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

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

This is a short and sweet observation that I will make on a Friday afternoon. People keep talking about “fixing” Californias troubled state government by calling a Constitutional Convention.

Forget it. Drop it. Don't bother.

Until the outrageous and pervasive influence of our state's public employee unions can be curbed, the vast amount of money at their disposal ensures that, relative to a Constitutional Convention, they will either co-opt it and use it to try and further feather their nest, or they will completely demolish the results of the Convention when they are before the public for a vote.

Any time spent chasing this pipe dream (and similar ones) of making state government work again are going to be almost impossible until paycheck protection, or maybe a measure to just outlaw public employee unions altogether is passed. And THAT necessary battle will be WWIII.… Read More

ACORN and other assorted nuts appear to be on the run in recent days, if you haven’t noticed.

This just in. San Diego County Supervisors Pam Slater-Price and Bill Horn have agendized a board item, requesting the CAO conduct an audit of the 2008 area elections so as to fully investigate any voter problems associated with ACORN, and to consult with the DA as to whether any recent allegations of misconduct by ACORN employees warrant criminal investigation.

This follows calls in the last two days by the Governor, the Califirnia Republican Party, the local GOP and others for similar investigations of ACORN.

See the attacked memo/agenda item from the two county supervisors.… Read More

[Cross-posted from RedCounty.com]

Several days ago I learned Steve Greenhut would be leaving the editorial pages of the Orange County Register to take a job with the Pacific Research Institute, a venerable conservative think tank in SanFrancsico. Ididn’t write anything because I thought Steve deserve the opportunity to announce it on his own schedule.

However, the news is already leaking out in the blogosphere, so with Steve’s blessing I’ve decided to let Red County readers know (Steve is going to talk about it in his columkn this Sunday).

I’m excited for Steve — this is a great opportunity for him with a great organization where he’ll be able to work with some first-rate minds (such as Steven Hayward, whose… Read More

Once again all rational people in California cane take a deep sigh – the legislature has finished up it’s regular legislative session. Things can’t get any worse for us. Or can they? The Governor has hundreds of, frankly, very bad bills on his desk and we hope that “Arnold 3.0” will put his veto pen in overdrive (today FR presents its annual Top Twenty Bills The Governor Should Veto column).

As the Governor is busy contemplating of these bills before him, I want to share an observation about an interest group central to many of those pieces of legislation, and an important player in campaigns for Democrats — the unions!

Years ago, a very smart and visionary leader reached out to union and non-union workers and told them that he cared about their jobs and would do all he could to restore America. Working people responded and joined conservatives to elect and re-elect Ronald Reagan.… Read More