It just seems impossible to me.

Congressman Ami Bera, a smart physician, the former chief medical officer for Sacramento County, and a member of a tight-knit family and the son of wealthy and accomplished immigrants from India, received in 2010 and 2012 some 130 illegally laundered contributions to his campaign for Congress involving 90 people – all family and friends, who received illegal kick-backs for their contributions to Ami from his father, a retired 83 year-old engineer. Bera’s father has pleaded guilty to two counts of election fraud. The illegal money amounted to some $270,000 contributed by fake “straw” donors, to avoid the limits on individual contributions that is the keystone of the Federal Election Commission Act’s purpose to eliminate the influence of single large direct contributors to Federal elections. What is impossible to me is: how could Ami Bera NOT know, or have even an inkling, that 90 members of his family and friends, led by his own father, cheated in giving him all that money for his campaign? Having run for office myself in the past, and also being a member of a tight knit family that included an immigrant… Read More

Droughts are naturally occurring; water shortages are government-created and political. A proposed California ballot measure titled “Water Priorities for All,” would shift bond money earmarked for California’s bullet train and use it instead to build new dams and enlarge existing dams.

The initiative would also amend the State Constitution to include language prioritizing residential and agricultural water use over environmental and recreational claims on river water while leaving water rights untouched.

The ballot measure is under attack by a coalition of seemingly environmental opponents. The Committee to Stop the Special Interest Water Grab, led by David Guy, president of the Northern California Water Association, Tim Johnson, president of the California Rice Commission and a “contract administrator” at California Rice Industry Association, and political operative Steve Maviglio of Forza Communications, a Democratic strategist and big supporter of High Speed Rail and the Twin Tunnels, have launched an all-out assault campaign against the California Water Priorities Initiative.

All communications against “Water Priorities for All” have come… Read More

It’s election season and the media has made certain that voters’ attention has been focused on the presidential primaries. But there are hundreds of state and local races, critical to our future that garner very little media attention. On June 7 California Primary voters will take the first step in selecting those candidates who will be elected in November.

Candidates for Congress, the Legislature, county boards of supervisors, city councils, and school boards will become the officials who will have a great say over the caliber of service government provides and the quality of life for all. Some office seekers will be self-serving, interested in being somebody important. Others will genuinely want to accomplish something positive for their constituents. Some will want to provide good value for taxpayers’ dollars, while others will become beholden to special interests who benefit from higher taxes and more spending.

Deciding who is whom, is the challenge.

To read the entire column click here http://www.hjta.org/california-commentary/just-four-weeks-to-go/… Read More

RICHARD RIDER NOTE: There’s been much discussion about how automation — combined with the $15 minimum wage — will price much of the country’s unskilled and low-skilled labor out of their jobs. But automation is just one of many labor-replacing alternatives that businesses doubtless will implement when the pricing justifies it. Consider this latest wrinkle — presented in an article written by my son Steve:

Marriott’s “Help Us Conserve Water” Program Seem More Likely a Reaction to Minimum Wage Increases

by Steve Rider

As a corporate consultant, I travel on business quite frequently. It’s a rare moment when I go through a perfunctory hotel check-in and get asked a question I’ve never heard before. … Read More

Dear family member of candidate,

I appreciate your email to me. I have no doubt your family member is a fantastic mom.

Yet, on Mother’s Day I’m going to spend the time thinking about my mom in heaven, and giving thanks to my wife and the great mother she is to our daughter. I’ll also give thanks for all the moms who do so much to bless their families.

But, if you believe for a second, as a result of your Mother’s Day Fundraising Plea, that I’m going to stop to think about writing a check to your family member, simply because she’s a candidate for office and a mother, you (and she) may be missing the point of the day.

That aside, a happy Mother’s Day to you and yours.… Read More

The Oakland Raiders are actively courting Las Vegas as their new home — and vice versa. But one factor has not been mentioned in the articles I’ve read on this NFL romance. State taxes.

Because of our sky-high 13.3% California millionaires’ income tax, California teams are at an increasing disadvantage with ALL the other states — especially the income tax free states. Los Angeles and San Francisco teams can offset that disadvantage — both regions offer national media attention — and nationalendorsements.

Stephen Curry, Blake Griffin and Chris Paul are fine examples of the big endorsement opportunities awaiting California media center athletes. Indeed, they might make more moola from endorsements than they do from their sports salaries!

The pro teams in the secondary CA markets — especially Oakland, Sacramento and San Diego —… Read More

The GOP Presidential primary ended fairly abruptly earlier this week. For my part I came home from the seemingly-relevant California Republican Party convention more excited and motivated to help elect Senator Ted Cruz than ever. Having had an opportunity to hear in person from all three candidates at mealtime speeches, the contrast between the three was stark, and clear.

Ted Cruz presented himself as a strong constitutional conservative, an ideologue committed to our United States Constitution and ready to fight to make our nation a better place. Governor John Kasich of Ohio reinforced in his remarks that were he the nominee he would be the latest in a failed lineage that most recently has included John McCain and Mitt Romney — an establishment favorite who would seek to embrace the failed status quo on Capitol Hill rather than reject it.

And then there was Donald Trump. Sitting through his non-substantive remarks, filled with name-calling and one-liners, I found myself anxious for that moment in a serious address when the speaker pivots away from the lighter “icebreaker” introduction and digs into the real issues and challenges facing our nation. The… Read More

Assemblywoman ShannonGrove’s fight for public union employees who have been battling the Service Employees International Union for transparency was stilted Wednesday when Democrats killed two bills aimed at opening unions’ books, and allowing more frequent votes on union representation.

After several years of nasty legal battles with the SEIU to see where dues money is spent, the union members came to Grove and asked for her help. She allowed them to draw up two bills attempting at union reforms and transparency.

Grove’s two union reform bills,AB… Read More