"Come and listen to a story about a man named Mike A poor pachyderm, trying to stop a tax hike, Then one day he was in a budget feud, And down from the Guv comes a comment so rude. Elitist that is, against small towns, average folk."

Yesterday, Governor Schwarzenegger speaking to the nonprofit Milken Institute portrayed small-town lawmakers as uncultured yokels by explaining that they needed special interest junkets in order to see “an airport” or “highway” for the first time. I realize term limits have cleared the Capitol of legislative veterans, but since when did Jed Clampett, Ellie Mae, Jethro and Granny get elected to the Assembly?

Read the exact quote for yourself.

"Some of them come from those little towns, you know what I am saying, they come from those little towns and they don’t have that vision yet of an airport or of a highway that… Read More

With all the excitement aboutmoonbat Rev. Jeremiah Wright it’s easy to forget other aspects of Obama’s controversial past life.

He’s a youthful candidate with a lot of history.

John Fund’s April 29th Wall Street Journal piece onVoter Fraud, Fund noted that Obama represented the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now [ACORN] on a voting rights case in 1995.

That caught my attention. Does anyone know about ACORN?

I sued ACORN on behalf of the California Republican Party in 1998 when a mob of 50 plus people were brought to the CRP offices in a bus. ACORN invaded our Headquarters, intimidated staff and conducted a sit down strike for several hours. The party was given no notice. Someof their membersdestroyed a $5000.00 Ronald Reagan portrait. I sued for the portrait damage. . ACORN retained several high powered attorneys from major downtown law firms [ pro bono] and we duked it out. They argued we interfered with their rights to free expression! How Stalinist. We argued they were… 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” —

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… Read More

The "Elephant" is the symbol of the Republican party.

But the term "elephant in the room" does not have a political meaning. The "elephant in the room" has a different meaning, and is defined in Wikipedia as an English idiom for an "obvious truth that is being ignored or goes unaddressed. It is based on the idea that an elephant in a small room would be impossible to overlook."

The press in Orange County has not focused on the "Elephant" issue that is the subject of this post. The press in Orange County has only reported the "conventional wisdom." But I will here, especially because there is a legal issue associated with it, speak the truth.

73rd Assembly District Assemblymember Mimi Walters has been a darling of the Orange County Republican Party. After losing her first bid for election, she has served well as an appointed member of the Laguna Niguel City Council, later elected, advancing the highly publicized policy of privatization on the council established by her predecessor Pat Bates, passing on creating government jobs to serve the city in favor of private… Read More

To put it mildly, the last year has been very kind to San Bernardino County Supervisor (and former FR blogger) Brad Mitzelfelt.

He went from appointed from a cast of dozens to gaining the endorsement of almost every single official in his district including many former opponents. In addition, he put together a formidable team of consultants and local politicos, only partially drawn from his former boss, current Assessor Bill Postmus. On the policy front, he’s garnered for his infrastructure-deprived district a laundry list of roads and key projects, including expansion of the Inland Port at the former George Air Force Base, bringing jobs to the region, all while not using the feel good pork barrel so-often used by those in government positions.

Oh, and did I mention he raised over $800,000 for his June election?

Alas, Brad’s cruise to a full term was thwarted by local developer and Hesperia Councilwoman Rita Vogler, who as many of the self funders before her, decried the influence of money in politics and announced her late bid against Brad on the nearly lone basis that he’s had to raise money to campaign for his seat.

But then an… Read More

On behalf of Democrats, Assemblyman Ted Liu (remember, "raise revenue" is no-so-subtle code for "raise taxes"):

On behalf of Republicans, Senate and Assembly GOPers held a press conference to celebrate today, Tax Freedom Day — see the video below. Assembly Republican Caucus Chairman Bob Huff and Senate Republican Caucus Chairman George Runner kick off the event. Jon Coupal with the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, Assemblywoman Mimi Walters, Assemblyman John Benoit, and Assemblyman Republican Leader Mike Villines also speak…… Read More

Not satisfied with controlling how citizens light our homes or care for our animals, Assemblyman Lloyd Levine now wants to increase the taxes—excuse me, “fees”—on our cars. Amended yesterday, AB 837 will increase registration fees on all cars 10,000 pounds or less and based on the carbon dioxide emissions of the car. Based on the car’s weight, the fees will increase from $5 to $25. Based on the carbon dioxide emissions, the rate will increase $10 to $25.

This bill will have a particular impact on families. After all, it’s the gas-guzzling, CO2- emitting SUVs and minivans used to cart kids around town that will be targeted by this tax increase.

Once again government will be taking more valuable dollars from families to then be spent by the irresponsible, spendthrift politicians in Sacramento. Families are already being pinched by the skyrocketing gas prices. Instead of raising the taxes on our cars, legislators should decrease (or abolish) gas taxes to help out families and stimulate our state’s economy.

And how about the safety of… Read More

Ok, someone help me out here. For years, we have been watching Indian tribes all over California build, in some cases, massive gambling casinos on their tribal lands. Making the case for reservations being sovereign land, building casinos on them has become truly big business for some Indian tribes — especially for those whose ancestors were prescient enough to settle lands long ago that today are well-located for attracting gamblers.

Yesterday I read in the Fresno Bee and in the Los Angeles Times that the North Fork Tribe in Madera County in the heart of the Central Valley had reached an agreement for a gambling compact with Governor Schwarzenegger. That, in and of itself, isn’t that newsworthy — there are a lot of tribes, and a lot of compacts.

What caught my eye was that this North Fork Tribe gambling casino would be the state’s first to… Read More