If Edward Snowden had chosen to share his information concerning surveillance activities by the National Security Agency with Senators like Rand Paul and Ted Cruz, his declaration of “victory” might have some merit.

Instead, by choosing to leak vital American national security secrets to newspapers, and by extension American adversaries, all around the world, his claim rings hollow. Rather than a whistleblower victor, Edward Snowden today is a loser of the first order.

He is under indictment in the United States, no country other than Russia will have him (and his “asylum” there is only temporary), and he will probably never step foot in his home country ever again unless in… Read More

At the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, we receive thousands of calls each year from taxpayers with questions and concerns. Of all those, about two dozen stand out because they are complaints that HJTA is responsible for raising their taxes. The callers tell us that a local government agency wants to impose an assessment on their property and they have received notice and a mail in ballot. When they called the officials responsible for the assessment, they have been told “it is Jarvis’ fault because they passed Proposition 218.”

Now this may not be a whopper of the magnitude of “If you like your policy, you can keep it,” but it is almost as misleading. Here is what is going on.

Proposition 218, the Right to Vote on Taxes Act, placed on the ballot by HJTA and approved by the voters in 1996, requires that those who are to be assessed be sent notice by mail and provided a ballot so they can cast a protest vote. So, to the extent that the homeowner is being informed and being sent a ballot, this much is HJTA’s fault. The government agency is still completely responsible for efforts to impose an assessment.

Assessment districts in California… Read More

One of the most controversial bills passed this year by the California Legislature wasAssembly Bill 711, by Assemblyman Anthony Rendon, D-South Gate. Beginning in 2019, it bans lead bullets for hunting, supposedly to save the California Condor population.

Since Gov. Jerry Brown signed the bill into law on Oct. 11, a potential conflict of interest has arisen.

Mike Sutton, the commissioner of theCalifornia Fish and Game Commission, will be implementing the legislation. But heis also the paiddirector of Audubon California,… Read More

Like many candidates seeking the honor to serve in elected office, I feel passionately about giving back to the community where I grew up. I have enjoyed success as a local leader and would like to take that success to the state capitol. I am driven to bring change to Sacramento and am determined to bring commonsense back to the state legislature. There is a better way forward for California!

We have great opportunities to win competitive seats in the Senate and Assembly, and I want Republicans to know that candidates are sharpening their skills, learning all they can and working hard and smart to win next November.

One way I am becoming a better candidate is by participating in the California Trailblazers program. California Trailblazers is an unparalleled and well-resourced program that strives to recruit, train and elect the next generation of Republican leaders. The program is led by the most respected and accomplished leaders and strategists in Republican politics.

Over the weekend, I joined with legislative candidates from across California at a weekend policy summit in Sacramento. The training was just one of many Trailblazers has hosted, and I have… Read More

Recent headlines of FBI raids and campaign finance violations have become par for the course in California, a state that has been hijacked by moneyed special interests. Every year, legislators convene in Sacramento to do the bidding of lobbyists representing powerful special interest groups, while average voters are stuck dealing with an uncertain economic future in the hands of an unaccountable legislative body.

The Neighborhood Legislature, a new initiative that just received official title and summary from the Secretary of State, will change that. This initiative will fundamentally change the way voters interact with their state government, make the Legislature accountable and remove the corruptive influence of special interests in Sacramento.

The Neighborhood Legislature will create approximately 12,000 legislative districts with between 5,000 and 10,000 residents each. Voters will elect true citizen-legislators; community leaders who are neighbors, not career politicians chosen by special interests. These 12,000 will appoint 120 to go to Sacramento to handle bill introductions, committee hearings and other procedural matters, but all 12,000 will vote on… Read More

For decades we have always heard from what have frankly been fringe, environmental extremist groups about the need to ban plastic grocery bags. These are the same groups that want Americans out of their cars. And that predicted that long ago the polar ice caps would be nonexistent by now. However, in recent years, the movement towards banning plastic bags has been gaining traction at the local level, primarily in liberal communities where left wing politicians dominate city councils. In these local areas, it is typical to see these local politicians completely dismiss all of the factual data that inconveniently dispels most of the myths about the alleged negative impacts of plastic grocery bags.

If I had to point to a political occurrence that has given rise in the positive momentum of plastic bag ban advocates, it is an… Read More

Back in 1964, as conservatism was starting to gain traction in the American political dialogue, the American Conservative Union was formed which represents the views of Americans who are concerned with economic growth through lower taxes and reduced government spending and the issues of liberty, personal responsibility, traditional values and national security. All of these years later, the ACU is most well known for both it’s annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) held in our nation’s capitol — and for their scorecard of the United State… Read More

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[Editor’s Note: We are pleased to share this success story from Board of Equalization members Michelle Steel and George Runner.]

On Tuesday, the Board of Equalization did something rare for a state agency in the Nanny State of California. We voted to end a government program and release up to a quarter-billion of taxpayer dollars back to taxpayers.

After many years of hard work attempting to reform the agency’s tax security deposit program, we were able to show staff that the costs of forcing business owners to post deposits against future liabilities outweighed the benefits of the program.

Under state law, certain businesses can be required to post and maintain a tax security deposit of anywhere between $2,000 and $50,000 for their first three years of operation. Before our recent vote, the agency had obtained security deposits when new business owners registered for a seller’s permit. Security deposits had been automatically required for corporations and LLCs. These security deposits are meant to act as insurance against possible future liabilities, and therefore do not count as state revenue unless… Read More