Tomorrow former Assembly Republican Caucus Chairman and FR friend Charlete Zettel will start a new job as Director of Governor Arnold Schwarzenneger's San Diego field office.

Zettel yesterday resigned her position on the San Diego Regional Airport Authority, but will retain her prestigious position on the University of California Board of Regents.

Charlene, good luck in your new endeavor!… Read More

The Democrat National Senatorial Committee is wasting no time in going after Republican U.S. Senate Almost-Candidate Carly Fiorina. While Fiorina has only put her proverbial toe into the water (she’s now got something basic but catchy up on her website), the DNSC released an attack video on Fiorina today (see it below).

There is a brief article in Politico on it, at the end of which the NRSC’s spokesman Brian Walsh responded to the ad saying, "“The inordinate amount of attention national Democrats are paying to an unannounced Senate candidate in California only speaks to the growing vulnerability of Barbara Boxer. When you’re playing defense with a three-term incumbent 14 months before a general election in a blue state that Barack Obama carried by nearly 25 points, that speaks volumes. It’s clear there is real concern by the Democrats that voters in the Golden State – facing the highest unemployment rate since World War II – will be looking for a change in next year’s Senate… Read More

Today GOP Gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman has launched a statewide media ad that FR sources have confirmed is an extensive and deep reaching buy throughout California. It is interesting to note that Whitman’s first media spot does not feature her own voice, but that of an announcer — well, except at the very end where you can hear her say, "Paid By Meg Whitman For Governor 2010…"

Below is a transcript of the piece, and then you can click on the video below that to hear the audio (courtesy of the Whitman campaign). This buy represents the first media buy of what promises to be a long, entertaining and expensive primary season… Announcer: California needs new leadership. … Read More

On September 1, I penned a commentary on this page that highlighted that Speaker Bass and Senate President Pro-Tem Darrel Steinberg were listed as "co-hosting" with CAIR [Council on American Islamic Relations] a Ramadan Iftar in the Capitol Rotunda.

Celebrating the end of Ramadan is not, in… Read More

This just in off the transom — Congratulations Assemblyman DeVore!

Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association PAC Endorses Chuck DeVore for U.S. Senate Sacramento — The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association PAC announced today the endorsement of Assemblyman Chuck DeVore for U.S. Senate. “Chuck DeVore has been a strong ally for taxpayers while serving in the California Legislature,” said Jon Coupal, President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. “Through every… Read More

According to a recent PPIC (Public Policy Institute of California) poll, almost half of Californians are worried that they, or someone in their family, will lose their job in the next year. With the unemployment rate topping 12 percent and given the fact that most of California’s job losses – 760,200 of the 952,800 attributed to the current economic recession – occurred only in the last year, those concerns are unfortunately well founded.

All told, more than two million Californians are unemployed, with thousands more joining their ranks every month. In July, eight industry sectors lost jobs, including 15,900 in the trade, transportation, and utilities fields, 10,700 construction jobs, and 3,300 manufacturing jobs.

The only sector to enjoy job gains over the year was educational and health with 17,900, but 3,300 jobs were lost there in July. Between July 2008 and July 2009 the trade, transportation and utilities sector lost a staggering 196,600 jobs. 144,500 construction jobs, 132,000 professional and business services jobs, 124,400 manufacturing jobs, 62,100 jobs in the leisure and hospitality industries and tens of thousands of other positions… Read More

It was announced last week that UC is increasing student fees by 32%.This is from an institution that makes the bogus claim that it does not charge tuition.As private colleges often point out, when the sum of all school fees are compared to tuition at private colleges they are much more equal than advertised. So if I am a UC student and I somehow manage to pay 32% more will I be getting smaller class sizes, more library books, or better computer access?No, around a third of the student fee money, including the increase, will subsidize the fees of poorer students.Here we see the classic effect of distributive schemes: Raise costs on one group so that money can be given to others.The higher costs result in greater numbers who cannot afford to pay. Eventually the enterprise runs out of other peoples’ money.Lost is the simple notion that if the fees were … Read More

It took just shy of 15 hours between the time lurid recordings of now former Assemblyman Mike Duvall were played on network television and his abrupt resignation from office. Now the voters of the 72nd Assembly District will be facing an imminent special election to fill the vacancy in this seat, and as with most special elections, this race promises to be quote a donnybrook.

Let’s first “set the table” by making sure that FlashReport readers around California understand that the 72nd District may be one of the most conservative districts in the state. It’s heavily Republican and despite a decent showing by Barack Obama last year (where didn’t he have a good showing in California?), the voters of this inland, North Orange County seat are overwhelmingly conservative. A great many of the Democrats in this district are “Reagan Democrats” – so look for most of the action in this race to be on the GOP side of the isle. This despite the fact that in a special election like this, all of the candidates appear on the special primary ballot (probably to take place in November), with the top vote getters of each party going on to a special general election… Read More