This is simple, and to the point. The special interests that want to grow government need not bother calling Nakanishi’s office:

“I remain steadfast in my commitment to oppose any tax increases. We need to cut spending, not raise taxes.”… Read More

Statement by Assembly Republican Caucus Chairman Bob Huff:

"I stand by my pledge to oppose tax increases for the state budget for 2008-09. Raising the state sales tax or income tax will increase the cost of living and hurt working families who are already struggling to keep their heads above water in the face of high gas and food prices, and house payments. Raising taxes on California businesses will cause many companies to leave California for other states, delay our economic recovery and kill jobs. We did not run up a $15 billion dollar budget deficit because Californians are paying too little in taxes. The problem is the Legislature is spending too much, not that we are paying too little. "… Read More

Assemblymember Spitzer, Chief Republican Whip, sent over this statement regarding the budget:

“I want to make it unequivocally clear: I will not be voting for any budget that includes a tax increase of any kind or any gimmicks to put tax increases on the ballot.

The fact is Sacramento needs a responsible, permanent budget process that stops overspending. In the last four years, state expenditures have grown by 44% – or $31 billion. The fact that Democrats want to raise taxes after such a large growth in spending is ludicrous.

What bothers me the most is that Democrats support raising taxes over $9 billion but, at the same time, propose cutting local public safety funding by $218 million from last year’s budget. Government’s most important role is to protect the public’s safety. The irony is that the majority party would rather support bureaucratic social programs instead of keeping neighborhoods safe.”… Read More

We are pleased to present this guest commentary from Jon Coupal, the President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association… Governor’s Position on Pay Cuts is Legally Sound By Jon Coupal

California’s budget stalemate reflects a political war which has many fronts, a myriad of combatants and an endless series of battles. The battle du jour involves the Governor’s executive order laying off thousands of temporary state workers and reducing the pay — to federal minimum wage level — of even more full time state workers.… Read More

Recently it was reported in the New York Times that a guy named Matzzie (who is an ultra-left activist and supporter of BHO for President) has started a group called "Accountable America" that is going to identify thru public records every conservative donor to a 527 group in this election and send them a letter suggesting their contribution might be illegal and they should contact the group they gave to for assurance of legality or ask for their money back.

I subscribe to an email blog for election lawyers and professors and there has been a lot of discussion of this over the past few days. To their credit, a couple of liberal law professors I know have taken the position that the Matzzie tactics are "McCarthyism" and wrong. But a number of the usual liberal law professors on the blog have taken the position that it is perfectly OK for Matzzie to send our his threatening letters to conservative donors, because it is just a part of preventing perceived corruption in the political process, whether or not the actions of the 527s are legal.

Because I thought readers would find it of interest, below… Read More

We are pleased to present this guest commentary from Jon Coupal, the President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association… Governor’s Position on Pay Cuts is Legally Sound By Jon Coupal California’s budget stalemate reflects a political war which has many fronts, a myriad of combatants and an endless series of battles. The battle du jour involves the Governor’s executive order laying off thousands of temporary state workers and reducing the pay — to federal minimum wage level — of… Read More

No need for me to write anything SD-specific this morning. Logan Jenkins’ column in the UT today does a great job providing some insights on Farrah Douglas, a local city council candidate….

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/northcounty/jenkins/20080810-9999-1mc10jenkins.html

Carlsbad candidate has come long way The winter day the shah fled Iran, Farrah Douglas was trapped in gridlocked traffic with her American husband, Rick, and their 2-year-old son, Kevin.

They had just been at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran to apply for Farrah’s green card for an eventual move to America. The Islamic revolution had caught them by surprise.

“Everyone got out of their cars and started dancing, they were so happy,” she told me. A young Iranian stuck his head in the window and said to Rick, “After the shah, it’s your turn.”

Farrah thought to herself, “This is end of my country as I know it.”

The family made it home that day – Jan. 16, 1979 – to learn that… Read More

As much as my friends in the GOP may wish that they can stop time, or even reverse time by 30 years, the likelihood of this occurring is slight. In my personal day to day interaction with time I’ve found it to be a one way street. Further, I’ve found that, as much as I would not like this to be the case in many instances, human culture, which includes our own society, changes and evolve as we move along in time.

I make this observation as a preface to a statement which will draw some degree of anger but which I’ve wanted to write for some time: Ronald Reagan and the politics of the 1980’s are not the answers to the doldrums in which we Republicans now find ourselves. Political parties, like society, either evolve, innovate, and change according to the needs of voters, or they stagnate, look backwards, wither and die.

There is an argument to be made that the Republican Party has collapsed for two essential reasons:

**There is more – click the link**

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