From 1995 to 2000 Brian Bilbray (pictured, right) served in Congress representing what was then California’s 49th Congressional District in San Diego County. The seat was a competitive one, and in 2000 Bilbray ended up losing his re-election to now Democrat Congresswoman Susan Davis. Fast forward to 2006 — and the high profile disgraced Duke Cunningham is forced from the House of Representatives for, in essence, selling America for personal gain, leaving a vacancy in the more Republican 50th District. Bilbray jumped into the race to succeed Cunningham, and was successful. Bilbray one the special election in 2006, and then handily won re-election in 2008.

Is there a potential parallel between Bilbray’s return to Congress, and potential aspirations for conservative Richard… Read More

“As California goes, so goes the nation,” as the old saying goes. America, please don’t do what we are doing. Last week, Americans witnessed the U.S. Senate adopting the schedule that the California Legislature uses for its all night legislative slumber parties in our State Capitol. Americans had to wait until 1:00 AM eastern time to watch the Senate vote on the healthcare system’s destruction.

Back here at home, many of our state’s most important decisions over the last few years have also been completed well after last call in any neighborhood bar. And judging by the government spending sprees of late, both groups of late night patrons had similar decision-making capabilities: an explosion of new spending on bonds, budgets that are BILLIONS out of balance before the photocopies of the legislation have cooled.

All this was voted on by California legislators after an attrition strategy by their leaders to delay votes until near dawn. The California Legislature would often convene in late-night session after CalSpan is off the air, thus avoiding their handy work being exposed to “We The People.” After seeing votes scheduled for 1:00 am,… Read More

“As California goes, so goes the nation,” as the old saying goes. America, please don’t do what we are doing. Last week, Americans witnessed the U.S. Senate adopting the schedule that the California Legislature uses for its all night legislative slumber parties in our State Capitol. Americans had to wait until 1:00 AM eastern time to watch the Senate vote on the healthcare system’s destruction.

Back here at home, many of our state’s most important decisions over the last few years have also been completed well after last call in any neighborhood bar. And judging by the government spending sprees of late, both groups of late night patrons had similar decision-making capabilities: an explosion of new spending on bonds, budgets that are BILLIONS out of balance before the photocopies of the legislation have cooled. All this was voted on by California legislators after an attrition strategy by their leaders to delay votes until near dawn.

The California Legislature would often convene in late-night session after CalSpan is off the air, thus avoiding their handy work being exposed to “We The People.” After seeing votes scheduled for 1:00 am,… Read More

I have written in the past about how the City of San Diego’s campaign finance laws go far beyond those included in the California Political Reform Act. On top of this, add a City Ethics Commission that oftentimes takes "interpretation" into its own hands, seemingly becoming a policy-making entity instead of a regulatory body that is supposed to simply apply and enforcethe already restrictive local laws.

When the fledgling candidate can’t even begin to compete for a city position due tothe costly need for professional treasurer, accountancy and campaign software assistance, that marks only the beginning of the problems with the city regs. What of campaigning for a seat a couple of years or more in advance if one so chooses? Seems like a fundamental right if you ask even the distant observer. It’s not.

As a Charter City, does San Diego have the authority to restrict campaign activity in such a manner as to exceed that regulated by the State’s Fair Political Practices Commission? Good question. Charter cities do indeed have the authority for localized restrictions in several areas, but when it comes to State Law in… Read More

Of course I am a little prejudiced, having served on its city council and planning commission in the past, nevertheless, news reports of coastal Orange County’s City of Dana Point’s plans for the New Year help us understand why Obama actually beat McCain here in John Campbell’s Congressional District, of which Dana Point is a part. My hope in the New Year is thatleaders in adjoining coastal cities won’t catch the "tax and regulate" flu that is now endemic on the Dana Point City Council and Planning Commission.

Dana Point is site to a lovely harbor and beautiful ocean views. It also is the locale of several luxury hotels. The City’s revenues, which have always been in tip-top shape, are largelytied to sales taxes associated with the hotel industry, namely, a "transient occupancy tax" of 10% added to traveler’s hotel bills. This "TOT" tax is stuck on top of the normal sales tax of 8.75% in Dana Point. So, a typical unsuspecting visitor to Dana Point has taxes of 18.75% added to their hotel bill. For the Marriott Laguna Cliffs least expense room on the internet to stay… Read More

Judging from a quick walk around South Coast Plaza mall in Costa Mesa this afternoon, silver, and not diamonds, are what people are buying this first Christmas during the Obama era.

I took a stroll by a few of the shops in the designer section of the mall. Nobody was in Mikimoto (known for pearls) mid afternoon just two days before Christmas. Nobody was in Bulgari, the very high-end Italian designer jeweler. Nobody was in Van Cleef and Arpels, the "legendary" French high-end jewelry store.Top drawerJapanese, Italian, and French stores, all empty just before Christmas.

But America’s Tiffany’s was jumping. Not the whole store though, however. The diamond display cases, for which Tiffany is best known, were almost without any customers. So were the platinum and gold cases. However, the silver cases, where Tiffany’s offers jewelry priced about $200 were exploding with activity (the lowest you can get something in the other cases is closer to $2,000). In fact, Tiffany’s was so loaded with people in the lower cost silver section, that the store had initiated crowd control… Read More

Whatare the implicationsif there is an explosion of young conservatives emerging into the political fabric? Young Americans for Freedom created under Wm F. Buckley, seems to be re-emerging. YAF are chronic trouble makers. They demonstrate in the streets, confront crazed leftists, argue endlessly with totalitarian professors, write inflammatory articles, think day and night plotting for a conservative revolution. YAFers they are not nice Republicans.They are impatient.They reticule political grifters. They eventually become important political leaders. Governors, legislators and inside bureaucrats. Sen Jeff Sessions was Alabama YAF chairman. Dana RohrabacherCo-Chair of CAL-YAFwith me.Ed Royce at CSUF. John Lewis. A Federal Judge in California.In fact, they are everywhere.

YAF is a college intellectual equivalent of the older Tea Partiers—with firm philosophical goals.

Jordan Marks, the fire-lighter and current ED of YAF, just opened the national YAF office near Washington DC. What a bold and… Read More

This in from the Honorable Michelle Steel, elected member of the State Board of Equalization…

California is down and out when it comes to hosting one of the biggest boxing matches of the year. The Los Angeles Times recently reported that Manny Paquiao’s business manager advised him against fighting in California because of high taxes. For those of you not familiar with boxing; Paquiao is currently the WBO World welterweight champion, IBO and Ring Magazine light welterweight… Read More