Governor Schwarzenegger deserves some quick and strong praise from conservatives for his first "opening salvo" on the 2010 state budget debate. In today’s Los Angeles Times, reporters Shane Goldmacher and Evan Halper explain how the Governor has put forth some major negotiating points he will use with the legislature to work towards closing an estimated budget shortfall of over twenty BILLION dollars. Governor Schwarzenegger has thrown down the proverbial gauntlet, making it clear that without money from the federal government, he will be advocating large and deep cuts in social spending programs.

Here is a relevant excerpt from the Times article: If Washington does not provide roughly $8 billion in new aid for the state, the governor threatens to severely cut back — if not eliminate — CalWORKS, the state’s main welfare program; the In-Home Health Care Services program for the disabled and elderly poor, and two tax breaks for… Read More

Enjoy this original column this morning from Jon Coupal, President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association — Wheels Coming Off The High Speed Rail. What’s it about? I think the title says it all…

This column from the Contra Costa Times’ Lisa Vorderbrueggen is also worth a read.… Read More

Let me quickly dispel a myth – a “narrative” that us being spun by some – that “partisan gridlock” is the big problem in the State Capitol today. This simply isn't true. In fact, this idea would seem to support the idea that any solution for a problem that can be reached through bipartisan cooperation of some sort is a good solution.

The problem in Sacramento is not partisan gridlock, but rather it is decade after decade of liberals running up the tab on state spending. Yes, there are some issues that require a 2/3 vote, which means a token number of GOP votes are needed. But this process at best slightly tweaks already-cooked left wing policy.

In other words — the problems in state government have not and are not caused by “political parties” — but rather one political party. In the quest for reforms, the most obvious one is right in front of everyone — we need real Republican majorities in Sacramento.

By the way, the so-called “open primary” by our analysis, if passed, would actually lead to higher taxes and more fees and regulations. It's passage would… Read More

The next election year should by all historicalstandards be a great one for the Republican Party, nationwide and in California. But Republicans in California are not as united as they could be to capitalize on the usual historical trend and beat back the liberals. During 2009, some of our California Republican elected officials – our leaders – have voted contrary to their explicit promises to oppose new taxes,sullying our "brand" as the pro-taxpayer party.The backlash these deviationists have caused has instigated nothing less than an on-going "purge" in our California party; another unwelcome development, in my opinion now over-the-top, for a Party that appears doomed towhat I have termed "permanent super-minority status."Ididn’t sign up for that! We need a Conservative-controlled California GOP with a capital "C," and we also need to win elections! We could be doing both; but maybethat won’t happen so well next year, unless perhaps the deviationists get back to principles, and the purgers stop purging.

With all the above in… Read More

Ever since Oprah asked Obama how he would grade his own performance as president thus far (B+, by the way), political commentators have been assigning their own grade to the President’s first year in office. Now California’s Governor has joined the debate and told CNN, “When it comes to effort, [Obama] should get a straight A.”

Now I know that Schwarzenegger is the very definition of a RINO. But this goes beyond a Republican elected officialmerely trying to be courteous to the President. "A for effort" is the mantra of the Left—results doesn’t matter, it’s how you feel about what you’re doing that will be graded.

I have seen many cases over the years like the one before the Board of Equalization last week. A CEO of a small business had an accountant on staff who had embezzled money. In this case, the embezzlement included sales tax money collected from customers that was laundered into the pocket of the accountant rather than paid to the State of California. The accountant was eventually imprisoned, but that still left the tax liability. Under the law, the interest on sales tax proceeds starts the moment the return is due. If the embezzlement goes on for years, that is a lot of interest, on top of the tax dollars and penalties. In the case before us, the accountant set up a phony shipping company and directed the sales tax money to that company and called the expense “shipping. CEOs and other corporate officers need to have a higher level of awareness than was exhibited in this case. Under the law, other corporate officers cannot simply blame the accountant and not have to pay the interest, penalties and tax. I am willing to sponsor a bill that gives the Board more flexibility when the interest clock should start so the Board can make a judgment as to when the CEO… Read More

A Guest Commentary from Congressman Ed Royce (R-Orange County)…

FANNIE, FREDDIE AND ACORN

Last week several of my colleagues and I met with journalist Hannah Giles. You may recall Hannah posed as a prostitute in a series of undercover videos with independent filmmaker James O’Keefe in order to elicit responses from employees of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN). These videos recorded over the summer uncovered employees at ACORN offices in five different cities clearly eager to assist this supposed prostitute with tax evasion, human smuggling and child prostitution. The scheme was Hannah’s idea; part of her plan to expose ACORN’s illegal activities across the U.S. … Read More

It looks like Washington, DC Democrats have taken a page from their peers in Sacramento. In the middle of the night the Senate voted to clear the way for a revamped ObamaCare bill. California legislators are used to late-night marathons and missing holidays as they are subjected to psychological tactics used to wear down their resolve. If Californians have learned anything about all-night legislative sessions, they know it can only mean bad news for taxpayers.

I am so appalled by the disgusting, anti-American behavior of the Democrats in DC that as the vote took place last night, I wrote a Townhall column expressing sentiments I’m certain are shared by most Americans. We still have a few days left to put pressure on the venal Senators who are selling out all Americans. It may be Christmas week, but America is in great peril and we have to remain vigilant.… Read More