One of the things Calfornia is in the news for each year is the wildfire season. Usually, fire season tends to peak in the fall as that is when the fire fuels are at their driest. Weeds have completely died off, last years dead brush, slash, berry vines, etc. have lost their moisture. Forested areas have dried out completelyof snow, runoff, and any residual moisture in these fuels has been extractedby summer heat and all the dead and dying timber and slashis fully exposed to fire danger.

We see many fires already breaking out aroundthe state now, in mid-June.Here in Butte County, the Humboldt Fire,which is down to the last bits of mop-up duty, was a national news item.A total accounting so far of 84 homes and multiple out buildings were destroyed, along with over 20,000 total acres burnedof forested, grazing or brushy canyon lands.

Conditions are acutely dangerous this year.Because of low overall rain and snowfall, the fuels are extremely dry all over with the moisture content in the less than 10% range, which is usually what is typical for later in the year. Indeed, CalFire chiefsI’ve spoken to call it… Read More

[Cross-posted from Red County/Sacramento]

Red County Sacramento had posted previously on SB 1313, the bill by Sen. Ellen Corbett that elevates frivolous and unnecessary legislation to the level of harmfulness. Now, it seems it will be heard tomorrow in the Assembly Health Committee.

If is passes out of committee, it will be proof that no matter how bad an idea, you sell it if you sell it in the name of "health."

As mentioned in the previous post, SB 1313 seeks to shield Californians health from the pernicious effects of perflourinated compounds.

Sounds like something you’d want to be protected from…until you learn what it is" a substance that is integral to making Teflon, food packaging and anything else that needs to not stick to your food.

Compounding the stupidity of Corbett’s bill is there perflourinated… Read More

Are we seeing a big shift of public opinion in California in support of off-shore oil drilling?… Read More

Today the Governor signed into law Assembly Bill 1667 by our own Doug LaMalfa.

Why isn’t this Carny smiling?

La Malf’a’s AB 1667 provides that it is a crime for any person who owns or operates a fair or carnival concession that utilizes a mechanical device, which he or she reasonably should know will be fraudulently used to diminish the chance of any patron to win a prize.

What’s a Carny to do? Then again, someone needs to explain what this law means in language that he can understand…… Read More

Next Wednesday will be a busy one for the State Senate Rules Committee as they hold hearings, and votes, on a slew of pieces of proposed legislation. State Senator Jeff Denham will occupy a good portion of the committee’s time as he has introduced a great many of those bills himself. But this morning I wanted to highlight three of them – two great ideas, and one not-so-great idea.

First – the great ones – SCR 68 and SCR 69 are described thusly by the Senate Republican Caucus:

Next Wednesday will be a busy one for the State Senate Rules Committee as they hold hearings, and votes, on a slew of pieces of proposed legislation. State Senator Jeff Denham will occupy a good portion of the committee’s time as he has introduced a great many of those bills himself. But this morning I wanted to highlight three of them – two great ideas, and one not-so-great idea.

First – the great ones – SCR 68 and SCR 69 are described thusly by the Senate Republican Caucus:

My long-time friend and current client Floyd Brown is featured in a story today in the New York Times on his efforts to raise funds, produce commercials, and get the public focused on Barrack Hussein Obama’s awful record and policy positions. Floyd is no stranger to California. He served in Santa Barbara as Executive Director of the Reagan Ranch for four years a few years back, where I had the opportunity to work with him again when I was on the Board of Young America’s Foundation. Floyd also serves with me on the American Conservative Union Board, and with me and your publisher Jon Fleischmanas a Director of the annual "Western Conservative Political ActionConference," which will be held again October 10/11, 2008 in Newport Beach. (Information: www.westerncpac.com.)

Behind the scenes, Floyd has been meeting with Orange County conservative leaders over the last couple of months and assisting Assemblyman Chuck DeVore with the establishment of "Citizens for a Safe and Prosperous America," an issue advocacy committee, whose intent is to… Read More

On Tuesday, Governor Schwarzenegger delivered an address at the annual, massive 2008 BIO International Convention. The event is so large that it is attended by scientists and researchers from over 70 countries. You can watch the Governor’s remarks on video, courtesy of his website, here (Warning: if you watch the video, it opens with the Governor trying to make a joke after the defeat of the Lakers in the NBA finals. It falls so flat that it reinforces a stereotype — that scientists don’t watch or follow professional sports).

Since we are heading into the high-stakes season of state budget negotiations, it’s always interesting to listen to what the Governor says to look for his personal budget priorities. While enduring a few (too many) mentions of "global warming blah… Read More