If you have been involved in multiple battles, statewide or local, to oppose taxes on the ballot, then you know that it is significantly more difficult to defeat measures that “seek to extend the life of an existing tax” than it is to stop the creation of a new tax.

Legislators flirting with the idea of voting to increase taxes “temporarily” (my good friend Assemblyman Martin Garrick can remind any legislators of the fallacy of raising taxes now, temporary or not) need to keep in mind that once it is created, there is a very good likelyhood that it will eventually become permanent.… Read More

I know people like rumors so here is one.

In Southern California the whole KFI John and Ken Show and their campaign against some Republicans keeps coming up. There isn’t a meeting I go to someone doesn’t talk about it.

It appears to have gotten the attention for former State Senator Dick Mountjoy. Mountjoy conveyed to me he was thinking of running for Assembly in 2010. He was really upset about Republicans voting to raise taxes.

Of course I relayed that no one has voted to raise anything at this point.

Dick has one more term left in the Assembly. The Democrats kicked him out of the State Assembly in 1994. Mountjoy had been elected at the same time in a special election to the State Senate, but stayed in the lower house to try to help the Assembly Republican keep their majority. (Remember Paul Horcher?)

In that GOP Senate Primary he beat Horcher and future Assemblyman and Congressman Gary Miller despite being outspent.

Mountjoy represented half of the current 59th (Monrovia, Glendora etc..)as a State Assemblyman and State Senator. He lost a bid as the GOP nominee for U.S.… Read More

It’s a busy day in the e-mail box today. No doubt to bolster up Steve Poizner supporters in response to the official announcement by Meg Whitman that she is officially a candidate for Governor, Poizner’s Campaign Chairman, retired State Senator Jim Brulte:

Dear Friend:

If you’re like me, you think California is headed in the wrong direction. Every day the news gets worse and our great state slips further and further behind.

But the good news is that strong, tested leadership can turn this around.… Read More

I’ve heard, like others, of a reputed "deal" on the State budget struck by Big Five negotiators, to be announced Monday. If it includes new taxes and fees, it will be an outrage, and the final nail in the coffin of a State Republican Party dying a slow death for 20 years. The tax issue is all this Party has left, and to cede it to a bunch of leftists, in the middle of a financial crisis, would be monumentally stupid.

But Mike, we need more revenues, you say. No we don’t. If you believe that, then you believe taxes are too low right now, and that the economy can withstand new taxes and fees. Anyone accepting either premise is either completely ignorant, or worse, intellectually defective.

Assembly leader Mike Villines and Senate leader Dave Cogdill have held out too long and worked too hard to accept a compromise. Eight years of compromise is precisely what put us here in the first place, and another compromise will plunge a… Read More

I love politics. Every once in a while you get these "say what?" moments, where you turn your head and actually say to the person next to you, "did you just see that?"

Earlier today, we reported that Tom Hudson had filed a complaint against Meg Whitman with the FPPC (you can see that a couple of blog posts down).

Just off of the transom is the press release below, sent out about an hour ago, announcing that Steve Poizner has endorsed Tom Hudson in his bid for party office.

That’s hardball politics.

POIZNER ENDORSES TOM HUDSON FOR NORTHERN VICE CHAIRMAN

Senator Dave Cox also Joins the Team

Insurance Commissioner and candidate for Governor Steve Poizner has added his full support to the growing campaign for Tom Hudson for Northern Vice Chairman of the California Republican Party. State Senator Dave Cox has endorsed Hudson as… Read More

UPDATE: 6:30am – Reliable sources tell us that former Governor Pete Wilson will be announced as Whitman’s Campaign Chairman.

ORIGINAL POST: 12:01am… Deborah Perry Piscione, CEO of BettyConfidential.com spoke with Meg Whitman over the weekend, who told her that she would announce her campaign for California Governor today, Monday, on her campaign website. Check it out here. Her local papers – the Chronicle and the Mercury News, heck, the FlashReport — we all got scooped in terms of getting the official word from the candidate herself, and getting it up online.

Well, I guess it’s off to the races sometime today!… Read More

The Chronicle’s Matier and Ross say there is a budget deal to be announced today. There isn’t.… Read More

The Whitman for Governor Campaign has released the following list of campaign team members:

Meg Whitman for Governor 2010 Exploratory Committee Team Leadership Team

Jeff Randle – Senior Advisor Jeff Randle is one of California’s most respected political strategists. He has played a leadership role in each of the last four victorious California Republican gubernatorial campaigns, including both of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s victories and both of Governor Pete Wilson’s campaigns. Randle has been Meg’s top political advisor since the summer 2007 and helped build the Whitman team.… Read More