Today, Democrat Senate President Don Perata damaged his own (waning) credibility with the Capitol Press Corps by, frankly, saying something that simply was untrue. He held a press conference and told assembled reporters that Republican Senators want to rewrite California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) regulations. Senate Republican Leader Dick Ackerman was forced to respond and set the record straight…

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OK, so I guess some legislators are taking their responsibilities more seriously than others. As I have opined, I think that in return for a full-time salary, state legislators should be at work, IN THE CAPITOL, until there is a budget. I know from talking to them earlier today that State Senator Dick Ackerman and Assemblyman Van Tran are in the building. And I just got off of the phone with my own Assemblyman, Chuck DeVore, who is also in the Capitol. As a matter of fact, DeVore has blogged about whom he has seen (and mostly hasn’t seen up there). I guess he just missed Senator Tom McClintock, who was also in his office.

It would be great if all of our legislators would cut short their time in their districts, and return to the State Capitol and work on producing a new budget document that will pass muster with both chambers. … Read More

This last few weeks, the mostly closely guarded piece of information in state government politics was precisely where Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez went vacationing with his family in Europe. Because I couldn’t identify precisely where on the "Continent" the Nunez family went, I reached out and used a photo of the Eiffel Tower as being symbolic of Europe.

Well, we have learned from a very reliable source that while Californian has had no budget, Fabian and family have been relaxing in Greece! So when I mentioned that he was likely eating a croissant, it was actually probably some Souvlaki.

So, we now publish a photo of the ruins of the Greek Parthenon, that sits on the Acropolis, high above… Read More

This just in from Bill Leonard: I had an excellent discussion with Finance Director Mike Genest yesterday. Among things I learned is there is a difference between the way the Department of Finance and the LAO report their Budget numbers, although they arrive at the same conclusions. On July 24, Legislative Analyst Liz Hill summarized the situation this way: “Revenues and Expenditures. The budget assumes the state will start 2007-08 with a fund balance of $4.8 billion. It projects $102.3 billion in budget-year revenues, an increase of 6.5 percent from 2006-07. The budget authorizes expenditures of $103 billion, an increase of 1.3 percent from 2006-07. The… Read More

You would have thought that Gov. Romney was in San Diego today when he made clear his position on illegal immigration–no front -of-the-line pass to for illegals! He was actually in Eastern Iowa.

ROMNEY: "And with regards to illegal immigration, I want to secure our border, I want to have an employment verification system to know who’s here legally and not, and sanction employers that hire people that are illegal once that system is in place, and finally for those that have come here illegally – welcome them to get in line for permanent residency or citizenship, but in line with everybody else. No special pathway for those who come here illegally." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSrazudhdYE

Why is it so hard for other candidates to say these words?… Read More

SENATE GOP BUDGET WEBSITE State Senate Republicans have launched a new website on the California State Budget which is a great resource for obtaining information on where Senate Republican are coming from in terms of what they feel need to be compents of a fiscally prudent budget. The site provides the latest media statements from Senate Republican leadership, compiles statements and opinion pieces from Senate Republicans, gives a clear perspective of what has happened to date, and, as I said, lays out policy objectives. We’ll continue on this site to provide comprehensive coverage of the budget debate, and will alert FR readers to new and interesting content over on the Senate Republicans’ Budget site — but you should definately check it out here. (h/t to Matt Ross in Senator Ackerman’s office) WHERE ARE OUR LEGISLATORS? Today marks yet another day that California does not have… Read More

Yesterday, Congressman John Campbell blogged (see a few posts below this one) about his questioning of an egregious earmark on the floor of Congress. The pork project was called the "Paint Shield for Protecting People from Microbial Threats."

This is such a "must watch" for FR readers that I have put the video right here (courtesy of our friends at Club for Growth). Take a few minutes now, or at some point, and watch this.

Congressman Campbell lays out a succinct 5 point criteria for a credible earmark. Every Member of Congress should ask these questions before submitting ANY earmark requests. Appropriations Committee Members should be asking these questions before approving any requests, and on the floor, all Members of Congress must insist on an affirmative answer to all 5 points.

If an earmark cannot pass these 5 criteria, it is EGREGIOUS and should be rejected.… Read More

SENATE GOP BUDGET WEBSITE State Senate Republicans have launched a new website on the California State Budget which is a great resource for obtaining information on where Senate Republican are coming from in terms of what they feel need to be compents of a fiscally prudent budget. The site provides the latest media statements from Senate Republican leadership, compiles statements and opinion pieces from Senate Republicans, gives a clear perspective of what has happened to date, and, as I said, lays out policy objectives. We’ll continue on this site to provide comprehensive coverage of the budget debate, and will alert FR readers to new and interesting content over on the Senate Republicans’ Budget site — but you should definately check it out here. (h/t to Matt Ross in Senator Ackerman’s office) WHERE ARE OUR LEGISLATORS? Today marks yet another day that California does not have… Read More