On the main page today, I link to this article by Evan Halper of the Los Angeles Times in which is excerpted here:

Administration officials are soliciting advice from business groups and other special interests on how to propose billions of dollars in tax hikes that could help close a budget shortfall the governor now says is as large as $20 billion.

Schwarzenegger’s staff is exploring a range of options, including sales taxes on lawyer and accountant services, on high-end services such as golf lessons and personal-trainer sessions, and on takeout coffee and other prepared foods that are not taxed now.

The administration’s goal, participants in the discussions say, is to gather support for new taxes from a broad spectrum of the business lobby, giving the Legislature’s Republicans political cover to break their pledges never to vote for them.

**There is more –… Read More

On the main page today, I link to this article by Evan Halper of the Los Angeles Times in which is excerpted here:

Administration officials are soliciting advice from business groups and other special interests on how to propose billions of dollars in tax hikes that could help close a budget shortfall the governor now says is as large as $20 billion.

Schwarzenegger’s staff is exploring a range of options, including sales taxes on lawyer and accountant services, on high-end services such as golf lessons and personal-trainer sessions, and on takeout coffee and other prepared foods that are not taxed now.

The administration’s goal, participants in the discussions say, is to gather support for new taxes from a broad spectrum of the business lobby, giving the Legislature’s Republicans political cover to break their pledges never to vote for them.

Several lobbyists and state officials involved in the meetings agreed to talk about them on… Read More

Besides Assembly candidate Brian Nestande in the 64th A.D., who commented in my original post further down, and "rejected" the endorsement of the Log Cabin Republicans, check out this note I got from conservative GOP Assembly candidate Paul Hegyi in A.D. 10… Jon, Fighting for traditional values has been an important part of my campaign. My focus on those issues is clear on my website, “And let’s not mince words about what ‘strong values’ means. Strong values mean a commitment to keeping families whole, to protecting the institution of marriage as between a man and a woman, to defending the sanctity and culture of life, and making sure our 2nd Amendment rights are not encroached upon.” … Read More

Some nut case is trying to arrest Doug LaMalfa. You can read about it here.

On behalf of the people of Woodland, I offer the Assemblyman sanctuary in our fine city. It is just outside of his district so he will be safe.

It comes with all you can eat BBQ from Ludy’s.… Read More

This YouTube clip was sent to me by someone who only calls themselves "Prison Guard" and identifies his or her self as a member of the California Correction Peace Officers Association on their YouTube page. The short piece pokes at the Governor and his Chief of Staff, Susan Kennedy. Kennedy, FR readers will recall, is the former Executive Director of the California Democratic Party (hired, ironically, by then CDP Chairman Phil Angelides). It is the feeling of some (including "Prison Guard") that she is the real boss, not Arnold… … Read More

Apparently the Governor’s brother-in-law is working very hard to make his jet-commute to and from Santa Monica quite difficult. Bloomberg has the news.

"If I can’t be on your Parks Commission, then you can’t land your jet at my airport."

Neener, neener.… Read More

There has much written about the Governor’s comments, yesterday, at a conference in Sacramento where he made some "generalizations" about legislators from "small towns" — remarks that I’m sure the Governor now wishes he had phrased a little differently. Our own Adam Probolsky penned a sharp-witted post on the Governor’s remarks that appears a few items down. I thought it might be helpful for FR readers to see the Governor’s remarks in full context, so I am putting the full text of the Q & A between Michael Milken and the Governor below. I italicized and placed in red the part of the Governor’s remarks that has drawn the attention…

MICHAEL MILKEN: Quincy Jones told us the other night that 25 percent of the people in Congress do… Read More

The California Chapter of the Log Cabin Republicans has made their endorsements in GOP primaries for State Legislature, and they are raising some eyebrows…

First and foremost, straight (if I may use that word in a post about gay Republicans) off of the Log Cabin website is this statement under “Why We Exist” —

Log Cabin Republicans work to make the Republican Party more inclusive, particularly on gay and lesbian issues. Equality will be impossible to achieve without Republican votes. Working from inside the Party—educating other Republicans about gay and lesbian issues—is the most effective way to gain new Republican allies for equality. Log Cabin also exists as a voice for GOP values among members of the gay andlesbian community.

Great – we get it. And to the credit of California Log Cabin Director James Vaughn, he and his organization are virtual Energizer Bunnies when it comes to pushing the gay and lesbian agenda within the GOP.

So when Vaughn’s Log Cabin… Read More