While this site’s readers are primarily focused on events in California, I wanted to take a moment to draw your attention to a tragedy that occurred recently in West Virginia.

This recent mining tragedy is a devastating reminder of the strength and courage that our nation’s mineworkers demonstrate on a daily basis. My thoughts and prayers are with all of the men and women who work at the Upper Big Branch Mine in West Virginia.

Like West Virginia, California’s 25th Congressional District is an area of the country that takes a tremendous amount of pride in its mineworkers and their families. I know I speak for the district when I extend my deepest gratitude for the tireless efforts shown by these men and women.

Please remember to keep the victims and their families in your thoughts and prayers throughout the coming weeks.… Read More

As California families struggle to make ends meet and unemployment in some counties tops 20 percent, you would think the Legislature would get out of the way of the free market and the entrepreneurs who provide job growth.

But you would bewrong. Instead, liberal Senators passed a bill yesterday in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee that will make batteries more expense. (By the way, I am a member of this board and voted “no” on the bill).

Senate Bill 1100 (Corbett) will create new fees on batteries, which will be handed down to the consumer to the tune of about $15 million per year. And since the fee in this bill has not been determined, the price could go higher.

This bill will alsoopen aPandora’s Box to further implementation on other maligned items like fluorescent light bulbs, medical sharps and paints.

In a TV report last night, ABC’s Nannette Miranda exposes the costs of this bill.… Read More

Radio Wars — In the first spot below, conservative icon and Congressman Tom McClintock, calling Steve Poizner "the only conservative running for Governor" says we don’t need a third term of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Below that, Whitman blasts Steve Poizner, again…

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So you want to win a California GOP Primary?

June is almost here and I get asked a lot about what it takes to win a GOP Primary. I tell people it takes two things. 1. A Conservative Message 2. Enough money to get it out. You don’t need the most money, but a basic minimum level to be competitive

So what should the message be? Some will tell you that this cycle it is jobs, health care, the economy, anti-establishment, being the most conservative etc…

Here is a secret on communicating all that to GOP voters whether you are running for Governor or Assembly. Ready.

Attack the Governor.

That’s right not President Obama, but Arnold.

The last few months I have opened many presentations to GOP oriented groups (not just the hard core one) with something this like. “Governor Schwarzenegger is a failure.”

Guaranteed applause every time.

Of course it is a fact. His poll ratings are in the 20’s. He broke promise after promise and worse kept a couple. Arnold raised taxes, cost jobs with AB 32, grew government, signed nanny state legislation, and opposed Prop. 8, appointed bad judges,… Read More

Someday, people will eventually figure out that all that campaign contribution limits do is make it harder for the public to figure out the flow of money to candidates and causes.

There is no better example than the list published on the Fair Political Practices Commission website today that lists, The Top Ten Beneficiaries of Independent Expenditures In Legislative Elections. Massive amounts of money are moving around from interests that would probably have just donated straight to the candidates, were in not for our lame system of free-speech restrictions.

There are two main losers of campaign contribution limits. The first is the public who now has to try and figure out the contorted money trail as the "flow of free speech" will find its way… The other are well meaning candidates who maybe have family and friends who would donate larger chunks of money to their campaigns, but because of the limits, they don’t. These candidates either don’t run, or are at a decided disadvantage to those candidates who know, or have friends who know how to work the… Read More

Over the past few weeks many of us have been involved in the process of writing ballot statements and submitting them to the Secretary of State and county election officials. After each cycle I always shake my head at this process.

Here are a couple things that need to changed.

The date that statewide ballot statements are due needs to be the same or later than the deadline to file for office. Some of you may not be aware that under Prop 34 candidates that accept expenditure limits are able to but a place in the statewide ballot pamphlet for $25 per word. It is a great opportunity to communicate with voters for campaigns that may not get much of an opportunity.

So the deadline for this is? February 17th. No problem right? Wrong. The deadline for filing to run for office is March 12th. So if you decided you want to run for Governor on February 18th this year then you did not have this option available to you.

That is not a real opportunity to compete for the position. This is especially true for down ticket races.

As I understand it, Senator Tony Strickland did not decide to… Read More

Budget time is coming again, and we are hearing more ominous reports about how bad the problem is. Some of my conservative friends in the Legislature are worrying again that a tax increase is in the cards for this budget, and they believe Schwarzenegger is going to propose one again in the May revise. To do so would be a disaster politically in a year that could be very good for Republicans, but more important, the economic damage that will occur from a tax increase in the midst of one of the worst recessions in recent memory is significant. If Schwarzenegger did propose such an increase, or if enough Legislative Republicans went along with the proposal, the misery index in California would rise dramatically. The harm to working Californians from such a proposal could be irreparable. I hope the Republicans in the Governor’s office, and in the Legislature are smart enough to see that, and to resist the temptation of a tax increase proposal. Yes, $20 billion in additional spending reductions would be difficult, to be sure. The alternative, however, would be devastating economically and politically.

But since this is a political year,… Read More

For years in the legislature now in private practice I’ve been disgusted by the legislative rankings of the "Small Business Association". Every year this organization give the most anti-small business Democrats in the legislature high rankings for their great pro-small business votes. So what popped over my email again today? This year’s asinine list.

It should be an embarrassment for any reasonable business or business organization to be affiliated with this group. Take a minute and visit the "Small Business Association" website, and you’ll recognize some of their corporate donors and other affiliations, who may or may not recognize what they are supporting.

Give them a call and ask them why they possible lend their name and/or money to a group that rewards liberal Democrats, and provides them cover. As for Republican legislators and their staffs, I’d do what most of the San Diegans have already done – refuse to participate in their yearly award ceremony where they hand out kudos to the same liberals who are crushing small businesses.… Read More