<object width="399" height="349"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/c4JVhxSAf_c&rel=0&border=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/c4JVhxSAf_c&rel=0&border=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="399" height="349"></embed></object>… Read More

One of my better "insider sources" tells me that the Governor is going to appoint State Senator Abel Maldonado (? – Santa Maria) to be the state’s next Lt. Governor.

Somebody get me a barf bag.

Talk about exactly what California, and the Republican Party don’t need.

Abel Maldonado, while I pleasant enough guy in the right circumstances, is what we call a "Xenomorph" — that which changes shape due to external influence.

At a time when our state and my party need leaders who are willing to stand tall against the advance of progressivism and the rise of the (very expensive) administrative state — Maldonado doesn’t stand tall for anything. In fact, he may be the perfect pick for this Governor as both continually demonstrate positioning on issues in the most erratic manner. Which is to say that they have no consistency.

If Maldo’s name is put forward by the Governor, I guess we can look for the silver lining. The first of which is that Maldonado could be rejected by the Senate (if I were in the Senate, I wouldn’t be inclined to vote to confirm him — except maybe just… Read More

Apparently the Governor just announced on the taping of tonight’s Jay Leno Show his announcement that he is nominating State Senator Abel Maldonado to be Lt. Governor. We extend congratulations to the Senator.

We are now commencing a 24 hour "nice nice" period where we shall say nothing critical.

(Of course, the blog post below this one was penned and posted BEFORE the breaking news.)

That said, the smarter people out there will write about timelines and such for confirmation votes. But it does immediately create a new political dynamic in the lower chamber where (presumably) Assembly Republican Leader Sam Blakeslee will now be focusing his energies into a forthcoming special election for the State Senate — which likely starts a countdown clock to his stepping aside from his Assembly Leadership position.

We’ll reach out to him to find out what he’s doing.… Read More

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When I first became a member of the Board of Equalization in 2002 the job I found least satisfying was sponsoring legislation. I had left the Legislature and no longer thought it was my job to make laws. Since that time I have grown even more wary of this and last week’s meeting of the Board is a good example. There are always legislative proposals that can reasonably be called “technical housekeeping” — like fixing drafting errors in law. I am happy to support these efforts. What I do not like is the tendency of the Board to lobby the Legislature to make the tax agencies more powerful and to prop up bad tax programs. I appreciate that the Governor has vetoed many egregious recommendations from the BoE — while also signing some that came out of the BoE over my objections — but at the very least there should be much more public pushback when the BoE asks the Legislature to make laws affecting taxpayers.

At last week’s BoE meeting, the Board, over my objections, approved sponsoring legislation to mandate that certain small businesses and individuals apply for a Use tax permit; another to validate the uncollectable Use tax… Read More

In the weeks and months ahead we will likely be hearing much about the "Manhattan Declaration," a 4,700 word document released Friday, signedby several leading Orthodox, Catholic, and evangelical Christians, united in efforts to "reaffirm fundamental truths about justice and the common good" and calling upon their fellow citizen to join in the defense of:

-The sanctity of human life.

-The dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife.

-The rights of conscience and religious liberty.

Anyone can now go to www.manhattandeclaration.org and sign on as well. It will be interesting to see which politicians are willing to be included.

Of the over 150 original signers, the following are from California (note that the FlashReport’s own Frank Schubert is included)..

Pastor Randy & Sarah Brannon Senior Pastor, Grace Community Church (Madera)

Most Rev. Salvatore Joseph Cordileone Bishop, Roman Catholic Diocese of… Read More

When I learned of the passing of Nao Takasugi, my first reaction was “no way” – to me Nao was the forever man, an unchanged rock of calmness and integrity. He was nearly always cheerful: a rare man who would pat you on the shoulder, say “good to see you” – and truly mean it every time.

For those who knew Nao, they will remember his enthusiastic smile, warm handshake and genuine goodness. I was a brash young politico when he took me under his wing. He taught me that humility in politics was more important than bravado, he showed me that we could hold on to our beliefs, fight hard for them while still respecting and genuinely liking those who oppose us. He showed me that nice guys don’t finish last.

Nao was a humble man who treated everyone with… Read More

I am getting sick of reading Frank Mickadeit’s stupid columns in the OC Register. Who the hell is he to have all that column space anyway? Was he born in California? He writes about himself going to law school at Chapman. Hell, I went to Pepperdine Law School when it was in Anaheim in the early 1970s and I never heard of Frank Mickadeit when I was there! He writes frequently about "pollster" Adam Probolsky and what he does. Well, all it takes to be a pollster is toread a book! BIG DEAL. Mickadeit just writes about people who call him or get in his face, sometimes manipulating himjust to get written up in his column in the Register. That is a problem with "journalists," they love brown-nosing and have too much power, There is a lot more going on in California and Orange County politicsthan Frank’s column, and his column seeks to be "insider" outlook, but it is more than a littlelame. Last Thursday, he wrote that former State Senator Dick Ackerman should get a lobbying contract regarding the Orange County Fairgrounds. Frank, did you… Read More