This in just in from Lew Uhler, President of the National Tax Limitation Committee…

The Paycheck Protection Initiative is too important to California’s future for it to be used as a political weapon in California’s Republican Gubernatorial Campaign. I have it on the highest authority that Meg Whitman is not opposed to Paycheck Protection and that she is not urging her supporters to boycott the initiative or ignore it financially. For Steve Poizner’s supporters to say otherwise is inaccurate and should stop. And now that public employee unions have announced a multimillion dollar independent expenditure campaign against Meg Whitman, she and her campaign supporters have ever more reason to engage the unions directly by supporting the paycheck protection initiative.… Read More

Earlier in the week I blogged that 11 GOP State Senators oppose Proposition 14, the "Top-Two" ballot system measure. Advocates say that the measure "opens" primaries but it actually closes General Elections, no longer guaranteeing that every party will have a candidate on the ballot each November. Well I got a revised letter just now, and that number is now 12 Senators — with Senator Dave Cogdill being on this letter as well (didn’t announce him before).

By the way, nothing emphasizes the nefarious legislative "blackmail" of Senator Maldonado of last February more than Senator Cogdill’s oppositions to Proposition 14, who was one of the primary architects of last February’s budget deal.… Read More

Last night Brad Goehring (disclosure:client) held a fundraiser at Lange Twins Winery in northern San Joaquin County and raised in excess of $100,000 in his campaign to unseat liberal Congressman Jerry McNerney. With over 400 supporters coming out the event highlights the strong base of support Goehring has in San Joaquin County which is by far the largest geographic voting block in the 11th district.

Having already received the support of the San Joaquin Farm Bureau and the Associated Builders and Contractors along with a slew of GOP elected officials on both sides of the district, Goehring has the organizational strength on both sides of the district and the financial support needed to win the primary and square off against McNerney.

Goehring has raised the vast majority of his campaign dollars from inside the district and continues to receive endorsements from elected officials who actually reside in the 11th district. With a large lead in money raised to date, cash on hand, local endorsements and grassroots conservative support, Goehring continues to control the primary race for the right to defeat Mcnerney and return this seat to the GOP in the fall.… Read More

On July 2nd, 2009 in a special session of the Legislature dealing with the budget, abill was introduced to mandate new reporting and filing requirements for tens of thousands of California businesses thatpreviously never had to deal with the Board of Equalization.The bill passedand was chaptered on July 28 without any of the usualpublic outreach or amnesty period.

Forbes.com has the story this morning. http://www.forbes.com/2010/02/11/california-internet-sales-tax-personal-finance-small-business-delay.html… Read More

FR friend Bob Loewen of the Orange County Lincoln Club has blogged over at Red County something that is worth statewide attention. The Lincoln Club has decided to draw a bright line in the sand against the corrupting influence of public employee unions on public policy. The Lincoln Club has said that in order to receive a coveted endorsement from their organization, a candidate has to sign a written pledge that they will not accept political contributions from public employee unions.

This action follows after, and shows support for the strong call from Orange County Republican Party Chairman Scott Baugh that candidates, whether seeking partisan or non-partisan office, who want support from the county party, must decline the endorsement of and contributions from public employee unions.

It is clear that these action are taking place because there is no logical reason for public officials to be voting to establish such unrealistic and unsustainable retirement benefits for public employees.… Read More

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Usually when I take the time to write a more in-depth piece about someone, I put up their photo so that you can see what he or she looks like. Except in the case of Robert Stryk I couldn’t find a photo anywhere online. So instead of looking at Stryk’s photo, you have to allow me to paint you a picture of a young, single 34 year old Washington, D.C., lobbyist with a transient and questionable background, who one day decided he would throw his hat into the ring to be the next Mayor of the small Napa County town of Yountville, population approximately 3,000.

Those who have spent time reading my columns over the years know that second to politics, my second passion in life is wine. I’ve been a “wine enthusiast” for many years, and love when I can to visit the Bay Area wine regions, and often times stay at a favorite… Read More

Usually when I take the time to write a more in-depth piece about someone, I put up their photo so that you can see what he or she looks like. Except in the case of Robert Stryk I couldn’t find a photo anywhere online. So instead of looking at Stryk’s photo, you have to allow me to paint you a picture of a young, single 34 year old Washington, D.C., lobbyist with a transient and questionable background, who one day decided he would throw his hat into the ring to be the next Mayor of the small Napa County town of Yountville, population approximately 3,000.

Those who have spent time reading my columns over the years know that second to politics, my second passion in life is wine. I’ve been a “wine enthusiast” for many years, and love when I can to visit the Bay Area wine regions, and often times stay at a favorite… Read More