It’s no secret that business and residents are leaving California in record numbers. But don’t listen to me. Read this column by Bill Steigerwald, a columnist at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

And to get a better idea of just how bad the film industry is suffering in California, read this Daily News article where writer Troy Andersonreports " the percentage of studio feature films shot in California has dropped from 66 percent in 2003 to 31 percent last year, said Amy Lemisch, executive director of the California Film Commission."

The story goes on to say: Jack Kyser, chief economist at the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp., said California needs to become more competitive.

"People in California are just sort of sitting back, not understanding the implications of this, and if we’re not careful, this is another industry that could slip away from us, just like aerospace did," Kyser said.… Read More

The Senate has adjourned without a vote with session called for tomorrow at 10am. Democrats gave a lot of floor speeches blaming Republicans for the consequences of inaction. But we should note for the record that the votes have and continue to be there to 'right size' state government. Funny how the union-tool dominated left won't put up all of the billions in spending reductions that everyone agrees to without gauging taxpayers with more taxes. How much you want to bet most MSM papers blame Republicans, instead of the Democrats, for lack of progress? I don't think the votes are there tomorrow either for the Big 5/Big Taxes deal…

Taxpayers owe Senate Republicans a debt of gratitude — today their taxes didn't go up.… Read More

Benjamin Franklin spoke these words 222 years go at the Constitutional Convention, but he may as well have been commenting on the rhetoric coming from those trying to foist a $14 billion tax hike on Californians to pay the the recklessness of our rulers:

Hence, as all history informs us, there has been in every state and kingdom a constant kind of warfare between the governing and the governed; the one striving to obtain more for its support, and the other to pay less. And this has alone occasioned great convulsions, actual civil wars, ending either in dethroning of the princes or enslaving of the people. Generally, indeed, the ruling power carries its point, and we see the revenues of princes constantly increasing, and we see that they are never satisfied, but always in want of more. The more the people are discontented with the oppression of taxes, the greater need the prince has of money to distribute among his partizans, and pay the troops that are to suppress all resistance, and enable him to plunder at pleasure. There is scarce a king in a hundred who … Read More

This morning, around forty Republican legislators have to look back at the bleary mess that was their President’s Day Weekend (and somewhere in there was Valentine’s Day, too), wondering exactly what happened to them. With the seeming speed of the flip of a switch, Republican representatives to the “Big 5” signed off on a Big 5/Big Taxes budget “deal” that would make any professional sausage maker proud.

The problem with the plan is that at its center is a massive increase in taxes (sales tax, car tax, car fee, income tax) that totals over $14,000,000,000.00 (multiply that out a few years to really see that number grow – all of those zeros, by the way, make it BILLIONS). Completely conceded in this Big 5/Big Taxes plan is the notion that Republican lawmakers were elected to office with a pledge to protect Californians from higher taxes (let alone tax hikes of this record-making magnitude). There are two underlying assumptions to this plan that are flawed – the first of which is that there is simply no way to balance the state’s books without a tax increase. The second is that there is no way to get a plan that will resolve the issue that will… Read More

I just received a “Breaking News Alert” from the Sacramento Bee. Of course I opened it right away. When you get an alert e-mail from a newspaper — it usually means what it says – hot news. Budget voted out? Wildfire? Another Obama nominee flaming out? What was the NEWS?

You will not believe this, the “news” was the Bee pushing out to it's email list an “online editorial” — “Call Senator Cox And Urge Him To Be A Hero”

That's right — this paper with reporters who I believe try to objectively cover news have had their credibility BLOWN OUT OF THE WATER. Clearly the decision makers at the Bee don't want to “bring us” coverage of the news, they want to make the news — and naturally they are trying to pressure Republican Senator Dave Cox into voting for their liberal dream – over $14 billion in new taxes.

Goldmacher, Sanders, Yamamura, and others at the Bee — welcome to the new editorial/news department. From now on, you should start your stories with your opinion of the news.

So much for journalistic standards.… Read More

Both houses are still in, the Assembly locked on the Floor, in the lounge, etc., the Senators locked in the building proper, limited to their floor or their office. It sounds like they’regetting pretty cranky too…at least they have TV in the lounge so they can watch the Daytona 500 today!

(Note that Nascar’s #99 – Carl Edwards – is doing a backflip out of a car to celebrate the fact that it’s a new morning and there aren’t new taxes!)… Read More

It’s only a matter of time before Senator Abel Maldonado breaks caucus ranks and goes up on the budget, providing the third needed GOP vote. In his words, there are "no sweeteners," as of yet, but that is presently being worked out. Ain’t politics grand?

My prediction: It will be over tonight.

Once the respective party leaders realized there was no longer any hope for an aye vote out of Senator Dave Cox, the focus turned to Maldonado. Sometime after the Senate recessed late this morning, emissaries went to his office to grab him for discussions. Unlike the Assembly in lockdown on the Floor, the Senate was in an honor system situation, but Maldonado couldn’t be located and his office was locked with the lights out. The knocking on the office door went to no avail.

**There is more – click the link**

View Full Commentary… Read More

This just in from Republican Senator Jeff Denham:

“As I looked around the Senate Chamber a little before dawn this morning I couldn't help reflecting back to the lock-in that then-President Pro-Tem Don Perata tried on us a few years back as well as remembering the famous Speaker Jesse 'Big Daddy' Unruh lock-in in the Assembly back in 1960's.”Historically, these lock-ins are not successful, at least from the majority party's perspective. If anything, they seem to harden the will and resolve of the minority party. Indeed the longer it goes on the more strength the minority seems to gain.

It appears the assembly has the votes to pass this budget proposal andthe senate hasall but one vote necessary for the two thirds vote needed in the senate. We have been in this situation before and I believe we willsee the same resultagain, IMPASSE.The will of the minority is once again hardening.

It's just before 11:00 am now and Senate President Pro-Tem Darrell Steinberg announces that we are recessing until 1:00 pm and I and others plan to make a break for our in-session residences to sleep (really nap),… Read More