OK, so it was in medieval England, but still, can you imagine how the wine collectors felt to see their vintage bottles go from a 96 Wine Spectator rating to a 20 or 30 due to climate change?

The Chronicle today, as part of the Al Gore and the MSM’s continued attempts to get the public whipped up about climate change, ran a story that predicts that global warming will ruin the state’s wine industry by the end of the century. To support their charge, one of the report authors pointed to past climate changes:

"We know that climate change has affected wine production in the past," said Noah Diffenbaugh, assistant professor of earth and atmospheric sciences at Purdue… Read More

Middle class students leaving for a better education. The board is fighting the city on school reforms. Some areas want to break awayand now the superintendent is leaving. This is not LAUSD but Pasadena…inLA County.

Pasadena unified has faced these same problems. Altadena wants out, the city wants to change the way the board is elected. Right nowa candidate declares for a particular seat and then runs district wide. There is a run-off if no one gets over 50% in the primary. The superintendent was bought out after a several years of service. Good stuff. Read about it all here in the Pasadena Weekly.

I bet parents are glad they aren’t part of LA Unified.… Read More

Are you a website developer? Do you want to get exposure on the FlashReport? If so, we may be able to make a deal. I have an immediate need for some website work that is not directly on the FlashReport but is related. If you are interested in hearing more, and potentially willing to trade services in return for some praise on the FR and an advertisement on this site for a determined period of time, please drop me an e-mail here.

Thanks for your consideration.… Read More

On budget matters, Gray Davis always over promised and under delivered. President Bush tends to do the opposite. Today’s announcement of this year’s revised estimate of the budget deficit was $296 billion, which is $127 billion bellow February’s prediction. If economic growth continues next year’s deficit could shrink to below $200 billion.… Read More

Today we feature an amazing column from Kevin Dayton of the Associated Builders and Contractors of California exposing an amazing $6 million dollar program in the recently-approved State Budget that funds a biased big-labor institute. You can read the column here.

The FR would like to extend an opportunity to the Governor, or to the following Republican Legislators who voted for this funding (with their vote for the budget) to submit a 600-800 word column in support of this program.

THE GOP LEGISLATORS WHO VOTED YES ON THE BUDGET:

STATE SENATE Dick Ackerman (R – Tustin) Roy Ashburn (R – Bakersfield) Jeff Denham (R – Merced) Bob Dutton (R – Rancho Cucamonga) Chuck Poochigian (R – Fresno)

STATE ASSEMBLY George Plescia (R – San Diego) Greg Aghazarian (R – Stockton) Lynn Daucher (R – Brea) Bill Emmerson (R –… Read More

The FlashReport today is topped with two ‘must read’ columns. The first is an exclusive feature column penned by Kevin Dayton of the Associated Builders and Contractors of California…. What would you say if I told you that the budget for the State of California — you know, the one signed in the spirit of ‘bi-partisan cooperation’ (translation: where just enough GOPers joined with the Governor to pass the budget while the overwhelming majority of legislative GOPers voted NO on the budget) – what would you say if I told you that it contains six million dollars in funding for a ‘labor institute’ where YOUR tax dollars are literally funding a massive big labor education and training camp ensconced at a California University? It is absolutely NUTS. What is worse is that the Associated Builders and Contractors, who see this as a government subsidy for those who would drive businesses, large and small, out of the state, lobbied hard against this funding – both during the budget debate and also for a veto afterwards — to no avail. If any GOPers who voted for the budget this year want to pen a column in support… Read More

The FlashReport today is topped with two ‘must read’ columns. The first is an exclusive feature column penned by Kevin Dayton of the Associated Builders and Contractors of California…. What would you say if I told you that the budget for the State of California — you know, the one signed in the spirit of ‘bi-partisan cooperation’ (translation: where just enough GOPers joined with the Governor to pass the budget while the overwhelming majority of legislative GOPers voted NO on the budget) – what would you say if I told you that it contains six million dollars in funding for a ‘labor institute’ where YOUR tax dollars are literally funding a massive big labor education and training camp ensconced at a California University? It is absolutely NUTS. What is worse is that the Associated Builders and Contractors, who see this as a government subsidy for those who would drive businesses, large and small, out of the state, lobbied hard against this funding – both during the budget debate and also for a veto afterwards — to no avail. If any GOPers who voted for the budget this year want to pen a column in support… Read More

The Mayors of Carson and Rancho Palos Verdes want out of LA Unified. Can you blame them?

Also six southeast LA Countycities oppose Villaraigosa’s plan. See article here. What should Republicans do with the plan? That is easy–they should oppose it.

You don’t even even have to get political and avoid helping the Dem 2010 nominee for Governor. (If Arnold wins)

This public policy is horrible because instead of breaking this disctrict up—-no one will be accountable. The school board really won’t be, either will the Council of Mayors and CTA supports the bill beause teachers aren’t accountable either. Brilliant. Instead of taking the time to breakup and reform the LAUSD monster , we will let it run wild a few years (After 2010)and then let everyone blame someone else.

Godspeed the Mayors of Carson and Rancho Palos Verdes. Free the children!… Read More