In an inasupicious start to his review of the FlashReport Top Twenty Bills He Should Veto, the Governor signed one into law today. A bill by liberal Democrat Joe Simitian that restricts personal freedoms of Californians — by banning text messaging while driving. Governor, just because things are stupid to do on the face of it, does not mean they should be illegal. Very disappointed, though perhaps not unexpected. If you need examples of the Governor using his bill-signing pen to alienate GOP legislators who promote inidividual respponsibility, here's a great example. Not too many GOPers supported Simitian's ill-advised bill — well, now it's an ill-advised law!… Read More

Earlier this year, the California Coastal Commission, with the Grateful Dead literally playing in the background, decided to tube the completion of the 241 toll road on the grounds, well, to be quite honest, there weren’t many grounds for their decision.

Since that flight of hippy three ring circus fancy, cold economic and environmental facts began to become clear as the federal government stepped in and announced that they would take a look at overruling the Coastal Commission. Today, while many of the same interests converged on the Del Mar Fairgrounds as did in February, the Commerce Department took charge and the difference was as stark as that between the Dead and real life.

In real life, recent studies have proven what any kindergartener knows – boulders, like the ones that form surf breaks, are heavier than the inch or two of silt that may, during hurricane type runoff be deposited on the beach from the always dry creekbed five miles away that the 241 will be built some thirty feet over via viaduct.

And in real life, the Commission’s rulingputs more commuters on the 5 and local streets – causing the pollution that the enviros say they… Read More

Some sanity from the halls of Congress, from California Republican Congressman Darrell Issa…

As disturbing as the volatility and turmoil on Wall Street are, the prospect of transferring trillions of dollars of risk and losses to taxpayers is appalling. How can any American look their neighbor in the eye and suggest that they should bear the losses for the mistakes and greed of America’s wealthiest financial firms. I am emphatically against it.

Accountability is a pillar of our free market economic system. The market rewards good business decisions and punishes bad ones. The course of action supported by the Administration and the Congressional leadership undermines this fundamental principle by bailing out those on Wall… Read More

Some sanity from the halls of Congress, from California Republican Congressman Darrell Issa… As disturbing as the volatility and turmoil on Wall Street are, the prospect of transferring trillions of dollars of risk and losses to taxpayers is appalling. How can any American look their neighbor in the eye and suggest that they should bear the losses for the mistakes and greed of America’s wealthiest financial firms. I am emphatically against it. Accountability is a pillar of our free market economic system. The… Read More

Well, earlier today Governor Schwarzenegger signed the budget. But he didn’t sign everything — the Governor took the opportunity to make healthy use of his line-item veto authority. One distinct advantage of a budget getting to the Governor’s desk over his own objection is that he has no commitment to authorize all spending in the budget — and he didn’t.

The Governor has used his line-item veto authority to cut $510 million out of liberal spending programs sponsored by Democrats and championed by the special interest groups that push their buttons.

Also, remember the executive order the Governor signed terminating thousands of part-time, retired annuitant and other state workers? Well, first and foremost, it has saved us $340 million since it was put into place. But better yet, my sources in the Governor’s office tell me that Finance Director Mike Genest and Cabinet Secretary Dan Dunmoyer alerted all agencies today that the executive order will remain in effect through the year. That means no hiring back all of the state workers who, apparently, we were able to do without for the past couple of months. More good news for… Read More

We have heavily editorialized here at the FlashReport against the outrageous appropriation of millions of dollars for the University_ of California to support "research on labor and employment and labor education" – or more appropriately put, public money for labor unions.

Well, I am pleased to announce that after culling through the line-item vetoes, Governor Schwarzenegger has COMPLETELY ELIMINATED funding for this boondoggle, again showing the advantage to taxpayers of sending the Governor a budget where he is not a party to agreeing to everything in it. Below is directly from the veto message.

Item 6440-001-0001-For support of University of California. I reduce this item from $3,000,920,000 to $2,995,520,000 by decreasing:

(1) Support from $3,123,516,000 to $3,118,116,000, and by revising Provisions 14 and 24 and by deleting Provision 16. Page 8

I am reducing this item by $5,400,000 to eliminate funding that supports research on labor and employment and labor education. While this budget bill provides for a modest reserve in 2008-09, it fails to make the necessary statutory spending reductions and revenue increases needed to… Read More

As Governor Schwarzenegger prepares to sign the California State Budget, we hear at the FlashReport are prepared to say that everyone involved in the process were winners AND losers.

The winners:

Legislative Republicans, led by Senate Republican Leader Dave Cogdill and Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines, draw a bright line in the sand and said that the problems caused by massive over-spending in state government WILL NOT be resolved by increasing taxes on Californians. In the face of Democrats who made as a top priority a hike in the state’s income taxes, and a Governor of their own party pushing a multi-billion dollar sales tax increase, GOP legislative solidarity won the day.

Legislative Democrats, due to their gerrymandered majority, managed to get through this budget season without a serious overhaul of California’s government. Decades of dominance by liberals in Sacramento has grown state government into a grotesque and massive one – in need of serious reforms.… Read More

Marriage in the Balance

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