the job (by far) is that under the party’s rules I am obliged to “sit out” contested Republican primaries for partisan office. That having been said, with the election taking place tomorrow, I would not be able to live with myself if I did not take at least a few minutes to talk about a candidate running for State Senate. Let me preface my brief comments by making it clear that this is not a formal endorsement – consider it more of an “informational item” – as it were.

Joel Anderson, who is currently serving in the State Assembly, is seeking the GOP nomination for the State Senate tomorrow – in the 36th District, where Dennis Hollingsworth is retiring due to term limits.

It is has been my good fortune to know Joel Anderson for over twenty years – and to call him a friend. When I think about Joel in terms of his attributes, the thoughts that come to mind are integrity, conservatism, courage, activism,… Read More

They say that anyone who actually visits a sausage-making factory will never eat sausage again. Assembly Republican Leader Martin Garrick and his 43 other fellow Republican legislators have a similar plight – they have to be so close to the process of watching out-of-control liberals pass horrific legislation that it probably makes them ill.

In this video, Garrick lays it out…

… Read More

I’ve not seen much coverage of this issue in the U.S. press, but according to the U.K.’s Guardian, Steve Jobs is committed to keeping pornography off his i-products.

In April, he said at a press conference: "You know, there’s a porn store for Android [phones using Google’s software]. You can download porn, your kids can download porn. That’s a place we don’t want to go – so we’re not going to go there."

In late May, according to The Guardian, he had the following exchange with a writer for Gawker website (a New York news & gossip website):

In an email exchange with Ryan Tate, a writer for the Gawker website, Jobs set out his stall very clearly. Tate, annoyed by an iPad advert calling it a "revolution", challenged Jobs: "If [Bob] Dylan [one of Jobs’s childhood heroes] was 20 today, how

FlashReport readers are very familiar with Peter Foy. You’ll recall that in addition to being Chairman of the Americans for Prosperity California chapter, Peter is an elected Ventura County Supervisor. What you may not know is that Peter was elected to the Board of Supes four years ago by taking on and defeating an incumbent RINO (Republican In Name Only). Since then, Foy has been a solid conservative leader in Ventura County, and he is coasting towards a big re-election this Tuesday night.

Foy does have an opponent, however nominal, who would not even be worth writing about, except for his big-time blunder in for all I know is his only mail piece. Foy’s opponent is a Moorpark School Board Trustee by the name of Bruce Thomas. A mail piece just dropped for Thomas (the entire piece is viewable through the link below) but check out the clip from… Read More

It’s that time again. Stop what you are doing and take a stab. Send your picks to me here. (do not post them as a comment).

Deadline is 7:55 p.m. on June 8 (or anytime before).

Winners will be announced after the election, when I can get to it, or later in the case of any hand counts or other chads-like determinations by the Registrar, especially if followed by protracted lawsuits and court battles.

The contest victors get the ultimate prize – their fellow hacks’ amazement at their prowess.

On yes, in the past, some FR readers have complained that this contest is too "San Diego oriented." Well, yes, I do write about San Diego area politics. It is your choice to participate. Or not.

So, here we go, eleven questions and a couple of tie-breakers, if needed…

1. Chula Vista Fair and Open Competition Initiative: Will Measure G win or lose?

2. Oceanside Charter City question: Will Measure K win or lose?

3. Poway (two part question, must get them both correct):

a) Will Betty Rexford… Read More

Sometimes I wonder if agencies like the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) make it past their own headlines and read the rest of the newspaper. The above-the-fold front page headline in Thursday’s Tri Valley Herald reads, “Air board gets jump on pollutants,” and goes on to explain a new set of thresholds requiring builders to conduct pollution reduction studies before developing projects that fall within the typical range of what cities call “infill development.”Infill development has helped many cities replace blighted areas in their downtown areas with new, affordable housing for residents who want to work in the cities and enjoy short, often public transportation-enabled, commutes. While the executive director of the BAAQMD, Jack Broadbent, was patting himself and the agency on the back for being the first to adopt such guidelines, business leaders and advocates of affordable housing were not so enthusiastic. Adding additional legal hurdles to the development of badly needed urban housing in California only … Read More

Very interesting numbers coming out of absentee data in the Special Election run-off to be held concurrently with the Primary Election on Tuesday.

As of Friday, absentee ballots returned:

This is a district with about 50% Democrats, 25% Republicans, and 25% DTS. About 1/3 of the voters are expected to be Armenian. This is significant because Republicans should have a much higher turnout on Tuesday with very competitive races for Governor and U.S. Senate while the Democrats do not have similar competitiveness (and let’s face it, less than hyper-partisan voters are not flocking to the polls to vote for Assembly).

Republican businessman Sunder Ramani has actually raised impressive amounts of money though not at the level of his Democrat opponent who is able to rake in special interest money from Sacramento.

Ramani has considerable support in the Armenian community and is considered a strong ally while the Democrat, Mike Gatto, is distrusted and has shown very little concern for Armenian issues. Ramani’s campaign has… Read More