Last December I posted about the Democrats zeal in having the state take over health care in California. In an effort to be clever and make the point of how terrible it would be having bureaucrats make decisions about our health care, I titled the post "The Health Care Challenge — or — If You Love The DMV, You’ll Love Government Run Health Care". I concluded it writing "If we let the government take it over, we’ll get the same loving care as we get at the DMV"

I thought I’d made a pretty good point, and I discovered I also hit a nerve at the DMV. Lo and behold, George Valverde – the Director of the DMV – commented immediately:

The debate over a statewide health care system aside, Sen. Jim Battin’s comparison to the DMV is misplaced (The health care challenge – or if you love the DMV, you’ll love government run health care, 12/12/06 blog in FlashReport). Over the past three years, the DMV has achieved remarkable results in creating a customer-friendly atmosphere. We… Read More

The Legislative Analyst Elizabeth Hill today released her analysis of the governor’s proposed budget for 2007-08. What’s the bottom line on the budget proposal, from her point of view? Hill says that the budget result in a $726 million deficit as opposed to the Administration’s projection of a $2.1 billion reserve.

Here are a few noteworthy excerpts from the analysis’ highlights. All of the documents can be accessed here.

* Based on our projections, we estimate that the Governor’s budget plan would result in 2007-08 expenditures exceeding revenues by $2.6billion. This would leave the state with a $726million year-end deficit, compared to the Governor’s January 10th estimate of a $2.1billion positive reserve.

* In addition, the… Read More

California’s former Attorney General, now our State Treasurer, was banged up pretty hard by a Wall Street Journal editorial yesterday, that is worthy of sharing:

Following the example of Eliot Spitzer, state attorneys general have had a field day using their power to accuse all and sundry of wrong-doing. So it’s only fair that a little sun is now beginning to shine on the cozy business relationships between these AGs and their trial lawyer buddies.

The sight won’t be pretty, judging from a recent Associated Press report that former California AG Bill Lockyer’s office concealed tens of millions of dollars in contracts with lobbyists and legal firms. California has an open-records law so the public can see how officials spend their money. Yet Mr. Lockyer’s office… Read More

That’s right! Lots of crazy uncle (nephew) jokes are flooding through my head as I read the story in the AV Press about McCarthy’s visit to the Mojave Air and Space Port. (That’s not a joke either, there is one)

McCarthy represents parts of LA County, Kern and San Luis Obispo counties. McCarthy mentioned that basement thing at the end of the visit. Check out the article hereand you will actually see why McCarthy made it to Congress, very articulate and knowledgeable about the issues. Living in Thomas’s basement notwithstanding.… Read More

California Matters

With California moving its presidential primary to Feb. 5 of next year, what Golden State voters think about White House politics has actually begun to matter. A new poll of likely primary voters by San Diego-based Datamar, Inc. shows the two current frontrunners to be Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani.

The poll shows Ms. Clinton with 34% of the vote, leading Barack Obama’s 24% and John Edwards’ 16%. Given Ms. Clinton’s enormous name ID advantage, her lead is not compelling. On the GOP side, pundits were startled to see former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani with 41% support, John McCain with only 17% and Mitt Romney trailing with 11%.

GOP analysts say the… Read More

Anaheim Mayor and former Speaker of the State Assembly Curt Pringle was just appointed by the Governor to the Public Employee Post-Employment Benefits Commission. He will serve with former UC Regents Chairman Gerry Parsky among others to find solutions to unfunded benefits for public employees.

You may recall reading that Mayor Pringle was also recently appointed by the Governor to the CA High Speed Rail Authority.

It’s not hard to figure out why the Governor would tap Mayor Pringle twice in as many weeks to serve on important statewide commissions–Pringle is a natural leader and a dynamic problem solver. I like having Curt on my team no matter what the effort.

But these two appointments are helpful in proving a point of mine, that there is a major lack of leaders in government and politics today. Perhaps it has always been that way, but among the thousands and… Read More

If you are a Republican, and think you may want to see what it is like to work for a member of the State Legislature in the Capitol Building, then don’t miss today’s lead column from Karen Pank, who, as an alumni of the Capitol Fellowship Program, makes a good case for GOPers to apply! No one that I know believes for a minute that the Fabian Nunez-pushed effort to put a term limits ‘reform’ measure on the ballot this February is about anything other than the Speaker and other term-limited incumbent politicians seeking to extend their own time in political office. There’s a story in the Sacramento Bee about how the measure was ‘tweaked’ when it was discovered that Senate President Pro-Tempore Don Perata would not be able to extend HIS time in office. Any measure that allows politicians to serve in any single chamber of the legislature longer than the current limits is a weakening of the measure. Mr. Speaker, make your case on why term limits are bad. But don’t insult the voters by trying to somehow frame your self-preservation measure as a ‘strengthening’ of term limits. … Read More

If you are a Republican, and think you may want to see what it is like to work for a member of the State Legislature in the Capitol Building, then don’t miss today’s lead column from Karen Pank, who, as an alumni of the Capitol Fellowship Program, makes a good case for GOPers to apply! No one that I know believes for a minute that the Fabian Nunez-pushed effort to put a term limits ‘reform’ measure on the ballot this February is about anything other than the Speaker and other term-limited incumbent politicians seeking to extend their own time in political office. There’s a story in the Sacramento Bee about how the measure was ‘tweaked’ when it was discovered that Senate President Pro-Tempore Don Perata would not be able to extend HIS time in office. Any measure that allows politicians to serve in any single chamber of the legislature longer than the current limits is a weakening of the measure. Mr. Speaker, make your case on why term limits are bad. But don’t insult the voters by trying to somehow frame your self-preservation measure as a ‘strengthening’ of term limits. … Read More