In case you were wondering, Californians pay the highest prices for gasoline in the entire nation. Check out the chart below. If you can’t read it, you can open the attachment below to see it more clearly.

Maybe it’s time to give Californian’s relief at the pump by decreasing gasoline taxes? Especially given the obscene reality that as gas becomes more expenses, gas taxes (which are figured as a percentage) actualy go UP!

At minimum, someone should introduce the, "Don’t punish working Californians with higher taxes" Act, lowering the tax while prices are high, to keep California government from "profiteering" during this crisis…

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Politico.com is reporting the John McCain is seriously considering a Lieberman Surprise, tapping the Democrat-turned-Independent U.S. Senator (and former Democrat Veep Nominee) to be his running mate (the photo is of Lieberman "running" with the last guy who asked him to be a running mate).

Because I have a blog, I thought I would share my instant reaction to this news (you know, "ready-fire-aim" – my specialty)…

I choose not to put much credence in such an idea as it is sign the McCain is looking in exactly the wrong direction (to his left) for a VEEP nominee. If you are a conservative and you win the primary, I can understand the idea of moving to the middle at this point. But McCain beat more conservative candidates to win his primary, and he needs to use the convention, and his VEEP pick to consolidate Republicans behind his candidacy with… Read More

Yesterday the California State Assembly convened a rare Sunday session for what was an important vote on a state budget. Of course, the only budget bill to come up for a vote was that written by Democrat lawmakers — one that responds to the crisis created by their overspending by heaping billions of dollars of new taxes on Californians. It was well known throughout all political circles that the outcome of yesterday’s vote was pre-ordained, because Democrats are unwilling to make the additional necessary cuts in state spending to balance the state’s books without penalizing taxpayers with a tax hike, and Republican lawmakers have made it abundantly clear that this overspending-caused situation must not be responded to with tax increases.

The contrast between the parties couldn’t be more clear. Democrats are the party of big spending, more government, and less freedom for Californians. Republicans want to empower individuals and family, and think that government should live within its means, including shrinking its expenditures substantially when state revenues decline.

It is now time for Senate President Pro-Tem Don Perata (while… Read More

Yesterday the California State Assembly convened a rare Sunday session for what was an important vote on a state budget. Of course, the only budget bill to come up for a vote was that written by Democrat lawmakers — one that responds to the crisis created by their overspending by heaping billions of dollars of new taxes on Californians. It was well known throughout all political circles that the outcome of yesterday’s vote was pre-ordained, because Democrats are unwilling to make the additional necessary cuts in state spending to balance the state’s books without penalizing taxpayers with a tax hike, and Republican lawmakers have made it abundantly clear that this overspending-caused situation must not be responded to with tax increases.

The contrast between the parties couldn’t be more clear. Democrats are the party of big spending, more government, and less freedom for Californians. Republicans want to empower individuals and family, and think that government should live within its means, including shrinking its expenditures substantially when state revenues decline.

It is now time for Senate President Pro-Tem Don Perata (while… Read More

From State Board of Equalization Member Bill Leonard’s latest e-newsletter: UNDER THE DOME ***The ‘No-Budget’ Budget*** As everybody knows from family or business budgeting, some 85% of spending is the same year after year with some adjustments for inflation. The real decisions are over the remaining 15% of available revenue, when it is available. The California state budget is the same. Except when it is warped by excessive borrowing (which is the current problem), the spending programs grow at a predictable rate. When spending gets out of hand there are major reforms that come together to make changes as we have done… Read More

Senator Dick Ackerman called to let FR readers know that Assemblywoman Parra has been relocated — to a legislative office building outside of the Capitol! Maybe the folks at the State GOP HQ can find it and offer her a voter registration form…… Read More

Just off the phone with Assembywoman Bonnie Garcia, who informed me that in retribution for her not supporting the Democrat budget (the one with the tax increase), she is currently being moved out of her office, presumably to something quite tiny…… Read More

From Cap Weekly…. Parra kicked out of Capitol office after budget vote (published Monday, August 18, 2008)

Assemblywoman Nicole Parra, D-Hanford, has been evicted from her Capitol office space today by the Assembly Democratic leadership. The move came one day after Parra failed to vote for her own party’s budget proposal.

That proposal needed 54 votes — the two-thirds majority needed to pass a budget in California — but got only 45 votes. The vote came after four hours of debate during a special Sunday session. Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, D-Los Angeles. Not a single Republican voted for the budget bill, AB 1781 by Assemblyman John Laird, D-Santa Cruz. Thirty of 32 Republicans voted against the bill.

According to Parra’s staff, the office will now be split up. Several staffers will… Read More