Three recent news stories illustrate why, to those not drawing a check from taxpayers, government has become about as popular of a swarm of mosquitos carrying the Zika virus.

Story number one tells how a firm owned by the late Alfred Villalobos will pay the state of California $20 million to settle charges of bribing officials of the California Public Employees Retirement System.

Before his death from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Villalobos pled guilty to bribing CalPERS officials to make investments through him, which allowed him to earn about $50 million in commissions. The former CalPERS CEO Fred Buenrostro also pleaded guilty to criminal charges for accepting bribes. For Villalobos, the “fix” was literally in.

To read the entire column click here http://www.hjta.org/california-commentary/three-ways-to-fix-government/… Read More

On Wednesday, CNBC released this interview with North Dakota Republican National Committeeman Curly Haugland regarding the Republican presidential nomination process. The interview has been making the rounds on the Internet these last couple days.

A few have taken these comments as an indication of some sort of foul play on the part of the RNC or suggested a conspiracy is at work to steal the nomination from its legitimate winner. I feel compelled to address a few of these misconceptions and explain why Mr. Haugland’s comments describe the way that the nomination process was designed to work, well before the identities of the 2016 candidates for the nomination were known.

The Republican Party is a private organization that operates according to a set of rules adopted by its national committee and national convention. As the governing body of a political party, the RNC has the right under the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution to choose its own process of determining party nominees for president, and no federal or state… Read More

Every so often the California Policy Center takes my turgid, wonky, POORLY formatted “California Is Doomed” fact sheet and converts it into a thing of beauty — reformatted and posted online. The ONLY advantage for my tiny print, narrow-margin Word file is that is squeezed onto a two page handout — a handout that few can bring themselves to read.

THIS CPC online version IS readable. Not a FUN read, but very readable. And “shareable.”

It’s been I think a year since CPC has done this with my constantly updating fact sheet, but last week they put up the latest version (see below). Enjoy.

Well, “enjoy” is the wrong word — unless you work in the business development department of just about any other state in America. http://californiapolicycenter.org/unaffordable-california-it-doesnt-have-to-be-this-way-6/… Read More

During the industrial age, labor unions played a vital role in protecting the rights of workers. Skeptics may argue that enlightened management played an equally if not greater role, such as when Henry Ford famously raised the wages of his workers so they could afford to buy the cars they made, but few would argue that labor unions were of no benefit. Today, in the private sector, the labor movement still has a vital role to play. There may be vigorous debate regarding how private sector unions should be regulated and what restrictions should be placed on their activity, but again, few people would argue they should not exist.

Public sector unions are a completely different story.

The differences between public and private sector unions are well documented. They operate in monopolistic environments, in organizations that are funded through compulsory taxes. They elect their bosses. They operate the machinery of government and can use that power to intimidate their political opponents.

Despite these fundamental differences in how they operate, public unions benefit from the still common perception that they areindistinguishable from private unions, that… Read More

California political observers are understandably fixated on the goings-on in the state Legislature, which is the living embodiment of what New York Judge Gideon Tucker wrote in an 1866 ruling: “No man’s life, liberty or property are safe while the Legislature is in session.” Reporters and commentators also focus on major legal cases, which can at times pose an even greater danger to our liberty and property.

But unless they do something particularly egregious, the state’s myriad regulatory agencies rarely get much notice. Sure, the little-known California Agricultural Labor Relations Board became the subject of much debate recently after its union-friendly officials refused to count the ballots of farm workers who were trying to decertify a union. That was the exception that proved the rule. How often are “rulemakings” the subject of… Read More

By Clint Oliver

Last weekend I had the privilege to participate in a California Trailblazers campaign training in Fresno – in the heart of a Central Valley district that will host an upcoming, and critical, election for Assembly District 31.

During the two-day training, California Republican leaders and strategists shared their knowledge, insight and expertise with nearly three dozen Republican candidates and Campaign Managers. Instructors taught candidates how to build authentic grassroots support and a solid campaign foundation. For me, it was a well-received opportunity for current and prospective Republican lawmakers to join me in the community I hope to represent in the state legislature.

The first day of training kicked off with a motivating testimony by Trailblazer alumni, Assemblyman Frank Bigelow. He provided tremendous advice, and his enthusiasm for the program and legislative candidates was contagious. We also heard from a fellow Central… Read More

The California Legislature has demonstrated once again how irrelevant and unnecessary it is as a full-time body.

The Assembly Public Safety Committee just passed a bill making illegal gun sales “illegaler,” according to Sam Paredes, Executive Director ofGun Owners of California.

AB 1695,“The Stop Illegal Gun Sales Act,”by Assemblyman Rob Bonta, D-Oakland, passed the Assembly Public Safety committee on a party line vote. “The Act takes aim at the flow of guns onto the black market—just like the guns used in San Bernardino,” he said.

Bonta knows it is already illegal, but never mind that.

“Oakland was home to 89 murders last year—among the highest rates in the state. We must end… Read More

It’s been asked countless times: Will this be the year California finally “matters” in the race for the Republican nomination for President?

We now have an answer: Yes.

Put another way: California, here we come.

Last night’s contests reshaped the landscape in three ways.

First, Florida Senator Macro Rubio withdrew after losing his home state, bringing the number of contenders down to three. Second, Ohio Governor John Kasich was mathematically eliminated – he would have to win 112% of the remaining delegates to become the nominee, an impossibility. And finally, the race was functionally reduced to a two-man contest between Donald Trump and Ted Cruz.

While at the moment Donald Trump has about 200 more delegates than Ted Cruz, he is well short of the 1,237 delegates needed to win the nomination. In fact, he only has about half the delegates he needs, at around 640. Ted Cruz has a little over 400.

California’s 169 delegates – the largest state delegation in the nation – are now essential for victory.

Appearing on CNN this morning, I was actually encouraged by the spin the Trump supporter was putting… Read More