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Mike Spence

SB 777 Referendum campaign hits 300,000 petitions in circulation (3 Million signatures possible)

Capitol Resource Family Impact SaveOurKids.net campaign has reported that they have mailed or shipped over 300,000 petitions to Californians.

The campaign is trying to place on the ballot a referendum to overturn SB 777. SB 777 requires schools to view everything from textbooks and school events through the prism of almost every sexual preference imaginable. They are still sending out more petitions but only have 6 weeks to get them back. That will be the tough part. If they (we) fail our kids will learn more than how to spell transgendered in school.

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Matt Rexroad

Migden v. the world and she might actually win

When Assemblyman Mark Leno announced that he was challenging Senator Carole Migden for her Senate seat I could not have been happier. In fact, I think most everyone in Sacramento that has ever been in one of her committee rooms was thrilled. It was going to be great political theater.

We were finally going to have a real knock down drag out battle by the Bay. It was going to be political WWE.

When Migden got slammed for risking the lives of other drivers on the freeway I really thought it was over. Then she comes back with the big L word. And the word is not "Lesbian". It is "Leukemia". Timing is everything.

In a one on one race with Migden and Leno — I like Leno’s chances. He is every bit as liberal only he is much nicer. That is not saying much. Leno had done a great job of gathering up all of the anti-Migden forces until others started having the same idea.

"Another clinging on to glory days" Alioto jumped into the race. He divides the anti-Migden forces once. Now Joe Nation has opened an account. He is a former Assemblyman from Marin County that might make a play for the Marin… Read More

Jon Fleischman

WSJ’s Fund on Arnold’s Redistricting Move

From today’s Wall Street Journal Poltiical Diary…

Arnoldmander

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has revived an idea that his California voters already rejected just two years ago: giving an independent citizens commission the power to draw legislative districts. It’s a noble and useful concept, but the governor’s plan is fatally flawed and wouldn’t represent meaningful reform, even if it serves to spank a legislature that recently spurned his deals on health care and water policy.

Ted Costa, head of the citizen’s lobby People’s Advocate, has been agitating for decades to end the gerrymandered districts that mean California’s elections are… Read More

Jon Fleischman

Today’s Commentary: Richard Edelman’s Quality Pickup

I don’t know Richard Edelman, but he has been quite successful in business, growing his public relations firm to be one of the largest and most influential on the globe. The reason why Edelman ended up tracking on my radar screen, as a publisher of a website on California politics, is that his company has just hired FR State Capitol Correspondent Dan Schnur to lead its California Public Affairs Practice.

What an outstanding pick by Edelman.

I have known Dan (pictured) for the better part of two decades now, and I know he is going to do a great job for Edelman, and its clients. But wait, before anyone assumes that my heaping of praise means that Dan is (like me) somewhere to the right of Attila the Hun, he is not. Dan’s somewhat more moderate in ideology than me, and definitely more moderate in his temperament. Nevertheless, it is a testament to Dan’s… Read More

Jon Fleischman

Richard Edelman’s Quality Pickup

I don’t know Richard Edelman, but he has been quite successful in business, growing his public relations firm to be one of the largest and most influential on the globe. The reason why Edelman ended up tracking on my radar screen, as a publisher of a website on California politics, is that his company has just hired FR State Capitol Correspondent Dan Schnur to lead its California Public Affairs Practice.

What an outstanding pick by Edelman.

I have known Dan (pictured) for the better part of two decades now, and I know he is going to do a great job for Edelman, and its clients. But wait, before anyone assumes that my heaping of praise means that Dan is (like me) somewhere to the right of Attila the Hun, he is not. Dan’s somewhat more moderate in ideology than me, and definitely more moderate in his temperament. Nevertheless, it is a testament to Dan’s… Read More

Jon Fleischman

Rep. John Doolittle: Henry Hyde – A Giant Who Will Long Be Remembered

Last week America lost a true hero when retired Congressman Henry Hyde (R-IL) passed away. Hyde was an unquestioned icon in the conservative movement. We reached out to Congressman John Doolittle, who served with Hyde, to ask him to share his thoughts on Hyde’s passing…

Henry Hyde: A Giant Who Will Long Be Remembered By Congressman John T. Doolittle To know Henry Hyde was to know that you were in the presence of a special human being. He was a man with presence. He had confidence and the intellect to make a difference with his public service. In 1998, he was Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee when the House ofRead More

Matt Rexroad

Prop 63 – Mental Health

When I started to write this post the conclusion was going to be very different. I had gathered information about the language of Prop 63 and the pending litigation on the matter.

I did not vote for this ballot measure in 2004. I rarely vote for tax increases.

Despite this, it appeared to me that the will of the voters was not respected by the Governor and Legislature during the last budget deal. The language of Prop 63 requires not only additional dollars to be spent on mental health in California but also additional program additions as well.

Briefly, Proposition 63 was a measure passed by the voters in 2004 that placed an additional 1% income tax on income over $1 million. I did not support the measure because we already have a graduated income tax system. If the state wanted these programs then they should figure out a way to give the counties money to pay for them. The driving force behind this effort was then Assemblyman Darrel Steinberg.

On Tuesday, the Yolo County Board of Supervisors approved the expenditure of $91,000 of these funds for the mentally ill in our… Read More

Mike Spence

Seeing Red at the Rose Parade

Previously, I reported on an attempt by a hodge podge of various human rights type groups that have targeted the Red Chinese float that will spotlight the 2008 Olympics in the city formerly know as Peking .

Pasadena elected leaders refused to even send a “strongly worded” letter about human right to the Chinese. I’m sure the Chicoms were glad they ducked that one.

The protestors now have the right target. They plan on educating people with a billboard campaign. They also want people to turn their backs on the Rose Parade Float as it goes by. Not enough people know or want to know what the Red Chinese are up to. It is a good start.

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