The latest from FR correspondent Bradley Benbrook, who is keeping a close eye on the redistricting process as we move closer to the redrawing of legislative lines… One Step Closer To The Prop 11 Redistricting Commission Bradley Benbrook

California’s new redistricting process took another step forward this week with the selection of a three-member “applicant review panel,” comprised of three CPA’s from the Bureau of State Audits (one Republican, one Democrat, and one decline-to-state) who will review a mountain of applications for Proposition 11’s Citizen’s Redistricting Commission. Next year this panel will publicly interview applicants and ultimately narrow the field to three… Read More

The latest from FR correspondent Bradley Benbrook, who is keeping a close eye on the redistricting process as we move closer to the redrawing of legislative lines…

One Step Closer To The Prop 11 Redistricting Commission Bradley Benbrook

California’s new redistricting process took another step forward this week with the selection of a three-member “applicant review panel,” comprised of three CPA’s from the Bureau of State Audits (one Republican, one Democrat, and one decline-to-state) who will review a mountain of applications for Proposition 11’s Citizen’s Redistricting Commission. Next year this panel will publicly interview applicants and ultimately narrow the field to three groups of 20 Republicans, 20 Democrats, and 20 unaffiliated applicants they… Read More

The Secretary of State has determined that the random sample of signatures for the recall of Assemblyman Anthony Adams indicates that 24,579 are valid.

The proponents of the recall needed 35,825.

Recall fails to qualify.… Read More

Like most of the California political community that has heard that the Secretary of State has said that the proponents of the Adams Recall did not have a high enough percentage of valid signatures in the random count to move forward with the election, or even to move forward with a manual count, I am shocked.

My initial thought was, "How could this happen?"

It seems like there are only three obvious possibilities, all of them extraordinarily lucky for Anthony Adams, who should by rights be facing a recall over his taking of the no new taxes pledge only to turn around and vote for the largest tax increase in the history of any state.

1) A really unlucky pull of random signatures. It’s not likely that all of the "bad apples" (invalid signatures) in the bunch would be all stuck together — but it is not impossible. Probably more likely that the Governor’s veto letter to Tom Ammiano was a coincidence.

2) Fraud by one of both Registrars of Voters. This isn’t likely. From what I’ve heard, the ROV in San Bernardino is as honest as the day is long. While I have little faith in the LA County ROV… Read More

I am a hard core conservative. But I never liked this recall effort on Anthony Adams from the beginning. I wrote so here. I don’t like the idea of commercial radio personalities who have no history in the trenches, and a profit motive, calling shots for the Republican party. While Adams voted the wrong way on the budget, in my view, a primary challenge would have been the better way to make the point. And I am sure that by now, Adams regrets his vote and has learned a huge lesson in politics. Let’s hear from Adams now: vote conservative all the way, or else! That is enough for me. Let us stop wasting resources on this stuff and start using resources fighting Democrats!!!… Read More

UC students in Los Angeles almost shut down a UC Board of Regents hearing this morning on the UCLA campus. The board was considering a 32 percent increase in undergraduate fees and students were so outraged by the increase that they flooded the meeting, chanting, interrupting and holding a raucous protest outside. The estimated cost per student if the fee is passed will be $2,500. That’s an enormous increase, especially for students who already face loan balances making them indentured—but educated—servants. The students’ frustration is understandable. In fact, most taxpayers can completely sympathize. The state government just started withholding an additional 10 percent from our paychecks. And the legislature continually passes new taxes and fees to pay for their pet projects. College students … Read More

Mayor Ashley Swearingen today announced the first round of major budget cuts for the City of Fresno as part of a predicted restructuring due to plummeting tax revenues.

I have a lot of confidence in Ashley. She”s a tough, smart pragmatic leader who listens well and does her homework. While we might not agree on some issues, she’ll never be accused of being unprepared, and she doesn’t back down from her positions with nuanced explanations.

For these economic times, the City of Fresno, along with City Council Members Lee Brand, Andreas Borgeas and Larry Westerlund (all Fresno County Lincoln Club Members) is in good hands. Stay tuned.… Read More

Well respected political analyst Charlie Cook has issued his latest assessment of which U.S. Senate and House races are in play.

In the Senate he places Boxer in the "Leans Democrat" column.

For California House races, most of the seats are either "Safe Democrat" or "Safe Republican."

Here is a breakdown of those in-between (seven seats "in play" – 4D, 3R):

Likely Democrat Cardoza (CA-18) Costa (CA-20) Sanchez (CA-47)

Lean Democrat McNerney (CA-11)

Lean Republican Lungren (CA-3) Calvert (CA-44)

Likely Republican Mary Bono Mack (CA-45)… Read More