Here’s a superb SAN DIEGO U-T op-ed on California HSR — especially the “outing” of the generally ignored “private” HSR boondoggle from Victorville to Las Vegas. The piece is authored by my friends at the REASON Foundation.

I had not previously seen this expose’ of the Vegas HSR scheme. Turns out it’s a gigantic taxpayer loan subsidy. More crony capitalism.

Subsidized HSR (there is no other kind) is a pet peeve of mine. One of hundreds, actually. But the madness surrounding HSR moves it easily into the top five.

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http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/aug/30/train-seeks-taxpayer-money-in-hopes-of-private/

By Wendell Cox & Adrian T. Moore

Thursday, August 30, 2012

San Diegans are being asked to pay for a couple of costly trains they likely won’t ride very often. State and federal taxpayers are picking up the bill for… Read More

Republican National Committeeman from California, is a well known fixture here at the FlashReport. He’s in Tampa in and is live blogging the Republican National Convention…

An artist designed the build up toward Mitt Romney’s big speech…

It began organically with people who knew him personally. Just like a attorney presenting as evidence in front of the jury…

He called for “fact” witnesses..

His first witness was a Mormon Elder who testified about the thousands of hours that Romney gave in service to people in his church…

A mother tearfully spoke about Mitt’s commitment to her prematurely born child with severe brain damage…

An elderly couple remembered the time that Mitt spent with 14-year-old son, who was dying from a terminal illness. Mitt spent a lot of time… Read More

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This just in from Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform, concerning SB 1455, legislation by Democrat Christine Kehoe of San Diego to enact $2.3 billion in car taxes…

Americans for Tax Reform is urging California legislators to vote “NO” on Senate Bill 1455, legislation that would impose approximately $2 billion dollars in higher vehicle taxes through one of the most surreptitious legislative maneuvers in the country. At a time when Californians are coping with a struggling economy and one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation, it’s unconscionable that some lawmakers see fit to continue to pile on with the same type of job-killing tax increases that got the state into its current economic mess.

SB 1455 aims to extend costly vehicle taxes,… Read More

Probolsky Research has just released the results of some statewide survey questions. Below is a brief video from Adam Probolsky presenting some top notes. You can see more details here.

… Read More

I just heard from longtime FlashReport friend (and blogger) State Senator Doug La Malfa. He wanted to let FlashReport readers know to not be alarmed at the news that this fine conservative has resigned, effective at the end of the legislative session (sometime in the wee hours tomorrow morning, no doubt). For those following North State politics, La Malfa is now the Republican nominee for Congress in the sprawling First Congressional seat, which is considered a “safe” seat for the GOP. The makeup of that seat is largely that of one currently occupied by retiring conservative Congressman Wally Herger.

“I’ve thrown my hat over the fence and am taking nothing for granted in my campaign for Congress, but I do not feel it would be right to wait until the end of the year to resign from the Senate. Resigning now gives the Governor the ability to consolidate elections, saving local counties and taxpayers at least $2 million.”

As mentioned by La Malfa, by resigning from the State Senate now, it allows the Governor to consolidate the special election to fill the State Senate race with the… Read More

To Republican Legislators From Jon Fleischman RE: SB 1455

Today you will be asked to consider a vote for SB 1455 (Kehoe), a bill that contains massive increases in car taxes/fees to the tune of over $2.3 billion dollars. As a tax increase, this bill is appropriately scored as requiring a two-thirds vote, which means that in order for it to get to the Governor’s desk, it must garner bipartisan support — yes, Republicans would have to vote for it.

Like all of the bills put forward by the Democrats that require a two-thirds vote, this bill contains some regulatory release for some businesses that are being slammed with onerous regulations due to the outrageous AB 32 regulations and other noxious CARB edicts. This continues an ongoing practice — forcing Republicans to pay Peter to pay Paul — or to be more specific, to provide regulatory relief for one group of people by passing taxes/fees on another group of people.

Understand that when the various car taxes/fees that are set to sunset in 2015 that would be extended under SB 1455 will into the next decade, to 2023, they were promised to be TEMPORARY. That is why the END. It is… Read More

To me, the most powerful words spoken at the Republican National Convention came from Sen. Marco Rubio when he said the Democrats’ agenda represents “ideas people come to America to get away from.”

My parents came to Americas as German immigrants in 1961. During his six years as a sailor in the German merchant marines, my father visited America and many other countries. After marrying my mother he decided that it was America, not Germany, that offered the freedom he sought. Europe, he believed, offered too much government and too few opportunities.

Choosing to leave your native country is not easy, especially when your new home is so far away, transportation is not nearly as affordable as it is today, and people speak a different language. I remember my mother telling me that she and my father, who spoke no English on arrival, learned the language in part by watching cartoons on television.

The same belief in individual liberty that led my father to this country also led him to become a Republican, because it is our party, not the alternative, that best protects the freedom that distinguishes us from the Europe he left behind.

So when… Read More

Democrats, using the “gut and amend” process where they drop things into legislation at the last minute, are seeking to take car taxes due to sunset in 2015 and extend them until 2023 — at a cost to car owners of billions of dollars. The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association has made defeating this bill a top priority.

I urge you to watch a short, informative video that I just taped, and contact your state legislators and urge them to oppose SB 1455, the massive extension of car taxes set to expire in 2015.

… Read More