One of the most anticipated races in the county this year (if not the most) is for San Diego County Sheriff, due to the "open seat" status resulting from the early departure of Sheriff Bill Kolender and the subsequent appointment of Bill Gore to the position by the Board of Supervisors.

At this point the race is being defined by the money trail, through December 31 of last year, focusing on the all important cash-on-hand category:

Jim Duffy, former Sheriff Department lieutenant and former chief of staff to Supervisor Ron Roberts-Raised (July-Dec 2009): $34,225 -Cash on Hand: $47,421 -Debt: 0

Bill Gore, appointed San Diego County Sheriff-Raised (July-Dec 2009): $103,488 -Cash on Hand: $111,981 -Debt: $35,886 (no personal loans)

Jay La Suer, former Department Undersheriff and retired 77th District Assemblyman-Raised (July-Dec 2009): $30,363 -Cash on Hand: $10,337 -Debt: 0

Bruce Ruff, retired Sheriff Department sergeant and three-time prior Sheriff candidate -Raised (July-Dec 2009): $5,300 -Cash on Hand: $942 -Debt: $8,000 (all personal… Read More

The JP Morgan Chief warns in the UK Telegraph that California’s credit situation could be riskier that the disaster we are seeing in Greece. This of course is under the "leadership" of our great GOP Governor and the six consecutive horrendous budgets crafted by his crack finance team and agreed to by the Democrat leadership and stunningly compliant -and duped Republican leaders.

As the GOP heads into the State convention in a couple of weeks, I wonder how much the Party will have to say about the miserable performance of the Governor and Legislative leaders past.

Does anyone even remember the sales tax increase last Spring? The celebration of a budget that was a farce and a disaster from day 1 last year?

Voter registration numbers and fund raising are a key indicator of how State residents think about both political parties. We seem to be all too ready to celebrate failures of Obama / Pelosi and Reid without thinking of how those failures will actually translate into… Read More

The soon-to-close winter Olympics have been fun to watch, though CPAC diverted my attention for a few days. I saw today that a Polish female skier won that nation’s first cross-country gold. It got me thinking……..

When I was a kid, it was fairly common for the grown-ups, especially when speaking to emigre in-laws, to refer to Europe as "the Old Country." This thinking was pervasive enough that it was not uncommon to see restaurants named "Old Europe." I think there was even a small chain with this name with a couple places in West L.A. I recall the great pea soup….

My grandfather was an emigre to California. He was born in Grodno, Poland, two centuries ago, when it was under Russian control. (It still is, though it has been tossed back-and-forth like Alsace-Lorraine). A Russian speaking, Russian citizen of ethnic Polish blood, and a Catholic, he moved to the Siberian maritime province when he was a teenager with his family, at a time in Russia when making that move was akin to "Go West, Young Man," in the U.S. He went to college at a Jesuit school in Shanghai, China. Then… Read More

Sunil Sharan, former director of the Smart Grid Initiative at GE, writes about the green job myth today in the Washington Post asking the question: “How valid is the assumption that a ‘clean-energy’ economy will generate enough jobs to mitigate today’s high level of unemployment – new jobless claims were up 22,000 this week – and to meet the needs of future generations?”

“The facts challenge the prevailing thinking among some policymakers and officials that green jobs are a principal reason for transforming the economy,” Sharan continues.

Sharan, who has worked in the clean-energy industry for a decade, uses the installation of “smart meters” as one example of green jobs that don’t amount to much.

“Although a surge of new digital meters will be produced, the manufacturing process is highly automated. And with much of it accomplished overseas, net creation in domestic manufacturing jobs is expected to be only in the hundreds,” Sharan says.

Finally, Sharan says something Conservatives have been saying for a few years now: “For the purpose of creating jobs …a… Read More

Quote of the week: "Is there any chance that the Camry Hybrid will be recalled…I just want to find out if you expect it ever to be on the recall list, for any reason." – Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) questioning Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda and COO Yoshimi Inaba in the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

Toyota: The staged "health care summit" is going on as you read this missive, but until that, the biggest thing going on in D.C. has been the Toyota hearings. As most regular readers of theFlashreportknow, I was in the car dealer business for 25 years before I lost my mind and went into politics. Before I get into my thoughts on this, let me make it clear that I have never worked for, or had a Toyota, Lexus, or Scion dealership. In fact, Toyota was the "enemy" since most of the cars I sold were in direct competition against Toyota vehicles. Unfortunately, Toyota generally won that competition since they are now the largest car manufacturer in the world. So, I have no loyalty to, nor any ties with Toyota. And, truth be told, I actually don’t personally… Read More

This morning, I was joined in the State Capitol by John Coupal from the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and John Graham, Director of Healthcare studies at the Pacific Research Institute to introduce Senate Constitutional Amendment 29. This Amendment, known as the "California Healthcare Protection Act" will give California voters veto power over potentially restrictive state and federal healthcare legislation.

SCA 29 would require voter approval of any state or federal measure implementing a healthcare program mandating individuals to obtain healthcare coverage, guarantee issuance of health care coverage, creates a "pay or play" system for employers, creates a government entity to compete with private plans or creates a single-payer healthcare system. Voter approval would be required for any program containing at least one of these five provisions.

Ensuring that voters maintain control of their personal healthcare choices and allowing them to be heard is critically important. California families have a right to affect changes that would take personal decisions like choosing a family doctor, out of their hands and into the control of… Read More

Yesterday, I posted my very strongly held belief that to get anything done in California, a political candidate must be willing to be hated.Meg Whitman refusing to support pension reform and flat out running away from the unions does not qualify.

I wasn’t the only one who noticed – last night on KFI AM 640, John and Ken took Whitman to task for buckling under union pressure the very first time she had the opportunity to take them on. In fact, organizer Marcia Fritz flat out states that Whitman, “…just didnt want it on the ballot, I was told that from a lot of her supporters.."… Read More

The FlashReport is pleased to present this latest creation from our in-house cartoonist Eric Eisenhammer. FR readers undoubtedly remember the confirmation votes that took place in the State Senate and State Assembly for Governor Schwarzenegger’s nominee to fill the vacant Lt. Governor position, liberal GOPer Abel Maldonado.

I know that there has been a lot of head scratching as to why so many Republicans would vote for a scoundrel like Maldonado, who broke his no taxes pledge, extorted legislators for his own interests, and who seems to navigate through Sacramento with no guiding compass other than how to promote himself.

One reason given by many GOPers — let the Democrats take political heat for opposing a hispanic nominee. Another reason given is the focus of this cartoon — get him out of the Senate where he can then no longer vote for bad legislation, like tax increases, and replace him with a more mainstream Republican.

Eisenhammer’s cartoon is entitled,… Read More