With the amazing tax reform package finally passed, people of means — even of modest means (ESPECIALLY those of modest means) — need to consider taking some tax-saving steps NOW before 2017 is over. These steps are particularly important for my biggest demographic audience — Californians.

Below is an excellent article (one of many such articles) with major tax-saving suggestions.

http://www.nextavenue.org/year-end-tax-moves-tax-law/

But the two strategies that I want to focus on here are:

1. Paying your property and state income taxes before 31 December.

2. Double or triple your charitable contributions before the end of the year (and not pay any next year). Or be even more clever than that (read on).

First the good news. Contrary to what the media has been telling us, MOST of us WILL pay lower federal income taxes in the next few years –at least through 2020. After that, it’s more and more likely that D.C. goes back into their preferred tax-raising mode.

The new law’s bigger standard deduction coupled with lower… Read More

As the excellent article below details, the California state legislature snuck through a last minute bill in the last session to try to unionize Tesla Motors. I love it!

Elon Musk, who rakes in perhaps billions from government subsidies, will now find that if he wants such electric car California tax credit subsidies to continue, he may well have to unionize his well-paid workforce. In essence, to receive such a subsidy, the company has to meet the California government’s standard. The bill says that automakers (Tesla is the only automaker left in California) must be certified“as fair and responsible in the the treatment of their workers before their customers can obtain up to $2,500 from California’s clean vehicle rebate program.”

What does “fair and responsible” mean? The bill doesn’t say. But the reality is that it means whatever that state government SAYS it means. The one obvious meaning appears to be that the workforce must is unionized. It doesn’t matter that starting workers at Tesla make $17 an hour, and… Read More

Are we witnessingthe collapse of journalism?

A recording surfaced in 2009 in which then-Assemblyman Mike Duvall (R-Yorba Linda) is heard bragging about extramarital escapades with two women on an open microphone in an Assembly Committee hearing.Duvall, married and a father, immediatelyresigned from hisposition.

Nowhere in the media was there an explanation about why the microphone was hot, because… Read More

The flood of sexual groping, assault and harassment complaints in California’s State Capitol is turning into a tsunami. So far, accusations have been levied by women againstState Senator Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia), Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra (D-Arleta) Assemblyman Matt Dababneh (D-Los Angeles), Assemblyman Devin Mathis (R-Visalia), and more to come. The“whisper network” inside of the Capitol tells much: Several additional lawmakers are being named as harassers, and I heard that one leader’s Chief of Staff contacted former female staffers to offer incentives to avert any potential accusations. Ouch.

In a lengthy conversation with former Assemblywoman Linda Halderman Tuesday, she shared some very disturbing incidences that took place when she was a freshman Assemblywoman.

Dr. Linda Halderman, whose professional experience prior to and post politics as a general/trauma surgeon, was elected to the California Assembly in 2010, representing Fresno, CA. Halderman said shortly after she arrived in fall of 2010, the freshman Assembly members were required to attend training conducted by former Assembly… Read More

All Hell is breaking loose in California as residents are being burned out of their homes, neighborhoods and businesses, while Gov. Jerry Brown is jetting around the world spouting climate change propaganda. He calls this California’s ‘new normal.’“With climate change, some scientists are saying Southern California is literally burning up, and burning up as maybe a metaphor or a description not just to the fires right here, but what we can expect over the next years and decades,” Brown said.

… Read More

With the concealed weapon permit reciprocity agreement now approved by the House of Representatives, California liberals are apoplectic in their concerns about the consequences. Again and again we hear the usual laments from such uninformed gun haters about concealed carry — how it would transform — DOES transform — a civilized society into the Wild West. You know the mantra — shootouts at fender-benders, bars ablaze with gunfights, etc.

It’s always fun to inject a dose of reality into such gun haters — it’s toxic to their wellbeing. Here’s a sharp needle-full of facts for your favorite anti-gun friends.They never actually check the empirical results of people legally carrying firearms — that just arrogantlyassumethat they know what the results are.

Here’s the updated URL-available stats about the ACTUAL experience of… Read More

What is a “patriot”? Definitions vary (Google it), but here’s my definition:A patriot is someone who loves their country, and is willing to make any sacrifice for the protection and betterment of that country.

Thus far, Republican Roy Moore has not met that standard. He wants to be a U.S. Senator, regardless of what damage he does to the country and to the effectiveness of his political party that (sorta) encompasses his conservative ideals.

But he’s got a problem. His allies are telling him “If you are guilty as charged of sexual abuse, you should resign.” In other words, if he resigns, he is tacitly admitting that the charges are true. He vigorously contests these charges, so naturally he doesn’t want to plead guilty to them in the court of public opinion. I understand that.

He may well win his upcoming election, but if he does, it appears that longer term he will become the Democrats’ poster child (well, after Trump), smearing the GOP as anti-women. With John Conyers and Al Franken resigning, Moore is in an untenable situation.

But Moore’s election is a… Read More

Imagine this “Twilight Zone” scenario: Somehow overnight the states of California and Texas swapped their laws and governments. All the CA state and local laws and taxes were now the law in Texas, and all the Texas laws and taxes now ruled in California. The politicians magically switched states as well.

Moreover, the electorate could not change this permanent switch of governments — ya get what ya get in the Twilight Zone. Let’s not allow reality to intrude in this science fiction scenario.

Consider: In 10 years, how many people and firms would remain in Texas? Unless you’re in the cattle or oil business, you’d probably move to California — certainly you’d move OUT of Texas. Indeed, businesses and prosperous folks would FLOCK to California from around the nation — the weather and geographic attributes combined with a great economic climate would be an incredible magnet for those seeking a better life. Texas would quickly become a barren rural backwater.

People vote with their feet. The resulting mass migration would tell us all we need to… Read More