Let’s call it the first California test case of the voters’ view of taxes since November 2008. Let’s say the citizens asked, resoundingly,"What the heck are you thinking?"

Over 2/3 of the voters in Chula Vista, thesecond largest city in San Diego County, yesterday easily defeated the Prop A sales tax increase in a controversial mail ballot election.

Combined with the state state sales tax increase, the measure would have imposed on Chula Vistans a nearly 10% sales tax, one of the highest in the region.

Republican Mayor Cheryl Cox along with three Dem colleagues supported the tax. Opposed was Republican Deputy Mayor John McCann, the GOP nominee for AD 78 last year. The San Diego County Taxpayers Association, local Chula Vista Taxpayers Association, and Lincoln Club of SD joined the opposition, with the latter doing a sizable independent expenditure in the final days.

This is a major win forMcCann, who was recently named the SD GOP’s Local Elected Official of the Year.

More Info….

NO on Measure A website… Read More

Instead of a written commentary, today we offer you a special FlashReport video… Enjoy!

**There is more – click the link**

View Full Commentary… Read More

Instead of a written commentary, today we offer you a special FlashReport video… Enjoy!

Care to read comments, or make your own about today’s Daily Commentary?

Just click here to go to the FR Weblog, where this Commentary has its own blog post, and where you can read and make comments.… Read More

Today at a meeting of the Yolo County Board of Supervisors meeting we considered eliminating benefits for undocumented residents of Yolo County. We are one of maybe ten counties in the state that provide these benefits.

At our next meeting I would expect that at least three votes will be cast in favor of eliminating these services. Many of you are probably cheering about this.

In the end I will likely (my mind is always open until the final votes are cast) be one of the votes to make this policy change because it is in the best interests of the county. Here is the rub. I actually believe that with the law requiring emergency rooms to serve everyone that walks in the door the taxpayers of Yolo County will end up paying more under this new policy.

As a County Supervisor I am watching out for the best interest of the Yolo County taxpayer in isolation. However, when you consider that the person that comes in for an indigent care visit with a cut that can be quickly treated today but instead will wait to come in on Saturday when it is infected and in need of emergency care — this is not a good thing for the people that will end up paying the… Read More

**FR EXCLUSIVE** This just in from Jon Coupal of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association…

Right on cue, our Hollywood Governor is trotting out the firefighters and threatening Californians with burning homes unless he gets his way. Voters can absolutely be assured that, next week, he and the California Teachers Association will be threatening public education and school closures.

But these threats – reflecting little more than simple extortion – should not be taken seriously. First, the Governor’s own Director of Finance recently testified that the… Read More

This just in from conservative icon Tom McClintock:

Prop 1A: Extend the Tax Increases. NO. This is the fig leaf that hides certain deficiencies suffered by the legislators who caved into pressure for the biggest tax increase in California’s history. This measure EXTENDS the tax increases for up to two ADDITIONAL years in exchange for a spending limit that doesn’t limit spending. The "spending limit" is laughable – it requires placing "unanticipated revenues" into a special fund that is then to be spent for a variety of additional purposes including education, debt service and health care. And since all funds are interchangeable, this merely allows funds spent for one purpose to be shifted for another. The bottom line: If you were against the tax increase, you’re against Prop. 1A.

Prop… Read More

Over on our favorite hard-left blog, the California Progress Report, they featured an interview with Democrat State Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez.

If readers of the FlashReport didn’t already have enough reason to vote down the ballot measures on the May 19th ballot, look at what Flores sees coming down the pike…

CPR: "What happens on May 20?"

FLORES: "May 20 is really clear to me, it’s an all-cuts budget, period. There’s not one more Republican in that house that is going to vote for a tax increase. We lose twenty billion dollars plus in taxes. May 20 is an all-cuts budget, period. I expect it to be a quick budget because we’re not going to have to convince a Republican to vote for this one because there will not be a tax increase in it. It will be the most painful quick budget in California history.

I… Read More

Assembly Republicans are to be commended for withholding their votes yesterday to ratify a new contract for state workers in SEIU 1000, the largest state public employees union. The Schwarzenegger Administration came to terms with union officials on this deal – but a 30,000 foot view of the contract makes it a head scratcher. This is not a “severe recession” contract that gives the state the kind of flexibility it needs to potentially implement workforce reductions as part of reducing state spending down to a level that reflects plummeting state revenues.

So that FR readers are clear, in order for the State of California to approve a union contract, it must be approved by the State Legislature. So in that regard, the Governor and union negotiators have to “bring back terms” to get approved – the union by its membership, and the state by the legislature.

This contract was negotiated with a hope and expectation on the part of the Governor and union leaders that the May 19 “burrito” package of special election measures, including 1A with its trigger of $16 billion in new taxes, would be passed by the electorate. That outcome is looking… Read More