When you are a popular politician, especially one that likes to do "big things" it is always more challenging and thrilling to be on the offense. But in order to be a winning team, you have to not only get excited about your offensive game, but your defensive game as well. The reality is that with this massive fiscal crisis facing California state government, Governor, it is time to bench your offensive team, and huddle with your defensive team and figure out how we are going to keep California in the game.

Clearly you have a prefered agenda of items that you would like to pursue, including increasing government’s role in health care, and implementing a lot of regulations to reign in man-made production of carbon dioxide. But the reality is that, with these two agenda items in particular, they are going to make California’s financial crisis worse, not better.

On healthcare, it is simply not credible to say that you are going to create a massive new government program with upwards of 14 billion… Read More

When you are a popular politician, especially one that likes to do "big things" it is always more challenging and thrilling to be on the offense. But in order to be a winning team, you have to not only get excited about your offensive game, but your defensive game as well. The reality is that with this massive fiscal crisis facing California state government, Governor, it is time to bench your offensive team, and huddle with your defensive team and figure out how we are going to keep California in the game.

Clearly you have a prefered agenda of items that you would like to pursue, including increasing government’s role in health care, and implementing a lot of regulations to reign in man-made production of carbon dioxide. But the reality is that, with these two agenda items in particular, they are going to make California’s financial crisis worse, not better.

On healthcare, it is simply not credible to say that you are going to create a massive new government program with upwards of 14 billion… Read More

Santa Clara City Clerk Rod Diridon Jr. was considered one of three serious candidates for Assembly District 22. His fundraising has lagged behind his opponents in the Democrat primary — Paul Fong and former Republican staffer Dominic Caserta.

He sent the message below to his supporters last week..

Many in the business community feel that Fong was not a good vote for business but that Diridon and Caserta were going to hand him the election. They are both young moderate candidates from Santa Clara.

Now the whole race has changed. Republican staffer Caserta is now in the running to win this seat. With Diridon in the race he would have been splitting a similar base.

Oh — did I mention that Caserta is running as a Democrat?

Dear Friends, First, let me say how much I have appreciated all of your support and friendship during my campaign for the State Assembly. Our effort is in good stead, with major supporters, a large fundraising base still to be utilized, and polling numbers that show us in the lead. With great forethought, and respecting your trust… Read More

Who knows what evil lurks in the text of the Governor’s health care plan?

"The Shadow knows…"

With a h/t to Shane Goldmacher over at the now-free-but-you-must-register Capitol Alert Blog at the Sacramento Bee, Goldmacher tells the tale about the maneuvers that have taken place in the State Capitol to have the Governor’s big-government health care plan introduced into bill form — without and actual author! It must be The Shadow!

We’ll chalk this up to one more reason to oppose Proposition 93. If Fabian Nunez, who seems to be brainchild this authorless bill idea, thinks that this kind of gimmickry Under the Dome is good public policy, well, then it IS time for him to retire. The end of next session can’t come soon enough!

Well, I guess when you come up with a dumb idea that nobody likes, it takes a devious mind like Nunez has to figure out… Read More

You don’t have to guess – GOP Porkbuster Jeff Flake (R-AZ) will tell you… … Read More

In the United States, we advocate a limited role for our government in order to ensure as much liberty and freedom for each and every American. Of course, with individual liberty comes individual responsibility. So we have to be very cautious about those times when the government, at any level, assumes responsibility in place of the individual person or business. When we apply this very basic principle to the current situation with the sub prime mortgage industry, where a seemingly vast number of people took out loans that, in hind sight, they may not have been able to afford. In many cases, these folks stretched too much, and bear an unfortunate responsibility for making a poor decision. In some cases, those who took out these loans were victimized by predatory lendors who "crossed the line" in their methods of getting people to take out these loans when they should not have done so. No matter whether the blame lies with the consumer who bought the loan, or a predatory lending company, you can be sure that who is not to blame is "the American people" as a whole — or their government, which is financed by their tax dollars.

I am… Read More

In the United States, we advocate a limited role for our government in order to ensure as much liberty and freedom for each and every American. Of course, with individual liberty comes individual responsibility. So we have to be very cautious about those times when the government, at any level, assumes responsibility in place of the individual person or business. When we apply this very basic principle to the current situation with the sub prime mortgage industry, where a seemingly vast number of people took out loans that, in hind sight, they may not have been able to afford. In many cases, these folks stretched too much, and bear an unfortunate responsibility for making a poor decision. In some cases, those who took out these loans were victimized by predatory lendors who "crossed the line" in their methods of getting people to take out these loans when they should not have done so. No matter whether the blame lies with the consumer who bought the loan, or a predatory lending company, you can be sure that who is not to blame is "the American people" as a whole — or their government, which is financed by their tax dollars.

I am… Read More

Here is the question. I guess I will commit the heresy:

Is this Governor really any better than Gray Davis was? Set aside Workers’ Compensation reform for a minute, his single greatest policy achievement.

He has spent more, borrowed more, wasted precious resources chasing idiotic greenhouse gas legislation, run the State GOP into debt, ignored his down ticket running mates in 2006, pandered to left wing social interests, and up until this year, dissed Republican lawmakers and their legislative priorities.

The State budget we are in now will go down as the second worst in history, right behind the disastrous 2000 budget. Finances are cratering. Spending roars on, and we haven’t’ even sold 25% of the approved bonds yet from the "infrastructure" package. Once those bonds are sold, the state’s payment will skyrocket – without the revenues.

Finally, the Governor is chasing his tail on health care. Employer mandates are a serious part of the discussion. Meanwhile, the health care market continues to reform itself, without government intervention. My guess is that there are two reasons why health care… Read More