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

Rumor has it that there are three Republican votes for a budget with a tax increase. Since only two are needed, why would three Republicans vote yes? Once again, according to rumors, one of these Republicans wants to protect Lou Correa, the only Democrat in a target district, from having to vote for a tax increase. If these rumors are true, we have three Republicans who wish to betray Republicans two ways, (1) by violating the basic principles upon which they all were elected, that is, the basic commitment to smaller government and less taxes; and (2) protecting the Democrat majority from the consequences of their spendthrift ways by protecting one of the targets.

Who are these three? Once again according to rumors they are Roy Ashburn, Jim Battin, and Abel Maldonado. All friends of mine, all Senators for whom I have great respect and all Senators that would break my heart if these rumors are true. Now I know my heart is unimportant in the scheme of things, who am I anyway? But I feel like that little boy who looked at Shoeless Joe Jackson after the Chicago Black Sox scandal and said "Say it aint so, Joe." Say it aint so, Jim, Roy, Abel. Say it… Read More

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

Union bossTyrone Freeman has stolen a lot of money from low wage union members. According to the the Los Angeles Times (link) in a Pulitzer-worth piece, reporter Paul Pringle will not be invited to the next SEIU Christmas Party. This SEIU local, 6424 United Long-Term Care Workers, is controlled by its organizer Freeman. It has some 190,000 workers paying each month into his local. Local 6424 sees itself as the "poor helping the poor" union. Like many such unexamined unions, this one became Freeman’s personal bank. … Read More

Union bossTyrone Freeman has stolen a lot of money from low wage union members. According to the the Los Angeles Times (link) in a Pulitzer-worth piece, reporter Paul Pringle will not be invited to the next SEIU Christmas Party. This SEIU local, 6424 United Long-Term Care Workers, is controlled by its organizer Freeman. It has some 190,000 workers paying each month into his local. Local 6424 sees itself as the "poor helping the poor" union. Like many such unexamined unions, this one became Freeman’s personal bank. … Read More

I got off of the phone a little while ago. The termed-out Assemblymember assured me that she is “No! No! No!” in any tax increases, “temporary” or not.… Read More