I guess there are some general guidelines you can follow in the world of Sacramento. One of them is that behind liberals creating messes by increasing the size and scope of the state’s bureaucracy is a conservative cleaning up the mess.

Recently we brought you a column from Republican Assemblyman Jeff Miller, where he went into some detail about how gas station owners are being hit with a draconian regulation to update all of their pumps with some new technology that has a fractional effect on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from stations. The cost for this new equipment is high, and the ability to comply difficult. Read more about that here.

It would appear that Miller’s Republican colleague, Martin Garrick, rolled up his sleeves and has, in the absence of a repeal of this draconian regulation, at least negotiated a "settlement" over this matter. We asked the Assemblyman to share with FR readers what he has pulled together… … Read More

Today’s resounding defeat of the ballot measures is a victory for California taxpayers. As soon as the voting public started to learn that their passage would mean higher income taxes, sales taxes and car taxes – support for the whole package of "insider measures" was doomed.

Voters rejected, soundly, the kind of back room, behind closed doors political scheming that led to this group of measures that hikes taxes, expanded state gambling, diverted funding from one source to another, and undid billions of cuts. We saw an unprecedented alliance of politicians, public employee unions, and big business interests all trying to jam it to average taxpaying families – and they were rejected.

Going forward from here, there is an important message being sent to the Governor and to State Legislators of both parties – solve the problem that you have with the money we’re already giving you. We don’t want, and cannot afford to pay more in taxes and fees.

Hopefully the politicians get it, now that their unholy alliance of interest groups and vastly superior financial advantage has come up short. Maybe now they will… Read More

A liberal Democratic Governor failed the State of California. Then, sold as a savior, a "moderate" Republican Governor failed the State of California as well.

It appears that leaves only one option.

In the meantime, the state’s GOP legislators must fill the leadership void. All of them, unified. No excuses; no turning a blind eye to those who deal on their own or against the best interests of California.

Tonight, Republican legislators, you have a mandate from the citizens of California. Tomorrow, you have an opportunity to show leadership. Success will mean forging ahead with one voice.… Read More

According to the Governor’s calendar, tomorrow at 3:30pm the Governor will hold a meeting of the "Big 5" — himself and the four legislative leaders — to discuss budget options going forward.

That’s probably a good idea (although one of the items on their agenda should be discontinuing the back-room, exclusive format of the Big 5 to actually negotiate major policy items — that has proven to be a dismal failure — and expensive for taxpayers).

But it raises an interesting question. At the meeting will be the Governor, Senate President Darrell Steinberg, Senate Republican Leader Dennis Hollingsworth, Assembly Speaker Karen Bass and…?????

Who will represent the 29 member Assembly Republican Caucus in that Big 5 meeting?

From where we sit, this is a no-brainer — it definitely should and must be Assembly Republican Leader-Elect Sam Blakeslee. He clearly has been designated as the go-to person to deal with the aftermath of the terrible… Read More

With the special election taking place tomorrow, I wanted to pen my last pre-election commentary on the issue of Proposition 1A. On this website we have featured a score of guest commentaries on the issue of 1A, most of them highly critical of the measure, but a few supportive of it.

I wanted to share with you my observations on 1A, in some detail, and make it very clear why I am voting against it at my polling place tomorrow, and why I strongly encourage you to do the same. IF 1A PASSES, CALIFORNIANS ARE HIT WITH $20 BILLION IN TAXES THAT THEY OTHERWISE WOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY

There are basically two consequences of the passage of 1A. One is that a weak spending limit is adopted, which we discuss in detail below. The other huge consequence is California taxpayers will be hit with over $16 billion in higher sales taxes, higher income taxes, higher car taxes, and a reduction in the tax credit for dependents which would cost families $200 per child. According to the Howard Jarvis… Read More

[Cross-posted from RedCounty.com]

As readers know, OC’s lone Democratic state Senator, Lou Correa, provided the vote necessary to pass the largest state tax increase in American history — a vote cast in violation of a promise he made repeatedly in his 2006 campaign to oppose any tax increase.

Now that the damage is done, Sen. Correa is promising that henceforth, he will not vote for any more tax increases…again…for real this time.

You can read the rest of the post here.… Read More

Longtime FR friend and Reason Foundation Vice President Adrian Moore sent this over… Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is warning that the state’s budget deficit will reach $21.3 billion and the state will face a “cash crisis” if voters don’t approve the budget measures on next week’s ballot. So the massive $42 billion deficit hasn’t been a crisis all along?

The governor’s promotion of these ballot measures is just the latest example of his failure to live up to his promises. Wasn’t he going to blow up the boxes of government? And cut up the state’s credit cards?

The ballot measures are simply tax increases and accounting… Read More

This morning I had the opportunity debate State Senator Abel Maldonado on Proposition 1F on KSRO radio in the Bay Area. Play the audio clip (7 minutes) below. Who won? I think I did — but want don’t you decide?

Last week, Jon Coupal of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association took on Jeannine English of the AARP on KSRO over Proposition 1A. Check that out on KSRO’s website here. … Read More