Over the next two days, we will be presenting to FlashReport readers our “Winners & Losers of the May 19 Special Election” feature… Today we will be presenting the winners – those people or groups who, from our perspective, increased their stature, standing and reputation as a result of the outcome of yesterday’s vote. Let me say that you will not find on the list below any of the labor groups (and there were some) who opposed Proposition 1A. Our position is that, given the ineffectiveness of the alleged “spending cap” in 1A, these groups have actually done themselves harm – though we are okay with that. So, without further commentary, and in no particular order, our Winners… FR’S… Read More

In a move that will be wildly popular on the heels of the Prop 1F passage, the California Citizens CompensationCommittee will reduce salaries by 18%, reducing the legislators grosssalary from $116,208 to $95,291. Under Prop112 passed by voters in 1990, the Committee sets salaries of legislators and higher offices. [Prop 140 later eliminated retirement benefits for legislators as well as installing term limits] Under the rules the cuts cannot take effect until Dec 2010. Prop 6, passed in 1972, prohibits reduction of pay during a legislators currentterm. Incoming and re-elected Senators and Assembly representatives will see that cut then.

The new lower salary will actually be less than the salary was back in 2004, when it was $99,000. The Committee then saw fit to hike it 3 times in 2 years as I recall to about $111,000, then $113,000 and finally the current $116,208 figure [leadership gets a higher salary] Taxpayers Ihappened to talk to aboutthis today laughed when I told ’em of this news. "Pay for performance" one told me. As a whole, yep!… Read More

Courtesy of the Republican National Committee.… Read More

Today is special election day, and I realized that I reached out to the five members of the Orange County Board of Supervisors to ask them their positions on the ballot propositions, but then didn’t tell you, our readers!

This is pretty simple: Pat Bates, John Campbell Janet Nguyen, John Moorlach and Chris Norby all unanimously oppose all of the Propositions. They will be voting (or have voted) no on 1A-1F!

They join Orange County’s two top law enforcement officials, District Attorney Tony Rackauckas and Sheriff Sandra Hutchens, in opposing the whole slate of ill-conceived measures.… Read More

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