When I fly to Sacramento I typically blog about the politicos on the flight. Sacramento being the mecca for California politics, there is always a familiar face on that flight.

Today I am flying up to San Francisco, and I am relatively pleased to say that I don't recognize anyone on my flight!

I did spot some familiar faces in John Wayne Airport — coming off of their flight from Sac were Dick and Linda Ackerman! So it is still a small world.

Wheels up!… Read More

I’m pleased to report that my long-time friend, Laura Cunningham, is seriously exploring a run for Orange County Clerk-Recorder. She received encouragement to run after Sup. Chris Norby jumped into the 72nd Assembly District special election, instead.

Laura has already racked up some significant endorsements, such as OC Supervisors Bill Campbell and Pat Bates, District Attorney Tony Rackauckas, former Supervisor and current Assemblyman Jim Silva, as well as a number of local elected officials. John Lewis and Matt Holder, who have run a number of successful county-wide races, have agreed to serve as her consultants.

I’ve known Laura for many years, and think she would make a tremendous Clerk-Recorder. She brings leadership skills, political savvy and organizational and operational experience from both business and government. Given her breadth of political experience and connections, Laura will make a formidable candidate."

This may be déjà vu for some long-time OC politicos: Laura ran for the post 12 years ago when incumbent Gary Granville decided to retire. She… Read More

The Governor’s Commission on the 21st Century Economy delivered its much anticipated report today. Some of the recommendations are valid and should be embraced by the Legislature. But unfortunately, the report also calls for a hidden tax on business (known as the business net receipts tax) that would lead to taxing services.

At a time when California’s business climate is the third worst in the nation and when its unemployment rate is breaking Depression-era records, the notion of a hidden tax will go over like a lead balloon with taxpayers, with economists and certainly with Republicans.

How can we support any idea that will make California less competitive in business, kill jobs and evaporate the entrepreneurial spirit that Californian is known for the world-over? It’s obvious that further taxation will do all of these things, and in the process send California’s business climate to rock bottom and push our joblessness rate through the roof.

Perhaps instead, Legislative leaders and the governor should get serious about… Read More

MY DAD AND KAREN BASS Yesterday was one of the Jewish High Holidays – Yom Kippur. My mom and dad, who are members of Temple Akiba in Culver City, attended the Temple’s Yom Kippur services at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium. Who should be there but the local member of the California State Assembly, Speaker Karen Bass. My dad took the opportunity to introduce himself to Speaker Bass, identifying himself as a Republican. When the Speaker asked for dad’s name, which he gave her, she asked if he was any relation to me! She proceeded to tell my father that the FlashReport is a "must read" for her every day! Maybe it is, or maybe it isn’t — but it was very cool of her to say that to dad! And polite to leave it at that ;-) CONSIDERING… Read More

MY DAD AND KAREN BASS Yesterday was one of the Jewish High Holidays – Yom Kippur. My mom and dad, who are members of Temple Akiba in Culver City, attended the Temple’s Yom Kippur services at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium. Who should be there but the local member of the California State Assembly, Speaker Karen Bass. My dad took the opportunity to introduce himself to Speaker Bass, identifying himself as a Republican. When the Speaker asked for dad’s name, which he gave her, she asked if he was any relation to me! She proceeded to tell my father that the FlashReport is a "must read" for her every day! Maybe it is, or maybe it isn’t — but it was very cool of her to say that to dad! And polite to leave it at that ;-)

CONSIDERING THE TAX COMMISSION REPORT AS A PACKAGE … Read More

I just read that former California Republican Party Chairman Bob Naylor, who had endorsed Steve Poizner at some point, has now pulled that, and instead endorsed Meg Whitman. I admit that I wasn’t impressed to see Naylor on Poizner’s endorsement list, nor will I be to see it on Whitman’s. Naylor is a controversial figure in GOP circles because he always seems to side with the special interests that he represents as a lobbyist over the interests of the Republican Party he once lead.

An extremely affable guy, this former Assembly Republican Leader is definitely NOT in the "mainstream" of Republican thought. Naylor was one of the only, if not the only former CRP Chairman to endorse the controversial Proposition 1A, which if passed would have smacked California taxpayers with over $16 billion in higher sales, income and car taxes. Just this summer Naylor penned a… Read More

Juliet Williams over at the Associated Press has the story.

Excerpt: She says for most of her adult life, she was raising a family, working, and focusing on her husband’s career. But Whitman says that’s no excuse for failing to register or vote. UPDATE: Here is a more complete and direct response from Whitman on the issue.… Read More

Because there has been a little stir created over the "Straw Poll" taken at the State GOP Convention over the weekend, I thought I would take a moment to write about it for the benefit of FR readers.

First and foremost, there was no official California Republican Party straw poll taken of delegates or attendees to the convention. As an elected party officer, I feel comfortable assuring everyone of that. I even called my colleague, CRP Treasurer Keith Carlson, and asked him. "Nope," he said, demonstrating a strategic use of brevity (not often exhibited by attorneys).

Yet a media release went out this morning from the DeVore for U.S. Senate Campaign proclaiming his overwhelming victory in the CRP Convention Straw Poll.

So what gives?

The answer is pretty simple. The DeVore for U.S. Senate campaign conducted their own straw poll. Their campaign printed the ballots. Their campaign volunteers handed out the ballots to at least those coming out of the convention’s Saturday evening dinner… Read More