More dismal CA economic rankings – 48th worst credit card debt, 49th in home ownership, worst poverty rate in U.S.

http://riderrants.blogspot.com/2013/02/more-dismal-california-economic-rankings.html

RIDER COMMENT: Recently Jonathan Horn, the (apparently delusional) director of Jerry Brown’s Office of Business and Economic Development, had the gall to assert the following:“We’ve proven that you can have a successful economy and still preserve the environment and look after workers and protect consumers and look after the public health.”

To be fair, he maynotbe delusional. He’s not paid to be truthful. He’s paid to provide cover for Jerry Brown and the Sacramento Democrats – to say whatever is necessary to gull the press into believing that California is doing just fine. Indeed, it takes a skilled pathological liar to hold such a position – such talent is not easily found (I presume that such is the case, based on his generous six-figure … Read More

In 2013, the confluence of four major factors gives California investors the 2nd highest capital gains tax in the WORLD.

But, of course, that doesn’t matter.

Only the weather matters.

Only the weather matters.

Only the weather matters.

You are getting sleepy. So VERY sleepy . . . .

http://riderrants.blogspot.com/2013/02/california-now-has-2nd-highest-capital.html… Read More

We are now six weeks into our “Idiot Of The Week” feature — and I just have to say that the response has been overwhelmingly positive (well, except for some not-so-appreciate feedback from a few of our “honorees” — but that’s to be expected I suppose.

The FlashReport Idiot Of The Week Award is bestowed upon that pubic official (or high profile person engaged in politics or public policy) who does something completely idiotic. With a state as large as Californian, which seems to have a higher-than-average amount of folks who either don’t think about what they do — or even worse, they think about what they do and still act like idiots — we suffer from no shortage of potential award winners. As in previous columns, we start first with the runners-up in no particular order, and then onto the big prize. Oh yes, don’t be shy or timid in sending along suggestions to us for next week’s award recipient — many of those featured come from tips from readers like you!

Without further adieu…

Runner Up #5 – Former San Diego Mayor Maureen O’Conner… Read More

I’m still convinced that the business coalition supporting reform of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) made a strategic decision to join State Senator Michael Rubio (D-Bakersfield) in never addressing – or even acknowledging – how unions have perfected the widespread and pernicious abuse of CEQA to win labor agreements and block non-union competition.

If Republicans in the legislature buy into this strategy, www.FlashReport.org publisher Jon Fleischman will be right when he tweeted this prediction:

… Read More

In these next two articles, I am going talk about some of the more controversial “pro-liberty” positions, and urge all my Republican friends to talk about these issues as issues of liberty. There are not social issues, economic issues, business issues, and fiscal issues, there are only liberty issues, that is, do we, as Republicans, officeholders or activists, believe that the individual should have more or less control over their lives. Or, do we think that expanded government power is necessary. That really is the only issue that the politically powerful address daily. Do they expand their power at the expense of the individual, or do they diminish their power, and keep themselves out of the family and business decisions of the people they rule? In a society that values liberty, the ruling class trust the people over which they rule, and they have jails and prisons for those who abuse that trust. If the ruling class does not trust people over which they rule, they pass a myriad of laws and regulations over all sorts of real or imagined bad behavior. Their “subjects” then prove themselves as untrustworthy as the ruling class believes they are… Read More

We are all familiar with our basic first amendment rights; that is, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, freedom of association, and the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances (basically the right to sue in a court of law), but how many actually think about the two most basic economic rights, freedom of contract and private property rights.

In fact, without these two basic rights, all the rest of the rights are meaningless, and the proponents of big government know this. That is why the first thing that is done to undermine liberty is to take away the freedom to contract for goods and services in whatever fashion you may want, and to steal private property rights. Without the freedom of contract, the ability of an individual to pursue gainful employment is severely restricted, and without private property rights, the fruits of our labor are constantly at risk. What is worse, if anyone believes that they government can, with impunity, take his or her business or property, all the other freedoms (speech, religion, association) are meaningless. People will die in the defense of freedom, but not go bankrupt in its defense.… Read More

One of the goals of this series of articles is to set out a series of principles around which Republicans can rally to restore the faith of the Joe Everyvoter in California in Republicans as defenders of the individual, and of liberty. I believe that a consistent agenda of liberty is the road to creating a Republican majority in California. Grover Norquist has called it the “leave me alone” coalition, but whatever it is called, people know what real liberty is, and truly desire that liberty for themselves and their family. They want the right to pursue their own life, and raise their family, without interference from government, or without the government giving one powerful group or person a leg up in society. Liberty is true equality. Liberty says that everyone starts at the same spot, from a legal and economic point of view, in the eyes of the government decision makers.

If Republicans fall short in any area (beyond being “pro-business”), it is their “pro-cop” or “pro-military” rhetoric. It is appropriate that we as a government and society maintain and protect the public safety, that is, protect citizens from… Read More

In the article below, my friend Joel Fox expresses disappointment (but NOT surprise) that the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce has voted to support yetanothersales tax increase – in exchange for establishing a toothless commission to make government work better (and we all know how that’s gonna work out). Joel and I would have been surprised only if they had OPPOSED such a tax increase.

We should always remember that the major city Chamber of Commerce outfits are NOT controlled by businesses – nor are they run for the benefit of businesses involved in commerce. Nonprofit officials, government bureaucrats and even labor union reps sit on the boards — not to mention attorneys, lobbyists, government contractors and heavy construction firms.

And few on such boards work/own enterprises that collect sales tax. I once asked the San Diego C of C directors (about 40)“How many of your businesses/employers collect income taxes on a significant portion of your revenue?”

Six hands went up. There was actually a… Read More