“There are some lunatics out there and for $200 we encourage them.” – Senator Mark Leno, speaking in favor of AB 1100,as quoted by the Los Angeles Times, August 17, 2015

Filing an initiative in California is about to get harder, thanks to a law taking effect on January 1st, 2016, that will increase the filing fee from the current $200 to $2,000. While $2,000 may seem like a lot, if the original fee, set at $200 back in 1943, wereadjusted for inflation, today it would cost $2,366. And anyone seriously intending to place their initiative onto California’s statewide ballot will need a lot more than $2,000, since qualifyingthe measures invariably requires paying professional signature gatherers. How many signatures are required varies depending on turnouts in California’s gubernatorial elections. Based on the 2014 turnout, getting ballot initiatives onto… Read More

“Because of Prop 13, our property taxes are low in California.”

Well, at least that’s the mantra of the MSM and the CA progressives. Facts say otherwise.

According to recent figures graciously provided me by RealtyTrac — a highly respected national firm — the 2014averageCA single-family residence (SFR) property tax is the 8thhighest state in the nation. Our average tax is $4,211. The national average is $3,188.

Here’s the link to the average SFR property tax for all 50 states in spreadsheet form, courtesy of RealtyTrac. In addition, another “tab” in the spreadsheet workbook gives the average tax by county across the nation — check out your area.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zvqPvc8vI6VPHZnTuVPlYWNiQMK2VSBAfuBFX792llI/edit?usp=sharing

For more information on… Read More

After the passage of Proposition 13, Howard Jarvis became even more popular with average citizens. He would joke that overnight he went from being regarded as a “nut” by the political elites to being seen as a “savior” for millions of California homeowners.

Visitors to Howard’s office would praise him for coming up with Proposition 13 just when it was so desperately needed. But Howard would just smile and point out that he had been working on property tax reform for 16 years.

Howard was tenacious and a big believer in the power of people when they combined together to make change. When speaking to groups he would hold up his hand with his fingers extended and say that while separately they were weak, united they were strong and he would form his hand into a fist. Some will remember seeing the photo of Howard holding up his fist on the cover of Time Magazine.

To read the entire column click here http://www.hjta.org/california-commentary/%E2%80%8Btenacity-is-the-secret-to-taxpayer-success%E2%80%8B/… Read More

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At first blush, boys identifying as girls and demanding access to the girls’ bathroom seems like a recent phenomena. But the underlying issue–identity versus reality–is nothing new. 19th century writer Hans Christian Anderson explored the subject in “The Emperor’s New Clothes”.

As you may recall, the emperor hired a pair of weavers to update his wardrobe. As it turned out, they spun a better tale than robes.

Although in reality he was not wearing anything, the King identified as fully clothed. The untrustworthy tailors had convinced the royal that his new clothes were not visible to anyone who was incompetent or stupid. Only a child was brave enough to finally blurt out the naked facts.

In today’s push for sexually integrated bathrooms, all too many have given into the notion that sincerity trumps reality and those who don’t go along are stupid, or worse, are hate filled bullies. But it is possible to have compassion for those that believe biology has betrayed them without integrating traditionally sex separated facilities.

In California, Privacy For All is gathering signatures to place the Personal… Read More

What’s missing in most government representation these days is actual representation of the citizens. The city of Fresno, CA is fortunate to have a councilman who works on behalf of its residents. And now, Councilman Clint Olivier, a Republican, is running for State Assembly. But what makes his race so interesting is he announced his Assembly run early to replace Assemblyman Henry Perea, D-Fresno. However, complicating issues, Perea just announced last week he is resigning office effective December 31.

There will be a Special Election to fill out the remaining months of Perea’s term, likely to be held in early April, if all goes well.

“If Olivier’s name isn’t familiar, be thankful,” I wrote in June. “He’s not the son of a politician. He’s not from Hollywood. He didn’t get independently wealthy as a hedge-fund manager on oil and coal investments. He hasn’t sold rocket launchers to Filipino Muslim separatists, or offered bribes to FBI agents.”

Assemblyman Perea shook up the race for his seat as he announced his resignation last week to head for a lucrative lobbying job. The two previously announced contenders for the Assembly seat… Read More

re·ac·tion·ar·y,rēˈakSHəˌnerē,adjective 1.(of a person or a set of views) opposing political or social liberalization or reform. – Source: Google search “what is a reactionary”

When it comes to civic financial health and quality public education, “reactionary” is a word with increasingly bipartisan connotations. But the other qualities connoted by the word all still apply; shrill and divisive rhetoric, an almost militant unwillingness to acknowledge any of the opposition’s arguments, and, of course, an unyielding position favoring the status-quo, no matter how untenable.

Pension reactionaries embody all of these characteristics. For the most part, they are also hypocrites. Because their devastatingly effective campaigns against pension reformers are fundednot only by public employee unions, but also by powerful elements of those same Wall Street financial interests those unions routinely deride. They employ distortions of fact, they demonize reformers, and they employ inversions of logic.

Let’s examine some of the misleading arguments and tactics of the pension reactionaries, in no particular… Read More

This is the second part in a series; Part l is here.

California businesses are being targeted for retribution through a bill passed by the Legislature and signed into lawby Gov. Brown October 10, rewriting the definition of the labor rules governing piece-rate compensation in California.

Assembly Bill 1513 unfairly singles out two of the largest fruit growers in the San Joaquin Valley, for discriminatory treatment, based on demands that these two companies be excluded from protection under the bill’s affirmative defense. Both companies are targets of United Farm Workers unionizing efforts.

It is however, a violation of the U.S. Constitution to single out members of a group so as to inflict punishment on them without a judicial trial (United States v. Lovett).

Fowler Packing Company and Gerawan Farming are the victims of an injustice done at the behest of the… Read More

In Obama’s world, Catholic, Presbyterian and Jewish Americans with guns are more dangerous than heavily armed Islamic terrorists.

In his Oval Office speech to the nation Sunday evening, following the San Bernardino terrorist attacks, President Barack Obama offered no new plan, and no new strategy in the war against Islamic extremism. He was silent about Americans empowering themselves in the face of this latest attack.

The only assurances he gave were to our enemies.

Obama spent more time speaking about anti-Muslim bigotry than he did… Read More