This in from the Governor’s office. The first one is a big appointment for someone relatively new to town, but hardly surprising given the appointee’s impressive background.

BTW, please note that all four "Del Mar Fair Board" (hey, I’m a purist, I still call it what I want) appointees are Republicans. All four.

Ruben Barrales, 45, of Del Mar, has been appointed to the San Diego County Fair Board of Directors (22nd District Agricultural Association). He has served as president and chief executive officer of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce since 2006. Barrales previously served as a deputy assistant to President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2006 where he was the President’s liaison to state and local elected officials. Prior to that, he served on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors for four years. Barrales is a member of the California Speaker’s Commission on State and Local Government Finance, the California Commission of Local Governance for the 21st Century and the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there… Read More

We received this commentary from Assemblywoman Audra Strickland, who hails from Ventura County. The Republican legislator had this to say:

Kudos to Senate Republicans for Insisting on a Balanced Budget By Assemblywoman Audra Strickland When I first ran for office, I told the voters of my district that I would be responsible in spending their hard-earned dollars. To me, that means not supporting increased or new taxes, providing benefits to illegal immigrants or spending more than the revenues the state takes in. … Read More

Today’s Commentary is guest-authored by two reknowned taxfighters — Jon Coupal, President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, and Ted Costa of the People’s Advocate…

Putting the red light on spending By Jon Coupal and Ted Costa California faces a fiscal crisis that may soon drown taxpayers in billions of dollars of debt. The facts speak for themselves: Controller John Chiang says unfunded pension liabilities just for state employees are at a minimum $50 billion—and growing. In addition, California is facing at least a $5 billion structural budget deficit and tens of billions of dollars in bond debt.… Read More

Today’s Commentary is guest-authored by two reknowned taxfighters — Jon Coupal, President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, and Ted Costa of the People’s Advocate…

Putting the red light on spending By Jon Coupal and Ted Costa

California faces a fiscal crisis that may soon drown taxpayers in billions of dollars of debt. The facts speak for themselves: Controller John Chiang says unfunded pension liabilities just for state employees are at a minimum $50 billion—and growing. In addition, California is facing at least a $5 billion structural budget deficit and tens of billions of dollars in bond debt.

**There is more – click the link**… Read More

In the post below this one, Assemblyman Anthony Adams has reprinted a memo that went out to the Governor and GOP legislators from the California State Sheriff’s Association. Because of the way that the memo was carefully worded, referring only to the "law enforcement portion of the budget," I took the liberty of reaching out to CSSA’s lobbyist, Nick Warner. I have known Nick for quite a few years now, building a relationship with him during my nearly six years full-time with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

Nick quickly clarified with me that it was not and is not CSSA’s goal to pressure Senate Republicans, or anyone else for that matter, where the budget is concerned. Rather, CSSA wanted to get something out "on the record" making sure that they expressed their support for the current level of law enforcement funding within the budget that has been passed out of the Assembly.

This does not appear to be a controversial position on the part of CSSA because from my conversations with many GOP State Senators, and also with many GOP Assemblymembers who voted against the budget, there is no groundswell from the… Read More

Today, Legislators received this memo from the California State Sheriff’s Association.

——————————————————————————————- July 23, 2007

To: Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger The Honorable Members of the Legislature

From: Sheriff Laurie Smith, President, California State Sheriffs’ Association

Subject: 2007-08 California State Budget

The California State Sheriffs’ Association supports the budget passed by the Assembly last week as it relates to law enforcement. Despite not addressing all of our priorities, the budget is a good budget for law enforcement. While local law enforcement receives less than 1% of the total state General Fund spending, the funds are vital to our ability to protect public safety.

In light of the above, we are not in a position to sustain any further cuts in the final version of the… Read More

Undoubtedly the ‘heat is on’ for all of those interest groups and customers of state government spending — put pressure on those darned Senate Republicans to pass a budget. Fortunately, our GOP Senators are a well grounded group of folks who have core principled beliefs, and who actually value their role as a representative of California taxpayers, who deserve, among other things, a balanced budget.

That said, FR readers should keep calling or e-mailing Senate Republicans and give them a friendly, "Hang in there! We’re with you!"

Lobbyists and special interest groups — take a number.… Read More

California’s own Congressman Dana Rohrabacher will investigate claims of abusive prosecutorial misconduct by Johnny Sutton, the US Attorney for the Western District of Texas.Specifically, he wants to know to what extent the Mexican government pressured Sutton to prosecute the two border patrol officers, Ignacio Ramos and Jose Campean.

Rohrabacher (pictured), who chaired the Oversight Committee, when Republicans were in charge, will serve as ranking member. Unfortunately, Sutton has refused to testify at the July 31 hearing of the Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversight of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Sutton has a lot of explaining to do.

Conservatives have long feared the Federal Government propensity for prosecutorial misconduct. There is hardly anything more frightening than the unlimited resources of a belligerent US Attorney.

Sutton, a friend of President Bush, and ambitious US Attorney, is charged… Read More