Yesterday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson, former chief over at Goldman Sachs, appeared in Stockton yesterday to talk about the challenges facing many who took out subprime loans. The question you have to ask Secretary Paulson is whether he plans on playing the part of the Grinch, stealing Christmas from all of those who did not decide to engage in riskly loan taking. Because that seems to be what he and other advocates of taxpayer support/bailouts of those adults to decided to take out sub prime loans for whom that decision is not working out. Government intervention into the mortgage lending marketplace will result in two things. The first is that it will artificially keep home prices higher, keeping a whole group of non-risk takers who have been waiting for the market to come down from being able to buy or upgrade their homes. The… Read More

Over at Metroblogging LA the vote for LA’s Grinch is almost over.

The nominees include Nick Counter and the AMPTP for the writers strike, the LA Unified School District (for their payroll system although what they do to kids could be in there, Pasadena Mayor Bogaard for his coddling of Red China, The Cheviot Hills Homeowners Association for their subway opposition, and the LA City Nerd a blogger who disappeared from cyberspace. Well at least from cyberspace.… Read More

After twelve years of misrule by arch Leftists in South Korea, Koreans repudiated the pro North Korean anti American government by electing conservative Myung Bak Lee, President by capturing more votes that all 9 of his opponents combined.

Korean Americans in California are vitally interested in the US having good relations with their mother country. With over 500,000 Korean Americans living in California, many now reliable voters, the hope that the left wing government would be removed was rewarded last night. Many of the… Read More

I just came from the secret Headquarters that Capitol Resource Family Impact has set up to process the petitions being sent back. If successful, the referendum would stop SB 777, the anti-family school curriculum billed signed by the Governor.

With just a few weeks to go, the challenge will be for the effort to get a good chunk of the over 375,000 petitions distributed back. They are on their way.… Read More

Earlier this week, former California Governor Pete Wilson officially declared his opposition to Proposition 93 on this February’s ballot. As FR readers will recall, Prop. 93 is what we call "the big lie" and it is the measure placed on the ballot by Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez as a rather naked effort to extend his own political career. Governor Wilson also has come out strongly against the campaign to recall State Senator Jeff Denham, an orchestrated effort by Senate President Don Perata to try to "take out" Denham for his opposition to this year’s state budget. Also, Governor Wilson has endorsed and is a strong supporter of Rudy Giuliani for President. Yesterday FR Publisher Jon Fleischman conducted an interview with Governor Wilson, which is presented below as a featured Podcast. In the interview, Wilson and… Read More

Today is the first time FR readers have heard from Gary Jeandron. It won’t be the last. I believe Gary will be the next Assemblyman from the 80th District.

Whether Prop 93 passes or not, Gary will have a strong impact in California politics in the years to come. If Prop 93 passes, Gary will support Bonnie Garcia (one of my best buddies) in her reelection and be a major player in her campaign. If it fails, Gary will be the next Assemblyman.

In so many ways Gary is a tremendous candidate. He’s the just retired Police Chief of Palm Springs (over 35 years with the department). He’s a School Board Member of the Palm Springs Unified School District. He’s a certified Marriage and Family Counselor. And he’s been married to his beautiful wife,… Read More

Earlier this week, former California Governor Pete Wilson officially declared his opposition to Proposition 93 on this February’s ballot. As FR readers will recall, Prop. 93 is what we call "the big lie" and it is the measure placed on the ballot by Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez as a rather naked effort to extend his own political career. Governor Wilson also has come out strongly against the campaign to recall State Senator Jeff Denham, an orchestrated effort by Senate President Don Perata to try to "take out" Denham for his opposition to this year’s state budget. Also, Governor Wilson has endorsed and is a strong supporter of Rudy Giuliani for President. Yesterday FR Publisher Jon Fleischman conducted an interview with Governor Wilson, which is presented below as a featured Podcast. In the interview, Wilson and… Read More

Today,as reported in the Sacramento Bee (here and here), the Sacramento City Council voted to moveahead with a threatened eminent domain proceeding to be commenced on property downtown, just 2 blocks from where the Legislature tramples the rights of the rest of California, the State Capitol.

Under previous eminent domain threatby the city, Mr Moe Mohanna had agreed to swap land and buildingswith adjacent lands that the city had bought up and allow the city redevelopment gang to do their thing. But the properties the city wanted to deal him caught fire, were ordered demolished, and of course suffered a great loss of value due to its "material adverse change" thereby rejecting the swap without some greater consideration. The city claims to not have money lying around [good, it should be going to pay for cops, fire fighters and fixing streets] to sweeten the threat/deal for Mr Mohanna.

… Read More