I would like to give a "Friend of the FlashReport" shout to newly appointed Riverside County Supervisor John Benoit. He was appointed late last week by Governor Schwarzenegger, and had tendered his resignation from the State Senate effective yesterday, and was all set to be sworn in today…

It turns out, though, that if Benoit delays his resignation from the Senate for just a little while, it will likely allow one of the two special elections (the "general") to fill his vacant Senate seat to be held in conjunction with the June primary, saving taxpayers the expense of an extra election.

Knowing how John is ready and anxious to roll up his sleeves and start "Supervising" at the County, I think it speaks volumes about his advocacy for taxpayers that he has decided to wait a few more weeks before leaving the Senate.

Kudos!… Read More

I attended the annual Grossmont Hospital Foundation gala last night while Congressional voting was taking place on healthcare. Some say it wasn’t a good night for hospitals to celebrate, but the Grossmont event was scheduled long ago and Nancy Pelosi didn’t ask about any scheduling conflicts.

Any night that the community comes together and significant funds are raised for a local hospital from hundreds of generous donors — the Feds not included — it’s a good time to celebrate.

It remains to be seen how difficult such private efforts may become in the future. In the meantime, some area GOP voices on the healthcare vote:

California Republican Chairman Ron Nehring…California’s 19 Republican Members of Congress tonight stood together on the side of the American people and against a giant, costly new health care bureaucracy that will transfer decisions about Americans’ health out of the hands of patients and doctors and into thousands of bureaucrats’ little cubicles in Washington D.C. … Tonight’s vote demonstrates Democrats have no interest in… Read More

There are a group of Democrat Members of Congress who like to refer to themselves as Blue Dogs. Supposedly this group of 50 or so Democrats are more "moderate" and style themselves after the Democrats of old, like back in the days of John F. Kennedy. They most decidedly do not consider themselves "Pelosi" Democrats.

I just wanted to make it very clear to anyone who will listen — there are NO BLUE DOGS in California. Just few hours ago the House of Representatives passed a TRILLION DOLLAR ++ socialized healthcare plan for the United States. Guess how many California Democrats voted against this travesty? ZERO. Every Democrat Member of Congress from California voted for the plan.

This includes some Central Valley Democrats who like to say that they are Blue Dogs — but tonight’s vote proves otherwise…

Rep. Jim Costa — VOTED YES — NOT a Blue… Read More

Factoid of the Day: The Pelosi government run health care plan creates a new 2.5% tax on all medical devices not sold through a retail establishment. That means a new 2.5% tax on everything from wheelchairs and hospital gowns, to artificial organs. And that lowers health care costs how?

Tea Party: Yesterdayon Capitol Hill, we Republicans held a press conference on the west front of the Capitol to oppose the Pelosi Health Plan. The “Tea Party” people seized on this as an opportunity to express the grass roots opposition to what the Wall Street Journal has called the worst bill since World War II. They started sending their e-mails just a few days ago.

And boy did they deliver. I would estimate that there were 25,000 people in the crowd all chanting “kill the bill; kill the bill.” There are those on the left who would dismiss this movement as a bunch of kooks and fringe players. They do so at their peril. I talked to corporate CEOs, Doctors, an investment banker with an MBA, and many other educated… Read More

The ink is hardly dry on the proclamation signed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointing John J. Benoit to the Riverside County Board of Supervisors. Benoit was tapped to fill a vacancy created when the incumbent Supervisor vacated his seat due to an illness that shortly thereafter claimed his life. While I could devote an entire column to why a newly elected member of the California State Senate would seek to be appointed to county office instead, let’s just say for our purposes that this is exactly what happened.

Very soon, Governor Schwarzenegger will be signing yet another proclamation – this one calling for a special election to fill the vacancy created in the 37th Senate seat – open due to the departure of Senator Benoit. While trying to map out the date of the special election isn’t a precise science, in all likelihood there would be special primary election in mid-January, and if no one gets more than 50% of the vote, then a runoff general election a few weeks later. Senate District 37 is the 10th… Read More

The ink is hardly dry on the proclamation signed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointing John J. Benoit to the Riverside County Board of Supervisors. Benoit was tapped to fill a vacancy created when the incumbent Supervisor vacated his seat due to an illness that shortly thereafter claimed his life. While I could devote an entire column to why a newly elected member of the California State Senate would seek to be appointed to county office instead, let’s just say for our purposes that this is exactly what happened.

Very soon, Governor Schwarzenegger will be signing yet another proclamation – this one calling for a special election to fill the vacancy created in the 37th Senate seat – open due to the departure of Senator Benoit. While trying to map out the date of the special election isn’t a precise science, in all likelihood there would be special primary election in mid-January, and if no one gets more than 50% of the vote, then a runoff general election a few weeks later. Senate District 37 is the 10th… Read More

FR readers statewide would do well to read this piece in the Orange County Register that shines a spotlight on the outrageous and expensive health benefits that are lavished on the City Councilmembers in Laguna Hills. I wish that I could say that this city is an exception, but it is my belief that part-time elected officials on City Councils, School Boards and Special Districts all over the state are getting pretty posh benefits like this.

This may sound like a backwards notion, but it seems to me that if an elected office is a full-time job, such as a state legislator, a county-wide official, or some councilmembers of large cities — well, those positions should come with benefits. But if you are a part-time elected official, that means that you either do something else for a living, are independently wealthy, or are retired — you should not be receiving healthcare or retirement benefits — period.

If people feel that the compensation through stipends for local elected officials are not sufficient enough, then perhaps a local government… Read More

At some point today, John Garamendi will be sworn in as a new member of the United States House of Representatives. In doing so, he will step down from the office of Lt. Governor. Governor Schwarzenegger will be able to name his replacement, subject to a confirmation vote of both the State Senate and the State Assembly. In theory the Governor could tap Garamendi’s replacement as early as tomorrow afternoon – after all, he has already had over a month to think about it, with Garamendi the overwhelming favorite to win his election to Congress as the Democrat nominee in a House seat with an 18-point advantage for the party of Obama.

There has been a good deal of conjecture taking place already as to whom the Governor might appoint. Let me start off by saying that the names of a number of Democrats have been thrown around – the most plausible of which being that of his old friend, former Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg (pictured, who is currently trying to change the world as Co-Chairman of California Forward).… Read More