Big Spending Bill: The final vote on HR 1, the non-stimulating stimulus bill, was 244-188. Amongst Democrats, the vote was 244-11. Not one single Republican voted for the bill. In my 3 years here, I cannot remember a single major vote where all Republicans voted the same way. President Obama wanted a bipartisan vote. But you can’t have a bipartisan vote without a bipartisan bill. And this bill is not even close. It will now go to the Senate where it will pass with some amendments which will likely improve the bill, but increase the cost. Then it will return to the House for a final vote before the President signs it.

I listened to many of the speeches given by supporters of the bill today. I also had the opportunity to question the Director of the Congressional Budget Office on the subject. The tepid arguments and weak rebuttals of the proponents here leads me to believe that perhaps even they know this is not really about stimulus. I can say that maybe 25% of the items in this bill have some multiplier effect, and that’s being generous. But the rest is just spending. Just 2… Read More

Today, Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Patrick Marlette sided with Governor Schwarzenegger and taxpayers by ordering Controller John Chiang to implement the Governor’s furlough plan. The Governor’s plan to require state workers to furlough two days each month in order to save the state $1.3 billion is the right thing to do, given the amount of spending that the state needs to cut. In fact, the Governor’s plan, given the drastic problem created by chronic overspending going back years, is modest, and probably a precursor to more to come. Especially if Democrats in the legislature refuse to take a scalpel to state spending, and continue to seem content to spend like mad until literally the money runs out.

If you remember last week, I took the Controller, John Chiang to task for reversing his position on this issue and siding with the unions who filed a lawsuit to stop the furloughs. Taking a look at his political contributions and obvious political ambition, his decision to side with the same unions that had contributed tens of thousands of dollars to his campaign for Controller showed that he is nothing… Read More

Next month, the State Republican Party Central Committee will meet in Sacramento to elect most of its officers. Here at the FlashReport, we’re taking the opportunity to work our way through the CRP offices up for election, and give you our take on the candidates who are running. While there is no particular order in which we are going, we’ll eventually get to all of the positions that are being elected – Chairman, Vice Chairman, the Regional Vice Chairmen, and President of the County Chairmens Association. We’ve offered to run columns from the candidates, and all but two have responded so far.

So far the FlashReport has endorsed Laura Gadke for re-election as Vice Chairman for the Central Valley Region. Today we take a look at the Los Angeles Region Vice Chairman position, where incumbent Doug Boyd is seeking re-election.… Read More

Judy Chu just received the endorsement of the Los Angeles County Labor Federation in her bid to replace Hilda Solis in the 32nd Congressional District. So far, her main Democratic opponent is State. Sen. Gil Cedillo.

This is good endorsement. Question is will this or her Republican endorsements make a difference?

Thats right Republican endorsements. In a special election members of any party can cross over and vote for a candidate of another candidate in the primary. The 32nd CD is about 21% Republican. Although there are at least two well-funded candidates talking about running, almost a dozen local GOP officeholders have endorsed Chu.I havent checked the registration of everyone. These were the one I saw and knew they were Republicans, at least recently they were.

Dennis Zine, Los Angeles City Councilmember John King, Covina City Councilmember Harry Baldwin, San Gabriel Mayor Mike Ten, South Pasadena City Councilmember and GOP Nominee in the 22nd SD in 2006. Mary Su, Walnut City Councilmember… Read More

Today Governor Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown announcedthey arecalling on a federal court to put an end to the prison receivership (held by J. Clark Kelso) and his excessive $8 billion prison construction plan.

As an intervener in the court action regarding California’s prison system, I have steadfastly opposed the prison receiver’s demand for $8 billion. California taxpayers do not owe prisoners a gold plated health care system, especially when some law-abiding citizens struggle with their own health care needs.

So obviously I am pleased that the governor and attorney general agree with our position and I welcome their support and involvement. They pointed out the many reasons why the prison receiver’s plan is wrong for California, including questions of constitutionality.

If the three-judge panel does not agree with Republicans, the governor and the attorney general, I believe the issue should be brought before the U.S. Supreme court –and hopefully put to rest, once and for all.… Read More

Jim Sills just pointed out to me the recent Rasmussen poll asking Californians how they would vote today on Proposition 13, the Howard Jarvis property tax roll-back of 1978. The answer was 65% yes, only 26% no, and 9% unsure.

Proposition 13 has always been popular, but the stunning new news, unearthed in the cross-tabs by researcher extraordinaire Sills, is that young voters under 30 backed Prop. 13 by a 3 to 1 ratio after it was explained to them, and that African-Americans sided with Prop. 13 by a 4-1 margin! Middle-class, women, and lower middle-class voters all support Proposition 13 by big margins.

I am wondering whomakes up that 26% against Prop. 13? I’m thinking it must be very rich people who don’t care about taxes, Hollywoodand San Francisco liberals, most entertainers, and a smattering of various freaks and communists around the state. However, Sills couldn’t quiteconfirm thatany of my assumptions were statistically valid.… Read More

There is a lot of waste in San Bernardino County government these days. The sad revelations of former GOP rising star, County Assessor Bill Postmus’ drug use, and the scandal about alleged illegal political operations in his county office, affecting another young staff member, underscore how a career in public service originally based on good intentions, can end up wasted.

But the real waste, for taxpayers, is in the extraordinary effort the Board of Supervisors is putting into prosecuting Postmus. Reports are they have hired an outside private prosecutor, the guy who did the Enron prosecution of Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling, with a $250,000 contract. The $250,000 is the initial contract. As a lawyer, I can tell you that with a quarter million green light, that prosecutor will not only be sure to spend all the money, he willbe coming back for more.

Hiring a national big gun lawyer to prosecutewhat is essentially acriminal meth case with some added public agency abuse claims is like blowing up an ant hill with an atom bomb. It is over kill. It is a waste of resources. Like all other counties, San Bernardino… Read More

Radical liberal former Berkeley Mayor now State Senator Loni Hancock (pictured left, of course) has taken the opportunity to tee-off on Americans for Tax Reform, the ATR No New Taxes Pledge, and blasts away at the requirement in the California constitution to have a super-majority vote to raise taxes. You can read her rant here. Below I am pleased to present an official response to Hancock’s rant from Patrick… Read More