Here is an interesting read from Stateline.org, a political website. The story, "Strapped states eye prison savings," is a rather long piece that examines what other states are doing to mitigate prison crowding.

Unfortunately for the people of Kentucky, the governor and legislature decided that saving money was more important than protecting citizens when they passed a law to release 1,800 felons early from prison — some of them rapists, murderers and other violent criminals.

Without giving specifics the article also mentions that lawmakers in some states are using satellite tracking (GPS) to monitor less dangerous offenders like drunken drivers. GPS is a vanguard tool for law enforcement agencies. For local jails, it allows the sheriff to place less dangerous offenders on house arrest while wearing a GPS ankle bracelet, allowing the more dangerous offenders to spend their full sentence behind bars.

The governor signed a bill last year (that I authored with Democrat Senator Gloria Romero) that allows the Los Angeles sheriff to place prisoners on involuntary house… Read More

As regular readers of this blog know, I supported the Rescue Plan (TARP program) last October and believe that this program, along with the aggressive monetary actions by the Fed, prevented a collapse of our still damaged financial system. I also support a large stimulus plan in order to hasten a bottom to this economy and hopefully save many people their jobs, homes, and businesses.

But the Democrat’s $825 billion stimulus plan now working its way through the House, is nothing short of awful. We are expected to vote on this plan on Wednesday, and in all honesty, I refuse to call it a “stimulus” plan since it contains so few stimulative characteristics. Instead, I will hereinafter refer to it as the “Big Spending” plan.

Let me explain.

The purpose of any stimulus plan is to take the recession which we are currently mired in and make it shorter and shallower. If the stimulus doesn’t do that, then it will have a negative effect since it will increase borrowing, increase deficits, and generally retard medium and longer term growth… Read More

It’s never too early to start pushing out news about the goings-on for the many races shaping up for the 2010 primaries. As a matter of fact, let this be a notice to any out there who are running to be sure to keep FR looping in on your progress. We’ll report lots of stuff here that may be too “inside baseball” for other publications.

Last year, I never got around to penning an intended column noting the impressive success of Gilliard, Blanning, Wysocki & Associates in terms of seeing ALL of their clients win their races. I won’t list them all here, as that would be a bit gratuitous, though GBWA has a release up here.

That said, we always say here that every election year has two parts, the first half, which is actually the preceding year, and then the year in which the election is being held. So we are well into the 2010… Read More

In his inaugural address, President Obama said, “To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.” The mistake here is that most all of the Muslim world is not threatening us, but Islamic radicals are and they will not have been mollified by the President’s words or intentions. The radicals—and there are more of them than any of us want to admit— do not believe we have a mutual interest and they are not interested in mutual respect. Indeed, their goal is to destroy us and they are probably pleased that we have a new President who seems committed to making nice since that will make us an easier target.

I am sure I will get critical emails upset that I am… Read More

Late last week, four legislative Republicans were quoted in two major newspapers with quotes, indicating in varying degrees that they were open to voting for tax increases as part of a solution to California’s overspending-created fiscal crisis.

Let me make this very clear – there is NO POINT AND NO “DEAL” WHERE IT MAKES ANY SENSE WHATSOEVER TO RAISE TAXES ON CALIFORNIANS. The San Diego Union Tribune has an excellent editorial today driving home this point. It is an objective reality that Californians are amongst the most taxed citizens in the entire country.

State Senator Abel Maldonado, and Assemblymen Mike Duvall, Roger Niello, and Anthony Adams were all quoted thusly:

**There is more – click the link**

View Full Commentary… Read More

Late last week, four legislative Republicans were quoted in two major newspapers with quotes, indicating in varying degrees that they were open to voting for tax increases as part of a solution to California’s overspending-created fiscal crisis.

Let me make this very clear – there is NO POINT AND NO “DEAL” WHERE IT MAKES ANY SENSE WHATSOEVER TO RAISE TAXES ON CALIFORNIANS. The San Diego Union Tribune has an excellent editorial today driving home this point. It is an objective reality that Californians are amongst the most taxed citizens in the entire country.

State Senator Abel Maldonado, and Assemblymen Mike Duvall, Roger Niello, and Anthony Adams were all quoted thusly:

ASSEMBLYMAN ADAMS (in the Bee): "The reforms have to be there," said Assemblyman Anthony Adams, R-Hesperia.… Read More

Senator George Runner today was quoted as having uttered the most spot-on rhetorical question of the year:

“How do you make a tax increase when you’re still giving in-state tuition to illegal aliens?”

Yet despite such end-of-argument logic being stated by some of California’s legislators, the debate goes on about how to fix state government. Senator Runner’s quote appears in the Sunday Press Dispatch’s report about my good friend Assemblyman Anthony Adams’ surprising statements that he’s willing to consider tax increases in exchange for state budget cuts and reforms. Read more here: http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/adams_10563___article.html/tax_phone.html.

The news of this from the Sacramento Bee led to an hour-long war of words Thursday between Adams and Los Angeles talk radio hosts John… Read More

There are a few election law cases of interest to Californians going on nowthat deserve some mention in this blog spot.

The first is a lawsuit filed late last year in federal court in Washington, D.C. by the California Republican Party and the Republican Party of San Diego County, along with the Republican National Committee, the goal of which is to challenge the constitutionality of the "soft money" restrictions of the McCain-Feingold law, also known as "BCRA" (Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act). The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, alleges therestrictions of Federal law are overly broad and unconstitutional under the First Amendment. Expedited review has been requested by the Plaintiffs. The case number is: 1:08CV01953.

Under McCain-Feingold, national parties are restricted from collecting contributions other than those subject to the rigorous Federal disclosure and contribution limits. National parties may not collect corporate contributions, even if the activity is intended to build up a state party, because corporate money is banned for Federal… Read More