A few weeks ago, I announced SB 582 (Knight) had reached the Governor’s desk. While Governor Brown vetoed the bill yesterday, he pledged to move the idea forward anyway.

SB 582 would have required the Board of Equalization, Franchise Tax Board and Employment Development Department to examine how to consolidate their websites, alleviating one of the challenges most business owners face: paying taxes to three separate state tax agencies.

Our legislation was designed to make life easier for taxpayers by creating a one-stop shop for people to visit for all of their tax services.

In his veto message Governor Brown expressed support for the bill’s concept, stating the problem needed to be addressed immediately, rather than studied. He instructed his office to examine “if taxpayer service can be improved in a cost effective manner with a single state Webpage for all state taxes” and then move forward with implementation measures. A complete copy of the… Read More

There were a number of low-points from my perspective during the tenure of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. But none was worse for California taxpayers, or for the California Republican Party, than the budget deal of 2009. At the heart of this particular budget deal was a two-year massive increase in taxes on income, sales and cars in California. It also included a big cut in the tax credit for families. Oh yes, the deal also placed on the ballot a two-year extension of those same taxes (which was slaughtered at the polls by voters). It was a deal that made no… Read More

Government Shutdown Day 10: I hope you enjoy getting these daily laptops…because I think they’re going to be coming to you for a while.

This whole dispute has reached a new phase. First of all, we are now past just dealing with “Shutdown/ObamaCare” and are into “Debt Limit/Entitlement Reform” territory, as well. One is unlikely to be resolved on a long-term basis without also dealing with the other. Secondly, the rhetoric has stalled. The Democrats have been repeating the same messages for days now, as have Republicans. Thirdly, Washington is settling in to this debate, and both the House and the Senate are beginning to talk about doing a few things that are not directly related to the Shutdown/Debt Limit, such as the Farm Bill. .

But, political bodies do not stay stationary for long. So, there are a number of factors that may start to move things a little here. First of all, of course, is the looming Debt Limit. As you know, I don’t think that the well-publicized October 17th date (that the federal government is “supposed” to run out cash) has much meaning. But, by November 1st, the Treasury will likely be very close to… Read More

As a newly elected and freshly appointed delegate from San Luis Obispo County, I and my other Tea Party colleagues were looking forward to our first California Republican Party Convention in March. But when we got there we didn’t find engaged activists seeking to take back our State. Instead we found young, middle-aged and older Republicans at the Convention ready to socialize and have a good time.

Since then, every meeting fellow Tea Party Caucus founders Lydia and Norm Thompson and I attended was more of a report on how bad things were than a plan for the future of the California Republican Party. “Where are our principles?” we asked the moderators at every meeting.

Other meeting attendees told us they felt the same way but had no voice. Tea Party members and conservatives felt they had lost their party. Our passion for change resonated.

By the end of the March convention we had a clear picture; it was clearly possible a Tea Party Caucus could be held at the next convention.

I immediately contacted Dawn Wildman, a family friend and Tea Party member, to help us create the Tea Party Caucus. Dawn had given up on the RINO’s years… Read More

Last weekend the California Republican Party held its Fall Convention at the Anaheim Hilton Hotel in the heart of Orange County. The event, attended by the better part of a thousand GOP activists and leaders, was a successful one. It has become customary after these conventions for me to publish a “winners and losers” column, singling out those who had a meaningful convention, one way or the other. A big should out to the many people who supplied me with their suggestions. These events are expansive and so it’s helpful to have… Read More

The fate of Republican candidates in marginal districts depends on a number of factors: turnout rates, top of the ticket performance and party favorability among them. The later especially matters in state and federal races where party label appears next to a candidate’s name on the ballot.

Republican candidates and strategists should be concerned with Gallup data released this week showing that the Republican Party’s favorability rating has dropped to 28% — a historic low, and 10 points lower than it was a month ago.

This is not helpful.

In his book Courage and Consequence Karl Rove correctly notes that the higher the office, the more likely the voters will see the candidates for who they truly are. The reverse is also true: the lower the office, the more voters don’t know the candidates by name, and by extension need to rely on other signals – such as their party affiliation.

For this reason party favorability has a disproportionate impact on downticket candidates for state and federal office.

… Read More

Sadly, this is no surprise.  But it's it's still news worth considering (every year, apparently).

In its annually updated study released today, the Tax Foundation STILL ranks California

the third worst "business tax climate" state in the U.S.

Thank Goodness for New Jersey and anchor-clanker New York.

http://taxfoundation.org/article/2014-state-business-tax-climate-index

Government Shutdown Day 9: “Increasing America’s debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that ‘the buck stops here’. Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better. I therefore intend to oppose the effort to increase America’s debt limit.”

That sounds like something I would say, doesn’t it? But, I didn’t say it. Barack Obama said it on the Senate floor on March 16, 2006 just before he voted against a “clean” debt limit increase, which barely passed the Senate by a 52-48 vote. The quote above is from the last paragraph of a roughly two page speech that you can find in its entirety linked HERE.

Now, I understand that people can change their minds. In fact, I have often said that there is no shame in a… Read More