I was struck by an excellent column by Timm Herdt of the Ventura Star. He posed a very insightful question, “Are efforts to better collect taxes that are already owed the political equivalent of actually raising taxes, or are they designed to ensure fairness for those who are already paying their full share?” I say the answer is they are tax increases, but so small as to be inconsequential. Fairness is pursuing individuals who falsify their tax returns and purposely do not pay. Raising other people’s taxes is not fairness.

Herdt focuses on several issues, like the proposed “Amazon tax” that would require internet retailers with affiliates in California to collect sales tax on behalf of the state for sales that they do not make. Another is a proposal to assess penalties on high-income taxpayers who are denied eligibility for certain tax credits. Under the bill (SBX8 32), those who unsuccessfully claim credits that defy “reasonable basis” in an “excessive amount” – both undefined terms – face a 20% penalty of the amount claimed, if the taxpayer makes over $250,000 a year. At the same time, the bill would allow people who short-sell… Read More

FlashReport’s in-house cartoonist, Eric Eisenhammer, has made as the subject of his latest work the latest effort from the left (can you say Berkeley Study?) that asserts that if you were worried about second hand smoke, you really need to be worried about third hand smoke. Seriously.

Look for a slew of legislation on this as the advocates of the Nanny State who firmly occupy the State Capitol look for another opportunity to trample on the liberty and freedom of Californians.… Read More

*Note: Updated to include endorsement of Damon Dunn.* Delegates to the California Republican Assembly’s convention endorsed Steve Poizner for Governor and Chuck DeVore for United States Senate.

The CRA’s endorsement is significant, and so congratulations go to Poizner and DeVore. Poizner was endorsed on a second ballot — DeVore won straight out. It takes a 2/3 vote of delegates to receive an endorsement.

Notable was that the candidates that were not endorsed – Meg Whitman in the Governor’s race, and Carly Fiorina and Tom Campbell in the U.S. Senate race – all were at the convention. The campaigns of Whitman and Fiorina were running drills, complete with staffers on the ground, to try and prevent the CRA from taking positions in these races.

Also endorsed in his contested primary for Attorney General was conservative favorite John Eastman and for the contested Board of Equalization race in District 2, Senator George Runner. This latter endorsement is a… Read More

Last Tuesday, thousands from throughout the state andnation were saddened to hear the news that the body of missing 17-year-old Poway High School student Chelsea King had been found after a frenzied five day search. Those from Poway and the rest of San Diego County were particularly stunned. Many of us had been glued to the story, while holding out hope that she might be found alive, even though a sexual predator had been arrested in the case.

The community at large, many coming out by the thousands to search for Chelsea, grabbed on to the hope that whatever rape- and murder-related evidence the Sheriff’s Department had in its possession might somehow be wrong, lacking an actual body.

The photos of Chelsea on the news and on storefront windows throughout the county represented the picture of all our children, any one of them out for an afternoon run on a nice, lakeshore trail in a relatively safe community, only not to return home.… Read More

Last Tuesday, thousands from throughout the state andnation were saddened to hear the news that the body of missing 17-year-old Poway High School student Chelsea King had been found after a frenzied five day search. Those from Poway and the rest of San Diego County were particularly stunned. Many of us had been glued to the story, while holding out hope that she might be found alive, even though a sexual predator had been arrested in the case.

The community at large, many coming out by the thousands to search for Chelsea, grabbed on to the hope that whatever rape- and murder-related evidence the Sheriff’s Department had in its possession might somehow be wrong, lacking an actual body.

The photos of Chelsea on the news and on storefront windows throughout the county represented the picture of all our children, any one of them out for an afternoon run on a nice, lake shore trail in a relatively safe community, only not to return home.

We all gasped to learn that this terrible act was… Read More

There is no group in California that more tired of leadership they are seeing from Democrats in Sacramento than the California Republican Assembly. They see out of control spending, crushing debt and a lack of focus on the issues that matter most: job creation and reinvigorating the economy.

In California, we are fortunate that the top Republican candidate for governor is a dynamic leader with the right kind of experience needed to restore fiscal discipline and prosperity to the Golden State. Meg Whitman is without question that candidate.

Like us, Meg Whitman is committed to the values and empowerment of the free market. For 30-years in the private sector, Meg has been creating jobs and delivering results. At eBay, she created an online free market platform that encouraged innovators and small businesspeople to find success and thrive. And she is the only candidate in the race who has a clear, focused plan to create two million jobs, cut 15 billion in government spending and improve public education.

Republicans stand a good chance of winning in November if we stick to our conservative fiscal principles and offer common- sense solutions. So we need… Read More

Conservative icon U.S. Rep. Tom McClintock endorsed Steve Poizner for Governor today. Since I am at the CRA Convention, and am posting via my Blackberry, I will include an excerpt from Poizner's press release…

FROM THE RELEASE:

Tom McClintock, the conservative standard-bearer in California and champion of Republican principles, today endorsed Steve Poizner for Governor. In making his endorsement, Rep. McClintock called Steve Poizner the “only conservative candidate” in the race and the only real reformer running for governor.

“I trust Steve to restore Republican principles to California government,” said Rep. McClintock. “Steve Poizner is the only conservative candidate in this race and is serious about implementing real reform in Sacramento. I am convinced that Meg Whitman has nothing to offer other than Arnold Schwarzenegger's third term. That is something California cannot afford.”… Read More

***BREAKING NEWS***

While it breaks our hearts, truly, to deliver such bad news to California’s Democrat State Controller and Union-Tool John Chiang, his opportunity for an easy road to re-election ends, literally, right now.

I am pleased to make an exclusive announcement that conservative State Senator Tony Strickland will be seeking the Republican Party’s nomination for State Controller. Strickland, as readers will recall, was the Republican Party’s nominee against then Board of Equalization Member John Chiang for the office of Controller back in 2006. Strickland raised millions of dollars for that run, but along with the rest of the down-ticket was stifled by an “it’s all about me” candidate at the top of the GOP ticket by the name of… Oh yes,… Read More