As we approach the end of the year and as the blame game and gloating starts to wind down, it seems appropriate to start thinking about 2007 and the next election year here in California, here are some of my thoughts:

Victory 2006 Do an analysis of what went right and what went wrong, keep an open mind as it relates to what happened — don’t jump to conclusions too quickly. Be thankful for what the Schwarzenegger team did to help build the party structure in California and ask the question of what should be done to improve and build on the where we stand today. We likely will never see the same amount of money spent on helping build a grassroots structure again, so there will be something else to complain about in 2008 — lack of funding from the presidential nominee.

The CRP Lets encourage a spirited discussion among the candidates running for Vice-Chair of the CRP, they will be responsible for building our GOP bench for governor and the down ticket offices. The CRP is going to need to find a way to get more financial resources into these candidates if… Read More

As FR contributor and public opinion pollster Adam Probolsky likes to say, a poll is only as good as what you ask, and to whom you ask it. So I was quite amused to see so much enthusiasm erupt from the liberal media and left-wing Democrats when the Public Policy Institute of California released their latest survey. The source of their glee?

One of the questions on the PPIC survey asks, "Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the way that the California legislature and the governor are working together in making public policy?"

The response to this question: 53% approve, 36% disapprove, and 18% don’t know.

Here is the problem — asking a ‘feel good’ question like this really doesn’t tell you much. It would be like asking, "Would you like prices to be lower to spend a day at Disneyland?"

Of course virtually all respondents would say yes. But what if the follow up question was, "Would you still want entrance prices lowered at Disneyland if you knew that many of your favorite rides and attractions would be closed?… Read More

Good news for San Bernardino County – Brad Mitzelfelt, a combat veteran and dedicated public servant to the people of the Inland Empire, has formally applied to fill the upcoming vacancy in the county’s First Supervisorial District – an open seat due to incumbent Supervisor Bill Postmus’ election as County Assessor. Brad Mitzelfelt, in many of his roles, was my predecessor as San Bernardino County correspondent for the Flashreport and we both served together in the office of Supervisor Bill Postmus, where Mitzelfelt served as Chief-of-Staff.

(In addition to numerous voices of support from within Mitzelfelt’s prospective constituency, the Flashreport has endorsed Brad’s bid for this important appointment.)

By county provision, San Bernardino County superivors select a successor when a vacancy occurs on the Board. Brad Mitzelfelt is encouraged by the early community support he has received so far.

I will keep you posted as developments occur…Bill Postmus’ swearing-in as County Assessor will be at noon on January 8,… Read More

Most people think of the Antelope Valley part of Los Angeles as conservative. Not so fast! The Antelope Valley Union High School District is allowing a high school senior drama project to produce "Cabaret" which will feature some high school student in lingerie performing seductive poses. What other kinds of poses are there in lingerie?

You have to admire the producer managing to get young women to perform in lingerie on school time. Maybe for a graduation project he can produce "Oh! Calcutta!" He may get an A for fulfilling his dream. But, what should school officials and teachers get that spend tax dollars on garter belts and prefer titillation to education?

You can see the story here. Sorry, no pictures the paper thought they were too racy.

Another article from World Net Daily is here.… Read More

A fellow alumna of my high school in Mt. Vernon, Illinois passed away last night. Jeane Kirkpatrick was a Democrat when President Ronald Reagan appointed her as the U.S. ambassador to the UN, but she became a Republican in 1985 and embraced Reagan’s brand of conservatism wholeheartedly.

She was a force to be reckoned with on issues of moral import. Jeane J. Kirkpatrick was the first woman appointed to serve as permanent representative of the United States to the United Nations and as a member of Ronald Reagan’s Cabinet and National Security Council.She served as a member of the President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board (1985-1990) and the Defense Policy Review Board (1985-1993), and she also chaired the Secretary of Defense Commission on Fail Safe and Risk Reduction of the Nuclear Command and Control System (1992).Dr. Kirkpatrick headed the U.S. delegation to the Human Rights Commission in 2003. For this and related government service, Dr. Kirkpatrick was awarded the Medal of Freedom–the nation’s highest civilian honor–in May 1985 and received her second Department of Defense Distinguished Public Service Medal–the highest… Read More

Good news for San Bernardino County – Brad Mitzelfelt, a combat veteran and dedicated public servant to the people of the Inland Empire, has formally applied to fill the upcoming vacancy in the county’s First Supervisorial District – an open seat due to incumbent Supervisor Bill Postmus’ election as County Assessor. Brad Mitzelfelt, in many of his roles, was my predecessor as San Bernardino County correspondent for the Flashreport and we both served together in the office of Supervisor Bill Postmus, where Mitzelfelt served as Chief-of-Staff.

(In addition to numerous voices of support from within Mitzelfelt’s prospective constituency, the Flashreport has endorsed Brad’s bid for this important appointment.)

By county provision, San Bernardino County superivors select a successor when a vacancy occurs on the Board. Brad Mitzelfelt is encouraged by the early community support he has received so far.

I will keep you posted as developments occur…Bill Postmus’ swearing-in as County Assessor will be at noon on January 8,… Read More

The other day I posted how hard it was to believe it had been four years since Shirley Horton was elected in AD 78, and that things should quickly be heating up for that seat’s 2008 triple-donnybrook.

I guess the four days between swearing-in on Monday and first official candidate on Friday is quick enough. Auday Arabo, presidentand CEO of California Independent Grocers & Convenience Stores, is throwing his hat in the ring…as a Democrat, which may come as asurprise to some that have otherwise assumed — or never asked — his Party registration.

Before we get to Auday, let me touch on my reason for calling the ’08 contest a "triple-donnybrook." As background, this seat was drawn a relatively safe Dem seat, with Vince Hall being that Party’s standard-bearer in 2002. When the smoke cleared, Republican Shirley Hortonhad won (one of two supposedly safe Dem assembly seats in the state, the other taken by Bonnie Garcia), due to Horton’s serviceas mayor in the area’s largest city (Chula Vista), the… Read More

Today the Court of Appeal for the Third Appellate District upheld a preliminary injunction granted by a trial court, striking down FPPC regulations that imposed limits on contributions toballot measure committees that are controlled by candidates. The decision in this case, Citizens to Save California v. FPPC, can be read by clicking on the link below.

You might recall that after the recall of Governor Davis, which included a proliferation of unlimited contributions to issue-oriented political committees that were controlled by candidates for state-wide office, the FPPC promulgated a regulation (2 Cal. Code Regs sec. 18530.9) that imposed the contribution limit applicable to state candidates (e.g., Governor or state Legislature) on the issue-oriented committees controlled by the candidate.

The problem as noted by the Court of Appeal, is that this regulation flatly contradicts established law under the Political Reform Act in Government Code section 85303and, of no small level of significance, also violated established US Supreme Court precedent in Citizens Against Rent Control v. Berkeley (1981) 454 U.S. 290.

This case is a good… Read More