Today Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner spent some time at the St. John’s Shelter Program for Women & Children, in Sacramento. Poizner’s visit to this facility coincides with an annual week of volunteerism that is hosted by the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation. During the week of October 20, 2008, thousands of insurance employees will donate upwards of 12,000 service hours across the nation.

Poizner’s visit to St. John’s provides me with a long overdue opportunity to sing the praises of a good friend of the FlashReport, Michele Steeb. Formerly a Vice President with the California Chamber of Commerce, Michele left the political arena to focus on a charitable endeavor, and serves as Executive Director of St. Johns Shelter.… Read More

The well regarded CATO Institute in Washington, D.C., has released their annual Fiscal Policy Report Card on America’s Governors. What do they have to say about Governor Schwarzenegger, who barely eeked out a "C" grade (thanks to GOPers stopping tax increases)? You can read the report online here (Page 13 has the California section) although you really should read the executive summary on Schwarzenegger’s performance, which I thought was spot-on. I have excerpted that below… Arnold Schwarzenegger, Republican… Read More

The New York Times has an article today on ACORN’s nonprofit problems that echoes much of my concerns in a detailed post yesterday and adds a lot more. For those who want to know more, see the article, "Acorn Report Raises Issues of Legality " by Stephanie Strom at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/22/us/22acorn.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin

In the meantime, we can be assured Debra Bowen’s office and her team will be closely monitoring the fairness of Troop 154’s Eagle Scout nominations in Chico. Perhaps there is a Republican Scoutmaster Bowen can indict for ballot stuffing.… Read More

Last Friday I penned a column here on the FlashReport that focused on former eBay Chairman Meg Whitman, and the aggressive role that she is playing as a National Co-Chairman of the McCain for President Campaign. In that piece, I mentioned that Whitman is in the process of looking at a run for the Republican nomination for Governor in 2010.

Well, in a very clear sign that even though this year’s Presidential contest has yet to be resolved, many are already looking to 2010, since publishing my piece on Whitman, I have been literally barraged with e-mails from FR readers all around California letting me know that Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner has been out to their local community. In many instances, there have been glowing words of praise for Poizner as a candidate for Governor along with those e-mails.

After getting a… Read More

Last Friday I penned a column here on the FlashReport that focused on former eBay Chairman Meg Whitman, and the aggressive role that she is playing as a National Co-Chairman of the McCain for President Campaign. In that piece, I mentioned that Whitman is in the process of looking at a run for the Republican nomination for Governor in 2010.

Well, in a very clear sign that even though this year’s Presidential contest has yet to be resolved, many are already looking to 2010, since publishing my piece on Whitman, I have been literally barraged with e-mails from FR readers all around California letting me know that Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner has been out to their local community. In many instances, there have been glowing words of praise for Poizner as a candidate for Governor along with those e-mails.

After getting a… Read More

In the course of the race to fill the 4th Congressional District seat, I’ve attended several debates featuring Tom McClintock—both in the primary and the general elections. At each of these debates one fact is certainly confirmed; a fact that I’m sure many Californians familiar with McClintock would share: you can’t win a debate with Tom McClintock. Unfortunately for Democrat candidate Charlie Brown, the universal truth of one’s inability to best Tom McClintock’s debating skills was affirmed this evening at their final debate of the campaign. Appearing before a standing-room-only crowd at the Nevada County South Chamber event, both candidates commented that this was the best attended debate thus far in the general election.

Charlie Brown’s opening statement reiterated his campaign’s theme of his 26-year service in the United States Air Force. For those unfamiliar with the 4th Congressional District’s recent history, Charlie Brown challenged sitting Congressman John Doolittle in 2006 and came within just a few percentage points of ousting the incumbent. Focusing on Doolittle’s past connection to disgraced (and criminal) former lobbyist Jack Abramoff,… Read More

Lucky me. I just got my second e-mail from the High Speed Rail Commission on the benefits of Prop 1A without them actually mentioning Prop 1A.

This one covers the benefits to the areas of the state that were not mentioned in the previous e-mails.

These are taxpayer funded communications that are meant to influence the electorate and news coverage about the pending ballot measure.

This is legal but completely wrong. Just as wrong as it was last week when they sent the first e-mail.

See e-mail here.… Read More

According to the Sacramento Bee, Governor Schwarzenegger is preparing to call a special session to deal with the massive, multi-billion dollar shortfall in this fiscal year’s budget (this doesn’t even address the even bigger shortfall anticipated for the FY 09-10 budget that would be adopted next year).

Apparently this session would be called in a couple of weeks (after the election) and it would impact the current legislature (many of whom will be departing from the legislature in early December).

We can only assume that this will be a “Live Within Our Means” belt tightening session, and I think that the resolve of this particular group of legislative Republicans to oppose any tax increases on Californians to resolve the negative impacts of a massive overspending problem is not only clear – but crystal clear.

So hopefully the Governor will open this special session by framing the issue as being the ongoing effects of spending more than we have (remember, state government spending ballooned over 40% in just three… Read More