Usually when I take the time to write a more in-depth piece about someone, I put up their photo so that you can see what he or she looks like. Except in the case of Robert Stryk I couldn’t find a photo anywhere online. So instead of looking at Stryk’s photo, you have to allow me to paint you a picture of a young, single 34 year old Washington, D.C., lobbyist with a transient and questionable background, who one day decided he would throw his hat into the ring to be the next Mayor of the small Napa County town of Yountville, population approximately 3,000.

Those who have spent time reading my columns over the years know that second to politics, my second passion in life is wine. I’ve been a “wine enthusiast” for many years, and love when I can to visit the Bay Area wine regions, and often times stay at a favorite… Read More

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[Cross-posted from RedCounty.com]

Readers may recall that a few months ago we had to toss one of our contributors, Aaron Park, who used this blog to continually flack for the Steve Poizner for Governor campaign, but refused to disclose to readers that he was being paid to do so by the Poizner campaign. Even when given the option of continuing to blog for Red County — with the proviso that he disclose that he worked for the Poizner campaign when writing about Poizner — Aaron refused because disclosure would cause the Poizner to cut off their payments.

Recently, Aaron has been trying to rehabilitate himself by waging a dishonest campaign of personal attacks against myself and Chip Hanlon. Lately, he’s trying to equate Whitman buying blogads on Red County with his acting as a paid Poizner advocate on Red County without the knowledge of red County or its readers. It’s an absurd and untrue comparison…which is why I was surprised that Calbuzz but down hard on Park’s bait.

Calbuzz is a blog run by Jerry Roberts and Phil Trounstine, who consider themselves to be veteran journalist and… Read More

FR friend Bob Loewen of the Orange County Lincoln Club has blogged over at Red County something that is worth statewide attention. The Lincoln Club has decided to draw a bright line in the sand against the corrupting influence of public employee unions on public policy. The Lincoln Club has said that in order to receive a coveted endorsement from their organization, a candidate has to sign a written pledge that they will not accept political contributions from public employee unions.

This action follows after, and shows support for the strong call from Orange County Republican Party Chairman Scott Baugh that candidates, whether seeking partisan or non-partisan office, who want support from the county party, must decline the endorsement of and contributions from public employee unions.

It is clear that these action are taking place because there is no logical reason for public officials to be voting to establish such unrealistic and unsustainable retirement benefits for public employees.… Read More

Earlier in the week I blogged that 11 GOP State Senators oppose Proposition 14, the "Top-Two" ballot system measure. Advocates say that the measure "opens" primaries but it actually closes General Elections, no longer guaranteeing that every party will have a candidate on the ballot each November. Well I got a revised letter just now, and that number is now 12 Senators — with Senator Dave Cogdill being on this letter as well (didn’t announce him before).

By the way, nothing emphasizes the nefarious legislative "blackmail" of Senator Maldonado of last February more than Senator Cogdill’s oppositions to Proposition 14, who was one of the primary architects of last February’s budget deal.… Read More

This in just in from Lew Uhler, President of the National Tax Limitation Committee…

The Paycheck Protection Initiative is too important to California’s future for it to be used as a political weapon in California’s Republican Gubernatorial Campaign. I have it on the highest authority that Meg Whitman is not opposed to Paycheck Protection and that she is not urging her supporters to boycott the initiative or ignore it financially. For Steve Poizner’s supporters to say otherwise is inaccurate and should stop. And now that public employee unions have announced a multimillion dollar independent expenditure campaign against Meg Whitman, she and her campaign supporters have ever more reason to engage the unions directly by supporting the paycheck protection initiative.… Read More

Republican candidates for statewide office not only need to debate, but they need to debate often. It is more important in this election cycle than ever before because of fourteen letters: Schwarzenegger. You see, Arnold Schwarzenegger really is one of the best actors out there – so much so that they should have an Academy Award for “Best Dramatic Performance In A Recall Election” – he would have won. He campaigned as a fiscal conservative – and has not been. His two hallmark “fiscal” achievements are getting the voters to max out the debt he inherited on a “credit card” of bonded indebtedness, and signing into law the largest tax increase in the history of any state. And he’s not done, with a pork-filled massive so-called water bond to appear before voters this November. In other-words, he “became” exactly the person he needed to be to strike a resonant chord with angry voters who wanted to oust Gray Davis and replace him with a fiscal hawk.

Why is Arnold Schwarzenegger’s acting performance of 2003 so relevant today? Let me give an eight letter word : cynicism. I use this word as a good one to describe the attitude of many… Read More

Orange County’s unelected Sheriff Sandra Hutchens granted early release to 300 convicts to roam the streets.

Was this necessary? Sheriff Lee Baca didn’t think so and did not release anyone early. The Sacramento Deputy Sheriff’s sued and won an order from Judge Loren McMaster holding any more premature releases.

The Sheriff”s first duty is to protect the public. What is Sheriff Sandra Hutchens thinking?

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