The debate increases daily over whether government agencies at all levels can continue to provide generous defined benefit pension plans to their employees. More and more local elected officials are beginning to face the reality that these plans are simply financially unsustainable, while in many cases — sadly — also trying to figure out how to vote for fiscal integrity without upsetting labor groups.

There’s nothing that drives the debate moreso than facts. The San Diego County Taxpayers Association has issued what clearly stands as a significant 52-page report on the impacts of pension systems in the region, a first ever analysis of 17 city governments in San Diego County that participate in the California Public Employee Retirement System.

The report draws a conclusion. Increased taxes are the direct result of high pension costs in some cities.

The media embargo was lifted on the report at 10 p.m. tonight. It’s 10 p.m. at the FlashReport. So, here is the press release, with the report attached below.

City Pension Costs Linked to Higher… Read More

For those online tonight (or catching up tomorrow), I am about to “live twitter” the California Republican Assembly's candidate debate in AD 72 — where Linda Ackerman, Chris Norby, and Richard Fahr will have their first public debate. My feed is on twitter at “FlashReport”.… Read More

Dan Walters, columnist for the Sacramento Bee,wrote on Monday about California’s crumbling roads, highways and streets. Anyone with a car and a driver’s license knows Walters is right; our roads are a mess! And when compared to other states (which Walters did, having just returned from a road trip in the Northwestern states) the condition of our roads is inexcusable.

But I disagree with Walters’ assertion that our transportation infrastructure is in shambles because drivers don’t pay enough gas taxes.

With heavy use, the system needs, but is not getting, an extremely high level of maintenance to stave off deterioration. The gasoline tax, levied on gallonage, hasn’t been changed for many years. And because of greater fuel efficiency, the amount of gas being consumed has increased very little even as travel has increased sharply. Moreover, this flat revenue is being eroded by inflation.

Also on Monday, the California Taxpayers’ Association reported that the Board of Equalization released a report showing… Read More

The Meg Whitman for Governor campaign, just moments ago, released a list of local grassroots leaders from all around the state. Congratulations to the great many FR friends on the list. A special shout out to my good friend Sara Catalan, who in addition to being Deputy Chief of Staff to Congressman Ed Royce, and head of the CWLA Orange County Chapter, is now the Orange County Regional Chair for Meg Whitman’s campaign. Sara is actually quoted in the Whitman release saying, "Meg Whitman is the only gubernatorial candidate who has what it takes to rescue California," said Sara Catalan, the Orange Region Chair. "She is a proven leader with strong values and a sensible plan to restore California’s economy and improve our state government."

Here’s the list…

County Chairs (By Region)

North • North Region Co-Chairs – Bill Brunetti / Cindi Sherrod • Sacramento County Co-Chairs – Roberta MacGlashan / Tom Scott • El Dorado County Chair – Myrlys… Read More

Glendora has always been a pretty conservative town. Most of their school board elections haven’t been that exciting over the years.

This year a familiar Republican activist is running against three incumbents.

Former Three-term Los Angeles County Republican Party Chair Linda Boyd is running for a seat. Many know here and her husband CRP Regional Vice-Chair Doug Boyd as GOP activists.

But they are busier than that. Between them they have eleven children. They have a 3 year old daughter Reagan (a name stolen from the Spence’s) and adopted 2 year old twins Christian and Karleigh So they will soon have skin in the game . In what may be an instance of too full disclosure one board member is Mike Guatreau. Mike is a Republican and principal of West Covina High School. He also is one of two school board members (yes there are two, the other is Covina Valley’s Darrell Myrick) in the state that have had the high privilege of seeing me on a regular basis in a Speedo as my a high school swim coach.

The big issue is a proposed parcel tax. Glendora has been hit hard by declining enrollment and… Read More

According to our friends over at Capitol Weekly, today’s "Big 5" meeting (The Governor and the four Legislative Leaders) "blew up" with tensions high. Republicans are unhappy because legislation they were promised would make it to the Governor’s desk did not. Democrats are unhappy because legislation they want on the Governor’s desk hasn’t gotten there (these particular bills require a 2/3 vote). In the balance is a potential deal on the state’s water crisis, among other things.

In the balance, so they say, are over 700 pieces of legislation that legislative Democrats have put onto the Governor’s desk. If the Governor does not act on these bills by Sunday, apparently they all become law. But the word is that without any legislation on his desk to resolve the water crisis, the Governor will be spending all of his time focused on this goal, without the necessary time to review all of those bills — and that he would, in theory, veto them all rather than allow these bills to become law… Read More

With Labor Day now well behind us, we are now officially in the 2010 primary season, and as such, we here at the FlashReport will start to take a closer look at the legislative primaries shaping up in both safe GOP and competitive Congressional, Senate and Assembly Districts.

Where to start first on such an endeavor is always a challenge – so I picked the 33rd State Assembly District, which stretches up and down the California coast, from Hearst Castle on the Northern almost to Santa Barbara to the South (map). This seat has been considered a “safe” GOP seat for many years, though voter registration trends ensure that this year, with an open seat, it will be in play next November. The current incumbent, Assembly Republican Leader Sam Blakeslee (pictured), will retire at the end of next year due to term limits, and is expected to run for State Senate in 2012.

In making my… Read More

The word "unbelievable" comes to mind as we look at the "cover story" on Politico.com’s website this morning. There is a reason why the Editorial Board of the Wall Street Journal has dubbed Rep. Jerry Lewis ("R"-CA) the "Minority Maker" — and is because when Republicans had the majority in Congress, Lewis rather prolifically used his roll as Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee NOT to shrink the size and scope of the federal government, but to lord over a pork barrel spending process that saw Republicans embrace and even increase the amount of egregious earmarks from what the Democrats did when they were in power. Even now, the "Minority Maker" continues to give his party bad press with his slipping in an egregious $3 million public subsidy for a well funded Goldmach Sachs venture mining project.

There are clearly a few reasons why Republicans do not enjoy a majority in Congress today. But there is… Read More