Many are analyzing the surprisingly close Virginia gubernatorial race results, but I’m struck by a citizen vote in liberal Colorado that CRUSHED an increase in that state’s income tax.

Well over $10 million (theequivalentof spending about $75 million on a CA proposition) was spent by the unions and wealthy liberals to pass Amendment 66. That campaign spending included a million dollars EACH by Bloomberg, Bill Gates and the NEA. The governor and the establishment press fervently supported the tax. After all, it was “for the children” — the tax was supposedly for education.

A pathetic $30 THOUSAND was spent by the opposition. Yet the measure failed in this rather liberal state by a 66.2% NO! vote (vs. 33.8% yes) — essentially a two-to-one rejection of the tax.

http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Colorado_Tax_Increase_for_Education,_Amendment_66_(2013)

FROM THE TAX FOUNDATION:

“The tax increase would have changed what is currently a flat 4.63 percent tax on all income to a 5… Read More

“I believe there is a different way – and that is to work with the Republican members of every labor union and help empower those Republican union members to put additional pressure on their union leadership to spend Republican dues money on Republican causes.” – Jim Brulte, Chairman, California State Republican Party

Well that’s one way. And if you are tasked with reviving a political party that is financially challenged, ideologically conflicted, with dwindling membership and almost no power in the state legislature,you face tough choices.

The concept of constructive engagement with members of labor unions is a good one, although recognizing the validity of the concept is not the same as endorsing specific tactics. If unions, especially public sector unions, begin to financially support both major political parties more equally, anyone who believes in limited government will be in for a long, cold winter of cascading disappointments. There will still be choices for voters. They will vote Republican to expand the security state. Or they will vote Democrat to expand the welfare state. And crony capitalists, already on the… Read More

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Of course I know that the Republican Party, impacted by the incessant drumbeat of the Tea Party, is opposed to gun control, but my point here is that gun control is one of dozens of issues that President Obama has fumbled and is attempting to sweep under the rug, each fumble representing a missed opportunity for the Republican Party to take up the slack and earn oceans of votes. The list includes:

1. President Obama told the American people that it shouldn’t worry about the NSA ignoring the Fourth Amendment and having total,unregulated power to invade anyone’s private communications at will, then changed his mind and decided maybe it’s not a totally good thing.Net political benefit accrued by the GOP from this remarkable fumble: None.

2.The President urged an attack on Syria in response to its use of chemical weapons, then in the face of overwhelming and bipartisan opposition, backed off. Net political benefit accrued by the GOP: None.

3. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney, in explaining the catastrophic rollout of Obamacare, claimed that presidents are not supposed… Read More

This morning at 10:30 am State Assemblyman Tim Donnelly will make the official announcement that he is running for Governor of California. With family and key supporters gathered around him, Donnelly will make his announcement at the Darafeev Furniture Factory in Baldwin Park. For those who know Donnelly, it comes as no surprise that he is kicking off his campaign at a manufacturing factory — as he has been traveling the state for nearly a year, channeling the Energizer Bunny, and talking about the importance of job creation in California, and how Governor Brown and the Democrats in the State Capitol have been passing policies that make it harder, not easier, to encourage private sector job creation.

According to Donnelly’s campaign spokesperson, Jennifer Kerns, the campaign will focus on three key areas — jobs, civil liberties, and leaving California a better place for the next generation.

“I have traveled up and down the State over the last year talking with voters, and it’s clear to me they want a new voice in politics. Our current system has failed Californians,” said Donnelly, as he prepares for his campaign announcement. “California… Read More

Today there’s a good news story on the front page of the San Diego U-T about Denny Sanford, a philanthropist who just gave $100 MILLION to UCSD for medical research. A genuinely generous man with a vacation home in La Jolla, his avowed goal is to give away his billion+ dollar fortune during his lifetime. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/nov/03/ucsd-dennysanford-stemcells/

Such generosity is not at all uncommon among the truly rich, though many wait until they die to dispense such gifts. Frankly I think Sanford has the right idea — why not get the heartfelt thanks for such generosity while still alive, and live to see the good that such donations do? He’s EARNED it!

But there’s one aspect of the story that most will probably overlook. Sanford was born and raised in high tax Minnesota. Many years ago after some financial success he decided to buy a small bank business in South Dakota and to move to Sioux Falls. He took that 80 employee bank company and expanded it into the credit card business — two companies that today employ over 3,000… Read More

From San Diego Rostra:

“A recent Garin-Hart-Yang survey shows David Alvarez slightly ahead of Nathan Fletcher for the second spot in the San Diego mayor’s contest.

“Garin-Hart-Yang is a very reputable and likely expensive Democratic firm, also doing polling work for NBC, CBS, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today, among others.

“If there is any question whether the Labor Council wants to win this thing and is willing to engage if polling shows Alvarez can make the run off, this might answer it.

“For the pundits automatically assuming a Kevin Faulconer vs. Fletcher run off, take note, there’s a couple of weeks of Donnybrooking left.”

See the polling results at Rostra.… Read More

California is about to mark the one month anniversary of the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, more commonly known as Obamacare.

Since it was first enacted by Congress three-and-a-half years ago, my Republican colleagues and I have warned California families that the Affordable Care Act would mean people losing their current health coverage, having to pay more out of pocket for lower quality care, an out-of-control government bureaucracy and rising costs for taxpayers.

I hate to say, “I told you so,” but this is exactly what Californians have seen with Obamacare.

The problems with Americans having difficulty accessing the website and signing up for a plan have been well documented. But this is only the tip of the iceberg.

Government officials, including those running Covered California, continue to refuse to release information detailing how many people have managed to fully enroll in a health plan. Taxpayers have a right to know this information.

Covered California is not the only out-of-control government bureaucracy. The same IRS officials who targeted people based on their political views or religious faith have the authority… Read More

The terms “Blue State” and “Red State” were coined about a dozen years ago by journalist Tim Russert and were based on the colored maps being used by the television networks to graphically display presidential election results. Although originally based on the arbitrary decision to label Republican voting states red, and those supporting the Democratic candidate blue, these colors have also come to represent liberal (blue) and conservative (red).

The latest Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association Legislative Report Card demonstrates that, in terms of state representation, California continues to be the bluest of blue. But while California has a reputation as being ultra-liberal on a host of issues, for purposes of the HJTA Report Card, we focused solely on how legislative votes were cast on tax issues.

Taken as a whole, the Report Card shows that a preponderance of lawmakers actively support the redistribution of wealth, not from one citizen to another, but from all citizens to the government. This allows the majority party in the Legislature to continue to reward their most active backers, the government employee unions. Government employees in California… Read More