A couple of weeks ago, I read an article of interest in the Business section of the Los Angeles Times, which caught my eye because of its title: Telecom Companies Reject Stimulus Money.

The headline piqued my interest because, after all, isn’t in en vogue these days to take big handouts from Uncle Sam for your big business? Didn’t Congress pass, at the President’s request, a massive “stimulus” bill to move money into the economy by investing it into, among other things, infrastructure growth?

We’re seen banks take billions, as well as the auto industry – just to point out two obvious recipients of President Obama’s largesse.

**There is more – click the link**

View Full Commentary… Read More

Most politicos don’t usually socialize with terror apologists. Generally, theyare cautious to a fault. Which is whya politicalevent today in Sacramento raisesserious questions of what were they thinking. The extremist group CAIR (Committee for American-Islamic Relations)recently issued a press releaseannouncing its6th Annual Ramadan Iftar inside the Capitol Rotunda (see the release with a full list of legislative co-hosts attached to the bottom of this post).… Read More

Yesterday a furor erupted over a pretty extensive blog post by former MSM reporter turned blogger Greg Lucas, on his California’s Capitol site entitled, Schwarzenegger Administration Floats 25-cent Fee on Single-Use Plastic and Paper Bags. Lucas is viewed as being a pretty credible writer on the goings-on of California politics.

Well, if there was a trial balloon being floated, consider it popped. We just got off of the phone with the Gov’s peeps — who confirm that the Governor has not, does not, and will not sign into law a tax on plastic grocery bags.… Read More

Most politicos don’t usually socialize with terror apologists. Generally, theyare cautious to a fault. Which is whya politicalevent today in Sacramento raisesserious questions of what were they thinking. The extremist group CAIR (Committee for American-Islamic Relations)recently issued a press releaseannouncing its6th Annual Ramadan Iftar inside the Capitol Rotunda (see the release with a full list of legislative co-hosts attached to the bottom of this post).… Read More

I am not quite sure how to react to the information, given to me by Aaron McLear (the Governor's Press Secretary) that his boss flat out opposes taxing grocery bags — but that he would support a complete ban on plastic shopping bags.

I guess I am half-pleased and half-not. That the Governor is maintaining his anti-tax stance is awesome.

But… Banning plastic bags? That seems to me to be a big over-reach by state government. There is no doubt that limiting the selection of available options to stores for choice of bag options will end up being costly for consumers.… Read More

Some PAC’s try to conceal who they really represent, others are quite open about the interests they represent. I came across a PAC that now has my support for favorite name.

Their ID number is 1302807.

Their name is "POLITICAL REFORM FEDERATION PURPOSE: TO STOP ILLEGAL PROLIFERATION & USE OF DIRECTED ENERGY WEAPONS, MICROWAVE RADIATION WEAPONS, THAT ARE BEING USED FOR ELECTRONIC HARASSMENTS, MIND CONTROL, ETC.".

Unfortunately, they didn’t electronically have to report donations or at least no one used mind control to make them report it.

I don’t know what PAC’s are supporting such weapons, but this PAC is either a shill for the aluminum foil industry or it explains why too many Republicans vote for bigger government when they get elected.

The voices are telling me to be supportive of their effort.… Read More

On Friday I joined thousands of Californians in a Tea Party protest on the west steps of the state capitol.

We came together to protest high taxation imposed by Liberal Democrats, and government’s burdensome regulations on water and energy. The bottom line is California taxpayers and business owners are sick to death of government intrusion. It’s ruining their livelihoods and quality of life, and they’re not going to take it anymore.

I spoke at the event, along with Republican Congressmen Tom McClintock, Northern California radio jocks Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty; Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers’ Association and Peter Foy, Ventura County Supervisor and the California chairman of Americans for Prosperity. Sacramento radio host Eric Hogue served as emcee.

Of the thousands of protesters, many were farmers and small business owners who have been particularly hit hard by the devastation of Central Valley farmlands in environmentalists’ effort to protect a 2-inch long minnow. The rally also attracted many… Read More

The Tea Party held in Sacramento last Friday served as an inspiration and a warning. I personally am very gratified that many Californians are speaking out for protecting their incomes from runaway Government spending and appetite for more taxation, as well as the emphasis on the usage of our state’s resources for people’s needs. Speaking as a farmer as well as a previous legislator, it is so helpful to have regular Californians stop what they are doing to come to where decisions are made and be seen and heard about these key issues.

Water usage, rights and water allocation is critical to so many jobs and the rural economy as we witness the devastationof an entire economy and 50% unemploymentin San Joaquin Valley counties. These Tea Party Patriots get that, that it means our state suffers with the jobs loss, the economic loss and the pressure to then raise taxes in a misguided attempt to replace that revenuewith higher taxation.

As we watch California burn once again [thank goodness so far it isn’t like last year when the statewide fire season started in June and went all summer, with brown, smoky skies for weeks even in… Read More