MSM PRINT NEWSPAPER CIRCULATIONS DROP, AGAIN Our friends in the main stream media print newspaper continue to feel the hit as readership continues to decline at a fairly rapid pace. More and more former readers of papers are instead turning to outlets like the internet to find their news. It seems like many papers are in a “death spiral” where the circulation drops, then the layoffs come (see here for the latest), and then the circulation drops more… and so on…

Some stats: LOS ANGELES TIMES — 739,147 — (-5.20%) SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE — 339,430 — (-7.07%) SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE — 269,819 — (-3.00%) THE SACRAMENTO BEE —… Read More

San Ramon Mayor Abram Wilson is running to replace Guy Houston in the State Assembly. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger endorsed Wilson today. Today. One week before the general election. He is swinging by a Wilson fundraiser tomorrow evening when he’s in the neighborhood to help raise money for Prop. 11. But as Republicans struggle to keep, much less gain, seats in the State Legislature, you would think that our GOP governor would be working hard to help get fiscally conservative legislators elected. Especially since we’re looking at another ugly budget fight as soon as the new legislature takes office.

Perhaps this is just the way life is in a post-partisan world. But if Schwarzenegger is not willing to help a Bay Area Republican who has a host of bi-partisan endorsements, he deserves the pro-big government, high taxes, high spending Democratic-controlled legislature he’ll end up with next year.… Read More

While the White House is the highest office in the land, a lot of governing happens at the local level. In fact, most of the decisions affecting our daily lives are made by city councils, school boards and county supervisors.

In that spirit, a group of Republicans, property rights advocates and miscellaneous North San Diego leaders have lined up to defeat far-far-left Oceanside City Councilwoman Esther Sanchez…

Sanchez – a public defender — opposes enforcement of immigration laws and even efforts to curb violent gangs. And, typical of the intolerant left, uses her office to punish those who disagree with her.

Oh yes, and for disclaimer, yes the PAC who paid for this is my client…… Read More

If Proposition 8 fails, my school district will teach gay marriage and Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell knows it!

Of course, school board members like me, some teachers, and some parents will resist this type of instruction. But like the Borg in the Star Trek Series, the law, education code, judges and pro-gay marriage groups will eventually force their “tolerant” view of gay marriage on all children in public schools.

This is how it will work in California public schools:

Education Code section 51933 makes it clear that schools that teach “comprehensive sex education” have to teach, “respect for marriage and committed relationships”. This is something no school district can get around.

It is the choice of school districts whether or not they teach sex education. This is why the Anti- Proposition 8 campaign and Jack O’Connell say there is no requirement to teach about marriage.

What Jack O’Connell knows but doesn’t say is that 96% of school districts teach comprehensive sex education. Those numbers are from O’Connell’s… Read More

As a follow up to my Sunday San Diego post on the race, here’s a KGTV Channel 10/Survey USA poll, from the news website….

Goldsmith Possibly Positioned to Topple Incumbent Aguirre in San Diego City Attorney Race: In an election for San Diego City Attorney held today, 10/24/08, eleven days until votes are counted, challenger Jan Goldsmith may have the strength to unseat incumbent Michael Aguirre, according to this latest exclusive KGTV-TV poll conducted by SurveyUSA. At this hour, it’s Goldsmith 50%, Aguirre 38%, Undecided 12%. Whites and Hispanics vote differently. Whites back the challenger. Hispanics back the incumbent. In… Read More

This morning from 8:30 to 9:00am Iflipped throughthe morning shows on broadcast,clicking to Fox cable from time to time. I thought I’d make a list of what ads I saw in that time period.

Bilbray for 50th Congress: 3 Fletcher for 75th Assembly: 1 McCann for 78th Assembly: 3 Block for 78th Assembly: 1 Goldsmith for City Attorney: 1 Proposition 7 Yes: 1 Proposition 7 No: 5 Proposition 4 Yes: 1 Proposition 4 No: 1 (a particularly nasty one) Proposition 2 Yes: 2 Proposition 2 No: 1 Proposition 8 Yes: 3 Proposition 8 No: 1

I usually only watch TV early in the morning and late at night… but I think the ‘most ads’ award this year goes to No on Proposition 7 – particularly the one with the woman talking on the right half of the screen and the various endorsements and whatnot on the right side. I see that one in my sleep now.… Read More

Not every FlashReport reader will be perusing the official Voter Information Pamphlet sent out by the State of California (access its contents here). If you do, you will see that the official argument against Proposition 3 (online here) was co-authored by me, along with Lew Uhler, President of the National Tax Limitation Committee and Ted Costa, President of the People’s Advocate.

Below I have reprinted our argument against the $980 million Children’s Hospital Bond Act…

ARGUMENT AGAINST PROPOSITION 3

At a time when California is already deeply in debt, when its residents’ ability to pay off bonded debt is questionable and its credit rating causes bond interest rates to soar, adding bonded indebtedness for anything but the most essential infrastructure… Read More

Sometimes politics is filled with irony, and the latest commercial from the No on Proposition 5 folks is filled with it. In a rather high-profile move earlier in the week, former eBay CEO Meg Whitman opened up her checkbook and made a big contribution to the No on 5 Campaign – $250,000!

Shortly after she wrote her check, the No on 5 folks went up on television with the commercial below starring United States Senator Dianne Feinstein (I’ve seen it three times myself here in the Los Angeles media market).

The irony, of course, is that Meg Whitman has openly talked about a potential interest in running for Governor in 2010 as a Republican, and Senator Feinstein is often talked about as a potential candidate on the Democrat side of the aisle. As you start the commercial, you can see the required disclaimer at the bottom, indicating the No on 5 Committee’s major donors, including Whitman. Priceless!

On a closing note, I should say that it is getting harder and harder to figure out who actually supports Prop. 5.… Read More