San Francisco’s City Hall is going to install a ten-foot-long chunk of history and it’s projected to cost over $1.1 million dollars.This new wheelchair ramp has to be gold-gilded Yellow Brick Road that leads to the Land of Oz.How else can one explain the extravagant costs?

According to The San Francisco Chronicle (February 27th), “[t]hanks to a maze of bureaucratic indecision and historic restrictions, taxpayers may shell out $100,000 per foot to make the Board of Supervisors president’s perch in the historic chambers accessible to the disabled.”There is no truth to the rumor that the only way to enter the chamber is by clicking the heels of one’s red ruby slippers. “[T]he little remodel job that planners first thought would take three months has stretched into more than four years – and will probably mean the supervisors will have to move out of their hallowed hall for five months while the work is done.”As in Oz, time is relative when it comes to city money.… Read More

I’m a little late in posting this here on FR, but the editorial below recently ran in the Riverside Press Enterprise:

Deficit DéjÀ Vu California’s Democratic majority refuses to learn from budgets past By JIM BATTIN Our budget picture just seems to keep going from bad to worse — and I fear that we haven’t hit bottom yet. Recently, the state’s nonpartisan budget analyst revised the projected deficit upward to $16 billion. We are absolutely going in the wrong direction and real, substantial changes are needed. Considering my fellow Senate Republicans and I … Read More

Riverside and San Bernardino counties share a common boundary. As both counties comprise California’s beautiful Inland Empire region, it is exciting to follow campaign developments in the area I have called home my entire life.

Many state and federal legislative districts cross the line between Riverside and San Bernardino County. One Inland Valley state legislative district that does not is the 64th Assembly District, which is located entirely within Riverside County. However, the residents of the 64th AD (currently held by GOPer John Benoit) share many identical concerns with their regional neighbors in San Bernardino County.

With that geographical background in mind, I report on a development in the Inland Empire legislative contest for AD 64: California secretary of State records show Republican candidate Brian Nestande’s firm (Brian Nestande and Associates) to be a financial contributor to a key Assembly Democrat.

Research shows that Brian Nestande, a 37-year-old lobbyist and political aide, donated $500 as recently as… Read More

Jon Coupal, President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association has penned this very sobering column about city finances in Los Angeles, and the thirst to raise tax there… Never mind that Los Angelinos already are among the highest tax Californians already…

City Unions To L.A. Taxpayers: Peel Me A Grape By Jon Coupal

Los Angeles city government is in trouble. Projections are that it will face a budget deficit of at least $400 million in the coming fiscal year.

The financial bind in which the city finds itself is no accident. It is the result of a series of conscious decisions by elected officials and bureaucrats.

According to the U.S. Census… Read More

Jon Coupal, President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association has penned this very sobering column about city finances in Los Angeles, and the thirst to raise tax there… Never mind that Los Angelinos already are among the highest tax Californians already…

City Unions To L.A. Taxpayers: Peel Me A Grape By Jon Coupal

Los Angeles city government is in trouble. Projections are that it will face a budget deficit of at least $400 million in the coming fiscal year.

The financial bind in which the city finds itself is no accident. It is the result of a series of conscious decisions by elected officials and bureaucrats.

According to the U.S. Census… Read More

Section 25 of Article I of the California Constitution, believe it or not, guarantees to the people of this state the right to fish. Seriously, I am NOT making it up. In fact, here is the exact language straight from the source:

Section 25. The people shall have the right to fish upon and from the public lands of the State and in the waters thereof, excepting upon lands set aside for fish hatcheries, and no land owned by the State shall ever be sold or transferred without reserving in the people the absolute right to fish thereupon; and no law shall ever be passed making it a crime for the people to enter upon the public lands within this State for the purpose of fishing in any water containing fish that have been planted therein by the State; provided, that the legislature may by statute, provide for the season when and the conditions under which the different species of fish may be taken.

The reason that I point this out is that the ongoing efforts of extremists to infringe upon the liberty of Californians, under the… Read More

Section 25 of Article I of the California Constitution, believe it or not, guarantees to the people of this state the right to fish. Seriously, I am NOT making it up. In fact, here is the exact language straight from the source:

Section 25. The people shall have the right to fish upon and from the public lands of the State and in the waters thereof, excepting upon lands set aside for fish hatcheries, and no land owned by the State shall ever be sold or transferred without reserving in the people the absolute right to fish thereupon; and no law shall ever be passed making it a crime for the people to enter upon the public lands within this State for the purpose of fishing in any water containing fish that have been planted therein by the State; provided, that the legislature may by statute, provide for the season when and the conditions under which the different species of fish may be taken.

The reason that I point this out is that the ongoing efforts of extremists to infringe upon the liberty of Californians, under the… Read More

As unbelievable as it may read at first glance, longtime California Democratic Party strategist and communications aide Bob Mulholland is acting like, well, Bob Mulholland. However, this time he may have crossed the line with his comments personally attacking US Senator John McCain. On the left-wing political weblog California Progress Report, of which Mulholland is a contributing author, Mulholland wrote “Maybe McCain is in early stages of Dementia or Alzheimer’s."

Democratic Party Strategist Bob Mulholland’s stunning statement was in reference to John McCain’s policy on Iraq, which Mulholland opposes. Despite the apparent “diagnosis,” Bob Mulholland, who is also California’s representative to the Democratic National Committee, is neither a brain surgeon nor any other classification of a health care provider.

Here are California Democratic Party spokesperson Bob Mulholland’s eye-popping words in full context: “And McCain is so confused about all the lies (like Saddam Hussein was involved with 9/11) he and Bush… Read More