The news today that Assemblyman Jim Nielsen pulled a Benedict Arnold on the Poizner campaign wasn’t a total surprise. Team Poizner secured support from an overwhelming majority of State Assembly members and Senators early in the campaign, so it’s reasonable to believe that after Meg Whitman entered the campaign they might lose the endorsement of a few of the legislators on the periphery. I’m sure that the Whitman campaign feels as though they scored a point today, but they still have a long way to go when it comes to securing support from the Republican legislators and local elected officials who matter. It would help if Meg had been a Republican for more than a year or two, but that’s a different story all together.

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On the rare occasion where all parties involved in a situation can come to a common-sense solution, time is of the essence.

Recently an accounting error by the Chino Valley Unified School District has caused quite a stir in our community. The school district has come across an error in its bell schedule, and consequently fourth through sixth graders at two elementary schools were a few minutes short of instructional minutes on several shortened days.

Currently, if no action is taken, the school year will be extended 34 days to make up the time lost due to this mistake. These make up days would be mandatory for all fourth- through sixth-graders at those two elementary schools. Aside from the fact that these school kids are paying for the mistakes of irresponsible adults, it is astounding for me to learn about all the regulatory red-tape we impose on our local school districts. I understand the need for rules and regulations, but it should also be obvious to even the most ignorant of observers that this mistake was not made with malicious intent.

With bi-partisan support, support from the school board, the school district superintendent and the local… Read More

My boss, Senator Benoit, has penned a commentary giving credit to FlashReport bloggers’and the Republican Caucus’ ongoing efforts to root out waste in State government: Blowing The Whistle On State Waste

BySENATOR JOHN J. BENOIT

Over the past few years, the gifted researchers from the State Senate Republican Caucus have captured insightful snapshots of real-life government waste in action.These witty and all too regular installments, called “Waste Watchers,” have brought to light dozens of tales of egregious activity in State and local governments. Since taking Senate office in December, my Chief of Staff has regularly posted these features here on the FlashReport, continuing a great tradition from my predecessor, Senator Jim Battin.All told, these features have exposed nearly $500 million in wasteful spending. … Read More

Op ed from today’s Union Tribune here.

California is facing a 24 billion dollar deficit. While there is no shortage of ideas for how to deal with it, I suggest we learn a lesson from Clyde Jennings, the CEO of J&W Lumber. On a recent visit to his facility, Clyde told me about the difficult cuts he has been forced to make in our declining economy, the efficiencies he has found, and how every member of his 50-year… Read More

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is deserving of praise this morning, for his quick and public rejection of the billions of dollars in tax increases that are included in the package of changes in the state budget introduced by Democrat legislative leaders yesterday. Key provisions of the Democrats’ plan include a 50% hike in state cigarette taxes as well as the creation of a tax on oil. Governor Schwarzenegger has made it clear that he will veto this package if it is placed on his desk as proposed. Of course, even before the Governor gets legislation to fix the budget deficit, there is the question of whether Democrats will work with legislative Republicans – their track-record for doing so isn’t so good, and it was not a positive sign that Republican legislators pretty much found out about the details of this proposal at the same time as the rest of us. A bi-partisan fix is important because without a 2/3 vote in the Senate and Assembly, it will be several months before any of the changes are enacted. With the supermajority support, changes go into effect immediately.

I am sure that many will scrutinize the details of this latest proposal, which purports to… Read More

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is deserving of praise this morning, for his quick and public rejection of the billions of dollars in tax increases that are included in the package of changes in the state budget introduced by Democrat legislative leaders yesterday. Key provisions of the Democrats’ plan include a 50% hike in state cigarette taxes as well as the creation of a tax on oil. Governor Schwarzenegger has made it clear that he will veto this package if it is placed on his desk as proposed. Of course, even before the Governor gets legislation to fix the budget deficit, there is the question of whether Democrats will work with legislative Republicans – their track-record for doing so isn’t so good, and it was not a positive sign that Republican legislators pretty much found out about the details of this proposal at the same time as the rest of us. A bi-partisan fix is important because without a 2/3 vote in the Senate and Assembly, it will be several months before any of the changes are enacted. With the supermajority support, changes go into effect immediately.

I am sure that many will scrutinize the details of this latest proposal, which purports to… Read More

Assembly Republicans have one representative* on the Joint Budget Committee who has consistently opposed tax increases as part of solving the state’s fiscal crisis — Assemblyman Jim Nielsen. Nielsen serves as the Vice Chairman of the Assembly’s Appropriations and Budget Committees, and he has shared with us some thoughts about what has been taking place in that key committee.

Less than a month ago, Californians went to the polls and soundly rejected tax increases, gimmicks and massive borrowing to solve California’s budget crisis. In spite of that resounding message to the Legislature, the majority has turned a deaf ear to voters and repeated the tired mantra of more taxes and increased spending.… Read More

For years, Rep. Loretta Sanchez has fooled too many people into thinking she’s some kind of conservative "Blue Dog" Democrat, even as she amasses a reliably left-wing voting record.

Sanchez punctured that myth yet again today, casting the deciding vote to cut off funding for Guantanamo and going along with the new, dainty, squeamish sensibility of the Age of Obama that will somehow win the War of Terror (that is, if we still called it that).

But Sanchez first voted against cutting off funding. Then the hammer of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi came down hard of Loretta, who 10 minutes later changed her vote.

Spineless, on top of being plain wrong. What a combo.

Plus, Loretta hands yet another issue to GOP Assemblyman Van Tran, prepping a run to take out Loretta in 2010.

You can read more about it on RedCounty.com.… Read More