[My thanks to Jon for the invitation to blog at the Flashreport. The best thing about the blog format is the chance to have back-and-forth exchanges, so comments on my posts — and emails to me — are encouraged!]

The scare tactics being used to stampede everyone into higher taxes are amazing. By estimating expenditures without reductions and by extrapolating current revenues and then multiplying that by several years, it is possible to declare a budget deficit that is bigger than the budget. The scaremongers are not quite there yet, but they are close. Let’s define the problem.

Revenues were $101 billion dollars a year ago. Despite declines in the economy, state leaders stuck to this number even up to the September enactment of the 2008-09 budget. Now these same people are all shocked and amazed to announce that the revenue for this year will only be $91 billion. Governments are not very good to adjusting income downward (actually, no one likes doing this), but by my math that is roughly a 10% drop in revenues from the prior year. Since there are lots of ways to squeeze 10% out of government spending the simple solution would be to… Read More

Today’s top headlines – tomorrow look for the return of FR’s main page! Two editorials on the State Budget situation worth reading OCReg: New Year, same wrong budget path SDUT: Get out the ax – ASAP Columns of Interest SFChron: Debra Saunders – Do not ask for whom the road tollsCCTimes: Lisa VorderBreuggen: Manteca Republican May Have Helped Put Sarah Palin On The BallotSacBee: Dan Walters – California slavery still lives

Articles of Interest… Read More

OC Assemblyman Chuck DeVore knows a thing or two about warfare and terrorism. And he is one of the most vocal supporters of the State of Israel.

If you have been watching the news this past week President-elect Obama has had little to say about the Hamas attacks on Israel and Israel’s actions in defense. I haven’t heard anything out if Senator Boxer either. Luckily Chuck is not so timid in his approach.

DeVore’s Statement:

DeVore: America must support Israel’s right to defend itself against terrorists.

Chuck DeVore, a California legislator and declared candidate for the United States Senate in 2010 against Barbara Boxer, announced his support of the state of Israel’s current military operations in Gaza.

For the last several years I have been amazed at the forbearance and restraint shown by Israel as Hamas terrorists rained down rocket after rocket purposefully targeted at Israeli civilians, Assemblyman Chuck DeVore said. Imagine if terrorists in Tijuana regularly shot rockets into San Diego America wouldn’t stand for it. I support Israel’s right to defend itself against terrorist attacks.… Read More

With the main page of the site on hiatus until Monday, I thought I would continue to provide links to some of the top stories of the day here on the blog… Enjoy your weekend!

Featured article of the day: OCReg: GOP struggles over social divide Brief commentary on the featured article: I have a couple of comments towards those who continue to beat the mantra that the GOP cannot win in California unless it retreats from conservative positions on so-called "social issues" (abortion, homosexual marriage, etc.)

First – we have the very important "rule of politics" which we have put together based on an inability of an FR readers to disprove it — which is that there is NO SUCH THING as an economic conservative with is liberal on social issues. Whenever there is a debate on fiscal policy in Sacramento, if you look to those who are viewed as… Read More

As an elected officer of the California Republican Party, I stayed officially neutral in last year’s GOP Presidential Primary. That was not easy to do. As a matter of fact, hands down the biggest negative about being in party office has been the requirement to stay out of primaries at the risk of losing my party office.

That said, despite the chains on me, we did have a vibrant debate on this website about all of the candidates. We featured columns from the most viable contenders, we had advocacy pieces from their prominent supporters, and various bloggers on the site weighed in on behalf of their favorite picks. We had video, podcast, or regular interviews, exclusive to this site with Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, Mitt Romney and Duncan Hunter.

The reason I am throwing all of this out there is to make it very clear that while I kept required commitment to stay neutral, that did not keep me from fostering a discussion, and weighing in a lot about the campaign and our Republican… Read More

We are pleased to present this guest commentary from Jon Coupal, the President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association… PENSION TSUNAMI When the city of Vallejo filed for bankruptcy earlier this year, it made national news. Among the alleged reasons for this financial debacle was, as usual, Proposition 13. Same urban myth, different city. Recall that Prop 13 was also blamed when Orange County went bankrupt. In spite of the clearly documented evidence of the Orange County Treasurer’s criminal wrongdoing and the fact that he used an astrologer to assist him in making investments of public dollars, in some quarters, it is always Proposition 13’s fault when any government entity runs short of… Read More

Ken Blackwell, the former Secretary of State of Ohio, is running for Chairman of the Republican National Committee. Reading this column he had published in Townhall today sure makes me bullish on him. In order for the GOP to regain its branding as a party of fiscal conservatism, we need a healthy dose of reality — which is that the GOP, under this President, has strayed far towards the left on fiscal issues…

BUSH’S BIG GOVERNMENT GAMBIT By Ken Blackwell (link to column on Townhall.com)

Although President George W. Bush succeeded with some of his policies, the bailout of the Detroit Three is possibly his most significant mistake. The recent damage… Read More

HAPPY 2009 TO OUR READERS!

Apparently FR’s main page will continue to be dormant until this coming Monday, January 5th.

The FR main page elves were up quite early this morning, scouring over 100 websites for California political news, which is the normal course of business when we’re up and running.

They have reported back that they found only a handful of links that they would put up on the site, so few as to make it not worth the effort.

I think this is like Punxsutawney Phil coming out and, seeing his shadow, going back into his burrow for six more weeks. Except our elves are just going back into their hiding place for three more days.

So look for the FR Main Page to be back, in force, this Monday, with great original content and links to what will presumably be a healthy badge… Read More