First went my sister and her family. Then followed my mother. Then my grandmother. Even one of the cities I represent is looking at possibly going there.

Where? Arizona.

As I mentioned in my last blog, although San Bernardino County’s High Desert has a lot to offer in the way of incentives – from affordable land and labor to business-friendly local governments – the limits of our local discretion are illustrated by the economic struggles of the City of Needles, which I represent.

A small town located across the Colorado River from Arizona and Nevada, Needles was until recently studying the feasibility of seceding to one of the other two states because of California’s higher costs for gasoline, workers’ compensation insurance, auto insurance, corporate, sales and personal income taxes, and myriad overzealous laws and regulations, just to name a few.

“More power to ’em,” I wrote, “although I’ll continue to do the best possible job for them as long as… Read More

It is my hope that Republican legislators will apply the same degree of sophistication to their approach on voting on a Big 5-agreed-upon "deal" that those of us on the outside will use to analyze the proposal and the votes on all of its component parts.

First and foremost, since not all FlashReport readers are intimately aware of how these budget votes tend to take place — it is not one bill, but series of bills all tied together that make the budget "package" deal. So what happens is that one bill may lay out modifications to state spending, another bill might contain tax increases, and other bills may contain other miscellaneous parts of the package.

Knowing that a deal is carved up this way is important in analyzing who supports the package — because, and this is critical, for ANY PART of the package to be enacted, it ALL must be enacted. This is the manner in which the Democrats can ensure their any votes they put up for spending CUTS don’t go into effect unless Republicans put up the necessary votes for TAX INCREASES — or visa versa I suppose.… Read More

The Editorial Page of the Los Angeles Times yesterday mentioned only three people by name: President Obama, Governor Schwarzenegger, and… this website’s publisher, Jon Fleischman.

They wrote about Jon’s efforts to censure Republican legislators who end up voting for a budget deal that includes a tax increase. And believe it or not, they’re not the biggest fans of the idea.

But I think Jon will be okay. I don’t think he’ll shed too many tears because of the Times’ objections.

In fact, I’m guessing Jon views getting trashed by the Times as a high honor.

So for that Jon, congrats.… Read More

I am pleased to offer this guest commentary from Senator Abel Maldonado, who represents California’s 15th District along the Central Coast…

John Chiang: A Controller Out of Control By State Senator Abel Maldonado

If your tax refund check is delayed, blame State Controller John Chiang’s irresponsible spending. While you’re trying to find a way to do more with less, the state controller is continuing to do less with more.

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

I am pleased to offer this guest commentary from Senator Abel Maldonado, who represents California’s 15th District along the Central Coast…

John Chiang: A Controller Out of Control By State Senator Abel Maldonado

If your tax refund check is delayed, blame State Controller John Chiang’s irresponsible spending. While you’re trying to find a way to do more with less, the state controller is continuing to do less with more.

On January 6, the governor vetoed the Democrats’ illegal budget. Phrases like… Read More

Born in 1911, in a small town in Illinois, let’s join and remember our 40th President and what he stood for and meant to our country. I was in college at the time he ran for President in 1980, a very difficulttime with Iran and hostages, the Cold Warandthe Soviets,and runaway inflation and interest rates. I remembered the posters up around campus [they actually weren’t torn down back then, especially around the Ag Dept.] of Governor Reagan in the cowboy hat and the optimism in that smile and in his words.

Indeed, he gave us optimism that we could beat the ‘malaise’ we were suffering from. Even the USA Olympic hockey team beat the USSR in the Miracle on ice. That optimism even spilled over into Charlie Daniels hit song at the time "In America"

"…speaking for you and me, and some people from Tennessee, we got a thing or two to tell you all…" "…were gonna put her feet back on the path of… Read More

PLEASE TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION! Please contact your members of the State Legislature and tell them you oppose a budget agreement that includes tax increases of any kind. Click this link to contact them.

WHEN:

Now! A budget with tax increases could be taken up as early as next week, and our taxpayer allies in the Legislature are taking severe abuse from the tax and spend lobby. They need your help and support to stand firm.

WHY:

California has the highest income tax, sales tax and gas tax in the United States, and the highest corporation tax in the Western United States.… Read More

In the latest breaking news surrounding the bizarre politics of San Bernardino County, Assessor Bill Postmus has resigned. Postmus has recently been arrested on narcotics possession charges. I don't have enough finger power to type the whole drama from my Blackberry. I will say that this is a sad end of a political career of someone I have known for a long time — but clearly never really knew.… Read More