I don’t know Richard Edelman, but he has been quite successful in business, growing his public relations firm to be one of the largest and most influential on the globe. The reason why Edelman ended up tracking on my radar screen, as a publisher of a website on California politics, is that his company has just hired FR State Capitol Correspondent Dan Schnur to lead its California Public Affairs Practice.

What an outstanding pick by Edelman.

I have known Dan (pictured) for the better part of two decades now, and I know he is going to do a great job for Edelman, and its clients. But wait, before anyone assumes that my heaping of praise means that Dan is (like me) somewhere to the right of Attila the Hun, he is not. Dan’s somewhat more moderate in ideology than me, and definitely more moderate in his temperament. Nevertheless, it is a testament to Dan’s… Read More

Last week America lost a true hero when retired Congressman Henry Hyde (R-IL) passed away. Hyde was an unquestioned icon in the conservative movement. We reached out to Congressman John Doolittle, who served with Hyde, to ask him to share his thoughts on Hyde’s passing…

Henry Hyde: A Giant Who Will Long Be Remembered By Congressman John T. Doolittle To know Henry Hyde was to know that you were in the presence of a special human being. He was a man with presence. He had confidence and the intellect to make a difference with his public service. In 1998, he was Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee when the House of… Read More

When I started to write this post the conclusion was going to be very different. I had gathered information about the language of Prop 63 and the pending litigation on the matter.

I did not vote for this ballot measure in 2004. I rarely vote for tax increases.

Despite this, it appeared to me that the will of the voters was not respected by the Governor and Legislature during the last budget deal. The language of Prop 63 requires not only additional dollars to be spent on mental health in California but also additional program additions as well.

Briefly, Proposition 63 was a measure passed by the voters in 2004 that placed an additional 1% income tax on income over $1 million. I did not support the measure because we already have a graduated income tax system. If the state wanted these programs then they should figure out a way to give the counties money to pay for them. The driving force behind this effort was then Assemblyman Darrel Steinberg.

On Tuesday, the Yolo County Board of Supervisors approved the expenditure of $91,000 of these funds for the mentally ill in our… Read More

Previously, I reported on an attempt by a hodge podge of various human rights type groups that have targeted the Red Chinese float that will spotlight the 2008 Olympics in the city formerly know as Peking .

Pasadena elected leaders refused to even send a “strongly worded” letter about human right to the Chinese. I’m sure the Chicoms were glad they ducked that one.

The protestors now have the right target. They plan on educating people with a billboard campaign. They also want people to turn their backs on the Rose Parade Float as it goes by. Not enough people know or want to know what the Red Chinese are up to. It is a good start.

… Read More

Compiled by the FlashReport "Elves"

“Congratulations on your 40th birthday. Wishing you and your family continued health and happiness. Thank you for all of your hard work in the Republican Party.” – Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger "Happy 40th birthday Jon. Keep fighting, we all appreciate your voice." – Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner "Happy birthday Jon. You have finally come of age. You have a beautiful wife, Maureen, a beautiful child, Matthew, and you’re no longer a public employee. Welcome to the real world. Linda and I wish you forty more years of joy, happiness, and success." – Senate Republican Leader Dick Ackerman “On behalf of the entire Assembly Republican Caucus, I wish you a happy 40th birthday! We appreciate your hard work and wish you the best in the year ahead.” – Assembly… Read More

A number of Democrat members of Congress have been wearing pins while walking the halls lately here in the U.S. Capitol. The pins say simply "Article I." I inquired what the pins mean? They responded that the first Article of the constitution is the one the established the legislative branch of government. The executive branch is in Article II, and the Judiciary in Article III. The order of these, they believe, shows the primacy of the legislative branch in the Founders’ minds. They wear the pin because they believe that the legislative branch has ceded too much power to the executive branch, and that it’s time to take that power back. I agree. But I don’t agree for the same reasons they do. It is not, as they believe, because George Bush has established some imperial presidency. Certainly it is no more, and probably no less, controlling than other recent presidencies. But every time Congress passes a bill creating a new government agency, or a new government program, or a new department, or a new mandate, Congress creates a new implement of power for the executive branch. You see, all the agencies and departments… Read More

Freedom and liberty aren’t just words in America. They mean something. This is a country where you can start with virtually nothing, and achieve the dream of amazing financial success, whether it making hamburgers, or computers. But that freedom with a price — it is called individual responsibility. You see, the key to having a free country is that we have a truly limited government. Liberty means being able to take risks, and hopefully achieving tremendous success. But it also means that there is risk as well. Some people prefer to avoid risk, and that is their prerogative. But is a truthful statement that many of the self-made success stories in America occured because someone took a risk, and showed a willingness to potentially lose what they have to try to better their position in our society. It is with some level of amazement that I read that President Bush has unleashed his Treasury… Read More

At our request, State Board of Equalization Member and frequent FR Contributor Bill Leonard (pictured) penned these thoughts on the passing of California Taxpayers Association President Larry McCarthy… Larry McCarthy is gone and the world is a poorer place. It is right that conservatives honor his life and the dedication he had for each of us. Anyone involved in California tax policy over the last couple of decades knew Larry. Whether it was complex issues of unitary taxation of multinational corporations or simple principles that voters should be the final authority in approving tax increases Larry was in the thick of it. (And on both of these he helped me) His knowledge of taxes made him a resource for many and his unassuming generosity with his time made him high on that list of people you would want to call to get answers. His expertise… Read More