Today I am proud of my President. He used his veto pen and sent the fat, bloated and irresponsible Farm Bill back to Congress. Bush rightfully said that the bill contained too many subsidies for wealthy farmers and “budget gimmicks” to hide its most egregious spending.

That said, it is expected that the U.S. Senate and the House will vote to override the President’s veto. To do so, a whole lot of Republicans need to do take part. And in doing so, while they "feather the nests" of the many who are financially assisted by the Farm Bill, they further take the GOP out into deep water without a life preserver. We again become the party of big government.

I reported last week that there were only four California Republicans who voted for this terrible bill — John Doolittle, Wally Herger, Elton Gallegly and George Radanovich. This veto provides each of these Republicans with a second opportunity to reflect on all of the billions in terrible spending in this bill, and now add to it the message being sent by overriding the veto of a… Read More

Back in May 2004, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ordered state agencies to expedite the sale of an estimated $5 billion in surplus state properties. It was an ambitious plan designed to help the state raise money it badly needed.

That November, voters backed the governor with Proposition 60A, directing proceeds from the sale of those properties be used to pay down deficit bonds. Now, four years later, the state has yet to sell off most of the targeted surplus properties, according to the Los Angeles Daily News (April 8th).

The state Finance Department indicates that the state sold off no surplus property in the 2004. And while property sales climbed to $12.9 million in 2005-06, they fell to just $1.4 million in 2006-07.

Beth Mills, spokeswoman for the Department of General Services that handles surplus state land sales, said that during the current 2007-08 fiscal year, the state is expecting to take in $31.7 million from two sales. “‘About $21 million is a payment the state is receiving from the sale of… Read More

The Harry Sidhu campaign has all the hallmarks of a campaign in disarray.

The local cable systems were recently called by Harry Sidhu told they would no longer be dealing his consultants, Coronado Communications, but that henceforth Sidhu would make the buys himself.

After being bombarded almost daily with Sidhu mailers for the last few weeks, the Sidhu mailers suddenly stopped arriving last week (there’s been no cessation of Mimi Walters mail).

A new Sidhu mailer finally arrived in today’s mail — but it is clearly not something produced by Coronado Communications: too dense and wordy. This leads me to believe Coronado Communications and Harry Sidhu have parted ways.

Harry Sidhu is also planning a press conference … Read More

A few weeks ago I wrote about AB 624, legislation that will require all private, corporate or public operating foundations and nonprofits incorporated in California, with assets over $250 million, to collect gender and racial data on their board and staff. It also requires these groups to report the number of grant dollars going to ethnic minorities, the disabled, low-income communities and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender recipients. After the data is collected, it must be posted on the foundation’s web site under a section labeled “DIVERSITY.” Of course, all of this is done in the name of “transparency” and forcing greater aid for “minorities.”

This is a patently bad bill; requiring philanthropic organizations to report on their board, staff and grant beneficiaries raises all sorts of questions about privacy and unconstitutionality. In addition, the government has no business in the donations of private citizens to their favorite charities.

Last week the bill was heard in the Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development… Read More

My heart and prayers go out to California’s First Lady, hercousin and fellow Californian, Bobby Kennedy, Jr., and the entire Kennedy family as the news of Senator Kennedy’s condition is announced. One of the many amazing things about this family is that, though they are large and geographically spread out, they remain as tightly knit and supportive of one another as any family I have ever witnessed. All of America, regardless of political affiliation, has woven the story of the Kennedy family into their own lives in a special way, and I think that is because of two words: public service.

Like the rest of his family, Senator Kennedy could have done anything with his life, but he chose to champion the people. Whether we agree with his policies or not, there is no question that his motivation to help the poor, the needy, and the disadvantaged were at the heart of his actions and achievements. It’s too easy for naysayers to chide the Senator for his faults and imperfections, but none of us are perfect. Senator Kennedy is human, and we all make mistakes, but the greater lesson of his legacy lies in the modus vivendi that drove him to give voice to those not born to… Read More

On the June Ballot, most local measures are designed to raise taxes or pass bonds. No so in Tulare County .Porterville votersare going to decide if they want to amend the City Charter to add "In God We Trust" as theCity Motto.

No word on what happens to Porterville if the measure fails.… Read More

Joe Mathews, a center-left-leaning moderate who recently left his job as a great writer with the L.A. Times for a gig with the liberal New America Foundation (you remember them – the invented the term “hidden tax” to justify heaping more unhidden taxes on Californians) is blogging over at Fox & Hounds, and today has a mostly hilarious (a partially disconcerting) post up about what he learned from reading the Governor‘s mind this morning. Check it out!

David Dayen, one of the bloggers over at socialism central, Calitics, writes that local Democrats on the Central Coast are working to place a Democrat on the ballot against Republican State Senator Abel Maldonado. Readers will recall that after Maldonado rather infamously bolted from his Republican Senate colleagues and joined with Arnold and the Dems on the state budget, Senate Prez Don Perata showered him with praise, and some felt Perata gave Maldo a “pass” in the… Read More

Yesterday I received an e-mail from longtime FR friend Jeff Greene. Jeff and I are both alumni of Young Americans for Freedom (the conservative youth organization founded by William F. Buckley, Jr. that played an instrumental role in the development of the modern conservative movement) — in fact we each served as Chairman of California YAF at one point in our lives. I had the honor of voting for Jeff in the Republican primary for Governor in 1990 — though most people didn’t realize there was a primary, since Jeff didn’t get too many votes compared to his primary opponent, incumbent U.S. Senator Pete Wilson! (You have to love the moxie of YAFers!).

Anyways, I digress. The e-mail that Jeff sent was in response to this article by Carla Marinucci that ran in the San Francisco Chronicle over the weekend, in which the Governor, again, makes the case that if Republicans want to win in California, we need to "cross over the center" (his words) — and I guess be more like Democrats… I suggest you click through and read the article… Read More