Over the weekend it was announced that the title and summary for Proposition 8 had been changeddue tothe recent California Supreme Court marriage ruling. My post on the topic pinned blame for the change on Secretary of State Debra Bowen. In fact, legal anaysis and language for initiatives and ballot measures come from Attorney General Jerry Brown’s office. In light of this fact, our outrage and frustration would probably be better directed to the AG, not the SOS’s office.… Read More

I’m starting to wonder how much Austrian is in the "Austrian Oak" — apparently Arnold Schwarzenegger actually believes that Californians no longer should have the freedom to choose whether they want to be healthy, or unhealthy in what they eat. I was shocked and dismayed when last Friday he actually signed legislation "banning" trans fats in the preparation of food in restaurants. It is hard for me to fathom what changes have come over this man, who once introduced libertarian economist Milton Freedman on a video, that he would think that the government should be regulating the food options (and ingredients) available to us. Using the very same logic that the Governor used in signing this terrible bill, it would appear that if Democrats in the legislature put a bill banning the serving of ice cream — or maybe just desserts as an entire catagory — that he would sign it. The bill that he signed, AB 97, was passed out of the State Senate with NO Republican votes at all. In the State Assembly, two Republicans voted… Read More

On July 26 Carole Star, long time Republican activist in San Diego and Imperial Counties, passed away. When I was assigned to Imperial County by the California Republican Party in 1996 Carole, who at the time I believe worked for Congressman Duncan Hunter, helped me learn the county. She was a regular at California Republican Conventions, and a friend to many. RIP, Carole. DDD

This obituary was submitted by Joel Jacklich:

Five foot nothing with long auburn hair she usually wore in a pony tail, Carole Starr had the energy of a whirlwind. She prided herself on her ability to meet any challenge. Whether she was putting together a fundraiser for a political campaign at last minute’s notice; shopping; or traveling abroad and spending full days visiting museums, attending the theater, and sightseeing, Carole seemed tireless.… Read More

For those of you who think the battle over private property rights and access to public lands in the California desert came to an end in 1994 with the passage of Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s Desert Protection Act, I’ve got news for you.

I wrote this op-ed, which is featured in today’s San Bernardino County Sun, to emphasize the importance of balancing California’s need for resources such as water and electricity with the potential impact that developing such resources could have on California’s desert lands.

Now with the majority of politicos worshipping at the altar of Climate Change and pushing the new imperative of Renewable Energy, nothing else – not even pristine desert ecosystems that 15 years ago were of such great concern to urbanites who elect Senators like Feinstein and Barbara Boxer – seems to matter anymore.

Environmentalists are now split between those willing to sacrifice the desert to more than 100 currently proposed land-devouring solar and wind farms and those – like the radicals who don’t care about the economy – who aren’t.… Read More

I would appreciate any thoughts you may have (potentially for attribution) on the following, for a possible follow-up piece on the issue. See the questions at the end…. California law is pretty clear. Public funds can’t be used for political campaign purposes. So, yesterday’s article in the Union-Trib, "Activists fault two cities over sales-tax brochures," again raises an interesting and ongoing issue of debate – the use of public funds in advance of a potential ballot measure to educate and solicit public opinion, although technically not for campaign purposes.

As a former La Mesa City Councilmember and current San Diego County Taxpayers Association (SDCTA) board member, my interest is heightened due to my city’s situation as noted in the article, yet my purpose in querying you the reader goes beyond my past and current involvement with the two entities.

Although some public agencies have no doubt exceeded a "gray area" threshold by using public funds for campaign purposes, let’s… Read More

This afternoon the Associated Press reported that Proposition 8’s ballot description has been changed—and traditional marriage supporters should be up in arms over this political ploy. Initially, Prop. 8 was described as limiting marriage to a man and a woman. Readers will be shocked to learn that Prop. 8 is now officially described as “a constitutional change to eliminate the right of same sex couples to marry.” According to Secretary of State Debra Bowen’s office, the description change came as the result of the recent California Supreme Court ruling overturning Proposition 22.

This flimsy excuse for so blatantly siding with Prop. 8 opposition is ludicrous. The so-called “right” of same-sex couples to marry was created by the California Supreme Court just two months ago and voters have yet to decide whether they will participate in this judicial charade. This biased description of Prop. 8 demonstrates the challenge supporters will face this election—not just in the campaign, but from a supposedly-unbiased… Read More

In 2003, Oakland Unified School District went into state receivership. In other words, it went bankrupt, and the state had to bail it out. Today, the school district is still under state control and, incredibly, continues to experience financial problems. Given Oakland Unified School District’s history of scandals and fiscal mismanagement, it comes as no surprise it is still in financial chaos. Unfortunately, taxpayers have been footing the bill for the district’s incompetence and ill-advised financial moves. According to the Oakland Tribune (July 7, 2008), “Five years after the state assumed control of the nearly bankrupt Oakland school system, the district’s finances remain on shaky ground, an investigation by the Alameda County Civil Grand Jury has concluded.” The article continues, “The brief report…… Read More

The buzz on cable news and national talk shows this week is the tragic murder of San Franciscan Tony Bologna and his two young sons at the hands of an illegal alien. The brutal and senseless slaying occurred June 22 when El Salvadoran Edwin Ramos (allegedly) shot the three men after their car accidentally blocked his car’s path at an intersection. Such a crime would normally be chalked up as another big-city-violence statistic except that the perpetrator is an illegal alien with a long criminal record.

It’s probably no coincidence that Ramos was hiding in the Bay Area; San Francisco is a sanctuary city, refusing to cooperate in deporting those who have broken the law to enter our nation. That means San Francisco’s government publicly and proudly defies its very purpose for existence: to protect its citizens from criminals. Outside of this fundamental purpose, government should play a very limited role in citizens’ lives. But instead of protecting its residents from savages like Edwin Ramos, the city has actually… Read More