Over the last couple of days, the Governor has been crying about Federal judges. Everything he is saying about them is true. They are out of control. They think they are the governors of this state. They think they have the power to tell the state how to run its operation. All of that is true. So what? Those things are not new. Federal judges have been out of control for at least 50 years, and they have had no regard for state government since at least 1936. So what?

In previous columns in this blog, in papers, and while I was in the Legislature, I have advocated that the state government, and particularly the Governor, tell the federal judges to take a very long leap off of a very high bridge. I have been ignored, because, as everyone knows, I’m am crazy, unrealistic, way too conservative, and I lack judgment.

I would have also saved the state a lot of headaches and a lot of money.

Today, another voice, obviously one who thinks himself very reasonable, not as crazy as Haynes, and certainly wise and judicious, has joined in my solo. We are now a chorus. Take a look at the… Read More

Last night in a telephonic Board of Directors meeting, the Young Republican Federation of California endorsed Republican National Committeewoman Linda Ackerman in her bid for the State Assembly.

This endorsing is a big one for Ackerman for two reason. The first is that the YRFC is significant statewide Republican group in California, with an ability to turn out large numbers of volunteers from around the state in special elections.

The second reason is that in a blistering in-essence two-way primary with a lot of mud being hurled in both directions, both the Ackerman and the Norby campaigns will be seeking all credible third parties to come in and vouch for them.… Read More

Last evening, I attended an event in Oakland where 250 people—mostly Republicans—gathered to listen to Meg Whitman discuss why she wants to be California’s next governor. After a brief speech in which she laid out her three top priorities—cutting spending, creating jobs and improving education—she took questions from the audience. There were a number of interesting questions asked, including her position on Prop. 13 (she doesn’t want to touch it), how would she deal with the powerful public employee unions (tough negotiations) and how she would improve schools (among other things, increase the number of charter schools and give public schools a letter grade, A-F).

On economic and government spending issues, Whitman says all of the right things. She even says she plans to take on the CTA in order to improve the schools. But I can’t help to think back to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s campaign for governor. He was saying the same things. Yet, in the end, he never had the skill set to actually achieve those reforms.

So my question to Meg Whitman last night was, essentially, how are you going to be different than Arnold Schwarzenegger?… Read More

FR friend Greg Lucas over on his California’s Capitol blog posts up a media release issued jointly by Senatoor Mark DeSaulnier and Assemblyman Mike Feuer, who are Chairmen of each house’s Select Committee On Improving State Government, are convening the first joint hearing to, "address the pressing need for state government reform."

I noted with interest the group of panelists that will appear before the committee:

Bill Lockyer, State Treasurer and former President Pro Tem of the California State Senate Robert Naylor, former Republican Leader, California State Assembly Laura Chick, Inspector General of California, former Los Angeles City Controller Mac Taylor, Legislative Analyst of California William Hauck, Chairman, California Constitution Revision Commission Fred Silva, Senior Fiscal Policy Advisor, California Forward and former Executive Secretary, California Constitution Revision Commission Bruce Cain, Executive Director, U.C. Washington Center and former Director of the Institute of Governmental Studies, University … Read More

FR friend Greg Lucas over on his California’s Capitol blog posts up a media release issued jointly by Senatoor Mark DeSaulnier and Assemblyman Mike Feuer, who are Chairmen of each house’s Select Committee On Improving State Government, are convening the first joint hearing to, "address the pressing need for state government reform."

I noted with interest the group of panelists that will appear before the committee:

Bill Lockyer, State Treasurer and former President Pro Tem of the California State Senate Robert Naylor, former Republican Leader, California State Assembly Laura Chick, Inspector General of California, former Los Angeles City Controller Mac Taylor, Legislative Analyst of California William Hauck, Chairman, California Constitution Revision Commission Fred Silva, Senior Fiscal Policy Advisor, California Forward and former Executive Secretary, California Constitution Revision Commission Bruce Cain, Executive Director, U.C. Washington Center and former Director of the Institute of Governmental Studies, University … Read More

Today mailboxes in AD72 were hit by two positive mail pieces promoting Linda Ackerman. The timing is critical because all of the district’s absentee ballot voters are also receiving their ballots right about now.

One piece ("Dear Friend" below) has been put out by the Ackerman campaign.

The other piece ("Ackerman IE Piece One") has been sent by an Independent Expenditure.

I will say this — it is critical that Ackerman’s campaign, in such a tight campaign window, put out mail that both promotes the positive image of her own candidacy — but, frankly, Norby who is popular in North Orange County will need to be brought down a notch or two (or twenty).

It will be interesting to see if the IE money for Ackerman continues to come — and also it will be interesting to see if that IE starts to go after Norby, hitting him hard.

I actually believe that for Linda Ackerman to win, it will be more important for her to sour voters’ impressions of Supervisor Norby that it will be to promote her own image — though clearly a mix of both is called for…

Enjoy the mail…… Read More

Matt Cunningham has posted up over on Red County that a significant amount of money is now coming to AD 72 voters on behalf of Linda Ackerman through an independent expenditure out of Sacramento — tens of thousands of dollars so far in just a couple of days of late-IE reporting. The mail is all listed as being in support of Ackerman (it could otherwise be marked as "opposing" Norby). We’ve written before that many of the Sacramento based associations that have been close with former Senator Dick Ackerman were rumored to be working towards an independent expenditure. We’ll have to look more closely to see exactly who is funding this one…

The Ackerman campaign has dropped another piece of mail today (linked below) that clearly is throwing down the gauntlet. The message from Ackerman to voters essentially is this: elect Chris Norby and you’re getting more of what you had with the last guy. That’s quite a case to make. Heck, the campaign has even entitled this piece, "Fresh Start."

Will that stick with the… Read More

Since July 2007, California has officially lost one million jobs and shows no signs of slowing down.

What will California’s elected leaders do about the abysmal economic climate that is pushing quite a few businesses out of our state?

Will Democrat leaders finally wise up and suspend Assembly Bill 32 – the Global Warming Sideshow – and work towards meaningful reforms of California’s business climate to enable companies to maintain jobs here, and God forbid actually expand and grow jobs in California?

Or, as I suspect, will they be unsatisfied untilCalifornia hits the two-million-jobs lost mark?… Read More