Provisional ballots have put Lou Correa ahead of Lynn Daucher by 282 votes in the 34th SD — a 429 vote swing since yesterday.

You can read more here.… Read More

We just got this update in from FR reader Eric Linder:

A representative from the Riverside County Registrar of Voters office informed me that there are still over 100,000 ballots from last Tuesday’s election that have yet to be counted throughout Riverside County, and that as of this morning they have begun counting them.

In the election for Western Municipal Water District, Div 1 alone, there are still 4,000 outstanding ballots, which means that this race, as well as many others, are still being decided.

The Registrar’s office confirms that there are 14,400 absentee provisional ballots, 5,000 absentee ballots that were brought to the polls, and 1,000 provisional ballots, that have not been tallied.

Other races within 350 votes include:

Coachella Valley USD TA 1 – 7 votes separate winning and losing candidate Hemet USD – 140 votes separate Jurupa USD TA 3 – 165 vote difference Jurupa USD TA 5 – 10 vote difference Val Verde USD – 198 votes separate Menifee Union SD – 4 votes separate Eastern Municipal Water District – 74 vote… Read More

I had the opportunity to attend private schools as a kid and later I graduated from one of the top public high schools in the country. Having had that experience, it pains me see the conditions, academic and otherwise in public schools in Southern CA when I go out and speak on various campuses. No matter how much bond money you throw at public education you will never fix the problems.

That is one reason I am such a big fan of Charter Schools.

Yesterday the CA Charter Schools Assoc. launched a public awareness campaign that they hope will double the number of parents who have access to charter schools for their kids. They call it My School (see www.myschool.org) and it offers resources to help parents take ownership of local schools and start new charter schools.

The web page has a cool tool that allows parents to find out where the closest charter school is (there are over 600 statewide).

The Association claims that a recent poll (which my firm curiously didn’t get the chance to do despite my personal support of charter schools) shows 78% of the public believe giving parents choices within the… Read More

You will never look at a pencil the same way again. Milton, we will miss you. … Read More

Today, our nation and the world lost a great mind and an individual dedicated to the advancement of personal freedom. Milton Friedman’s contributions to the study of economics and his ability to articulate its complexities to the public helped awaken the modern conservative movement and advance protections of personal freedoms in this country and around the world. In my life, his writings and works had a tremendous impact on me and helped shape my understanding of public policy as an economics major in college.

Milton Friedman said that, "The society that puts equality before freedom will end up with neither. The society that puts freedom before equality will end up with a great measure of both."

As a nation we can honor the contributions of this brilliant mind by dedicating ourselves to this principle and continually reexamining the effect our government has on the freedoms that have allowed our nation to thrive. For the whole world to know and understand what it means to be free, we need more leaders, teachers, and economists like Milton Freedman.… Read More

Since we are short a Central Coast correspondent, and I’ve spent some time over the last several months working races there, I thought I’d pick up some of the slack. In Ventura County ‘The Mother of All Supervisorial Battles’ between Republican Peter Foy (disclosure: Coronado Communications client) and Democrat Jim Dantona appears to be coming to close as the remaining absentee votes are counted. On Election Eve Dantona led by a 300 vote margin… a lead which has deteriorated into a 700 vote deficit with about 40,000 votes counted and a couple thousand left to count.

Mike Osborn/Ventura County Republican Party were significant winners in this brawl. As long as I can remember the Ventura County Republican Party has been at best useless. Several weeks before the November Election Mike Osborn was elected Chairman and immediately took steps to make the organization relevant. In short, he actually raised and spent money to help elect his local candidates. Chairman Osborn’s biggest victory was clearly Peter Foy, where the Party spent tens of thousands of dollars making sure the seat would be held by a Republican as opposed to a partisan… Read More

What a freaking joke! One week after the election we get the big "State budget deficit" story with the accompanying "budget cut" lingo. It just so happens the Legislative Analyst couldn’t get the job done in time so that voters would know about the debt they just piled on top of a budget crisis in the form of $43 billion in bonds. With new leadership in the State Assembly on our side in the form of Mike Villines (R), Clovis, the Minority Caucus essentially has three jobs over the next two years: 1. Stick together at all times. The Democrats and Governor will lay lots of deals on the table to pick off budget votes, particularly to the termed out legislators. If even one member breaks from the Caucus we might as well throw in the towel; 2. Tell the Governor now, that there will be no votes for a deficit budget or tax increase from our Caucus, and present a list of legislative items we will need in order for their to be any Republican votes on even a balanced budget; 3. Change the language in the budget debate. Already we are hearing about "massive budget… Read More

While others can surely wax far more eloquently than I about his legacy and impact on the world, it is surely worth noting that famed economist and conservative icon Milton Friedman passed away this morning in San Francisco at 94. RIP.… Read More