In the Governor Schwarzenegger’s signing of Asssemblyman Tony Mendoza’s paternalism-on-steroids bill too ban transfats, I hereby surrender my free will and declare my dependence on state government.

After all, if the state government is going to plan my diet and decide what I can and cannot eat, then what aspect of my life is truly beyond their scope?

So the Governor wants the government to be my personal trainer. Fine. Let’s go all the way and turn the running of my life over to government. I want the state to do my grocery shopping, so that my cupboard is only stocked with healthy foods. And I’ll need a government driver, to prevent my from losing control and rolling through McDonald’s.

**There is more – click the link**

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In the Governor Schwarzenegger’s signing of Asssemblyman Tony Mendoza’s paternalism-on-steroids bill too ban transfats, I hereby surrender my free will and declare my dependence on state government.

After all, if the state government is going to plan my diet and decide what I can and cannot eat, then what aspect of my life is truly beyond their scope?

So the Governor wants the government to be my personal trainer. Fine. Let’s go all the way and turn the running of my life over to government. I want the state to do my grocery shopping, so that my cupboard is only stocked with healthy foods. And I’ll need a government driver, to prevent my from losing control and rolling through McDonald’s.

I’ll need a wake-up call from the state to make sure I don’t oversleep, and a go-to-bed call so that I don’t stay up too late watching TV. The New England Journal of Medicine says a good night’s sleep is vital to my health, you know — and a healthier me means a healthier California.

In between, I’ll need a government minder to schedule my… Read More

Yesterday Congress adjourned without taking any action on energy policy. While not surprising, it’s really a shame for a lot of reasons. Some reasons we hear a lot about. Some we don’t.

For example, when the price of gasoline was only $1.25 a gallon, federal and state governments had no problems raising gas taxes. But now that fuel prices are up, revenue shortfalls caused by decreased gasoline demand, combined with poor energy policy, is contributing to a severe shortfall in highway funds. An L.A. Times report from July 21 gives an overview of the problem.

The President’s and Congress’ budget offices agree that the Federal Highway Account is projected to have a negative balance as early as 2009 or as late as 2011, respectively.

This particular government-related problem, among many we’re seeing in a downturned economy, will impact our ability to build transportation infrastructure in California in the next several years and perhaps beyond. That means building fewer roads, highways and interchanges.

About half of the road and… Read More

Yesterday Congress adjourned without taking any action on energy policy. While not surprising, it’s really a shame for a lot of reasons. Some reasons we hear a lot about. Some we don’t.

For example, when the price of gasoline was only $1.25 a gallon, federal and state governments had no problems raising gas taxes. But now that fuel prices are up, revenue shortfalls caused by decreased gasoline demand, combined with poor energy policy, is contributing to a severe shortfall in highway funds. An L.A. Times report from July 21 gives an overview of the problem.

The President’s and Congress’ budget offices agree that the Federal Highway Account is projected to have a negative balance as early as 2009 or as late as 2011, respectively.

**There is more – click the link**

View Full Commentary… Read More

Here we are a full month into the ’08-’09 fiscal year, late again. I’ve been in the Assembly 5 2/3 years and have seen some opportunities come and go, toreform the budget process. My first year was the Davis Recall Budget year, 2003,when the voters said enough and made a change [that word did exist before the 2008 presidential cycle] and removed a governor.

One thing that has not changed, through the highs and lows of the economy since then has been the lack of discipline by the legislature on spending. Some stats say revenue has gone up 40% in the last few years. But at the same time spending has gone up 44%. In the meantime, even with all that new revenue, we are facing a deficit of $17 billion.

It’s not the fault of hardworking Californians not paying enough taxes, it’s the unabated spending. When the top 1% income earners ["the wealthiest Californians" is what the pro-taxers call them just before they seek to fleece them again] already pay about 40% of the entire tax load,then it’s notthat they aren’t paying their "fair share"… Read More

Here we are a full month into the ’08-’09 fiscal year, late again. I’ve been in the Assembly 5 2/3 years and have seen some opportunities come and go, toreform the budget process. My first year was the Davis Recall Budget year, 2003,when the voters said enough and made a change [that word did exist before the 2008 presidential cycle] and removed a governor.

One thing that has not changed, through the highs and lows of the economy since then has been the lack of discipline by the legislature on spending. Some stats say revenue has gone up 40% in the last few years. But at the same time spending has gone up 44%. In the meantime, even with all that new revenue, we are facing a deficit of $17 billion.

It’s not the fault of hardworking Californians not paying enough taxes, it’s the unabated spending. When the top 1% income earners ["the wealthiest Californians" is what the pro-taxers call them just before they seek to fleece them again] already pay about 40% of the entire tax load,then it’s notthat they aren’t paying their "fair share"… Read More

Fraud and abuse is alive and kicking in Los Angeles County. The District Attorney’s Office has filed charges against more than 20 people who defrauded an in-home care agency of $2 million. According to the Los Angeles Times (July 25, 2008),“Charges have been filed against 21 people accused of defrauding more than $2 million in benefits from a state-funded program designed to help the disabled and the elderly receive in-home care, Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. announced.” “In one case, a man from Granada Hills claimed he was schizophrenic and…needed constant care, prosecutors said. The government paid his wife through the program to take care of him, giving her [an astronomical] $257,000 in [fraudulent] welfare benefits.” What’s worse is that prosecutors said her husband was rarely… Read More

Congress has passed no meaningful energy legislation to move us towards lower gas prices and more American energy and now has recessed for a 5 week break. Republicans, including yours truly, wanted to speak more about that on the floor of the House this afternoon. The Pelosi majority took the unusual step of calling for immediate adjournment to prevent these speeches from going forward and turned off the cameras and microphones on the House floor.

It’s one thing to not allow a vote on more energy production. It’s another to not even allow people to speak about it. I, and several dozen others are speaking on the House floor right now to a gallery full of cheering people to demand that Speaker Pelosi allow a vote on more American energy production. No TVs. No microphones.

You can turn off the lights, but you cannot silence the will of the American people.… Read More