Here is a brief roundup of some top stories featured in the FlashReport worthy of a read:

BAKERSFIELD CALIFORNIAN Kudos to the Californian for firing a reporter who falsified an amazing amount of material. Today, the Californian published a front-page story revealing the results of an in-depthy investigation that went back over all of the nearly 100 stories writen by their former employee. Unbelievable, but true. PETER SCHRAG IN THE SACRAMENTO BEE I often disagree with Schrag – many of his columns end with a call for higher taxes. Hey, this one does, too. But it is worthy of a read. Like me, Schrag ponders how California can afford to pay for an additional $50,000,000,000.00 (that is 50 BILLION) in bonds (let alone the rumored $100 BIL amount). According to Schrag, the payments on the notes alone would more than double California’s current structural deficit.… Read More

Some people really know how to spoil a good time. I was at one of San Bernardino County Supervisor Paul Biane’s signature first-class fundraisers November 2nd in Rancho Cucamonga, sipping Biane Brothers wine and anticipating later hearing Paul’s announcement for re-election next June. Read about it here.Then the keynote speaker, Hugh Hewitt, took a detour from his characteristically rousing speech and spent a full five minutes describing to the hushed audience a potential bird flu pandemic that could kill millions of people. He discussedthe possibility that the new avian influenza "H5N1" strain in Southeast Asia could become communicable among humans in the future, and noted that in Asiapeople in their prime who’ve contracted the virus from bird sources are dying at a 50-percent rate. By contrast, most influenza bugs are generally only life threatening to the very young and elderly, as well as those with compromised immune… Read More

Props to Carla Marinucci, a very capable political reporter over at the San Francisco Chronicle. While I don’t agree with Carla on all things, I love her reporting.

I took a trip over to the San Francisco Chronicle Elections 2005 blog, and she has sent in a post from China, where she is traveling with the Governor. The best thing about the SFC’s Blog is that it is a forum for their reporters to pass along the kind of information that would bore the average newspaper readering (diminishing as they are), but is of real interest to we political hacks.

While the big stories that ‘everyone’ wants to read are about the reception the Governor and Maria are receiving, the content of the various gubernatorial guests, or even the VIPs with whom the Governor and First Lady will meet — count on Carla to give us the run down on who is traveling with the Gov. from his government and political staff!

Check… Read More

MY CALCULATOR DOESN’T HAVE ENOUGH DIGITS $100,000,000,000.00 (I think that is a $100 Billion). This is the figure I have heard bantered around for a massive ‘infrastructure’ bond measure for California. I need help from some financial experts now. My understanding is that a bond is, in essence, a loan. We float bonds out there for immediate cash. Then, like with any other kind of loan, we make incremental payments on the loan over a period of time (like with a home loan, you typical spread the payments over 30 years). Of course, the interest on the loan adds up considerably, so that by the time you have paid off the principle borrowed (in this case, supposedly that "MEGO" – My Eyes Glaze Over – number above) you also have paid out a huge amount in interest as well. I have no clue what the annual payments would be on an additional $100 billion in bonded indebtedness would be for California taxpayers.… Read More

The Campbell campaign (Gilliard Blanning Wysocki & Assoc.) created a very impactful mail piece that hit mail boxes today.

It simply highlighs American Independent candidate Jim Gilchrist’s own words. Generally when you see a consultant use the words of an opponent against them it can be assumed that they are taking them out of context or that the opponent said these things a long time ago. That is not the case here. Gilchrist is so over his head in this campaign for U. S. Congress, that he sticks his foot in his mouth every time he goes on record.

EXAMPLE OF GILCHRIST QUOTES:

"I don’t like these capitalist pigs." According to the mailer this is quote he gave to the OC Weekly, in Feb. 2005. I don’t care what the context is on this one. The 48th CD has more ‘capitalist pigs’ than just about any Congressional District in the country. Not a smart think to say.

"I’m for taxing the ultra-rich more" "Estate tax? Bring that thing… Read More

Ending any speculation that he might enter the race himself, Assemblyman Chuck DeVore announced today that he was supporting Dana Point Councilwoman Diane Harkey for the 35th State Senate seat.… Read More

The latest breaking news on the California political scene is that Carly Fiorina, the former President of Hewett Packard, is seriously considering a run for the Republican nomination for Lieutenant Governor in 2006. In case you don’t have your playcard in front of you, yes, this the same nomination that widely popular and respected State Senator Tom McClintock is running for as well.

My initial analysis is the Fiorina would have to spend an aweful lot of money to build up her ‘name ID’ in the Golden State, and even at that, I think that there is a challenge in trying to build up POSITIVE numbers with an electorate that starts out cynical when you have a wealthy, self-funded candidate coming along.

Now, I will be the first to admit, I do not know much about the politics of Fiorina – she does not have much of a record of political giving, according to searches on the FEC website. I can say that at first-glancem, unlike the affable Steve Poizner, the search did not reveal contributions to Gore, Kerry and the… Read More

San Francisco’s metrosexual mayor, Gavin Newsom, traveled to Iowa this weekend to headline at a fundraiser for Democrat state legislators. Newsom, who made national headlines when he allowed gay couples to legally marry in San Francisco, helped the Hawkeye Dems raise $50K over the weekend. Newson’s on-again-off-again wife, Kimberly Guilfoyle Newsom, was not along for the trip.

Although they have filed for divorce, the two continue to be seen together in public. Guilfoyle Newsom was at his side last week when the mayor hosted Prince Charles and his wife, Camille, at a number of events in San Francisco.… Read More