Hey, all you budget spinners out there: enough of the BS, okay? Despite one of the greatest surges in revenue in State history, the budget isn’t balanced and we continue to throw money at programs and departments that cannot justify additional spending based on performance and efficiency.

Let’s call it what it is – a "get out of town budget" designed to help the Governor’s re-election. There was an alternative you know: balance the budget and then explain why it’s important. Anyone think of that out there besides the Republicans who voted no? Balanced budgets are an understandable, mainstream position. Anyone think the wrath of the unions will be any less because their priorities received more money?… Read More

The Strickland (for controller) Campaign has released the results of a new statewide poll conducted by Public Opinion Strategies (POS) showing Strickland leading Democrat Chiang by 3-points.

There is no runaway victory waiting for Strickland but this does mean that if the election were held today, one of the down-ballot GOP candidates would win.

Conventional wisdom says that the Governor AND McClintock AND McPherson AND Poizner must win for a candidate like Strickland to have a shot. While that scenario is exciting to think about, I believe Strickland’s campaign is unique in that he has better name ID than most other statewide candidates (Schwarzenegger and McClintock excluded) and Strickland has an excellent ballot title: Taxpayer Organization President

When looking only at voters most likely to turn-out in November, the POS poll shows Strickland’s lead grows to 31% over Chiang’s 23%.

Don’t get me wrong, I have not drank the kool aid, I know a statewide win for a Republican is a huge up-hill battle. But to start with an advantage shows Strickland may be able to rally Democrat votes if he has the resources to wage a… Read More

Here’s an email that Assemblyman DeVore sent out to constituents and supporters (as I am both a constituent and a supporter, I thankfully receive these):

A Big Government Budget Last night the California Legislature approved the budget for 2006-07. Compared with the approved budget from the current year, it grows government by $11.3 billion – $90 billion to $101.3 billion in the General Fund, $131 billion overall including even more State employees than the record number under former Gov. Gray Davis. I voted “no” as did 23 of the 31 Republicans in the Assembly, with only 8, the minimum needed, voting to approve the budget. Last year, by contrast, almost… Read More

As promised, here’s the list of Republican Senators’ votes on Assembly Bill 1801 (Laird), the Budget Act of 2006:

Ayes

Dick Ackerman (R – Tustin) Roy Ashburn (R – Bakersfield)

Jeff Denham (R – Merced)

Bob Dutton (R – Rancho Cucamonga)

Chuck Poochigian (R – Fresno) * 5 TOTAL

Noes

Sam Aanestad (R- Nevada City)

Jim Battin (R – Palm… Read More

(As the Assembly floor vote has not yetbeen posted on leginfo, I had to contact a friend on the inside. Thanks go to that person.)

The Budget this year was Assembly Bill 1801 (John Laird, D – Santa Cruz). Here’s the rundown of votes within the Assembly Republican Caucus:

Ayes Greg Aghazarian (R – Stockton)

Lynn Daucher (R – Brea)… Read More

I’ve enjoyed sharing my thoughts on the situation with the Republican base and its "energy" for the past two weeks. As I stated initially, I think the free fall has subsided, and our mood has stabilized for the time being. While we are only one policy disaster away from despair, I still sense that the GOP has bottomed out and has a chance to turn it up a notch this summer and fall. How we handle illegal immigration and spending issues in Washington and Sacramento remain the greatest concerns of conservatives everywhere.

Last week I detailed three issues which would serve to energize the Republican base: balancing the State budget (evidently now not going to happen); protect us from crazy liberals; and define the public employee unions before they define you. It appears that of these three, the Governor is only willing to protect us from the worst of what the legislature has to offer. His recent overtures to the CCPOA and… Read More

I’ve enjoyed sharing my thoughts on the situation with the Republican base and its "energy" for the past two weeks. As I stated initially, I think the free fall has subsided, and our mood has stabilized for the time being. While we are only one policy disaster away from despair, I still sense that the GOP has bottomed out and has a chance to turn it up a notch this summer and fall. How we handle illegal immigration and spending issues in Washington and Sacramento remain the greatest concerns of conservatives everywhere.

Last week I detailed three issues which would serve to energize the Republican base: balancing the State budget (evidently now not going to happen); protect us from crazy liberals; and define the public employee unions before they define you. It appears that of these three, the Governor is only willing to protect us from the worst of what the legislature has to offer. His recent overtures to the CCPOA and… Read More

After much effort to gather the more than 1 million signatures necessary, the Protect Our Homes initiative has qualified overwhelmingly. Voters swept this measure onto the ballot to protect farms, small businesses and homes from landgrabbers. Enough signatures were verified at a high validity rate to easily allow Secretary of State Bruce McPherson to declare its eligibility.

Conservative heroine Assemblywoman Mimi Walters led the charge to qualify this initiative in response to the Kelo v. New London, CT Supreme Court decision of last June. In a 5-4 decision in that case, the court tacitly allowed the taking of private property, homes, farms, small businesses, even church properties for other private uses, under the premise that higher property taxes or sales taxes generated from the new use than the existing owner’s use are in the ‘public good’. This ‘public use’ justification to allow takings is a blatant abuse of the Founders intent.

This initiative became necessary after the legislature’s unwillingness to place real reform on the ballot via the much more direct legislative route, a 2/3 vote of both houses.… Read More