Over the past few days, along with other FR friends, I have been reaching out to GOP legislators up and down California, assessing where they stand on what has become the very controversial Proposition 1A. As many FR readers know, most Republican legislators voted to place 1A on the ballot when it was a straightforward clean, somewhat modest improvement to our state’s current chaotic spending ways. That said, when six Republican legislators (Senators Ashburn, Cogdill and Maldonado, Assemblymen Adams, Niello and Villines) voted with all of the Democrats to pass the largest tax increase in the state’s history (which the Governor signed), they also passed even more taxes ($16 billion worth) that are triggered if Proposition 1A passes.

Where do GOP legislators stand on 1A now, knowing the tax implications for all Californians (as of 4 p.m. on March 23)? Two-thirds of State Senate Republicans are publicly opposed to Proposition 1A: Sam Aanestad, John Benoit, Jeff Denham, Bob Dutton, Tom Harman, Dennis Hollingsworth, George Runner, Tony Strickland, Mimi Walters, and Mark… Read More

In early June 2004, amidst a tough re-election campaign, a burgeoning financial disaster and daily criticisms for his responsibilities as captain of "Enron by the Sea," San Diego Mayor Dick Murphy returned fire on his main challenger, County Supervisor Ron Roberts. Claiming that the county’s pension problems were actually worse than the city’s, Murphy said that Roberts needed to "clean up his own house."

Murphy’s charge, in effect an "I may be bad, but so is he" defense, was viewed by most as an obvious attempt to grasp at straws. The City of San Diego, after all,was the daily headliner, having under-funded a huge retirement obligation, so as to pay ongoing costs and beef up employee salaries. Few watchers viewed the County as the problem, and if it was having some pension difficulties, it certainly hadn’t robbed Peter to pay Paul.

About one week after the Murphy claim, on June 15, 2004, county supervisors unanimously agreed to… Read More

Reading…..

To be fair, the huge majority — and most likely all — of his fellow GOP members signed on in support of Adams’ re-election before his budget vote (just as is the norm for most if not all of them to do for each other early on). However, it wasn’t noted that they had done so until after his controversial vote, thus leading to the erroneous assumption that they all endorsed him after the budget was passed.

That said, it isn’t significant that they endorsed a colleague, it is significant however what they do now that he has stood at complete odds with them on such a fundamental, core principle.

Unless I have missed it, his GOP colleagues have been relatively quiet on that issue. Poizner did drop out of an Adams event, while Schwarzenegger provided his support. But, what of Adams’ assembly colleagues?

The readers of this page — and the GOP in general — deserve an answer, regardless of the answer, from each of Adams’ fellow members. Either they continue to support him, regardless of his vote… Read More

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In response to the news that, after received a sizable government bailout, executives at AIG took what could only be described as massive bonuses, Congress responded by passing a tax written to hit these AIG executives with a 90% tax on those bonuses. It was a controversial vote, with conservatives split on the issue. Further down the blog, Congressman and FR blogger John Campbell talked about why he voted against this bill. I am now presenting a statement from Congressman Tom McClintock on why he voted for it…

Statement by Congressman Tom McClintock Regarding HR 1586 March 19, 2009… Read More

Anew project ACORN is engaging in: assisting the Obama Administration in the Census-taking. ACORN has now achieved the status of "national partner" with the U.S. Census Bureau, and will be working to help Obama find the necessary 1.4 million workers needed to take the census. Hopefully they will do this a lot better than they did registering voters in Ohio during the last election campaign, where I believe the news was 8 of their workers made a quick plea deal to falsifying registrations with a sympathetic prosecutor and promptly left the state. In responding tothe announcement, the ACORN spokesman also told the press "ACORN has never been charged with any crime." See http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/acorn_census_partner/2009/03/18/193218.html?s=al&promo_code=7C64-1

Liberal election lawyers are quick to point out that ACORN actually isn’t going to be running the Census, just staffing it.… Read More

I’ve been “back in the saddle” here in Washington for 3 weeks now, and I can’t believe what I am seeing. I am angry. Angry because of the direction in which this Congress and this President are taking the nation; angry because the atmosphere here is so poisonous; angry because it seems so many leaders here are still campaigning when we have a crisis that demands responsible leadership.

But I am also sad. Sad because the policies being put in place and proposed will leave so many out of work for so long. Sad that opportunities may be limited for a decade.

And I am scared. Scared because things may still get worse before they get better.

Over the next several days, I will give you some very personal reflections on what is happening, but first, the AIG debate.

Oh, and to preempt the inevitable question, I was not invited to President Obama’s campaign rally in Costa Mesa this week, even though my district is only about a mile from where he spoke. I use the words “campaign rally” rather than “town hall” intentionally.… Read More

We are pleased to offer this commentary from Jessica Austin, who serves as an Alternate Member of the San Bernardino County Central Committee. Austin is a political activist, who is also the editor of Red County San Bernardino.

A New Direction for San Bernardino County Republican Party By Jessica Austin

To say that San Bernardino County is a hotbed of controversy for Republicans is perhaps the biggest understatement of the year. However, as of Thursday night, it will no longer be applicable to the San Bernardino County Republican Party.

**There is more – click the link**… Read More