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When he exited the Constitutional Convention in 1787, Benjamin Franklin was asked by a citizen what form of government the delegates had given the young country. “A republic, if you can keep it.” How faithfully have we adhered to Franklin’s admonition? Have we kept it? Does this exceptional experiment in individual liberty and limited government remain exceptional?

“If you can keep it.” Inherent in this proviso is an acknowledgement that human frailty could undermine the grand experiment; that the gift given could become an opportunity for license instead of for responsibility, restraint and self-governance. The choice between exceptionalism and mediocrity lay entirely with the people.

So, how are we doing with American Exceptionalism and how do we measure it? Is the happiness of the individual a determinant, and how do we measure that? US Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy explained that, for the framers of the Declaration of Independence “happiness meant that feeling of self-worth and dignity you acquire by contributing to your community and to its civic life.”

Using Kennedy’s definition as a starting point, a… Read More

Want to advance and protect economic and personal freedom in California in 2014?

Turn off the talk radio. Instead, turn on Cable Channel 19 or whatever station broadcasts your local government meetings. Or look up your local government web sites for agendas, minutes, and archived videos of meetings.

You may discover the Left advancing its agenda through the mundane policy implementation and administrative operations of your local governments, with virtually no resistance or news media coverage. But you can turn the tables.

Here are two suggestions on how YOU can make a difference in 2014 in your city.

California voters almost always approve ballot measures that authorize local K-12 school and community college districts to borrow money for construction by selling bonds. Most voters know little about school construction finance. They vote for bond measures to “help the kids.”

While this incomplete knowledge about bond measures gives educational districts a chance to mismanage huge amounts of money with impunity, it also gives you the opportunity in… Read More

I didn’t really formally announce that I was doing so, but after nine years straight of output that typically was 8-10 columns a month and another 20-30 blog posts, I decided it was time for a break. I decided I would take a month off (half of which overlapped a family vacation). Of course we’ve had plenty of original content on the site, and between our editors, John Hrabe and Anton Hartmann, we’ve continued to bring you our news aggregation.

I did pen one column, on the race to succeed Bill Emmerson in the State Senate, because it had to be written in a timely manner. It’s actually been harder than I thought to step back. But I’ve forced myself to take this needed break.

I’ll be chilling for the rest of this week and then I will be back next week — renewed and ready to take on liberals, regardless of their political affiliation.

Happy Hannukah to all!

Jon… Read More

Communism may have been relegated to that “ash heap of history” Ronald Reagan described in his 1982 address to the British Parliament, but a new strain of “21st century socialism” as envisioned by former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is on the march in Central and South America.

Fortunately, that march came to a halt ten days ago with the election of a new conservative President of Honduras.

For years, socialists south of our border have led a drive to move Central and South America to the radical left. In 2004, Venezuela under Hugo Chavez and Cuba under Fidel Castro founded the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas (ALBA) as a new socialist club to serve as a counterweight to the United States in the region and strengthen socialist regimes in the member states. In the 9 years since its founding, it has grown to 9 members, all with socialist governments: Antigua/Barbuda, Bolivia, Cuba, Dominica, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Venezuela. In addition, the group has three “observer” countries: Haiti, and the virulent anti-US regimes of Iran and Syria.

In 2008, then-Honduran President Manuel Zelaya,… Read More

While this week’s municipal bankruptcy news focuses on Detroit, where a judge has just ruled the city can proceed with its bankruptcy filing, tonight a small California city holds a council meeting to try to avoid the same fate.

Desert Hot Springs isn’t on the national radar, but its situation is hardly unique. With only 27,000 residents and only 55 full-time city employees, Desert Hot Springs lacks the financial heft that allows larger cities – think Los Angeles – to put off their day of reckoning.

If you review the city council’s meetingagendafor December 3rd, 2013, you will see item 5, “Budget and Financial Update – Fiscal Year 2013/14.” Clicking on that link will open a window containing links to five exhibits that constitute the most recent financial projections for the city for their current fiscal year ending 6-30-2014. And as can be seen from the one-page summary document, Exhibit 2, “… Read More

Back in September, I wrote a letter to the Franchise Tax Board’s Chief Counsel requesting a legal opinion on the potential tax consequences for a California resident who completes a short sale under existing California law.

I am pleased to announce that the Franchise Tax Board will follow the lead of the Internal Revenue Service and not impose a tax penalty on Californians who have sold their home via a short sale. In her response, FTB Chief Counsel Jozel Brunett stated “Since California… Read More

The voters of the 45th Congressional District have been able to observe my leadership style for more than eighteen years. I directly represented the District for some twelve years, and indirectly for the last seven years. Although it is not my customary style to use the pronoun “I” repeatedly, this is an opportunity to remind the voters of just a few of my accomplishments while serving the County in my years as a County elected official.

*I did not accept public employee union contributions for my Supervisorial campaigns, long before it was popular to demand that conservative candidates not accept such contributions. I knew it was a major conflict of interest.

*I have been addressing public employee defined benefit pension reform long before it manifested itself into the massive debt issue that it is at every level of government. I knew it would become a major fiscal concern and tried to warn elected officials about the negative repercussions of adopting enhanced defined benefit formulas.

*I warned the County of Orange that Treasurer-Tax Collector Robert Citron’s investment strategy would implode if interest rates rose. Rates did rise and the… Read More

[Editor’s Note: We are pleased to offer this original commentary from Doug Lasken. As with all submissions, this piece represents Lasken’s views and not the website.]

Almost like a Hanukkah or early Christmas present, Politico.com last week posted, “CNN poll: Good news for Republicans in 2014 midterms”, which relates that, per the most recent CNN/ORC poll, “Republicans are gaining ground heading into the 2014 midterms.” The poll, conducted last week and released Tuesday, 12/26 shows “…a dramatic turnaround in the party’s standing among voters.”

The article elaborates: “Democrats a month ago held a 50%-42% advantage among registered voters in a generic ballot, which asked respondents to choose between a Democrat or Republican in their congressional district without identifying the candidates…But the Democratic lead has disappeared. The new poll indicates the GOP now holds a… Read More