This Governor cares about education…

"Governor Schwarzenegger has long been an advocate of charter schools because of their ability to reach students and achieve results in unique and effective ways," said Dennis "Coach" Snyder, founder of the Escondido Charter School District*. "He has worked to support charter schools across the state as Governor. His plan to build for the future of California includes half a billion dollars to build more charter schools. I applaud Governor Schwarzenegger for his dedication to ensuring … Read More

Today is my first turn at sharing the Daily Commentary chores in our publisher’s absence. Since Jon is thousands of miles away in Great Britain, I’m going to step outside of my usual Orange County bailiwick and comment about the senatorship of Barbara Boxer – the nightmare from which we cannot awaken. Like many California conservatives, Election Night in November 1992 is probably the darkest night of my political night. That was the night Bruce Herschensohn narrowly lost the U.S. Senate contest to that screech owl of the Left, Barbara Boxer.

Sen. Boxer provides us with regular reminders of how much California and the nation lost when she, and not Bruce Herschensohn, was elected to the world greatest deliberative body. The most recent example was Boxer’s vote to require a pull-out of U.S. troops from Iraq by the end-of-this year (this defeatist resolution allowed "only forces that are critical to… Read More

KQED’s John Myers blogged this afternoon about anew budget developmentregarding the $300 million expansion of social services for illegal immigrants:

“Senate Democrats are apparently willing to take their plans for expansion of state financed health care for children out of the budget for the new fiscal year. It’s that expansion of the program, which covers children regardless of their immigration status, that has drawn strong objections from legislative Republicans. As such, the first budget deadline was missed last week.”… Read More

Like other small businesses, Meridian Pacific is always keeping an eye on the bottom line. Our new Workers’ Compensation premiums just came in and we are going to save $1,400 this year. Other California small businesses are likely seeing the same results from the reforms Governor Schwarzenegger championed 2 years ago.… Read More

If you want to be in political vogue this year, here’s what you need to know. The slogan “live within our means” is out, pandering to Latino voters is in. That’s why you see Arnold and the Democrats falling all over themselves to get close to the new “It” voter for 2006.

Republicans, never having been the cool kids in the building (as the capitol is known), are slow to play along and throw out last year’s chinos for this year’s cargo pants. Republicans are still stuck on fixing the structural deficit and passing a responsible budget. Others have different ideas.

While Democrats voted to cut $148 million from the budget for public safety, they were busy adding $300 million in new spending on welfare for illegal immigrants.

Gone is money in the budget that takes a proactive approach to surveillance and arrest of habitual sexual offenders.

Gone is money in the budget to provide guidance and mentorships to nearly 210,000 juveniles arrested yearly.

Gone is money in the budget to expand the number of community police officers.

Law enforcement groups say the average cost to hire a new police officer is… Read More

If you want to be in political vogue this year, here’s what you need to know. The slogan “live within our means” is out, pandering to Latino voters is in. That’s why you see Arnold and the Democrats falling all over themselves to get close to the new “It” voter for 2006.

Republicans, never having been the cool kids in the building (as the capitol is known), are slow to play along and throw out last year’s chinos for this year’s cargo pants. Republicans are still stuck on fixing the structural deficit and passing a responsible budget. Others have different ideas.

While Democrats voted to cut $148 million from the budget for public safety, they were busy adding $300 million in new spending on welfare for illegal immigrants.

Gone is money in the budget that takes a proactive approach to surveillance and arrest of habitual sexual offenders.

Gone is money in the budget to provide guidance and mentorships to nearly 210,000 juveniles arrested yearly.

Gone is money in the budget to expand the number of community police officers.

Law enforcement groups say the average cost to hire a new police officer is… Read More

Now that the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority has actually placed what many saw as the inevitable on the November ballot (see June 5 news release), meaning joint use with the military of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar for SD’s future airport, the real fun begins.

The Authority spared nothing in "spending" (I’m being nice there) millions of dollars to get to a ballot question that the Marines have opposed all along, and now no expense will be spared by various interests to get the thing passed….or defeated.

If folks in SD thought Bilbray-Busby was bad from an inundation in advertising standpoint, hang on to your seats for this one. Folks are starting to line-up.

Matt Potter in the San Diego Reader on Thursday mentioned the first horses out of the gate, a group… Read More

Recently, some Republicanleaders werenoted in the press as having the goalof transformingCalifornia into a ‘purple’ (or ‘swing’ state) rather than intoa red (safe Republican)state. The presumption behind this thought is that given the raw registration numbers, the ideological numbers, and the current gerrymandered districts, it’s a more attainable goal to move the state into the push column rather than establish political hegemony.

I agree, at least for the foreseeable future. While total victory is an admirable goal under most circumstances, there are circumstances where one’s strategic interests and the actual situation on the ground dictates a less comprehensive short or medium term solution. For the California Republican Party simply being in the game to run the government would be an enormous victory. And for our national party, forcing the Democrats to view California as a swing state and spend tens of millions of dollars to defend it in Presidential, Senate, and Congressional elections, would be a blessing.

I’ve had brief discussions on this issue with a few more or less brainy campaign… Read More