Not to be a one-trick pony, but Assemblyman Joel Anderson’s Iran Divestment bill, AB 221, is garnering some pretty significant coverage….and with the Assembly Retirement Committee’s 4-1 vote in favor this week, it’s serious.

With many unions in support, and SEIU even dropping its opposition, the CTA remains entrenched, apparently comfortable with a perceived position of being in support of our retirement benefits funding terrorist states. An excerpt from this morning’s SDUT:

…two teachers unions, the California Teachers Association and the California Federation of Teachers, said investment decisions should be made by the pension fund boards. Yeah, well, ok, if the retirement boards were doing the right thing, perhaps thelegislature wouldn’t have to intervene. Even the Teamsters understand"doing the right thing" in supporting the bill:

“For our unions this is a no-brainer,” said Barry Broad, representing… Read More

Art Torres was apparently scheduled to appear as a guest at a fundraiser for the State GOP, where the entertainment is a roast of former Chairman Duf Sundheim. Torres has backed out, saying he was unaware it was a fundraising event. Bob Salladay has the scoop over at the L.A. Times Political Muscle blog. Maybe Garry South can step in?… Read More

I simply could not believe it when I opened the paper this morning and read the following quote from "Republican" San Diego Councilman Jim Madaffer:

"At end of the day I know why we have these problems," Councilman Jim Madaffer said, "it’s because the city of San Diego has an underfunding problem."

I know Jim Madaffer pretty well. I know his heart is in the right place. The problem is, I question where his head is. I believe that he still does not recognize that the City of San Diego has one of the nation’s most irresponsible records on the spending of taxpayer dollars. That they have blown hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars on outrageous pensions and chronic waste, fraud, and mismanagement. That taxpayers should not and will not stand for pouring more of their money into thispit until the spending is brought under control, and accountability measure are put into place.

The problem, Councilman Madaffer, is not that the taxpayers arehaven’t thrown City Hall even more money. City Hall’s budget has increased dramatically over the past several years. The problem is that you and… Read More

I’m not a big fan of using polling data to guide where California lawmakers should go on public policy questions. Mainly because I find that with most surveys, the responses you get are only as good as the questions that are asked. That said, polling because much more significant when you are talking about taking issues to the ballot box. I am sure it is very disconcerting to the ‘insider political set’ that the voters are so strong in their suppport for the state’s current term limits. After all, ask just about any insider and they will tell you they don’t work. Ask most outsiders, and they will tell you that they are happy with term limits. Steve Poizner is being urged by a prominent state panel to reduce Workers Comp rates further. I’m sure it won’t take much encouragement… Big Brother is alive and well and lives in Sacramento. There are so many bills out there to tell people how to lead their lives, or to ‘socially engineeer’ behavior by Californians. That’s not the proper role of government. If I want to have a solar panel on my roof, that should be my choice.… Read More

I’m not a big fan of using polling data to guide where California lawmakers should go on public policy questions. Mainly because I find that with most surveys, the responses you get are only as good as the questions that are asked. That said, polling because much more significant when you are talking about taking issues to the ballot box. I am sure it is very disconcerting to the ‘insider political set’ that the voters are so strong in their suppport for the state’s current term limits. After all, ask just about any insider and they will tell you they don’t work. Ask most outsiders, and they will tell you that they are happy with term limits. Steve Poizner is being urged by a prominent state panel to reduce Workers Comp rates further. I’m sure it won’t take much encouragement… Big Brother is alive and well and lives in Sacramento. There are so many bills out there to tell people how to lead their lives, or to ‘socially engineeer’ behavior by Californians. That’s not the proper role of government. If I want to have a solar panel on my roof, that should be my choice.… Read More

Good news for San Bernardino County’s High Desert region – San Bernardino County First District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt today was tapped to lead the nine-member High Desert Corridor Joint Powers Authority. Republican Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich – who nominated Mitzelfelt to serve as chair – will serve as vice-chair of the newly-created entity, which is tasked with addressing transportation congestion in the growing communities of California’s High Desert region, which include Lancaster and Palmdale (Los Angeles County) and Victorville, Hesperia and Apple Valley in San Bernardino County. Read NBC4’s account of the meeting here.

In the High Desert Corridor Joint Powers Authority’s first official act, Supervisors Antonovich and Mitzelfelt led the agency in requesting funding for a proposed Palmdale-Victorville expressway, which will ease traffic gridlock and relieve transit congestion in California’s… Read More

Earlier this month I wrote about the troubles our Registrar’s office was having getting it together.

The Board of Supervisors appointed a "Blue Ribbon" Task Force that is conducting public forums. The only thing I’ve heard is one of the memberslamenting the lack of interest inthe forums. That is surprising, (not), especially after the stellar 30% turnout the county had last election.

For those on the edge of their seats, this ace reporter will keep you posted!… Read More

I’ve gotten to know Dr. Long very well and can tell you all he is a good, capable, eloquent man who will do well in this position. I hope he will have the latitude to effect some change. He has been incredibly supportive of local control in Riverside County.

This is great for the Inland Empire.

Dr. David Long, Riverside County Superintendent of Schools, has been appointed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to be the California Secretary of Education. The appointment was announced by the governor today (Wednesday, March 28, 2007) at a news conference in Sacramento.

“I deeply appreciate Gov. Schwarzenegger’s confidence in me and I look forward to working with the leadership of this state to benefit the more than six million students of the state of California,” Long said. “Throughout my many years in education I have remained focused on the student in the classroom. As a teacher and coach, superintendent and now Secretary of Education, my focus remains on each and every child and what he or she needs to achieve and be successful in life.”… Read More