The Republican primary for governor just got a lot more interesting.

For weeks, Meg Whitman’s been running statewide radio ads at high levels, and not coincidentally has been building herself a solid lead in early polls. Because Steve Poizner has not been spending for advertising as well, rumors have been circulating that he was not committed to the race and might even be looking for an early exit rather than try to compete with what’s likely to be huge levels of Whitman spending.

But earlier tonight, Poizner sent an email to supporters announcing that he had contributed $15 million of his own money to the campaign. That’s more than enough to finance an ad blitz that could pull him even with the frontrunners by early next year. More immediately, though, it puts the rumors to rest. Steve Poizner is definitely running for governor.

The next question is when his ads start running. Assuming that both Poizner and Whitman are willing to stay on the air all the way until June, it’s also safe to assume that every man, woman and child in California will have both candidates’ ads memorized long before the primary.… Read More

As the United States Senate takes on the health care issue, there is a clear difference of opinion on whether this $850 billion program will rein in rising health care costs or further bankrupt our nation. In a piece written recently, Sacramento Bee columnist Dan Walters noted a provision inserted into the 2,000-plus page health care bill that would wreak havoc on California.

Walters wrote that 34 years ago California passed a law that imposed a $250,000 limit on pain and suffering damages in medical malpractice cases. Walters also noted that during the 1970s, in response to the skyrocketing insurance premiums for malpractice insurance, many doctors threatened to leave the state or abandon specialized practices, particularly obstetrics.

However, California’s malpractice cap, which also was enacted in 30 other states, has been put on the chopping block by Speaker Nancy Pelosi in the health care bill pushed through the House. In the recently approved House health care bill, any state that repeals the malpractice cap would receive "incentive payments"–a modern day payoff.

As noted in by Walters, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO)… Read More

I’ve read some comments on this blog andanother conservative blogthat State Senator Abel Maldonado "votes with the Democrats most of the time."

I decided to invest 15 minutes of my time to research how Maldonado actually votes in Sacramento. I did not contact Maldonado, or any of his critics, to do this research. I just wanted to see what I could easily find on the internet, and do the work on my own.

Here is what I found on Abel’s voting record:

According to the California Chamber of Commerce, Maldonado votes within their highest range of support for the business community, 80% or more. On 13 bills important to the California Chamber, Maldonado supported 11 and voted against 2. By comparison, conservative State Senator Tony Strickland supported 12 and opposed 1, and liberal DemocratDarrell Steinberg, supported just 3 of the bills and opposed 10. The "median" or average Democrat vote was to support 2 and oppose 11 of the bills.

I alsoexamined the California Chamber’s 13 key bills and determined they were all pro-taxpayer,… Read More

Part 2 of my response to the dishonest spin oozing from the Poizner campaign:

To the best of my recollection, I have never met or spoken with Jarrod Agen, spokesman for the Steve Poizner for Governor campaign. Other than a few e-mails this summer, we’ve had hardly any communication.

If the people running the show there were smart, they’d send Jarrod for a long weekend at a spa, so he can calm down, relax and start thinking straight. I figure maybe it is the stress that is causing him to needlessly pick fights and make things up about this blog.

First there’s this doozy Agen peddled to Joe Garofoli at the SFChronicle:

Yet a few weeks later, Cunningham ran a — brace yourself for this — MULTI-PART interview with Meg Whitman. Yes, the political equivalent of a unicorn sighting.

Red County’s Matt Cunningham and Steve Poizner talking about the weather.

Agen says this is because Whitman is a major advertiser… Read More

It would appear that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger thinks that you (and me) are stupid.

Seriously.

Chris Reed, a member of the editorial board of the San Diego Union Tribune, sent off a group of four questions to the Governor’s office all centered around the fact that the Governor himself insisted that there be a provision in AB32 that would allow for its suspension during tough economic times. Given that we are in a recession, Chris’ questions seemed on point. Here are his four questions and the four unbelievable answers from the Governor’s office…

A. Your question is premised on an unproven assertion that implementation of AB32 would be harmful to the economy when all the evidence points in the opposite direction. Major programs under AB 32 will not go into effect… Read More

It would appear that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger thinks that you (and me) are stupid.

Seriously.

Chris Reed, a member of the editorial board of the San Diego Union Tribune, sent off a group of four questions to the Governor’s office all centered around the fact that the Governor himself insisted that there be a provision in AB32 that would allow for its suspension during tough economic times. Given that we are in a recession, Chris’ questions seemed on point. Here are his four questions and the four unbelievable answers from the Governor’s office…

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

Capitol Weekly is reporting that there very well may be a vote for the next Assembly Speaker today. Apparently in the kurfuffle between two ultra liberal Democrat lawmakers from Los Angeles with terrible voting records, one of them has beat out the other. It’s more bad news for California that the State Assembly will continue to be led by someone who thinks that taxes are too low, regulations are too lax, and that the way to stimulate growth in California is to redistribute wealth.

That said, the big question of the day for Republicans remains — will the name of Assembly Republican Leader Sam Blakeslee be placed into nomination during the speakership vote?

We sure hope so.

There will be 28 Republican legislators on hand for the vote for Speaker. Unfortunately, the outcome is preordained as all of these GOPers will have to watch the coronation of yet another Democrat.

That said, all of these Republicans deserve self-respect and as the minority party in the Assembly, Republicans should be allowed some… Read More

CALIFORNIA’S RACE TO THE BOTTOM Craig DeLuz

Currently, the State Legislature is in its Fifth Extraordinary Session, which was called by Governor Schwarzenegger to implement reforms to our educational system that would make our state eligible to compete for over $400 million in federal "Race To The Top" education funds. But, when given an opportunity to make substantive change for the better in California’s education system, the California Assembly’s Education Committee chose to side with those who have destroyed the system in the first place.

On a 6-5-6 vote they shot down SB X5 1 (Romero), which was a bipartisan effort supported by scores of education advocates, school districts, educators and business leaders. Conversely, they approved AB X5 8 (Brownley), which is little more than a union backed attack on California charter schools.

Romero’s SB X5 1 was largely about bringing greater accountability and flexibility to education in California. It removed the cap placed on the… Read More