It is being reported over at the Los Angeles Times website that the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce is going to endorse Governor Jerry Brown’s proposed budget, including his call for the largest tax increase in the history of this (or any state) — hammering voters for the next five years with higher income, sales and car taxes, and a reduction in the child tax credit.

The response from the greater political community to this "stunning" (I say sarcastically) move by the LA Chamber should be a collective yawn — it’s just not significant.

In 2009 when these very same "temporary taxes" on income, sales and cars were included as part of that year’s terrible budget deal, this very same Chamber of Commerce (and the State Chamber of Commerce as well) weighed in — supporting these… Read More

President Obama could be a constructive part of trying to solve America’s debt problem. But, he has chosen not to participate. Here is my theory as to why: In his first 2 years, the President showed his true colors – enormous increases in spending and deficits and government intrusion through the stimulus plan; ObamaCare as a move towards socialized medicine; and national energy taxes in furtherance of a radical environmental agenda, to just name a few of his way left-of-center initiatives. And, although he won’t admit it publicly, I believe that he understands that the "shellacking" (his word not mine) that his party took in last November’s elections was the result of the public’s disapproval of his policies and his agenda. This is, after all, a center-right country. So now, as his re-election bid approaches, he needs voters to forget what he really believes and what he really wants to do. Since he can’t bring himself, as President Clinton did, to adopt a centrist or center-right agenda, he has chosen to simply do and propose nothing of substance. His State of the Union speech laid out… Read More

Sitting in the Governor’s spartan office, Jerry Brown and wife/senior advisor Anne Gust can take out their "hit list" of Republican legislators, and also get out a big fat red marking pen. Once they have done so, they can use the marker to scratch out the names of thirty State Senate and Assembly GOP legislators who yesterday joined the California Taxpayers Caucus. While all of these legislators had already signed the Americans for Tax Reform No New Taxes pledge, when joining this new Taxpayer Caucus, all of these legislators specifically pledged to oppose placing ANY tax increase measures on the ballot (with the only exception being spelled out in writing being a vote to place taxes on the ballot if that same ballot would also include tax cuts of an equal or greater amount).

I flew up to the Capitol yesterday to cover the press conference announcing the formation of the Taxpayers Caucus, which took place on the steps of the State Capitol (somehow the Brown Administration… Read More

Governor Mitch Daniels, recently encouraged others to bolster his name asa Presidential possibility. That is all snuffed. Sadly, somewhere deep in the Republican psyche there is a strand that allows some to melt into oblivion under pressure. We’ve seen this regularly amongst some Republican legislators for the last 20 — probably longer– years.

These Republicans who cave into union or democrat pressure, come from a variety of backgrounds. All too often, they see themselves as pragmatists or ‘problem solvers’. In fact, they are ‘situationists’ —much like Arnold Schwarzenegger. They believe in very little, excepting compromise. Values are relative. They accomplish very little. Their lives are literally meaningless. Think Doris Allen or Paul Horcher. Sad pathetic individuals.

MItch Daniels is descending into the unremarkable.

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SB X1 2 passes off our floor, encasing in law the requirement for not yet existent wind and solar power procurementto be required forCalifornia users. The present standard of 20% by 2010 [not quite met by 2010 except withaccounting tricks] will now be pushed to 33 [or is that 33 1/3] by 2020. An army of green jobs is expected to follow…… Read More

Wisconsin, Ohio and Indiana have more in common than great college football and basketball teams. Each has recently seen an out-of-state exodus of state lawmakers in order to stall or foil legislation that they don’t want to see passed. Or that they don’t want to be responsible for.

Though I would have rather seen the in-state USC Trojans in the Rose Bowl than the out-of-state Wisconsin Badgers, I’ve wondered if the fleeing of Democrat lawmakers from those various Midwestern states, to duck tough votes, might have any precedent in California for Republican lawmakers that might otherwise want to avoid their responsibilities in Sacramento.

I did consult with some esteemed co-counsel, and here is what I found out: in California, legislators are prohibited by state law from accepting payments for work related to the performance of their legislative functions. Gov. Code 8920(b)(4) and Legislative Joint Rule 44. Accepting payments that conflict with their work during the legislative session is illegal. Accepting payments for lodging, meals, etc.,… Read More

Every FlashReport reader should take four minutes to watch State Senator Bob Huff’s outstanding remarks in opposition to the legislature adopting new, higher renewable energy requirements for this state — requirements that will require massive de facto tax increases (through energy bill rate hikes) to achieve…

Senator Bob Huff opposes SB2x from CA Senate Republican Caucus on Vimeo.… Read More

Americans for Prosperity just issued the following statement regarding the new Taxpayers Caucus highlighted on the main page of FR today:

AFP California Calls on Legislators to Join Taxpayers CaucusGrassroots group will hold accountable any lawmakers who don’t support cause

Sacramento—Grassroots taxpayer advocacy organization Americans for Prosperity California joined a coalition of other organizations and state legislators today in urging all 120 members of the state legislature to join the newly-formed Taxpayers Caucus. Led by State Senator Tony Strickland and Assemblyman Don Wagner, the caucus is committed to balancing the state budget without tax increases, and supports Proposition 13’s taxpayer protections.

“California has a 12.5 percent unemployment rate, one of the highest tax rates in the country and is considered one of the most hostile environments for businesses,” explained State Chairman Peter Foy. “We cannot continue on this path over a cliff to fiscal ruin.… Read More