[Cross-posted from RedCounty.com post by Allan Bartlett]

As the race for the 72nd AD crystallizes, it was only a matter of time before some early polling results leaked out. I think it’s fair to say at this point that a plurality of the GOP establishment in OC is falling in line behind Linda Ackerman. This is based on my conversations with insiders in the party. However someone in the party forgot to get this memo out to the voters of the 72nd District who favor Chris Norby over Linda Ackerman by a whooping 2 to 1 margin in early polling. Granted this is still very early in the election, but right now this election is Chris Norby’s to lose. This poll used a sample of 300 very likely voters. In one likely ballot match up, Norby leads Ackerman 30% to 14% with Democrat John MacMurray at 13%. Norby’s favorable to unfavorable is at a net positive of 22.5% right now.

You can read the rest of the post… Read More

The story below in today’s Sacramento Bee highlights something most Californians know all too well–our taxes are too high. The study by the Tax Foundation ranks California as having the 3rd highest tax obligation in the country. This is hurting our small business community and driving jobs out of our state–often to the 47 other states that have a more competitive environment.

With our unemployment rate at 12.2% and climbing, and taxes and regulations driving more jobs out of our state the legislature needs to convene to take action to change our course and work to create jobs. We are coming back at some point soon to deal with water–we should start to tackle the issue of job loss as well.

Nathan

Below you will find links to the study and the news story from today.

Tax Foundation Study Executive Summary: Click HERE. Tax Commission Full Study: Click HERE Sacramento Bee Story: Click HERE… Read More

Dave Bossie, the head of Citizens United, is normally not described as self-effacing or recalcitrant. However, as the man responsible for what the New York Times described in editorial yesterday as one of the biggest cases to go before the U.S. Supreme Court this year (it is surely the biggest campaign finance casesince 1976), he is circumspect. "Don’t quote me!" Bossie chuckled, over a glass of Qupe Chardonnay at the Capital Grille in Washington, D.C. last night with me and Floyd Brown. "I don’t want to jinx the case."

Bossie produced a moviecritical ofHillary Clinton a la the style of Michael Moore, and intended to commercially release it and promote it during her last presidential campaign. The Federal Election Commission didn’t like that idea and they got into a legal tangle. The result was Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission, a case Bossiewon before a three-judge panel with the help of well-known constitutional lawyer Jim Bopp of Indiana. I know Bopp and was co-counsel with him… Read More

[Cross-posted from RedCounty.com]

Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman officially announced her candidacy today in the courtyard of the El Sol office complex in downtown Fullerton.

For this conservative OC native, it was satisfying to see a Republican candidate for governor launching her campaign from the heartland of California Republicanism: Orange County.

Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle was an able and funny emcee, as always — shuffling a series of warm-up speakers on-and-off stage in the hot mid-day sun. Finally, former Gov. Pete Wilson came on stage with Whitman to introduce the candidate. Wilson was the last good governor this state had — and if you knew me in my bomb-throwing days back in the early 1990s, you’d know what a striking thing that is for me to say. Wilson talked about how quickly California state finances fell apart — and how easily — after he left office in 1998 before turning the mike over to Whitman.

Whitman delivered a good speech replete with paeans to… Read More

[Cross-posted from RedCounty.com]

The California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) is the largest public pension fund in the United States. It manages $190 billion in assets, and it’s chief actuary stated in August that it pension costs are "unsustainable."

So, when someone calls for a "sustainable" CalPERS, you’d think they were calling for reining in the state’s swollen public pension benefit system.

Well, that would all depend on what you mean by "sustainable." Muriel Strand, a candidate for one of two member-at-large spots on the… Read More

California business owners of all sizes and nature understand intimately the inordinate expense and complication of running a company in the Golden State. Because of the hostile and expensive work environment, some business owners have chosen to move their operation to other states; while others have shut down altogether.

The end result is the same: California loses jobs.

That’s why I am not surprised that a recent study by two Sacramento State professors shows California loses an astonishing amount of money year after year due to regulatory laws.

How much?

$493 billion.

That amount is almost five times the state’s general fund budget, and almost a third of the State’s gross product.

The Varshney Study provides the most comprehensive and complete analysis of the total regulatory burden in California. The study and findings have implications for policy-makers and those in charge of the regulatory environment. The results also suggest that future research should attempt to understand how to minimize the intended and unintended costs of… Read More

Okay, so I am being dragged, kicking and screaming, into writing this particular blog post. I am not kicking and screaming out of any dislike or blame for Meg Whitman or her campaign by the way, but because in writing this blog post, I am in fact becoming part of the problem about which I am about to complain.

Today Meg Whitman gave a speech here in Orange County, and announced that she is officially running for Governor. (Long pause)

"Wait," you say, "I thought Meg Whitman was already running for Governor?"

I’m glad you asked that question, loyal blog reader. Yes, in fact, Meg Whitman has not only been running for Governor for many months now — but she has been a rather high profile candidates, literally raising millions of dollars, and maintaining a pretty high profile in the media (and on this website) as she has been gearing up her campaign efforts.

Thanks to a lot of obscure and immoral campaign laws, there is actually some sort of technical distinction between having an… Read More

With serious legal trouble surrounding Acorn, a group with close ties to President Obama, it seems natural for the press to have engaged the president in discussions about the left-wing organization.

But apparently that was not the case, according to this Wall Street Journal article.

Instead, the press nearly ignored the issue. And when one Sunday morning political talk show brought up Acorn, the president scuttled the importance of Acorn’s felonious behavior concerning voter fraud.

Obama’s actions might be considered politically savvy, and he might be hoodwinking a majority of Washington journalists, but he is not fooling the electorate. In fact, his actions could fuel the fire for voter reform, including requiring voters to present identification at the polls.… Read More