There is no doubt that members of the California State Legislature LOVE being in office. So much so that a great many of them would like to extend their time in office well beyond that which is allowable under the current voter-approved term limits (3 two-year terms in the Assembly, 2 four-year terms in the State Senate). As everyone knows, Senate President Don Perata and Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez are using a vast paid signature gathering effort to place on the February ’08 ballot a measure that would SIGNIFICANTLY WEAKEN term limits. Right now 30% of the elected members of the State Assembly would be forced out of office next year, and 45% of the elected State Senators would be sent packing. If the Perata/Nunez sham plan is passed by voters (they have the nerve to couch this as a measure that would ‘strengthen’ term limits), NO legislator in Sacramento will be forced out of office — everyone gets more time. As a matter of fact, President Pro-Tem Perata would be able to serve until 2012, and Speaker Nunez until 2014!

Why is it that legislators want to stay in office so bad? Why is it that they cannot pass the baton so that other… Read More

Chino Hills Councilman Curt Hagman has picked up the endorsement of businessman and former Chair of the San Gabriel Valley Lincoln Club Mike Radlovic. Radlovic was a possible candidate until a couple of weeks ago. See previous post here with link to the others on this race here. I spoke with Radlovic on the phone. He explained that while he like Larry Dick and thinks he is a good candidate he had to go with Hagman. To quote Radlovic directly, “I don’t make the rules, but cash is king. In the end Hagman will have the cash.”

We will see when the June 30 filings go public.… Read More

The Governor’s proposed budget spends too much. First and foremost is the ongoing deficit spending where expenditures under the proposal outpace projected income. But even if the budget where balanced, it is still bloated. Our "fitness Governor" needs to turn the flabby government into something more firm. In some respects I feel back for the Governor — as news headlines today show him taking flack from the left and the right on this budget. Of course, we’re all wishing Arnold 1.0 would return — because our state despirately needs structural reform, and significant downsizing in its size and scope. Need some talking points on what is going on with Congressman John Doolittle and the feds? His people are distributing some for you. There is an article by David Drucker in Roll Call today on Doolitte’s challenges (and potential challengers) — which we’ve posted on the blog page. We also attached your talking points! Speaking of downsizing… At the risk of inflating his ego, I actually thought that one of Assembly Speaker spokesman Steve Maviglio’s "come… Read More

The Governor’s proposed budget spends too much. First and foremost is the ongoing deficit spending where expenditures under the proposal outpace projected income. But even if the budget where balanced, it is still bloated. Our "fitness Governor" needs to turn the flabby government into something more firm. In some respects I feel back for the Governor — as news headlines today show him taking flack from the left and the right on this budget. Of course, we’re all wishing Arnold 1.0 would return — because our state despirately needs structural reform, and significant downsizing in its size and scope. Need some talking points on what is going on with Congressman John Doolittle and the feds? His people are distributing some for you. There is an article by David Drucker in Roll Call today on Doolitte’s challenges (and potential challengers) — which we’ve posted on the blog page. We also attached your talking points! Speaking of downsizing… At the risk of inflating his ego, I actually thought that one of Assembly Speaker spokesman Steve Maviglio’s "come… Read More

The article below appears today in Roll Call, the "newspaper of Capitol Hill" — note that the article references that Congressman Doolittle has been "arming" his supporters with ‘talking points. FR was able to get a copy of those, and they are attached as a .pdf at the bottom of this post.

SUPPORT ERODES FOR DOOLITTLE By David M. Drucker Roll Call Staff May 15, 2007… Read More

The Governor’s May Revise is out.

Senator McClintock has this initial response on his blog:

Going Forward (Backwards)

The Governor’s May budget revision has been released and from all appearances it moves in the wrong direction. The skepticism in my May 10th blog was borne out: the “significant spending cuts” hinted last week were flimflammery. The May Revision INCREASES the Governor’s January proposal from $103.1 billion to $103.8 billion. Some cuts. The projected deficit for next year widens from $1.9 billion to $2.5 billion. And that’s if everything in it works perfectly. Significant statutory changes will be required for roughly $5 billion of the plan.

If it were adopted intact and its projections are correct, state spending will have increased at an

For those folllowing the case, I just posted over at the Red County/OC Blog that today the Appelate Court denied Trung Nguyen’s writ to have the election results reviewed by the higher court.… Read More

I "lifted" this item from State Board of Equalization Member Bill Leonard’s e-newsletter: