Last week the weather in Sacramento was in the low 100’s. So, of course, I chose last week to take down a lengthy fence, overgrown with various trees and thorny shrubs on both sides, along two sides of my property. My father and I labored mightily – digging out concreted posts, sawing down tree limbs as thick as pythons, moving literally tons of wood, and in the end building a structure that vaguely resembled the wall that kept King Kong on his side of Skull Island in the old black and white movie.

I didn’t build the fence because I hate my neighbor. Admittedly, he is a‘progressive’, as is virtually everyone else in my Curtis Park neighborhood, and I am conservative.We disagree on a number of political and cultural issues that we rarely discuss. I have a Bush sticker on my car. He has a sign in his window opposing the war (strangely, he also has an old poster of Darth Vader displayedin his garage. When I pointed out that Darth Vader was hardly representative of progressive values he gave me a look that could melt butter and said that James Earl Jones – the voice of Mr. Vader – got shafted financially. I let it… Read More

This entry may be a tad too personal for some tastes. Yet, as I have been on vacation this past week, I’ve had some time to think about my decision earlier in the week that I would not run for re-election this year to the La Mesa City Council, where I have served since late 1990. (The story ran in the SDUT on Thursday, even referencing the FlashReport, of all things.)

The response has been a blessing, quite frankly. Most emails have been very supportive, and only a few have questioned why I wouldn’t inform them in advance of the decision (it was clearly only my wife’s and mine to make). Still others have tried to read between the lines of my statement that I want to spend more time with my family, especially now that my daughter is entering kindergarten.

Have we become so jaded about politicians that we automatically assume whatever is said is simply spin? I guess so. But, what I said is what I meant.

Some have… Read More

Sometimes, a decision on how to vote on legislation comes easily. For example, it wasn’t hard to vote to cut the death tax, or to complete the mission in Iraq, or to improve enforcement along the border, or to crack down on child Internet predators. But some votes are not so easy. This week, such a vote occurred in the House. Yesterday, the House voted 232-187 to pass the Deep Ocean Energy Resources (DOER) Act of 2006. This bill completely modifies the existing moratorium on offshore drilling for energy off all of the nation’s coasts. I voted no. First, a little background. I am firmly opposed to drilling off the shores of California. If people in Louisiana want to drill off their coast (and they do) that’s fine. But California is different. A pristine, unobstructed ocean is as essential to our economic prosperity as it is to our spirit which is uniquely and quintessentially Californian. We face energy issues and we need more sources of energy in the U.S. But California can provide more renewable energy, hydroelectric and solar energy than other states, while keeping California prosperous and beautiful. Part of the… Read More

Team Sports are very important in the USA. Today as you pass parks there are various sport teams playingin almost every one of them. In American high schools even sports that are individual are organized into teams. I know people can tell from my physique I was a four-year Varsity swimmer. As a younger kid, I spent three glorious years in my local little league. My nickname was "The Statue". Why? I didn’t swing my bat the entire first year. I do have a great story about my first hit if you ever want to hear it. I usually spent three innings in right field (of course right field) praying along with my coaches and other players and their parents that no one would pull the ball and hit to me. Get the picture. The only person that thought I was good was my Mom, who still doesn’t know any of the rules about baseball. … Read More

Team Sports are very important in the USA. Today as you pass parks there are various sport teams playingin almost every one of them. In American high schools even sports that are individual are organized into teams. I know people can tell from my physique I was a four-year Varsity swimmer. As a younger kid, I spent three glorious years in my local little league. My nickname was "The Statue". Why? I didn’t swing my bat the entire first year. I do have a great story about my first hit if you ever want to hear it. I usually spent three innings in right field (of course right field) praying along with my coaches and other players and their parents that no one would pull the ball and hit to me. Get the picture. The only person that thought I was good was my Mom, who still doesn’t know any of the rules about baseball. … Read More

The Governor may be doing the right thing (public policy-wise) by talking about and making moves to be ‘tough on crime’ but it won’t be the reason any measured group of voters choose him in November.

Let’s travel back in time to 1998 when crime was an issue. Attorney General Dan Lungren waged a miserable excuse for a campaign. But he did have the edge on being the ‘tough on crime’ candidate and the voters didn’t care.

Today crime is even less of an issue. For all the posturing and outrage over the whatever lawbreaking activity or crime against children or seniors or investors or whomever, its not an election issue. Think illegal immigration, traffic, education.

**There is more – click the link**

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The Governor may be doing the right thing (public policy-wise) by talking about and making moves to be ‘tough on crime’ but it won’t be the reason any measured group of voters choose him in November.

Let’s travel back in time to 1998 when crime was an issue. Attorney General Dan Lungren waged a miserable excuse for a campaign. But he did have the edge on being the ‘tough on crime’ candidate and the voters didn’t care.

Today crime is even less of an issue. For all the posturing and outrage over the whatever lawbreaking activity or crime against children or seniors or investors or whomever, its not an election issue. Think illegal immigration, traffic, education.

However, the governor’s rhetoric on crime is smart strategy–the strategy being: never let his opponent own ANY space in the public policy arena.

This Governor is uniquely suited for this strategy. Schwarzenegger has that special ability and charm that allows him to shuck one day to champion the cause of the environment and jive the next to lead the charge on protecting property… Read More

Secretary Of State Bruce McPherson released the official number designations for the November ballot propositions this afternoon.

The Save Our Homes Initiative will be known as Proposition 90, which will reform and curtailthe abuse of eminent domain for private property takings in California. I talked to Assemblywoman Mimi Walters, the lead champion of the initiative, today and she reported that all is going well with gaining the support and resources to carry this battle to the win this fall. It’ll be interesting to see the disinformation from the anti-90 crowd on the ‘costs to the taxpayer’ to condemn private property for public use. Well excuse me, but the landowner should be compensated for the highest and best use value of his or her land,not use the police power of EmDo to get it cheap for the government and certainly notto bullya cheap deal for a transfer to another private party for a strip mall, etc.

Other highlights from Secretary McPherson include: -Prop 83, Jessica’s Law by Sen. George Runner and Assemblywoman Sharon Runner and Richard Gann. -Prop 85,the followup to Prop 73, a parents right… Read More