There has been a lot of press recently about the upcoming November ballot big-bucks bond measure to establish public financing for a high-speed train service between Northern and Southern California.

Having a train that can wisk you up and down throught the state in just a few hours may, or may not be a good idea. But saddling ALL of California’s residence with bond debt for a service that with benefit relatively few of our state’s residents is wrong, and unfair.

If there is enough of a market for rail travel, then private companies that want to make a go of it can take their future-earnings studies to investors, and get financing to build the train routes and buy the trains.

I am getting sick and tired of people trying to raise taxes or sell bonds to get things paid for that should not be paid for with public moneys. Don’t get me going on public subsidies for sporting arenas.

The High Speed Rail Bonds are Proposition 1 on the ballot this November – be sure to vote no. And be sure that if you see a commercial in support of it, you’ll be able to trace the dollars that paid for the spot directly to those who will… Read More

From today’s Wall Street Journal Political Diary E-mail…

The Squirminator

My, what changes a few years can make. In 2003, Arnold Schwarzenegger ousted an indecisive governor in California’s recall election by pledging to be a different kind of leader — firm and principled. He told Cigar Aficionado magazine he liked President Bush because he was decisive. "The mood of the people changes all the time. The polls change all the time," he said. "But Bush is staying the course. Even though that pisses some people off, and then the polls go down, he stays on course. In the end that pays off, because people say, well, at least one thing we know: That guy is steady."

… Read More

From today’s Wall Street Journal Political Diary E-mail…

The Discreet Charm of Carly Fiorina

The McCain Administration is shedding officials fast, starting with future Treasury Secretary Phil Gramm. But one who’s hanging in there is former Hewlett Packard Chief Carly Fiorina, ubiquitous as a McCain advisor and advocate on cable TV and the campaign trail. Ms. Fiorina, unlike Mr. Gramm, is always, painfully "on message:" "There are many, many people who would be honored to serve in President McCain’s cabinet and, depending on the opportunity, I would be as well," she explained to reporters last week when questioned about her possible selection as veep.

The Washington Post’s Dana Milbank calls Ms. Fiorina a "risky running… Read More

When I look over the list of potential Vice Presidential picks being looked at by Senator McCain, I always see the name of Minnesota Governor Jim Pawlenty, who is said to be quite close to McCain personally. To be honest with you, until last Fall, when Pawlenty (along with Governor’s Crist, Huntsman, Perry and Schwarzenegger) spoke at the semi-annual California Republican Party State Convention. Right off the bat, I was concerned because a large part of Pawlenty’s remarks were praiseful of Governor Schwarzenegger’s battle against man-made carbon emissions which amounts to a mountain of new government regulations. I had an opportunity to chat with Pawlenty a bit at that convention, and he is a personable, and smart fellow. But after that weekend, and since, I have done some poking around concerning Pawlenty, and pretty much figured out that McCain and Pawlenty are not just friends, but in many ways are ideological comrades. If McCain reaches out and taps Governor Pawlenty to be his running… Read More

That is the ABC News headline, not mine. You can read it here, or watch the Governor’s chat with George Stephanopoulis this morning here.

I’m sure Arnold’s former campaign manager Steve Schmidt, who is now quarterbacking John McCain’s campaign, is just "overjoyed" at this interview (not).

Then again, I don’t know any Republican who would be.… Read More

I hope you all had a nice July 4 weekend.

Among other Independence Day festivities, last Sunday my family attended the final day of the San Diego County Fair. While entering what longtime locals still call the “Del Mar Fair,” I noted the U.S. and California flags at half staff. I wondered what I had missed. Yes, Jesse Helms had passed away, but somehow I just couldn’t imagine the State of California’s 22nd District Agricultural Association (operator of the fairgrounds) recognizing the North Carolina senator.

At home that evening, I shot off a quick email to Fair PIO Kina Paegert asking her to shed some light. An immediate response was elicited from her Blackberry: “A fireman passed away in northern Cal."

I responded to her saying thanks, that I had seen no other state or local flags anywhere at half staff (it was the weekend, with few government workers, so that was understandable), and added “It’s good you noticed and took the appropriate action.”

Her final response: “Thanks. We try to honor them when we can.”

Perhaps because I was busy with the weekend’s events, I also hadn’t noted any media coverage… Read More

When I look over the list of potential Vice Presidential picks being looked at by Senator McCain, I always see the name of Minnesota Governor Jim Pawlenty, who is said to be quite close to McCain personally. To be honest with you, until last Fall, when Pawlenty (along with Governor’s Crist, Huntsman, Perry and Schwarzenegger) spoke at the semi-annual California Republican Party State Convention. Right off the bat, I was concerned because a large part of Pawlenty’s remarks were praiseful of Governor Schwarzenegger’s battle against man-made carbon emissions which amounts to a mountain of new government regulations. I had an opportunity to chat with Pawlenty a bit at that convention, and he is a personable, and smart fellow. But after that weekend, and since, I have done some poking around concerning Pawlenty, and pretty much figured out that McCain and Pawlenty are not just friends, but in many ways are ideological comrades. If McCain reaches out and taps Governor Pawlenty to be his running… Read More

Two Southern Californianewspapers today featured excellent editorials on the state’s budget deficit.

Both the San Diego area’s North County Times and the Riverside Press-Enterprise dismissed Democrat proposalsof billions in newtaxes as being the answer to our budget woes, lambasting them to insteaddo more to getspending under control.

That position, otherwise known as the Republican position, has been firmly held and strongly advocated by our Republican leaders in Sacramento –who havebeen working overtime to get that message out.

Well, if even newspaper editorial writers are grasping the notion that it’s time to get tough on the out of control spending, it’s no doubt the voters are getting it too. And our Republican leaders deserve an awful lot of credit for getting that message across.

Just take a look at a bit of these two editorials. Great stuff.… Read More