Since the budget talks are pretty slow, with most of the talks going on in the Joint Budget Conference Committee, plus a little bit of Big4talks, and the rest of us are out of town until the 15th, I just thought I’d pass along a glimpse of the Assembly Appropriations Committee Action from Wednesday.

SB 1301-Financial Aid-to grant more financial aid to students who are offspring of illegal immigrants, was heard in committee-Passed

SB 1322-Communism in Schools-[which could seem redundant] Would relieve schools of requiring a form that essentially says that communism would not be taught or glorified…you know, since the Wall came down it’s no longera worry.[Didn’t seea provision thanking Ronald Reagan.]-Passed

SB 1422-High Cost Rail Authority-turns over a lot of the decision process to the Authority from CalTrans for the High Cost Rail whose bonds haven’t even been approved by voters in November yet.-Passed

SB 441-Vending Machines on State Property-would be required to contain 35% "nutritional products", juices, snacks etc. Regardless of price or market demand or perishability, if a product… Read More

Well, it is with some pleasure that I report to you, dear readers, that my Bill, AB 259, is on its way to the Gov’s desk. This Bill would make it a crime for anyone to sell the LSD-like hallucinogenic drug Salvia Divinorum to a minor.For those whoaren’t familiar with the drug, it is plant grown traditionally in the Mazatec region of the Sierra MadreMountains in Oaxaca Mexico. In America the drug is mostly sold as a smoking product. The results of using the drug vary but include alleged changes in consciousness, uncontrolled hysteria, lack of motor skillsand out-of-body experiences.

But before we start celebrating, I want to give a little shout out to the four biggest liberals in the Senate and to rhetorically ask, "what the hell?" Senators Don Perata, Sheila Kuehl, Carol Migden, and Pat Wiggins all voted NO on AB 259 when it was on the Senate floor yesterday. So to them, which part of selling drugs to minors do you find objectionable? Is it your earnest desire to protect the economy, or maybe your deeply held belief in the need to experiment with mind… Read More

For a little while now, I had been hearing persistent whispers that California State Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner had advanced in his preparations for a run for the Republican nomination for Governor in 2010 — so much so to the point that he was in dialogue with nationally acclaimed political strategist Mike Murphy (pictured).

Well, I have now reached out to enough of our FR contacts to be able to say that Poizner has not only met personally with Murphy, but has engaged in multiple phone conversations with him. In addition, several members of Poizner’s "senior team" have been in dialogue with Murphy. While I’m not prepared to say that Murphy has signed on the dotted line (I’m sure that would come with an official statement and media-blitz by Poizner and Murphy), I think I feel safe characterizing this was in the final stages of a negotiation.

Of course, bringing Murphy onboard as a senior strategist would be the loudest and most definitive sign to date that the wealthy (which… Read More

The city of Oakland is in a financial mess, facing a $15 million deficit with the mayor calling for a 12-day shutdown of city services. The city also is having problems hiring enough police officers or even getting the ones they have to patrol crime-infested areas. However, this deplorable situation does not seem to worry Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums. He is living the high life on taxpayers’ dime. He’s staying in luxury hotels, dining at the finest restaurants and paying outrageously high salaries to his top staffers. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, (June 16, 2008), “Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums is talking raising taxes and shutting down non-essential City Hall services for… Read More

There have has been a lot of buzz going around recently about the lack of message-control and clarity coming from the Presidential campaign of U.S. Senator John McCain. Undoubtedly this situation would have been a factor in the decision by the Senator, according to Politico, to tap Steve Schmidt, who had been serving as a "senior advisor" to be his new Campaign Manager.

Those of us that know Steve well can tell you that it will not take long before he has focused the messaging for McCain — focused targeted communications are Schmidt’s speciality.

Steve has actually been back East at McCain HQ for some time now, even though his home is Sacramento where he and his family reside. As many FR readers know, Schmidt was most recently Campaign Manager for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s double-digit victory over Phil Angelides in 2006.

Good luck to you Steve — remember that there are terrorists worldwide who hope you aren’t up for the challenge — they are NOT… Read More

Right around the stroke of midnight, I got an urgent e-mail from the Governor’s campaign entitled, "Day 1" — referring to the fact that we are now one day into the new fiscal year without a state budget. The e-mail directed me to a call for action on the Governor’s Join Arnold website where I read this message from the Governor’s Team:

However, the state is facing an extremely tough budget year. California’s economy is the most diverse in the… Read More

Right around the stroke of midnight, I got an urgent e-mail from the Governor’s campaign entitled, "Day 1" — referring to the fact that we are now one day into the new fiscal year without a state budget. The e-mail directed me to a call for action on the Governor’s Join Arnold website where I read this message from the Governor’s Team:

July 4 will not only be celebrated in the United States this year, but also in the German capitol of Berlin, and in a big way. California’s George Schultz, the former U.S. Secretary of State, will celebrate it here, as will Dr. Henry Kissinger and alsoformer President George H.W.Bush.

And the reason is very interesting. The United States will open its brand spanking new Embassyhere on our Independance Day, designed in part by Californians and built to include a beautiful "mission" style central courtyard, on the groundsof the former U.S. Embassy. For years the United States has been operating its Embassy at a different location. The reason for that is the old Embassy building and grounds were closed by the U.S. during the Nazi regime (with whom we were at war), and the building was wrecked during the April/May 1945 fighting between the Germans and Soviets, and after the war the property, near the Brandenburg Gate, ended up in the Eastern sector of the City, under Soviet control.To add insult to injury, the East German Communists subsequently completely cleared and paved over the remains of the old U.S. Embassy and used… Read More