You have to love the Democrats in the State Assembly. Finally confronted with having to actually cut general fund spending, their frustration is being revealed in hysterically funny ways. Take this exchange for example:

"At the budget conference committee Monday, Assembly Budget Committeee Chairwoman Noreen Evans, D-Santa Rosa, vented some of her frustrations at chief deputy finance director Ana Matosantos. "Noting that the governor had made three separate revisions to his May budget, Evans curtly asked Matosantos "Are we done now?" Evans’ cross-examination of Matosantos garnered an angry reply from the administration. “We will continue to revise our budget numbers as the situation deteriorates,” Schwarzenegger spokesman Aaron McLear said. “It is our sincere hope that Assemblywoman Evans will be able to keep up.” Where has that type of rhetoric been for the last five years? Ridicule should be an integral part of our comeback strategy.… Read More

In 1983, while I was still in Junior High School, the California State Legislature passed into law the “Gwen Moore Telecommunications Act” which, among other things, based on the idea that all people, regardless of their financial means, should have the ability to have basic telephone service, directed the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to create a tax on all phone bills, and the money collected from that tax would then be used to significantly subsidize basic phone service for those who fall below a certain financial income level – this is called the “Lifeline” Program.

As FlashReport readers might suspect, as a conservative columnist, I think that such radical “wealth redistribution schemes” are un-American, and represent yet another example of the expansion of the right to life, liberty and happiness by the political left. Unfortunately, this 1983 law is just one example of thousands of pieces of legislation passed over the years that contribute to California being one of the most expensive places to live and work in our country.

You may wonder why I am bringing up a piece of legislation that is as old as Michael Jackson’s… Read More

Today Governor Schwarzenegger will speak to a special joint session of the California State Legislature. His topic of discussion will be the dire straits in which the state finds itself fiscally, and the need for the legislature to promptly place on his desk massive, serious cuts in state spending in order to ensure that the state’s expenditures are in line with its income.

In February, Democrats and the Governor, aided by a handful of short-sighted, pledge-breaking Republicans hit the pockets of California taxpayers hard with over $14 billion in higher taxes. The voters had a chance to weigh in with their opinion of those taxes, and over $16 billion more that were attached to the passage of Proposition 1A by soundly (or perhaps overwhelmingly is a better description) rejecting them. Thus the Governor comes to the legislature looking for an “all cuts” solution because he has interpreted, and rightly so, that California taxpayers expect the state’s crisis to be solved with available revenues.

The real challenge for those listening to the Governor today is to actually try to care about what he is saying. I know that I have received countless… Read More

Assembly Bill 656 is a picture-perfect example of the flawed logic that prevails in the California Legislature as legislators wrestle with an enormous budget deficit while also trying to appease the dominant far-left liberal wing.

Need revenues? No problem. Tax big oil. That scenario plays well in a Democrat primary, so full steam ahead.

It’s not a coincident that AB 656 is authored by Assemblyman Alberto Torrico, who is embroiled in a contested primary for Attorney General in 2010 and thus needs to burnish his liberal credentials. AB 656 seeks to raise revenues and attack the oil industry by assessing an excise tax on oil – extracted only in California.

Where to begin. First, Mr. Torrico’s bill clearly makes us more dependent on foreign oil at a time when most Californians want us less dependent on foreign oil.

AB 656 also would increase gas prices in the midst of the worst recession we have experienced in our lifetimes – and everyone acknowledges that a gas price increase will hit the poor hardest. I guess the party of the less privileged can hammer the less fortunate if it benefits them politically!

Finally, the one principle… Read More

In 1983, while I was still in Junior High School, the California State Legislature passed into law the “Gwen Moore Telecommunications Act” which, among other things, based on the idea that all people, regardless of their financial means, should have the ability to have basic telephone service, directed the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to create a tax on all phone bills, and the money collected from that tax would then be used to significantly subsidize basic phone service for those who fall below a certain financial income level – this is called the “Lifeline” Program.

As FlashReport readers might suspect, as a conservative columnist, I think that such radical “wealth redistribution schemes” are un-American, and represent yet another example of the expansion of the right to life, liberty and happiness by the political left. Unfortunately, this 1983 law is just one example of thousands of pieces of legislation passed over the years that contribute to California being one of the most expensive places to live and work in our country.

You may wonder why I am bringing up a piece of legislation that is as old as Michael Jackson’s… Read More

Last week, on Wednesday and Thursday, the number two ranked House GOPer, Republican Whip Eric Cantor of Virginia, was out in California where he announced that he was endorsing Meg Whitman in her campaign for the GOP nomination for Governor. Cantor appeared at two fundraising events for Whitman (one in the Bay Area, the other in Los Angeles) and sat for two interviews with Whitman. One with FR friend Joe Mathews (what Joe lacks in defining ideology he makes up for with his irrepressible sense of humor) and the other with the FlashReport.

Immediately below this introduction is a short 90 second video that I shot with the handy FlashCam right after the interview — the endorsements of the FlashReport are worth seeing it to its conclusion, despite the terrible lighting which makes it hard to see the subjects. Below that is the full text of the 35 minute interview. It is a bit lengthy but when I am able to give a full… Read More

Last week, on Wednesday and Thursday, the number two ranked House GOPer, Republican Whip Eric Cantor of Virginia, was out in California where he announced that he was endorsing Meg Whitman in her campaign for the GOP nomination for Governor. Cantor appeared at two fundraising events for Whitman (one in the Bay Area, the other in Los Angeles) and sat for two interviews with Whitman. One with FR friend Joe Mathews (what Joe lacks in defining ideology he makes up for with his irrepressible sense of humor) and the other with the FlashReport.

Immediately below this introduction is a short 90 second video that I shot with the handy FlashCam right after the interview — the endorsements of the FlashReport are worth seeing it to its conclusion, despite the terrible lighting which makes it hard to see the subjects. Below that is the full text of the 35 minute interview. It is a bit lengthy but when I am able to give a full… Read More

Had enough of elections? In Los Angeles County there will be four, count them four school districts that will try to pass a parcel tax.

Parcel taxes of course require a 2/3rds vote to pass. This is an important protection to property owners that actually pay the tax.

June 16th, South Pasadena Unified has a tax of $95/unit in multi-unit parcels and $288 for other parcels that will last four years.

June 23rd, Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District has a $165 per parcel for four years.

June 30th features two elections. La Canada Flintridge with a five year $150 a parcel tax and Rowland Unified with a five year $120 annual levy.

Will these pass? Probably, with the exception of Rowland Unified. May 5, 2009 San Marion residents approved a parcel tax just 14 days before San Marino voters rejected the tax extension measure 1A.

Local taxes usually pass in Los Angeles County.

One little secret is that everyone one of these measure exempt seniors from paying for the tax. Why only seniors? Some say it is because they don’t use the schools or they are on fixed income. Home school or private school parents or for the matter the… Read More