On Wednesday morning at 10 am in Oakland, Steve Heminger, Executive Director of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, will try once more, as he did back in July, to play a shell game with tax payer money.

He will recommend to the Bay Area Toll Authority that they loan bridge toll money to the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission to build an electrical cable to Treasure Island, even though the City’s current utility provider has agreed to underwrite the cost of construction and operation of the cable, using private money.

To be sure we all have this straight…

Voters approved a hike in bridge tolls, in order to accomplish seismic retrofits to the Bay Bridge.

Steve Heminger wants to take that money and use it for a purpose unrelated to transportation… that can be paid for with private money…in a manner that voters would not approve if it were brought to a referendum.

… Read More

The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Logan Jenkins delivered anothergreat column yesterday, especially if one follows SD North County politics. A humorous and biting look at some of the political and other ongoings this past year in our northern areas of the county.I don’t always agree with Logan’s politics, but he’s funny…and a great writer.

I’ll get to it in a minute, but reading Jenkins’ wit does bring up a continuing question. Why is it that only the North County is blessed by SD’s newspaper of record with the kind of attention deserving of its own columnist? The politicians in the other areas might not like the prospects, as they could be outed a bit more, but I say bring it on (especially now that I’m out of office…ha!) After all, North County is not the only area of SD home to shenanigans. Plus, Logan doesn’t just hand out bricks…he often gives out bouquets when deserved (an example of both). If they’re doing a good job, the politicos in the non-northern cities should… Read More

I guess we will find out in early January whether California Republicans — especially mainstream GOP voters and those in the GOP donor community — elected a Governor who will stand by the most significant major tenets of the Grand Old Party, or whether they were used by a politician who is prepared to turn his bust of Ronald Reagan to face the wall. How Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger approaches his self-imposed top priority of working to tackle the issue of access to and affordability of health insurance for all Californians will define his commitment to core Republican principles. Arnold Schwarzenegger campaigned for re-election saying that he is fiscally conservative, socially moderate and progressive on environmental issues (or something close to that). Well, as we said at the time, EVERY issue facing state government is ultimately a fiscal issue, and improving access to healthcare is definitely a fiscal issue. As such, we are all hoping that it will be fiscally conservative Arnold Schwarzenegger that steps up to give his State of the State Address in January. … Read More

I guess we will find out in early January whether California Republicans — especially mainstream GOP voters and those in the GOP donor community — elected a Governor who will stand by the most significant major tenets of the Grand Old Party, or whether they were used by a politician who is prepared to turn his bust of Ronald Reagan to face the wall. How Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger approaches his self-imposed top priority of working to tackle the issue of access to and affordability of health insurance for all Californians will define his commitment to core Republican principles. Arnold Schwarzenegger campaigned for re-election saying that he is fiscally conservative, socially moderate and progressive on environmental issues (or something close to that). Well, as we said at the time, EVERY issue facing state government is ultimately a fiscal issue, and improving access to healthcare is definitely a fiscal issue. As such, we are all hoping that it will be fiscally conservative Arnold Schwarzenegger that steps up to give his State of the State Address in January. There is a very basic and important Republican principle at… Read More

A few days ago, FR Political Law Correspondent Jim Lacy penned his thoughts on a lawsuit filed to try and prevent Jerry Brown from assuming the office of Attorney General. Lacy was critical of the suit. One of the plaintiffs in that suit, Contra Costa County GOP Chairman Tom Del Beccaro, penned the following rebuttal… (Oh, and I am sure we will see a ‘rebuttal of the rebuttal’ from Jim!)

The Rule of Law Still Matters . . .

Brown cannot be “actually entitled to practice” at the same time he is not “entitled to practice law.” By Thomas G. Del Beccaro, Plaintiff in Del Beccaro v. Brown ~~~~~~~~~

The Secretary of State has certified our last election. Therefore, we the Plaintiffs, in the lawsuit Del Beccaro et. al. v. Brown et. al., have amended… Read More

I was really convinced that Dan Lungren would beat Gray Davis. Thus, I now know that predictions are not my forte. But here are five"no brainers", at least in my mind:

1. The State’s budget problems will be far worse under the current Administration than under the Davis administration, unless the Governor finds a blue pen somewhere;

2. Assembly Republican Leader Villines is damn determined to keep his caucus united on spending and taxation, and may save California from even more fiscal ruin with his focused, CENTRIST leadership – he’ll be successful if he engagesfiscally conservative activistsaround the state to help him.;

3. Republican voters are still very, very pissed about the direction of the Party and 2007 will be a very, very slow healing time – we may not even be ready for 2008 unless we get some "red meat" issues somewhere;

4. Ron Nehring and Tom Del Beccaro will be the new leadership tandem at the top of the State’s GOP… Read More

I know we are still a long way from the 2008 election, but there is a noticeable dearth of conservative candidates for President.

In the 2000 cycle, there were several candidates that could make a credible case for conservative support. Steve Forbes, Gary Bauer, even George Bush, had solid conservative credentials, and could make a case for conservative support. Forbes and Bauer had no governmental record, but had solid backgrounds in the movement, Bush governed Texas as a conservative, and conservatives in Texas said great things about his time as Governor. While his record as President hasn’t been perfect (hedid not reign in the free spending Republican Congress, and he has been horrible on illegal immigration), he has, by and large, governed as a conservative. Tax cuts, judges, solid on life and guns, all commend his conservative credentials. Now if he would only veto those Democrat spending bills, he might restore the public’s confidence in the Republican Party as the party of small government.

Now some may complain that I am not the perfect measure of a conservative that only supports conservatives (although I can make my case in… Read More

George Andrews will be the next executive director of the Republican Party of Orange County.

Andrews is the former deputy campaign manager for Diane Harkey’s campaign for State Senate. There he served under and learned from Jimmy Camp who most would agree is the best campaign ground game operator in the business.

Andrews most recently ran the California Republican Party/Schwarzenegger re-elect effort in the none-to-GOP-friendly Bay Area.

He will officially start in the position as of Jan. 1, 2007 but he is unofficially starting today. He will replace Erik Weigand who has worked for the OCGOP in different stints for nearly ten years. Weigand is moving on to run newly elected Assemblyman Jim Silva’s district office.… Read More