Editorial boards and newspaper columnists are quick to assign “greed” as the motive driving Amazon, eBay and others to oppose a new law aimed at making more out-of-state online retailers collect sales tax on behalf of the State of California. But the greediest actor in this drama isn’t Amazon —- it’s the government.

You see, online retailers didn’t pick this fight. State lawmakers did —- out of misguided lust for revenue they’ll never see.

Put aside the rhetoric and consider the facts. Under the U.S. Constitution, state lawmakers can’t compel out-of-state retailers to collect sales tax unless those retailers have a physical retail presence —- known as “nexus” —- in our state. Californians are supposed to pay use tax —- the equivalent of sales tax —- on out-of-state purchases, but few do.

It works the same way in reverse. California businesses making out-of-state sales in states where they have no brick-and-mortar retail presence don’t have to register with the tax bureaucracies in those states, collect and remit sales tax or be subject to audits. In five states where Amazon collects and remits sales tax, many California… Read More

The CRP Platform Drafting Committee drafted a platform to present to the entire platform committee thinks they have a solution for winning election.

Stand for nothing. Pretend we are Democrats and all will be well.

For at least two decades liberals in the party have wanted to water down parts of the platforms that deal with protecting innocent human life, the family and protecting the second amendment. Saturday they got their chance and adopted a platform that does that. The proposed platform deletes over 98% of all the language on those issues.

There is more said about “Defending Agriculture” then protecting marriage or the unborn.

There are some suggestions that were recommended by the committee that make this watered down platform slightly better. Think of it as the first stage of treating waste water. Would you still want to drink it?

Amendments to add in the current pro-life plank and current statement on marriage and the family only received two votes (Myself and Craig DeLuz). The committee ended debate to avoid an amendment to keep the current Right to Keep and Bear Arms Section.

In the debate about the marriage issue, it… Read More

Bring back the 2006 version of Barack Obama!

On 16 March, 2006 on the floor of the U.S. Senate, Obama made the following solid speech — a speech he would ridicule today:

Mr. [U.S. Senate] President, I rise today to talk about America’s debt problem.

The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government can’t pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies.

Over the past 5 years, our federal debt has increased by $3.5 trillion to $8.6 trillion. That is “trillion” with a “T.” That is money that we have borrowed from the Social Security trust fund, borrowed from China and Japan, borrowed from American taxpayers. And over the next 5 years, between now and 2011, the President’s budget will increase the debt by almost another $3.5 trillion…

Increasing America’s debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that “the buck stops… Read More

As I have said before, I have changed my mind, after experience has taught me the lessons, on several issues. Term limits is one. I read Jon Fleischman’s column yesterday, and thought a response was necessary. Jon has been a great asset over the years to the conservative movement, and he makes his living from politics. That is a good thing, in my estimation, because we need people like him in doing that kind of work.

He makes the point that term limits is popular because “people don’t trust politicians.” Not trusting politicians is about as American as apple pie. We in this country have always had a healthy distrust of government and those who run it. That is a good thing as well. Government and power are corrupting influences, we should always view government, and the people in power, with a jaded eye. People are people, and if they are not held accountable, they will, in many cases, turn their power to their advantage. That doesn’t hurt in the private sector, because in the private sector people always have a choice, they can go somewhere else for the services or goods they desire. In government, the abuse of power is… Read More

The Citizens Redistricting Commission that resulted from the passage of Propositions 11 and 20 is close to completing their work. Yesterday they released a set of maps for Congress, State Senate, State Assembly and Board of Equalization that they are likely to vote in favor of putting out for official review later today.

To view the proposed maps please go to Meridian Pacific’s website at www.mpimaps.com FR friend Chandra Sharma has set up a wonderful website that allows all of us to see the districts, key cities, and past election outcomes.

The Commission is likely to spend a good portion of the today patting themselves on the back for a job well done. They certainly do deserve credit for spending as much time as they did on this project over the past eight months, and it does appear that their just is, well, just about done. However, the process was not a smooth one at all.

First, it is clear that some of the Commissioners focused on their own personal agendas. Why is it that San Joaquin County is whole in a Senate (SD 5) and Congressional District (SD 9)? That would be because Stockton was lucky enough to… Read More

You all know how the limbo dance works, right? The bar keeps going lower and lower until the eventual winner wins by passing under it at a heighth that no one else can. Contrary to the beliefs of many in the Republican Party, our position in this debt limit fight is mostly over how low we can set the bar for ourselves. Insiders look at the “Boehner” plan and see a great compromise. “At least they didn’t raise taxes” becomes our self congratulatory mantra. Instead, because I guess we’ve lost all ability to remember an election that happened less than a year ago, we’ve become so clueless we cannot even do basic math. The Boehner plan gives the Democrats 90% of what they want even as they protest that it’s somehow unfair.

So here’s the deal. Obama and the Democrats, when they had the entire government, raised the annual federal spending baseline over a trilion dollars. Over a ten year period, that is $10 trillion. What happened after that was the greatest mid term election defeat in modern history, a historic loss of House seats by the same Democrats responsible for the pillage. The Tea Party… Read More

Here’s a depressing but documented comparison of California taxes and economic climate with the rest of the states. The news is breaking bad, and getting worse (I keep updating this fact sheet):

California has the 3rd worst state income tax in the nation. 9.3% tax bracket starts at $46,766 for people filing as individuals. 10.3% tax starts at $1,000,000 LINK

Highest state sales tax rate in the nation. 7.25% (as of 1 July). 7% is next highest (does not include local sales taxes) LINK Table #15

California corporate income tax rate (8.84%) is the highest west of the Mississippi (our economic competitors) except for Alaska. LINK #8 — we are 8th highest nationwide.

California’s 2011 Business Tax Climate ranks 2nd worst in the nation. LINK

Fourth highest capital gains tax 9.3%… Read More

On my vacation this summer this is my reading:

Listening to America (Bill Moyers). Yeah he’s an annoying liberal but I read the first chapter and couldn’t put it down. Gives someone who didn’t live through the 1960’s a good feeling for what people from a variety of backgrounds thought about the social change.

Before the Dawn (Gerry Adams). Figure I should at least hear the other side.

Basic Brown (Willie Brown). Can’t believe I haven’t read it yet. Hey I don’t come out of the progressive Republican wing of the GOP. I think organizations provide better representation than civil servants.

The Maltese Falcon (Dashiell Hammett). I just can’t believe I haven’t read this before. Sam Spade. Classic but is it good?

The Thin Man (Dashiell Hammett). One of my favorite movies… I had no idea it was a book.

All The Kings Men (Robert Warren). Read it several years ago it needs another round. This is the fallback book.

Plus I saved up a couple weeks of The Economist and the New Yorker… Read More