We sadly note the passing today of two prominent political figures: Ontario City Councilman Gerald Dubois and former Assemblymember Marco Firebaugh. Firebaugh had been involved in the heavily contested 30th Senate District Democratic Primary (Escutia termed out). Read more here.… Read More

Arnold Schwarzenegger is less likely to raise taxes than either of the Democratic candidates for governor. He is more likely to crack down on child molestors than they are. For a conservative Republican, is that good enough?

The recent collapse of the infrastructure bond negotiations makes it clear that Schwarzenegger needs something else to motivate his party’s base. When he needed rank-and-file GOP legislators to compromise for him, there was little incentive to do so. They all support him, but few were willing to sacrifice for him. The question is what can be added to Arnold’s agenda that will get their blood stirring for him again.

He’s promised not to raise taxes and he supports Jessica’s Law. That’s a decent enough start. But it looks like the governor may need one more issue in his arsenal that can get conservatives more enthused for his candidacy. What’s it going to be?

Dan Walters suggests illegal immigration, but that’s not going to happen. The governor seemed surprised by the public reaction to his support of the Minutemen border patrol movement last year and doesn’t seem to have… Read More

The Metropolitan Greater Oakland Democratic Club met last week to make endorsement in the mayor’s race and statewide primary races. According to the Oakland Tribune, Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown could not get enough votes to capture the local Democratic club’s endorsement in his primary fight against Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo. It boggles that mind that Brown, who should not only benefit from being the local homeboy, but also from the Bay Area’s anything-but-LA attitude, couldn’t get enough support to get an endorsement from a bunch of Bay Area Democrats.

It does not bode well for City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente that he came in third in the race for the club’s endorsement. Although members couldn’t agree on a mayoral candidate either, the top two vote getters were former… Read More

As I write at 10:45 a.m., SD County Supervisor Pam Slater-Price is announcing her endorsement of Alan Uke for the 50th C.D. seat. The U-T and North County Times are at the announcement, so the FlashReport is breaking the news here.

The Slater-Price endorsement is significant in that Pam was long rumored to be interested in the seat, and while leaving many guessing into February about her intentions, she would have been a major contender. She is very popular in her Sup district, which for the most part IS the 50th congressional. Contrary to rumors of Uke slowing his spending, this likely means he will spend big to tout Pam’s support of his candidacy.

Philosophically, Slater-Price is a GOP moderate and believes that it takes similar views to win the district. As I recall, she has called the area "Fiscally conservative, socially moderate, and environmentally liberal." Morrow, Kaloogian and Roach may not see it that way.

Whether this puts Uke in a position to compete with Bilbray’s more moderate record, or… Read More

Assemblywoman Mimi Walters has been a true heroine in the never-ending battle between the property rights that form the bedrock of our liberties, and the unfathomable enchantment of local governments with usiong eminent domain as an economic development tool.

Mimi has taken leadership of the Protect Our Homes eminent domain initiative, which already has $1.5 million in the bank. The paid signatures are being collected right now to place Protect Our Homes on the November 2006 ballot.

Here’s the message from Mimi:

Dear Friend,

I have some fantastic… Read More

A few weeks ago I gave the 65th Assembly candidate Brenda Salas some unsolicited advice right here on the Flash Blog. My advice to the former Democrat and Rep. Joe Baca staff member was to increase her credentials in the issue of illegal immigration. When she worked for Baca she was tied to one of the most pro illegal immigrant rights members of the Congress. That issue alone was doing damage to her campaign from an insider Republican perspective. The issue of illegal immigration is going to be the major one in the June primary. I don’t know if Salas took my advice directly, but she did increase her anti illegal immigration and conservative credentials with the endorsements of former State Senator and now U.S. Senate candidate Dick Mountjoy and conservative stalwart State Senator and Lt. Gov Candidate Tom McClintock. As most recall Mountjoy was the original author of Prop 187 in the mid 90’s If theses two well know figures have given Salas their blessing, she may have overcome her Baca days. However, I am sure her opponent Jim Ayres will not let the issue go.

… Read More

In Los Angeles, many newspaper weeklies have great stories about issues and candidates. While many take a leftist slant, they can be insightful and useful. LA’s City Beat has an article about the four challengers that filed against Sheriff Lee Baca. See article here. Some of the insights on Baca’s problems are discussed well. Again the real question is will there be enough money to bring Baca down? See my previous posts on this race here.… Read More

It seems like there are an inordinate number of Sheriff’s races in California this year — many sheriffs choosing to retire, others being challenged for one reason or another. Just off the top of my head, I can think of Fresno, Santa Barbara, Riverside, Orange, Sacramento, San Luis Obispo, Yuba, San Joaquin and Amador.

In Sacramento County, it looked like Under-sheriff John McGinness was going to have no opposition in replacing his current boss Lou Blanas. I admire a person who wants to take on this job because it wont be easy. Newly incorporated cities that have been contracting with the Sheriff’s department are starting to build their own police departments so the next Sheriff will likely have to cut patrols during his tenure and the county has come under fire by the Sacramento Bee for it’s handling of the jail.

McGinness will square off against Bret Daniels, the former Mayor of Citrus Height and former sheriff’s deputy who stepped down in November to rebuild his career in law enforcement. It seems that while on vacation in Arizona he flashed a badge in order t get a police officer to look up a friend’s… Read More