How about some good news to close out this year?

If you’re a Californian, your taxes are lower today than they were a year ago. That’s a good thing for you, your community and our state economy.

You may recall that earlier this year many politicians claimed catastrophe would strike if legislators rejected a five year extension of a multi-billion dollar hike in income taxes, sales taxes and car taxes.

Thankfully, Republican legislators held firm. And, believe it or not, the sky did not fall. In fact, if you look closely at the latest numbers from the Department of Finance, you’ll find that billions in unanticipated revenue has materialized this year without any tax hike at all.

Furthermore, according to the latest Board of Equalization numbers, taxable sales are up 8% throughout our state. Sales tax revenue has exceeded budget revenue estimates by more than $100 million so far this fiscal year.

You see, a recovering economy is far more effective at generating revenues than any tax hike. When Californians have jobs, state coffers always have plenty of revenue.

Not every tax victory in 2011 made the front page of the newspaper. Here… Read More

If you are checking in with us during the holidays, I would like to draw your attention today to three worthy columns… The first, right here on the FlashReport, is a commentary from Jon Coupal of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, the second a piece by California Republican Party Chairman Tom Del Beccaro that appears on his Political Vanguard website, and finally Thomas Sowell’s latest “Random Thoughts” column that appears over at Townhall… All of the links are below!

RECAPPING THE YEAR FOR TAXPAYERS Jon Coupal, Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association

As our planet completes another trip around the sun, we at the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association join in the tradition of taking stock of what has been accomplished during the year just ending and assess what challenges we face in the coming year.

For a… Read More

With our main page down for the holidays, when I get a chance I will still throw up a few of the most significant links. And I will also include a daily “recommended read” for those hungry for knowledge! A few of toaBillionaire ‘playboy’ has a $20 million vision to save California – San Gabriel Valley Tribune Business interests were top bill-killers in California’s Capitol this year – California Watch in the SacBee ID errors put hundreds in L.A. County jails – Los Angeles Times State community colleges set to ration classes – San Francisco Chronicle California could lose 1,500 inmate … Read More

As has been my custom the last few years on this night….

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the… Read More

Here are a few links to the top California political stories today…

We would like to wish our readers a Merry Christmas or a Happy Hannukah, and a great New Years. The FlashReport is currently in our “holiday break” mode, where we offer much more limited coverage. This takes place annually from the Friday before Christmas through New Years. Traditionally the political news coverage is very slow, and it gives the elves here a chance to recharge their batteries before we return full steam ahead on Monday, January 3rd.

The FlashReport Weblog on California Politics will be up and running during our seasonal break, and so we encourage you to keep an eye on it. Some of our bloggers will still be posting, and if there is breaking news or a particularly “yummy” political story or column, that’s where we’ll point it out to you!

Thank you so much for making 2011 the most successful year yet, by any measurable standard, for the FlashReport. We had more blog posts and more featured columns than any other year. We’ve had more readers (by far) than we’ve had since we began as an e-mail newsletter in 2001. We’ve had more visibility in terms of being… Read More

The recent disclosures by ProPublica about how the Democrats manipulated the redistricting process is not news. Anyone with half a brain could have predicted it the day the Redistricting Commission was approved by the voters (proof of the truth of this statement is that I did predict it, and I know a lot of my Democrat friends think I only have half a brain). John Burton’s response that the report was bulls**t was also predictable. What do you think John would have said? “After serious reflection, and deep soul searching, I have come to the conclusion that this report was seriously flawed” Yeah, right.

What was also predictable was that the media would become the Democrats’ toadies by criticizing the report. The easiest way to describe that response can be summarized with the media saying “Yeah, so, the surprise is what?” Basically, they are saying that if the Republicans got bamboozled in the process, it was Republcans’ own fault. One commentator called it “political malpractice” for the Republicans not to organize the way the Democrats did.

In some ways, I agree with the press. That the Democrats… Read More

The media has been slow to catch on, but slowly, way too slowly, people are beginning to realize there is an ugliness to Consumer Watchdog.

Let us strip away the veneer immediately. Consumer Watchdog has much less to do with protecting the consumer and much more to do with enriching the corporate lawyers who make up their top management. Under the imprimatur of protecting consumers in the State of California, or being gadflies for justice, these snakes who, in some circles, have managed to be labeled butterflies, have enriched themselves to the score of millions of dollars. So let’s be clear here, Consumer Watchdog is a sham organization whose ultimate victims are the very consumers they purport to champion. And of course the organization’s founder, Harvey Rosenfield, a trial lawyer and protege of wacky Ralph Nader, has become a wealthy man while “looking out” for all of us.

Earlier this year, even the most liberal policymakers were forced to step back and repudiate the Consumer Watchdog’s actions. In an example of the kind of nastiness they purport to reject, Consumer Watchdog created a controversy from a ten-second… Read More