When I got the news release about Cal-Tax endorsing the tax proposal by the Governor I almost fell over. Here is the Sacramento Bee story.

So I would assume this effort was made to try to provide cover for legislative Republicans to vote to raise taxes. It won’t work. It shouldn’t work.

This is why.

Of the people I am aware of on the Cal-Tax Board, none will come to the political defense of those members that would vote to raise taxes. They will ask them to because they want a budget and want to move on to other things. I don’t think anyone will agree.

When Assemblymember [fill in the blank] is involved in a tough Republican primary for the State Senate or Senator [fill in the blank] is involved in a tough primary for Congress and they are getting pummeled for raising taxes Cal-Tax and the members will sit by and watch.

"We don’t get involved in primaries. It is not worth it to the company unless it is one of our sworn enemies or one of our own members."

They have no history of defending the… Read More

This nugget just in from the CRP:

After the Dem Nat’l Convention in Denver and the temple was torn down, the DNC brain trust trash-bagged up about 12,000 American hand flags [about 8×10 inches on wooden dowels] and a 3 by 5 foot flag, to be disposed of until an Invesco Field worker found ’em and saved ’em from becoming landfill. They will be "recycled" by reportedly being used at the McCain/Palin event in Colorado Springs today. I’m sure their bio-degradability will not be tested after this event.

Thanks to Hector Barajas at the CRP for the heads-up on that one!… Read More

This just in: In solving state fiscal problems, the Governor has called for some new measures, some highlights:

"In these difficult times our state cannot simply afford another "business as usual" budget process. Our government has used that approach far too often in the past. Spending, borrowing, and taxes have increased at unsustainable rates, limiting our ability to provide for our citizens and damaging our business climate. Combined with the impact of high property taxes and a declining manufacturing base, the result…our former neighbors have left the state in search of jobs and opportunities they cannot find here at home.

…There are two problems in particular that we must address to help get spending under control: -First, once a program is added to the state budget, it becomes extremely difficult to remove it, regardless of whether the intiative is effective or essential. Taxpayers are forced to pay for funding decisions that were approved years or decades ago. And spending…has increased year after year, usually beyond the rate of inflation. -Second,… Read More

Use of the term "Mayor" was stricken as a ballot designation for Los Alamitos Councilman Ken Parker in an Order signed yesterday by Orange County Superior Court Judge Jamoa Moberly.

Under California law, a ballot title must accurately state the primary vocation, occupation or profession of the candidate, is limited to three words, and cannot be misleading. A "Mayor" in a general law city and some charter law cities using a city manager form of government, isa position by statute that is essentially ceremonial,and the Mayor’s major statutory function ischairing councilmeetings. A Mayorin these cities is not elected by the public and does not receive any special compensation or have any other specific duties.

For many years courts rejected the use of the term "Mayor" in ballot titles for councilmembers running for reelection during their rotational year as Mayor, until Huntington Beach Councilmember Debbie Cook (and a rotational Mayor), in the faceof a lawsuit filed by some Republican lawyers,convinced a Judge earlier this year to allow her to use the title in her race against Congressman… Read More

Judge Peter Polos of the Orange County Superior Court signed a final order this afternoondenying Luigi Rossetti, Jr’s attempt to be placed on the ballot and in voter guide materials as "Lou Penrose." The Judge found that the name "Lou Penrose" was technically false, and the parties all stipulated to the judge’s tentative ruling that Luigi Rossetti’s ballot name for the upcoming Dana Point Municipal Election shall be listed as: "Lou Penrose, a/k/a Luigi Rossetti, Jr."

A lawsuit was filed by Petitioner Denise Erkeneff of Dana Point after the Registrar of Orange County had allowed the "techically false" name to appear on the ballot. The Registrar stated in a sworn statement that he does not have resources to investigate the truthfulness of proposed ballot names andthough he had approved Rossetti’s ballot name as "Penrose," he had advised him by letter to consult a lawyer.

Facts developed in the case established that there was almost no internet or public agency history on "Penrose," but there was ample history on "Rossetti," including… Read More

The problem with stories about California’s prison system is they are based on fiction more than facts; hyperbole more than rational thinking.

But high drama sells newspapers far more than just telling the boring truth. And everyone knows that newspapers – including titans of yore like the Sac Bee – are struggling.

So Californians are led to believe that our prison system is wildly out of control and filled with non-violent offenders who are nothing more than victims of medieval laws brought forth by Republicans.

First, California’s prison population has increased by 13,000 between 1998 and 2008, from 158,000 to 171,000. This 8% increase is far slower growth than the general population increase for that same time period. California’s state population grew almost twice as fast from 33 million people to over 38 million people in the past 10 years.

Furthermore, all of the prison growth can be attributed to inmates committed for violent crime including an increase of 6,300 for homicide, 2,500 for child molestation, and 2,400 for robbery. During the same period, the population of inmates committed for property and drug crimes declined by… Read More

Recently, we have seen the Governor, Democrats and liberal columnists running around like the sky is falling because Senate and Assembly Republicans have refused to cave in and go along with their schemes for higher taxes and higher spending.

But lost in their hysteria is the fact that this budget stalemate could actually be the best thing that has happened to California taxpayers and business owners in a long time.

If lawmakers and the Governor are unable to reach agreement on a budget before September 30, the Governor would be forced to follow through with his pledge and veto every bill on his desk.

**There is more – click the link**

View Full Commentary… Read More

Recently, we have seen the Governor, Democrats and liberal columnists running around like the sky is falling because Senate and Assembly Republicans have refused to cave in and go along with their schemes for higher taxes and higher spending.

But lost in their hysteria is the fact that this budget stalemate could actually be the best thing that has happened to California taxpayers and business owners in a long time.

If lawmakers and the Governor are unable to reach agreement on a budget before September 30, the Governor would be forced to follow through with his pledge and veto every bill on his desk.

This means some very bad bills will be vetoed by the Governor.

Imagine for a moment some of the terrible bills that will be sent to the Governor that could be killed if the budget is not resolved . . .

Drivers licenses for illegal immigrants (Senate Bill 60 – Cedillo) Financial aid for illegal immigrants attending California’s public colleges and universities (Senate Bill 1301 – Cedillo) A new scheme that will pave the way for … Read More