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Jon Fleischman

Today’s Commentary: Ed Royce – Taxpayer Superhero!

Today is another ‘abbreviated commentary’ day as I flew down from Sacramento yesterday just in time to don my Reserve Deputy Sheriff Uniform and work a 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. shift at the glorious Orange County Fair (which runs pretty much the whole month of July). So, on four hours of sleep, FR readers don’t get to expect too much out of me after I have now compiled all of the day’s news on the main page. I did want to take a moment to talk about Congressman Ed Royce. Now let me start out by saying that I have known this Orange County politician since I first got involved in politics back in 1987, in my youth-activism days with Young Americans for Freedom. I really enjoyed getting to know YAF’s alumni in the State Legislature, including then-State Senator Ed Royce, who once-upon-a-time was Executive Director of California YAF (a position I went on to hold myself one day). I had an opportunity intern with Royce in the State Capitol, and I served as a special assistant to freshman… Read More

Jon Fleischman

Ed Royce – Taxpayer Superhero!

Today is another ‘abbreviated commentary’ day as I flew down from Sacramento yesterday just in time to don my Reserve Deputy Sheriff Uniform and work a 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. shift at the glorious Orange County Fair (which runs pretty much the whole month of July). So, on four hours of sleep, FR readers don’t get to expect too much out of me after I have now compiled all of the day’s news on the main page. I did want to take a moment to talk about Congressman Ed Royce. Now let me start out by saying that I have known this Orange County politician since I first got involved in politics back in 1987, in my youth-activism days with Young Americans for Freedom. I really enjoyed getting to know YAF’s alumni in the State Legislature, including then-State Senator Ed Royce, who once-upon-a-time was Executive Director of California YAF (a position I went on to hold myself one day). I had an opportunity intern with Royce in the State Capitol, and I served as a special assistant to freshman… Read More

Barry Jantz

“Think Tank” Fools SD Media

Back in January, FR Publisher Jon Fleischman posted "Epicenter of the Right Wing Conspiracy: San Diego!"on the Center on Policy Initiatives and their hee-haw opus, Target San Diego, about the so-called "Right Wing Assault on Urban Democracy and Smart Government."

Fun stuff, although I wouldn’t recommend reading all 79 pages of the report, unless you re-read some Karl — or even Groucho — Marx first.

The Center on Policy Initiatives, if not establishing any real credibility, is apparently doing so with some of the media. Richard Rider of San Diego Tax Fighters says these media outlets should be ashamed, and provides agreat analysis of just why so:

San Diego Tax Fighters Press Release – Authored by Richard Rider

Bogus Think Tank Hoodwinks Press on SD Crime Stats The Center on Policy Initiatives is Actually a Labor Union Propaganda Mill San Diego – Once again, some of the press mistook the Center forRead More

Jon Fleischman

Timm Herdt – GOP Moderates: Lost Hope

FR friend Timm Herdt is an outstanding political writer over at the Ventura County Star. His column today is about the loss of Abel Maldonado and Kieth Richman in their primaries, and posits that this could be viewed as a failure by Governor Schwarzenegger to bring his moderate imprantur to his party. It’s posted on the main page, but I thought I’d highlight it here.

The column starts out:

Moderate Republicans in California, having watched their party become increasingly dominated by conservatives as it sunk deeper and deeper into minority status, had big hopes after Arnold Schwarzenegger was elected governor in 2003. A new leader had arrived, one who because of a lightning strike of political good luck did not have to subject himself to the ideologicalRead More

Congressman Doug LaMalfa

A Corn-fed revolt, coming your way…

Eminent domain reform taking place in many states has Iowa now as a bellwether of what regular folks think of what EmDo has morphed into.

An eminent domainreform bill, passed overwhelminglyby the Iowa legislature this spring, was vetoed by Democratpresidential hopeful, Governor Tom "No Chance" Vilsack (pictured) in June. This bipartisan effort in response toKelo vs. New London that OK’d taking private property for other private use, with the ‘public use’ fig leaf justification being more tax dollars for the government. Iowa’s House passed it by 89-5 and their Senate by 43-6.

Nice career move Guv. This ignited a prairie fire that culminated in their legislature reconvening from adjournment for the year [they would’ve been out for six months, ahem] for consideration… Read More

Mike Spence

Kiss My A__ and why I love Local Government.

I love local Government. That is where the fun is. Check this out courtesy of the Rio Hondo Community College Board here in LA County.

The Board President wants to discuss the Superintendent’s evaluation. She attacks him for ordering her to book a ocean view room for a conference in Hawaii and he tells her to…..

Better than a soap opera. Read it here.And stuff like this makes local government everything the Founders intended. Right?… Read More

Barry Jantz

House Passes Mt. Soledad Bill

As Jim Sills noted earlier in a comment to a Mike Spence post, Congress today voted to save Mt. Soledad, meaning the cross, unless you really believe it’s just a war memorial.

Here’s the SignOnSanDiego story:

House passes bill to save Mount Soledad cross

The number count was Yes: 349; No: 74; Present: 3; not voting: 6

Here’s the link: http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll386.xml

On to the Senate.… Read More

Jennifer Nelson

Caruso abandons plans for Albany waterfront development

Rick Caruso, a friend and supporter of Gov. Schwarzenegger and a former member of the LA Police Commission, has abandoned plans to build a Grove-like mall on the same property as the Golden Gate Fields racetrack. Caruso, president and CEO of Caruso Affiliated, has spent more than a year working with community groups to help mold the plans for his project to fit the needs of the community, as he has done with other projects in Southern California. Of course, the Bay Area has its own special needs. Caruso told me that the Albany project was the first time that any community group had requested a dog park as part of a development.

But, the reality is that no amount of negotiating and accomodating will satisfy the Bay Area community groups who just don’t… Read More