I figure if I want to climb higher than “55” on the CapWeekly's Top 100 list, I need to beat CW's Anthony York to publishing hot rumors. And this little tidbit is just that, a little bit of “water coolor” banter that makes for fun reading.

So John Garamendi, who is in some obscure statewide office — oh yeah, Lt. Governor — is now a declared candidate for Congress in the East Bay/Delta area, where Democrat Ellen Tauscher has vacated her seat upon being appointed into the Obama Administration.

If not the favorite, Garamendi is no doubt a very strong candidate to take that seat, and head off to Congress (ugh) — with all due deference to the two Democrat state legislators who are also running.

So… This leads to the next question — if later this year, the Lt. Governor steps down to head to Capitol Hill, then who would Governor Schwarzenegger appoint to fill out the unexpired balance of Garamendi's term?

First and foremost, with this Governor, I would hardly put any money down on him necessarily appointing a Republican to this post. Actually, no matter who is appointed, that… Read More

In the immortal words of Roseanne Roseannadanna…. "Never mind." From Cap Weekly… Assembly speaker Karen Bass said today she was cancelling 5 percent pay increases for more than 130 Assembly staffers, because they were becoming "a distraction" from the May 19 ballot initiatives.

In the equally immortal words of Homer Simpson….

"DOH!" 3:42 Update: Credit where credit is due. I have been informed that the U-T’s … Read More

I just finished watching the first television commercial released by the campaign to pass all of the measures on the May Special Election ballot. You can see the piece below. When you watch the commercial, you will notice that something is missing. The actor on the screen, playing the dad who is going to play catch with his kid, and vote for the ballot propositions, is the poster child for the ignorant voter that the ballot campaign is trying to fool. He tells us that he needs to go out, "to help hold the line on higher taxes," by voting for these measures…

Whoops. Someone forgot to tell the Leave It To Beaver dad in this commercial that his vote for the Propositions doesn’t hold the line on taxes — on the contrary, if he votes for the package, he will be triggering a $16 billion dollar increase in taxes, including higher sales taxes on the next ball and mitt he wants to buy for his son. The parent portrayed in this add will also be voting to take away a $200 tax credit for the child in the spot, money that perhaps he would be using to buy his son a uniform for his little league… Read More

While the Legislature dithers on real cuts and Congress blows through cash like it was carbon credits, local leaders are taking action to reduce budgets without putting a tax-boot on the throats of struggling businesses and taxpayers.

Sacramento County Supervisor Roberta MacGlashan, after ceremoniously crumpling and hurling yet another incomplete staff budget memo into the trash, assembled a citizen’s panel to review and make recommendations on budget cuts, efficiency and vital programs.

And unlike the photo-op commissions created by the state, this group – Kitchen Conversations Citizen Budget Committee – will meet for only a few weeks, make specific recommendations, then go back to living regular lives.

Unlike California’s Citizen Performance Review, which came up with a pretty good series of recommendations to save California taxpayers money but then was mostly shelved – a waste of time, money and paper; MacGlashan has a reputation of being tenacious in protecting taxpayers.

While budgets were still flush several years ago, MacGlashan took an unpopular stand to cut a $2.5 million program giving free healthcare to… Read More

Tax dollars being used to create "fun experiences" for students in the form of "amusement parks." That certainly means taking someone for a ride. Somehow, I’m not thinking most San Diegans would be amused if they knew.

Where is the oversight of public funds? Let’s look at yesterday’s hard-hitting letter from the San Diego County Taxpayers Association to one of the largest school districts in the state…

April 21, 2009 The Honorable Shelia Jackson President, Board of Trustees San Diego Unified School… Read More

One of my big frustrations in the State Assembly is that the connection is not made between overzealous regulators and draconian rules and that Californiahas an over 11% unemployment rate.

Today, Gregg Industries, which operates a foundry and machine shop in El Monte, announced it is closing early. Can you say AQMD?

After the downturn Gregg Industries announced they would close the foundry part of the operation. In 2008 Gregg Industries had an agreement with the AQMD on controlling pollution. It required independent verification of its efforts. After the closure announcement they actually gave incentives to the last employees to comply with the agreement.

AQMD’s response was to send inspector after inspector for the last month it was open.

Gregg’s staff outlined abuses that included a threat from an AQMD employee that at least one security guard interpreted as a threat to use force to enter and inspectors entering he facility without protective measures and without proper escort. I still haven’t got a response to my inquiry about the harassment.

The result is Gregg is closing… Read More

Happy Earth Day everybody. It is also Lenin’s Birthday and Planned Parenthood Day at the Capitol, but I digress.

Everyone knows of the Governor’s commitment to stopping “greenhouse gases”. He receives a lot of praise and attention for his efforts.

Did he hurt the environment in the meantime? The California Air Resources Board (CARB) thinks he did. And I just don’t mean the carbon dioxide expelled discussing this issue.

The CARB is considering a Low Carbon Fuel Standard that would measurethe direct release of carbon into the atmosphere from the production, transportation and use of motor fuels AND land-use changes resulting from ethanol production.

Ethanol producers are upset, because it looks like corn to ethanol is bad for the environment, when you include all the production, land and transportation costs.

In 2006 the Governor issued an executive order onthe use of biofuels. He has spent money getting grants for Ethanol producers. He has campaigned vigorously for its use, to find out that they may be hurting the environment.

Maybe, just maybe government doesn’t know… Read More

Last Saturday, the members of the Executive Committee of the California Republican Party met at the Sacramento Convention Center and voted overwhelmingly to oppose all of the ballot propositions, 1A-1F, that are on the May Special Election ballot. These measures appear as a result of a budget deal that saw California taxpayers smacked with higher income and sales taxes, as well as higher car taxes and, for those with children, a significant reduction in the child tax credit that taxpaying parents now enjoy. The ballot package rejected by the State GOP includes extending those taxes even longer. In total, if advocates get their way, every family in California will be paying nearly $4,000 on average in higher taxes. And for what? Simply put, the package of measures on the ballot does not solve the structural problems of our state, according to the Legislative Analyst, there will be at least an $8 billion shortfall, even if they fail (and he presumes an increase in revenues from increasing tax rates).

First and foremost, I… Read More