As the California Legislature returned from summer recess yesterday, top on most political insiders’ minds is Gov. Jerry Brown’s special legislative session to increase taxes through approval of a group of transportation bills. Brown and Democrats claim the tax increases are needed ostensibly to improve California’s deplorable roads and crumbling bridges, long neglected by Caltrans. However, it was Brown who failed to properly fund transportation needs through the new budget –the largest state budget in California history.

Sen. John Moorlach R-Costa Mesa, says the “transportation” special session… Read More

Since 1976, Lake Superior University annually publishes a “List of Words Banished from the Queen’s English for Mis-use, Over-use and General Uselessness.” A few of the obnoxious, overused words on the 2015 list include “polar vortex,” “takeaway,” and “foodie.” “Wasn’t it called ‘winter’ just a few years ago?” one student asked.“It’s ridiculous. Do we call people who like wine ‘winies’ or beer lovers ‘beeries’?” asked another.I love semantics.

But from the “you-can’t-make-this-stuff-up” file, in 2013, Big Brother officials in Seattlecalled for a ban on “potentially offensive” language. Government workers in Seattle were told that the words “citizen” and “brown bag” were deemed “potentially offensive” and would no longer be used in official documents and discussions. Seattle officials also said the word “citizen” was banned “because many people who live… Read More

When politicians crash and burn, they create diversionary tactics to disguise their failures. A perfect example is California Gov. Jerry Brown, and his impious policy on climate change. Just a few days ago, California Gov. Jerry Brown said the Lake County wildfire is evidence that global warming already has created dangerous conditions in California. Yet, if the climate really hasn’t really changed in twenty years, and the rainfall is actually normal (four of five years historically are below average, with one in five ‘wet’, according to a scientist friend) how does Brown get away with this garbage?

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Those on the left who wail incessantly about “income inequality” need look no further than California academia. While the left focuses like a laser beam on private sector CEO salaries, the salaries in government and state run academia are soaring.

There’s no risk being a public official; the real risk belongs to CEO’s who can be tossed out of their jobs on the whim of boards of directors. Private sector employees are subject to performance reviews and standards — it’s called merit. When was the last time anyone in government was terminated for poor performance? The faulty Oakland Bay bridge… no heads have rolled yet on that.

Income Inequality Belongs to California Academia

The UC Regents approved 3 percent raises for 15 of the University of California’s highest-paid executives. The new pay scale for the five UC chancellors are: $772,500 for UC San Francisco’s Samuel Hawgood; $516,446 for UC Berkeley’s Nicholas Dirks; $441,334 for UCLA’s Gene Block; $436,120 for UC San Diego’s Pradeep Khosla; and $424,360 for UC Davis’ Linda… Read More

The Fish and GameCommission Ignores California State Legislature – So, Who Has Oversight?

Given the recent criticism surrounding the California Fish and Game Commission, it’s only a matter of time before a state investigation is launched looking into their actions.

Assemblyman Adam Gray, D-Merced, addressed the California Fish & Game Commissionin February about legislation dealing with Bobcat trappings. Gray explained the legislative intent of Assembly Bill 1213, dealing with bobcat trappings, and said the legislature voted on the bobcat trapping bill with the anticipation that any decisions would be scientific and fact based. Gray asked the commission to hold to the Legislature’s findings, which narrowed the bill from a complete statewide ban “…because of the lack of reliable Bobcat assessments in California, and impact on local businesses which rely on hunting and trapping,” Gray explained. See the video:… Read More

A public pension crisis of epic proportions is brewing in California. The state’s public pension disaster is the greatest financial challenge California has faced since the Great Depression.

A new book by economist Lawrence McQuillen, exposes the true magnitude of the unfunded liability disaster, and focuses on the critical policy actions that drove California’s public pension debt to these heights. In California Dreaming: Lessons on How to Resolve America’s Public Pension Crisis, McQuillen, Senior Fellow at The Independent Institute, also examines the perverse political incentives of elected lawmakers and pension officials that reward them for not fixing the problem, rather letting it… Read More

Part lll – ALRB Credibility Lacking in Gunlund Case. Part l is here, Part ll is here.

The Agricultural Labor Relations Board is lacking credibility in the H&R Gunlund Ranches case.

Despite the transcripts from the ALRB v. Gunland Ranches case showing the Agricultural Labor Relations Board administrative law judge Mark Soble had doubts about crucial parts of ALRB Regional Director Silas Shawver’s testimony against the ranch, the judge still ruled against Gunlund Ranches.

During the course of the case agains Gunlund Ranches, Shawver’s status… Read More

Two weeks ago, a Democrat on the Assembly Labor and Employment Committee defiled the legislative committee process again by forcing another job-killing bill through without full debate.

Senate Bill 3 by Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, calls for repeated automatic increases in the state’s minimum wage, and is just one of his many attempts to force costs on employers that their businesses cannot bear.

Committee Chairman Assemblyman Roger Hernández, a Democrat from Los Angeles, abruptly cut off a witness midsentence. Before taking another breath, Hernándezquickly called for a vote on the bill, even though members of the public had not testified, and other lawmakers on the committee wished to speak.

When Committee Vice Chairman, Assemblyman Matthew Harper, R-Huntington Beach, tried to speak, Hernandez shut off Harper’s microphone. When Harper objected, Hernándezreached across the desk of an Assembly staff member, and physically tried to shut off Harper’s microphone. Then Hernándezordered Assembly Sergeants to remove Harper’s microphone. Hernándezimmediately forced the vote on the bill, ending along party lines.

Assemblyman Jim… Read More