This is a column where I split my column inches on two totally different topics. I tried to intermingle my points on the two topics – didn’t work. So first some random thoughts on the egregious House “Farm Bill” passed with 216 Republicans votes, followed by some random thoughts on the travails of scandal-laden San Diego Mayor Bob Filner…

FARM BILL

— Republicans in Congress often decry taxpayer subsidies, price controls, government manipulation of free markets, and using the power of government to pick winners and losers. Yet 216 House GOPers suspended their convictions long enough to vote out an egregious $200 billion spending bill (called the “Farm Bill”) that does all of these things and more. It’s both embarrassing and disheartening.

— For those curious about how California’s 15 Republicans voted on the so-called “Farm Bill” — Voting yes: Ken Calvert, Jeff Denham, Darrell Issa, Doug LaMalfa, Kevin McCarthy, Buck McKeon, Gary Miller, Devin Nunes, Dana Rohrabacher,… Read More

That is, if anyone can actually compile accurate financial information. The state controller hasn’t produced a consolidated financial report for K-12 school districts and community colleges since 2000. The most recent data available from the state controller’s other “Consolidated Annual Financial Reports,” for cities, counties, special districts and redevelopment agencies, concern the fiscal year ended June 30th, 2011, over two years ago. And if you want to match revenue coming from funding agencies – such as the federal and state government to local cities and counties, don’t expect the reported disbursements on the reports from the funding agencies to match the reported receipts from the receiving agencies.

These are among the findings of a new study released yesterday by the California Public Policy Center, after several months of wading through virtually every official source of consolidated financial data produced by state agencies, and after talking with dozens of financial professionals working in those agencies.

If you read the study, entitled “… Read More

Editor’s Note: We are pleased to share this piece from Lawrence McQuillan, which was originally posted here.

Last week’s Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) strike created the world’s largest parking lot, as 400,000 commuters who usually ride BART trains each day sat in cars and buses trying to move through the gridlocked Oakland/San Francisco Bay Area. Last Friday, the two striking unions agreed to return to work for 30 days while negotiations continue.

The unions—the Service Employees International Union and Amalgamated Transit Union—represent about 2,400 BART station agents, train operators, mechanics, maintenance workers, and professional staff. The unions have sought a wage increase of 23.5 percent over the next three years. Other key sticking points include employee contributions to pensions and health… Read More

When I decided to run for elected office, not even in my wildest imagination did I think I would be fighting to save our beach bonfires. A beach bonfire is a California tradition that is integral to our way of life. For generations beach bonfires have provided Californians with a safe and inexpensive economic activity for our families. Unfortunately, due to a few wealthy property owners in Newport Beach, we all must now band together to fight and save our beloved pastime of enjoying a bonfire on the beach.

Last week, the unelected bureaucrats at the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) voted 7 to 6 to institute regulations that will result in many of our beach bonfire rings being removed. These regulations are neither needed nor supported by the community. Yet, despite overwhelming opposition, SCAQMD ignored the will of the people and passed regulations to remove beach bonfire rings.

So how did we get here? For many years a few wealthy homeowners in Corona Del Mar, a neighborhood in Newport Beach, have been complaining about the public parking in their community to access Corona Del Mar beach. As a result, they convinced the city council to vote… Read More

Politics is often about contrasts and differing points of view – because there are genuine differences between what I believe the appropriate role of government is and, for example, what liberal San Francisco State Senator Mark Leno believes (although this is a good idea).

But no matter what policy or political differences we have, none of us should tolerate elected officials who abuse their office by threatening those who disagree.

Yet that is apparently when failed Assembly candidate and West Sacramento Mayor Chris Cabaldon has done.

And it was not an ambiguous or backhanded threat – he publicly announced his intention to make sure members of the business group Region Builders would be blacklisted from doing business in the City of West Sacramento.

Katy Grimes at CalWatchdog details the threat and the arrogant response from Cabaldon when those he threatened had the temerity to stand up to him rather than knuckling under to his… Read More

A just released survey by Probolsky Research shows that most California voters now oppose new or increased local taxes. A majority, 55.5%, would vote “no” on a local measure that would increase taxes in order to maintain service levels, while only 34.8 would vote “yes.”

Admittedly, a poll is just a snapshot of attitudes during a moment in time and those views can change in response to new information. For example, in November of last year, San Diegans elected a new mayor – an election being the ultimate poll of public sentiment. Now that the new mayor is facing multiple accusations of sexual harassment, many of his top supporters are calling for his resignation, and were an election — or poll –… Read More

My friend and fellow conservative blogger Kira Davis filmed this video with her take-aways from the Zimmerman trial verdict, and I thought it worthy of posting up here on the site. Davis, like me, hails from inland South Orange County…

… Read More

It would appear that more and more people are hearing some of the specifics of how San Diego Mayor Bob Filner has a problem sexually harassing people around him. As of this morning the specific allegations against Filner have yet to come out into the public spotlight, although at this point one really expects to hear from the likes of Gloria Allred, representing a battalion of victims. After all, whatever the sordid details happen to be, we know that they have caused a growing number of the Mayor’s former key supporters to now call for his resignation. And we know that they are bad enough that Filner himself issued an apology and admitted that he needed professional help.

Will Filner actually resign? I do not think the growing chorus of his former supporters ranging from City Councilmembers present and past, Democrat State Legislators, and other Democrat leaders clamoring for his departure will be the cause of his departure. It’s going to be when the details of what he did start to filter through into the public discussion that will cause him to step down. One can only imagine the egregious nature of the harassment that it seemingly causes… Read More