As a Regional Vice Chairman of the California Republican Party, I take seriously my commitment to stay out of contested Republican primaries for partisan office. As such, it has been difficult for me to sit on the sidelines during the epic battle in the 4th Congressional District, because that primary is really all about defining the heart and soul of the GOP. I will leave it to the Republican voters in this large Congressional District in North Eastern California to decide for themselves whether they want to elect former Congressman Doug Ose or State Senator Tom McClintock.

All that said, I feel that I do need to weigh in a bit in response to former Governor Pete Wilson’s spurious attack on conservative Tom McClintock. Wilson and McClintock did not get along. Why? Because, like today, Tom consistently stands up against increasing the size and scope of state government.

Wilson was furious with McClintock and other… Read More

As a Regional Vice Chairman of the California Republican Party, I take seriously my commitment to stay out of contested Republican primaries for partisan office. As such, it has been difficult for me to sit on the sidelines during the epic battle in the 4th Congressional District, because that primary is really all about defining the heart and soul of the GOP. I will leave it to the Republican voters in this large Congressional District in North Eastern California to decide for themselves whether they want to elect former Congressman Doug Ose or State Senator Tom McClintock.

All that said, I feel that I do need to weigh in a bit in response to former Governor Pete Wilson’s spurious attack on conservative Tom McClintock. Wilson and McClintock did not get along. Why? Because, like today, Tom consistently stands up against increasing the size and scope of state government.

Wilson was furious with McClintock and other conservative legislators… Read More

2nd UPDATE: After the first vote was expunged days ago, this bill came up again today and got out with41 Aye Votes and 33 No

UPDATE: The call was lifted and the vote count actually went down to 38-34 before the record was then EXPUNGED of the vote…never happened.

Marijuana in the bloodstream would no longer be cause for an employer to terminate or not hire, a person that claims use for medicinal purposes. This would occur under AB 2279 that was up today on our floor. As I write, the bill is "on call" without enough votes, 39-33, to get it out. The bill has vague exceptions for what jobs may be seen as "safety-sensitive" but that I’m sure would require the joy ofmuch litigating to iron out.Industries, like trucking, that have required drug testing, will they be exempt or not?In all or just certain related jobs?

Stats show among users that there are 55% more industrial accidents, 85% more injuries, and a 75% increase in absenteeism.

I had something else I was going to write aboutthis but I forgot…but I do… Read More

Democrats have made it clear that raising taxes (rather than cutting spending) is the only is way to solve California’s budget problems.

But today, when given the opportunity to increase taxes by over $34 million so they could continue to spend like drunken sailors, Democrats failed to put their money where their mouth is!

As Assemblyman Doug LaMalfa previously posted, Assembly Bill 1840, by Assemblyman Chuck Calderon, D-Montebello, which forces Californians to pay sales taxes on the items they purchase online didn’t get enough votes to pass off the Assembly floor today.

Only 18 Democrats voted in favor of the measure. 4 Democrats voted ‘No’ and 27 didn’t vote at all.

Assembly Republicans, of course, opposed the bill because it would not only raise taxes, it would also hurt California business and cost jobs. While it’s a good thing that the bill didn’t pass, the only budget solutions Democrats have proposed, or even discussed, so far have been tax increases. But when it comes down to it even they won’t vote for taxes.

It’s becoming clear that Democrats are all talk and no… Read More

What does the county of Los Angeles need to help with infrastructure? More taxes!

H/t to LBReport.com for showing that the MTA is drawing up a list of projects that could be used to “sell” voters on a half cents sales tax hike. Already us, Angelinos pay 8.25% with 1% going to transportation.

Show me the roads! Most of the money has gone into subsidizing mass transit. Not a good deal. Fortunately, whenever I drive into neighboring San Bernardino County and need gas or food. I stop on the border and keep the difference. So there.… Read More

In light of the debate whether what is yours is yours, or if it is only yours when government decides what is yours, 2 bills were just defeated that would raise the tax on internet purchases and take away the tax refund option on bad retail loans.

AB 1840 applies sales tax to certain Internet transactions, known as the I-Tunes tax. The we need revenue crowd only numbered 18 Aye votes and 31 No votes, including 4 Dems.

AB 1839 went down by 24-33 with 3 Dems voting No. If a retailer had sold it’s financing paper of a retail item to a "Big Finance" house, if that became a bad debt, the lender could no longer recover the sales tax via refund, from the state. The state is in effect saying, "nope, thats mine, too bad for you" even though the retailer is eligible for the refund and rightly so. In the floor presentation of the bill, the author included a statement that asked "When did the state become a partner of these businesses on their bad sales tax debt?" I know. When the state became everyone’s silent partner by forcing retailers to… Read More

AB 1996, a bill to grant food stamp eligibility to those convicted of felony drug charges has passed by a 42-31 vote today. It only requires thatthe user merely be on a waiting listfor drug use rehab,or enrolled, but no requirement of actually completing said rehab to receive benefits. 3 Dems joined 28 Republicans in voting no.… Read More

State Board Of Equalization Member Bill Leonard is considered to be one of the GOP’s experts on State finances… He penned the following for his “Leonard Letter” e-mail….

***Phony Revenues in May Revise***

I have now spent hours trying to explain the state budget to myself and ended up frustrated. I did find in the Department of Finance information the numbers that the state expects to take in (with May and June included in advance). The total is $101.1 billion this year and, for the next year that everyone is fighting about, the take is projected at $102.9 billion. However, I have learned the Governor is booking new bond debt and his lottery sale proposal — around $5 billion that is not real revenue, but actually is borrowing.

If you and I count money as revenue, we have to pay income taxes on it. However, if it’s a loan we do not have to pay taxes on the money because the IRS/FTB do not consider it revenue. But if you are state government, borrowed money is called revenue even though it was not earned nor collected as taxes and must be repaid. Most budgets would make the distinction between earned revenue and… Read More