There is something particularly offensive about charitable foundations established by those who made billions of dollars through their success in the private sector, when they then use that money to fund efforts to make it harder and harder for other people to own or use lands. In essence, they fund efforts to either expand government ownership or restrictions on land, or to create quasi-governmental “land trusts” for the purpose of taking lands and place them out of the realm of private ownership. When you look at a map of the United States, it’s stunning the percentage of raw land in our nation that is government owned, or is partially or totally restricted in its use by… people.

This background is important because it puts into context a power-play by the David and Lucille Packard Foundation to advance their agenda of restricting people-use of lands – or in this case, actually, the ocean. The Packard Foundation has invested countless millions of dollars into promoting the creation of “marine reserves” off the California coastline. The Packard Foundation… Read More

Just a few days ago Alaska Governor and former GOP Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin announced that she is going to be stepping down from her position as Governor. This announcement spurred dozens and dozens of news stories and a large swath of political pundits have tried to make their case as to why she did this, and what it means for her future and the future of the Grand Old Party. Since this is a website on California politics, other than including a few links on our main news-roundup page, we haven’t covered this. That said, the Wall Street Journal’s John Fund has penned what I consider to be the most insightful prognostication yet on the subject. So I thought I would share it…

Death by a Thousand FOIAs

… Read More

Today the Assembly Business and Professions Committee on a unanimous vote approved Assemblyman Joel Anderson’s AB 1506, which allows someone who has been issued IOU’s from the state, but owes the state money (DMV fees, taxes, etc.) to be able to use those IOU’s to pay the state.

Of course this common-sense legislation has a lot of hurdles to go before becoming law, but this is a good first step. Next stop: Assembly Appropriations Committee.

Read more about the legislation here.… Read More

If you read nothing else today, I strongly encourage you to take five minutes and read this spot-on insightful piece by Matt Welch, California Screaming, which appears in the August/September print edition of Reason Magazine.

Welch’s calling out of some of the main stream media editorial boards and columnists in California is nothing short of brilliant. (h/t to Chris Reed for the link)… Read More

The Senate Public Safety Committee today killed a measure(which I authored)that urges the President of the United States and Congress to ensure that no prisoner detained at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba is permitted to enter California.

Once again, those who are supposed to be the gatekeepers of California’s public safety have failed to make citizens a number one priority. This shameful politically-driven opposition is a slap in the face to the many Californians who have expressed a desire to keep terrorists out of our state.

I argued before the committee that Senate Joint Resolution 11 is necessary because the imminent closure of the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba raises the inescapable conclusion that the terrorists who remain in the facility will be transferred to alternative prisons or released here in California.

The White House has not articulated a clear plan for the disposition of these terrorists but confirms that they will all be moved.

A lack of vigilance will result in the release of terrorists who may once again threaten the people of California, who were identified as potential targets for the September 11, 2001 attacks… Read More

I admit that even I’m growing a little numb to the mess in Sacramento these days. It takes a lot to get me to say "wow." But something that came out of Speaker Karen Bass’s office today literally made my jaw drop.

In a note to the news media from her spokesperson Shannon Murphy, Speaker Bass invoked both Rosa Parks and gender bias in explaining why she had chosen to no longer be part of the process of developing budget solutions. As they say on Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update: "Really? Really?!?"

Let’s see what led up to this: Yesterday morning, Bass chose not to attend a meeting of the legislative leadership with the Governor. Then, she said to the collected press corps that she’d consider not attending additional meetings of the "Big 5." The LA Times rightly headlined their story this morning: "Speaker Boycotts California Budget Session."How then, does the top-ranking elected official in the state Assembly react? She invokes the memory of "staying off buses in Montgomery to bring down Jim Crow" and quibbles with the word "boycott." Then, she accuses the… Read More

For those state vendors who have been given warrants rather than checks from the state, the Board of Equalization will vote at our July 21st meeting whether to accept the warrants from these vendors for their tax obligation on sales to the state. I have received a legal opinion that it is permissible for the Board to do so. However, that opinion states that if the warrant is greater than the tax liability, then the Board cannot issue refunds until the warrant has reached its maturity date.

It is important for the BOE to accept these registered warrants as a sign of good faith to the people of California, and those who receive these IOUs from the Controller that they really do have value.… Read More

The Sacramento Bee has reported that Democrat Assembly Speaker Karen Bass boycotted this morning’s Big 5 budget talks, and that apparently she may do so again this afternoon.

Now if Bass were skipping meetings to object to the closed Big 5 process, and demanding a more open, public process. Well, that we might applaud. But guess why Bass skipped this morning’s meeting? She skipped it because she doesn’t like some of the ideas that are being put on table to try and deal with the state’s fiscal woes.

One hears this and thinks of a little four-year old who pouts because they don’t get there way.

The reality is that Bass and her party have spent California to the brink, and then some. She could at least be enough of a mature adult to attend the discussions, make the points of her caucus known to the others, and take home relevant information to them.

Way to go, Assembly Democrats —… Read More