Let’s be clear here. A mega-billion dollar rail bond is a bad deal for California taxpayers. Not only because of the principle that an eneavor such as this should be financed via user fees, not on the backs of tens of millions of taxpayers (not counting the ones not yet born) — but California is already over-loaded with debt.

This “fix” legislatuon that appears to be up for a vote in the Assembly today has as a major purpose making this boondoggle more palatable to voters.

Conservatives should be committed to defeating this bond measure. This includes voting against legislation designed, in essence, to help it pass.

The FlashReport joins with the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and others in strongly urging a NO on the bill.… Read More

The Sacramento Bee is reporting that Senate President Pro-Tem Don Perata has announced that Senate Democrats have negotiated a budget deal…with the Governor (not with Senate Republicans).

Before I go on, let me share that it is embarassing to me, as a Republican, that the Governor of my party would attempt to emasculate GOP legislators by not insisting that his party’s legislators be included in any negotiations.

That said, I suppose my expectations of Governor “Post Partisan” leave me disappointed, but not surprised.

The good news is that Republican legislative votes are still needed to pass a budget.

So… Now I say, what is this “deal” that has been reached? I call on the Governor and Senator Perata to unveil all of the details for scrutiny. Is there a tax increase? What kind? Are there spending cuts? What and where?

In short, I have little faith that without GOP legislative input, the interests of taxpayers are reflected in this “deal” — and look forward to hearing reaction from our Republican legislators about the deal-points and specifics. Once someone… Read More

You have to love politics. Perata tells the Bee he has a budget deal with the Governor (see the post below). The response from the Governor’s office is that there is no deal.

We’ll see how this plays out. It could be an “almost deal” to keep the details hidden from scrutiny, for now…

Sigh.… Read More

The "City Hall in the Park" initiative, which was passed by Newport Beach voters last February 5 as "Measure B," was upheld in a final and dispostive ruling by Orange County Superior Court Judge Peter Polos.

The city charter amendment, the brainchild of Newport activist and World Cup winner, architect Bill Ficker, preempted other plans of the Newport Beach City Council majority and requires the location of a needed new City Hall to be placed on city-owned property at Fashion Island next to theCentral Library. It was a very logical proposal to place the new City Hall in a central location and near the library, on a 12 acre parcel that will otherwise remain parkland.

Opponents threw out the usual extreme environmental and NIMBY type arguments that hamper rational decisionmaking throughout Orange County coastal jurisdictions. Led by local activist and 1968 VW beattle driver, Allan Beek, Measure B survived a pre-election legal challenge, won at the polls, survived a post-election challenge, and now the entire case has been dismissed on the City’s motion, joined in by Intervenors Bill Ficker, Jack Croul,… Read More

AB 3034 passed off our floor this afternoon, 58-15, with 11 Republican ‘aye’ votes and 15 Rep "no" votes.… Read More

Yes Virginia, it is a tax increase, and no Aaron, the principled opposition to any new tax is not a partisan position. The Governor cannot avoid his responsibility for this crisis by calling on Legislators to end their political careers to bail him out of a situation he created. Had he listened to them two years ago or last year, instead of engaging in the name calling he is engaging in again this year, he would not be in this mess. To say now that the disaster he created because he was too eager to cut a budget deal before is now the result of the Legislators that tried to help him avert this disaster is pure narcissism. Last year, Senate Republicans tried to stop this disaster. The Governor insulted them, impliedly allowed the Democrats to go after Jeff Denham, called them every thing he could think of, and today says they are being unreasonable because they didn’t want to have to vote for a tax increase this year? Just who does he think he is?

I have been out of the country for some time, so I haven’t followed the debate too close, but over the last several days, I have been satisfying my addiction to talk radio, and I have been hearing the… Read More

There hasn’t been an override of a Governor’s veto of a California Governor… in well a long time. Previous GOP Governors worked with GOP legislators to help keep overrides from happening.

Except for occasional lobs of grenades into budget negotiations, the Governor really isn’t focused on getting a budget. In fact I question if he is focused on governing at all. He isn’t talking to Republicans.

Why not send him a message? He recently threatened to veto all bills until there is a budget. The legislative response has been to hold passed bills until there is a budget. I know all us Republicans think vetoing all the bills would be great. The reality is that won’t happen. That’s why he allowed bills to go back rather than veto them.

Since there won’t really be a rash of vetoes, why not send him a message about who is relevant. Pick a bill that everyone agrees on and send it to him. If he vetoes it, override it. Then maybe he would have to work with GOP legislators like Wilson and Deukmejian did.

For the Dems, It would show California his increasing irrevelency in California’s governance. That should be part… Read More

The following op-ed ran in my local paper today – The Desert Sun —