Phil Angelides was politicking at our local 4th of July parade in East Sacramento on Tuesday (some of the old timers were mad he would politicize the family event that has hundreds of kids riding their bikes around the block — but that is a different story and I like to see politicians out with the people).

A close family friend (lets call him John), he’s not a GOP activist by any stretch of the imagination, pressed Angelides with a question while he was walking passed us, "How much are you going to raise my taxes?"

Three thoughts raced through my head.

1. John naturally knew the key message of the campaign without prompting from me — 4 months before Election Day. John doesn’t get "Team Arnold" email and doesn’t go to Republican Party meetings, but he gets it. He works hard every day, he has a family to support and a mortgage to pay. He doesn’t want to pay anymore taxes.

2. I found it telling that very few people were walking up to talk with Angelides (sure he always found somebody to talk with, but no more than if another politician showed… Read More

Welcome back from your July 4th holiday! On Monday, I returned from my outstanding three-week journey from Great Britain, just in time to celebrate our country’s 230th anniversary of throwing off the oppressive tyranny of that nasty King George III and the British! Hooray! The day after a holiday is almost as always quiet, politically, as the holiday itself. Reporters like to take time off, too, and while holidays that are closer to elections are typically exceptions to this rule, Independence Day is far from the November elections (well, to normal people who aren’t hip-deep in campaigns). Today we feature a column penned by FR friend Jon Coupal, the President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association (pictured). Jon has given due credit to the Governor for drawing a firm line in the sand against tax and fee increases. This is an important position of the Governor, and will help to draw a sharp contrast between… Read More

Welcome back from your July 4th holiday! On Monday, I returned from my outstanding three-week journey from Great Britain, just in time to celebrate our country’s 230th anniversary of throwing off the oppressive tyranny of that nasty King George III and the British! Hooray! The day after a holiday is almost as always quiet, politically, as the holiday itself. Reporters like to take time off, too, and while holidays that are closer to elections are typically exceptions to this rule, Independence Day is far from the November elections (well, to normal people who aren’t hip-deep in campaigns). Today we feature a column penned by FR friend Jon Coupal, the President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association (pictured). Jon has given due credit to the Governor for drawing a firm line in the sand against tax and fee increases. This is an important position of the Governor, and will help to draw a sharp contrast between… Read More

I was pleased to see that the Sacramento Bee today printed the text of the Declaration of Independence in its editorial section.

"Unanimous Declaration of the 13 United States of America. Action of Second Continental Congress.

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

OAS_AD('Button20'); We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. That to secure… Read More

Late yesterday I returned from my three week trip to Great Britain. It was a fun time and it was great to spend so much time in another country, really getting to know the people, the places, and yes, the politics. That said, all FR readers will be happy to know that I have little intention of sharing my personal vacation experiences with you on this website, unless they somehow tie into California politics. That said, it is great to be back in the United States in time to celebrate our nation’s birthday — especially having flown here to ‘the colonies’ as they are still referred to, tongue in cheek, by some Britons. Anyone who needs to understand what our freedoms bring to us here in America need only travel abroad — even to a country as ‘civilized’ as Great Britain, and understand that we truly are privileged to live in the greatest country on the planet! We’ll keep this July 4th commentary short — and the news synopsis on the main page is short as well. As I like to point out, political reporters like to enjoy their holiday weekends just like the rest of us! I would like to… Read More

In honor of this nation’s founders, including those at Boston Harbor that rose up in defiance of the increasing tax on tea, and especially in honor of those that risked all by signing the Declaration,but also,in defiance of those seeking to tax oil, property, tobacco and businesses to death on this November ballot, a Happy Independence Day to everyone.

"Republicans believe everyday is the 4th of July, but Democrats believe everyday is April 15th."

Ronald Reagan… Read More

Late yesterday I returned from my three week trip to Great Britain. It was a fun time and it was great to spend so much time in another country, really getting to know the people, the places, and yes, the politics. That said, all FR readers will be happy to know that I have little intention of sharing my personal vacation experiences with you on this website, unless they somehow tie into California politics. That said, it is great to be back in the United States in time to celebrate our nation’s birthday — especially having flown here to ‘the colonies’ as they are still referred to, tongue in cheek, by some Britons. Anyone who needs to understand what our freedoms bring to us here in America need only travel abroad — even to a country as ‘civilized’ as Great Britain, and understand that we truly are privileged to live in the greatest country on the planet! We’ll keep this July 4th commentary short — and the news synopsis on the main page is short as well. As I like to point out, political reporters like to enjoy their holiday weekends just like the rest of us! I would like to… Read More

Bill Bradley, the LA Weekly columnist and former political colleague of Tom Hayden, Jane Fonda and Bob Mulholland, offered some friendly advice to FlashReport readers in a comment he posted on FR that you may have missed:

“OK, as a longtime Democratic advisor at every level turned analyst and columnist, here is my take on your situation.

“You do not live in Utah, you live in California.

“Your governor actually has his program together now and knows what he is doing.

“Deal with it.” – Bill Bradley

Bradley has been around California politics a long time (not a reference to his age, just a tip of the hat in respect to his experience in the biz) and is one of the state’s more interesting political writers, due in large part to the personal friendships and contacts he’s cultivated over the years with union leaders, campaign consultants (of both parties) and pseudo-politicos like Warren Beatty and Rob Reiner who always surface just in time to make politics… Read More