FlashReport readers who haven’t joined the "social netoworking generation" should sign up at Facebook. When you do, join the FlashReport/California Politics group! And, as a bonus, I am willing to be your "friend" — so reach out.

Jon… Read More

I’ve dropped in on the Freedom Fest conference at Bally’s in Las Vegas. Looks to be about 500 members of the VRWC (vast right wing conspiracy), gathered in a large, dark room. Steve Forbes is on a panel of other libertarians (this is primarily a free minds, free market crowd). You can tell because some other guy on the panel is railing aOf course, the first thought that crossed my mind is that I would prefer a banana daqueri poolside… But since I am here, at what is billed as “The World’s Largest Gathering of Free Minds…”

It’s a positive sign that besides Forbes, I haven’t run into anyone I know. Perhaps that means there are more of us than I thought…

Actually, I came over to catch up with my friend Steve Moore, editorial writer and editorial board member of the Wall Street Journal. There he is…. That’s it for now…… Read More

This morning there we be a press conference held by legislative Democrats, where they announce a "compromise" plan between Senate and Assembly Democrats in terms of how big of a tax increase they want to enact. FR readers will recall that Perata and his left-wing Senate colleagues were calling for around 12 billion dollars in "new revenue" (taxes) while over in the Assembly, Karen Bass and her fellow Democrats in the lower hours were looking at shy of 7 billion dollars in higher taxes. You will be "pleased" to know that after much wrangling, horse trading, and "hating" on those who create economic opportunity in California, Democrats have come to an agreement: They want taxes in California to be hiked by a staggering $9 billion + dollars. Courtesy of the San Diego Union Tribune, (most of) their proposed tax hikes are broken out thusly: PROPOSED NEW TAXES

This morning there we be a press conference held by legislative Democrats, where they announce a "compromise" plan between Senate and Assembly Democrats in terms of how big of a tax increase they want to enact. FR readers will recall that Perata and his left-wing Senate colleagues were calling for around 12 billion dollars in "new revenue" (taxes) while over in the Assembly, Karen Bass and her fellow Democrats in the lower hours were looking at shy of 7 billion dollars in higher taxes. You will be "pleased" to know that after much wrangling, horse trading, and "hating" on those who create economic opportunity in California, Democrats have come to an agreement: They want taxes in California to be hiked by a staggering $9 billion + dollars. Courtesy of the San Diego Union Tribune, (most of) their proposed tax hikes are broken out thusly: PROPOSED NEW TAXES

Liberal Democrat State Senator Christine Kehoe is right — well, at least about one thing. In today’s Wall Street Journal, there is a sizable article on A3 entitled, “California Ponders Who Should Pay Firefighting Bill.”

The piece talks about the rising costs to the state to battle fires (a 41 percent increase over a year ago).

Governor Schwarzenegger has proposed a statewide property tax on ALL residential and business properties to raise $130 million annually. The key word in the preceding sentence is ALL.

In the article Kehoe says that people that choose to live in fire-prone areas should be paying the freight. I agree.

And so does the Legislative Analyst Elizabeth Hill, who is quoted in the piece saying, “Because the state provides a service – fire protection – that directly benefits a particular group…it is appropriate that those beneficiaries pay for a portion of the state’s costs for fire protection. “

Put in another way, someone who chooses to live where fire risk is low should not be paying to subsidize the riskier decision of another to live in a high fire… Read More

For you night owls, the long awaited tax increase proposals are out this evening, courtesy of the Budget Conference Committee that my good colleague Assemblyman Antonin Adams posted about earlier…including rolling back [about 70%] the dependant child tax credit, a sure winner amongst families, nowwith less disposable income. Many arestaying home this summer because of skyrocketing fuel prices as well as higher costs of foodand everything else…couple that with this tax plan…yeah, lots of happy families in California this year.

Of course, we can remind that the State has already enjoyed a windfall of doubling the sales tax per gallon of fuel[worth over $1 Billion in new taxes] in the short time that gas itself has doubled, but I guess that new inflow doesn’t count because it wasn’t directly taken by legislative action.

Also in the plan, pushing up the rates of income tax on the highest income earners, also known as "the rich", "the winners of lifes lottery",… Read More

TheFederal 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled today that an Arizona law thatbans out-of-state residents as petition circulators is unconstitutional. The logic of the decision, according to "Ballot Access News," would apply to circulation of any types of petitions. The court also ruled unconstitutional in the same case (brought by Ralph Nader) a separate Arizona law establishing a deadline for independent presidential candidate’s filings to be on the state ballot. But the big constitutional victory was on petition circulation.

Readers will know I have posted in the past and criticized restrictions government places on who may circulate a petition. The Federal constitutional right to petition government does not evaporate just because someone crosses a state-line, and whether or not a petition circulator gets paid does not sully or diminish that important right.

A tactic of liberals in California to dillute the people’s power of initiative guaranteed by the State Constitution, and thereby build up the power of our gerrymandered permanent Democratic-dominated state legislature, is to impose every… Read More

FR friend Jennifer Kerns has been tapped as Communications Director for the high profile Protect Marriage Act campaign. Here is an excerpt from their release… Congrats Jennifer…

California Marriage Protection Act Hires Top Communications Director

“The proponents of Yes on Proposition 8, the California Marriage Protection Act, and ProtectMarriage.com announced today the hiring of public relations professional Jennifer Kerns as Communications Director for the statewide ballot initiative.

Kerns, the owner of K Street Communications, recently served as Senior Press Secretary for California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner. She also served as Communications Director for his election campaign, helping Poizner successfully win the endorsements of all 37 major newspapers in California in his landslide election over sitting Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante.

She previously served as an Assistant Secretary of State and Spokeswoman in the office of Secretary of State Bruce McPherson, where she represented the State on Elections issues, crisis communications, voting system integrity, Special Elections, the 2005… Read More