The American Future Fund is in the midst of a massive statewide independent expenditure in the Republican primary for United States Senate. Their efforts, for now, seem entirely devoted to "voter education" on the background of candidate Tom Campbell. Their efforts include a television spot (which is at the bottom of this post) and also includes a direct mail campaign. The mail piece immediately below was received in my mailbox yesterday. It features longtime FR friend Jon Coupal, President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. They also have launched a website — TomISTheTaxMan.com.

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Ask 1000 random Californians of all political stripes to list what they believe should be the state’s spending priorities, and you’ll probably see education, public safety and transportation at the top of almost every list. After that, priorities will vary depending on the individual’s point of view.

What you won’t see on anyone’s list is taxpayer financing of political campaigns, yet that’s just what Prop 15 on the June ballot would do. With a mammoth budget deficit, taxes going up, a crumbling infrastructure, and a host of assorted problems facing California, it’s not surprising that voters can think of plenty of things to spend their money on besides junk mail and negative TV ads.

Four years ago, 74 percent of voters said NO to Prop 89, a plan to tax businesses to finance political campaigns. In 2000, when the state was flush with tax revenue from the dot-com boom, two-thirds of voters rejected another public campaign financing scheme, Proposition 25.

**There is more – click the link**… Read More

Ask 1000 random Californians of all political stripes to list what they believe should be the state’s spending priorities, and you’ll probably see education, public safety and transportation at the top of almost every list. After that, priorities will vary depending on the individual’s point of view.

What you won’t see on anyone’s list is taxpayer financing of political campaigns, yet that’s just what Prop 15 on the June ballot would do. With a mammoth budget deficit, taxes going up, a crumbling infrastructure, and a host of assorted problems facing California, it’s not surprising that voters can think of plenty of things to spend their money on besides junk mail and negative TV ads.

Four years ago, 74 percent of voters said NO to Prop 89, a plan to tax businesses to finance political campaigns. In 2000, when the state was flush with tax revenue from the dot-com boom, two-thirds of voters rejected another public campaign financing scheme, Proposition 25.

Here we go again with Proposition 15. The California Nurses Association and other members of the spending lobby will ask voters for the third time in ten years to repeal the same… Read More

This just out from the Meg Whitman for Governor campaign… We’ll be looking with interest to tomorrow’s Capitol Weekly/Probolsky Research survey results, which is the next survey taking place that isn’t sponsored by a candidate…

April 21, 2010 To: Meg Whitman for Governor From: John McLaughlin Re: Survey Analysis Date: April 21, 2010 … Read More

This is a "must read" from Steve Moore in today’s Wall Street Journal Political Diary E-mail…… Read More

Today we publish an interview we conducted yesterday with political strategist Arnold Steinberg. He has served as a campaign strategist and adviser for countless campaigns. He has created hundreds of campaign advertising materials for print, television and radio media and conducted more than 1800 polling and focus group projects. The author of two graduate textbooks on campaign management and media, Steinberg is a court-recognized expert witness who has testified repeatedly on public opinion and attitudinal formation, demographics and voting patterns, media and advertising, and elections and ballot issues, and other aspects of political campaigns. He has been on several foundation boards as well as Federal boards in the Reagan and Bush Administrations. He also served on the California Coastal Commission. He also represented the United States… Read More

Today we publish an interview we conducted yesterday with political strategist Arnold Steinberg. He has served as a campaign strategist and adviser for countless campaigns. He has created hundreds of campaign advertising materials for print, television and radio media and conducted more than 1800 polling and focus group projects. The author of two graduate textbooks on campaign management and media, Steinberg is a court-recognized expert witness who has testified repeatedly on public opinion and attitudinal formation, demographics and voting patterns, media and advertising, and elections and ballot issues, and other aspects of political campaigns. He has been on several foundation boards as well as Federal boards in the Reagan and Bush Administrations. He also served on the California Coastal Commission. He also represented the United States… Read More

If you weren’t able to make it to the Democrat State Convention last weekend in Los Angeles, here is your chance to see ersatz Governor-again Jerry Brown fumble through appearances at the LGBT Caucus (courting the transgender vote made the candidate so nervous – watch him drop his cell phone!) and then the Labor Caucus. Enjoy…

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