I’m still fuming about the Supreme Court’s decision forcing California to release 46,000 prisoners into our streets. The response from conservative, common sense pundits has been pretty universal: this is an outrageous decision that will result in more crime. The real travesty in all of this is that it could have been avoided. As I mention in the following video blog, money isn’t the issue. At least, not the amount of money, just how it’s being spent…

Even for jaded politicos, it’s shocking that Governor Brown’s initial response to the matter is to turn it into a blatant appeal for higher taxes. It’s almost like extortion: your wallet for your safety. Even the Sacramento Bee acknowledged the crass politicking with this headline: “Jerry Brown calls prison ruling a reason for taxes”

While it might be more frightening to be mugged by one of the thugs… Read More

With the appropriately named Brown vs. Plata up to 46,000 felons will be prematurely released from California state prisons. The vast majority of these criminals are gang members or those who received advanced criminal techniques that makes prisonersmost more predatory. The first duty of government is to protect its citizens.

Brown, the democrats and their government union allies are responsible for any murder, rape or mayhem that emerges from this artificially created crime wave. So long as California prisons cost THREE times more than Texas, we cannot build more facilities. The prison guards are the sloths here, paidoff Gov Brown, to get yet more raises, bonuses, concessions and bottomless pensions. The prison guards union successfully resisted any attempt to bring in ‘private’ less costly prisons for non-violent offenders. Suddenly, we have prison-crowding that bothers the liberal elites. Sadly, too often some… Read More

This morning I helped the USO stuff care packages for our troops. Here is a behind the scenes look:

Click here to watch video.

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Dana Point’s recent actions threatening to foreclose on four homeowners at The Strands beach development for failure to pay Mello-Roos taxes was predicted. By me! And that prediction and my opposition to those taxes in the first place probably cost me re-election to Dana Point’s City Council in 2006.

Howard Jarvis once told me that Mello-Roos fees were nothing more than a fancy legislative trick to get around the taxpayer protections of Proposition 13. I had worked for Jarvis as a young staff member during the passage of Prop. 13, a campaign where the politicians and the wealthy establishment pulled out all the stops to defeat the property tax reduction measure that has protected California homeowners from high taxation since 1978. But when Prop. 13 passed, the establishment didn’t just roll over. They sued all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. And the Legislature started coming up with all sorts of cute illegalities to collect tax revenue otherwise lost. One of those cute deals was to start collecting “fees” rather than taxes. Another was to empower so-called “Mello-Roos” districts to collect money from homeowners right… Read More

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The Taxpayer Protection Pledge was created by Americans for Tax Reform in 1986, with the blessings and endorsement of then President Ronald Reagan, as a way to provide clarity and unity as to which candidates for the United States Senate and House of Representatives were committing to opposing tax increases and any efforts to raise taxes. As of March of this year, 41 U.S. Senators and 231 Members of Congress (a solid majority) have signed the pledge, including every Republican on the large California delegation. Over the last quarter century, the pledge has spread broadly at the local level — much of it a dynamic process as candidates for non-federal offices wanted to sign the pledge as well. At the state level, there are over 1100 pledge signers that include many Governors and a vast array of state legislators. There is no doubt that the existence of the Pledge has been positive and constructive — and has helped to do what it says in its title — protect taxpayers.

Yesterday I had the good fortune to go up to Sacramento (I’m still here, actually) and… Read More

About 10 days ago, I wrote you all about the Housing Finance Reform Bill (H.R. 1859) that I have written and am sponsoring along with Gary Peters (D-MI). I mentioned in that missive that this is an important bill that will consume a great deal of my time and energy over the coming months. Based on the numerous responses from all of you, you seem to agree. I appreciate all those who responded offering your support and assistance in moving this bill forward. I will be separately contacting those of you who did soon.

Reading your responses last week, I noticed there were questions on this fairly complex issue that came up several times. So, I have decided to include the “most asked” questions into this edition and am answering them to give you an even better idea of what this bill is, how it works and why I wrote it:

1. John, isn’t your bill just recreating the Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac again? It looks like you are just going to have 5 of them instead of two.

No. The whole point of this bill is to kill the old GSE system and replace it with something completely different that will provide… Read More

Today, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a joint session of Congress. Here’s a look behind the scenes as I serve on the Escort Committee to welcome Prime Minister Netanyahu.

Click here to watch the behind the scenes video.

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There is a worse legislature than the California Legislature. At least California legislators stay on task working on the many intractable problems, but America’s federal court system are wannabe legislators of the worst kind. The newest court order is basically intent language with no substance other than an order. In the recent Supreme Court decision ordering the release of tens of thousands prisoners the Court has legislated the standards for state prisons and has taken the executive authority on how to do it. Except they could not even do that. Once the slender majority determined that it is cruel to be overcrowded they could not find a path on how to get there. So they have simply ordered California to do release prisoners and if California does it wrong the courts will come back in with a heavy hand.

Now that the court has ruled they are off on other battlefields where they can shoot the wounded and rob the dead. Under their interpretation of the Eight Amendment against cruel and unusual punishment many low rent dwellings, hospitals, and even military installations would fail. Nearly every family in American history can tell a story of overcrowded… Read More