The Sacramento City Council has relented to the legal prowess of Jon Coupal and Tim Biddle of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and decided that rather than just implement on their own votea new utility tax on mobile phones and new communication technologies, they will comply with the law and put the measure on the November ballot. Which is exactly what they did earier this week.

And that is where the "blue-smoke-and-mirrors" begins. Taxpayer Alert!!! The new proposed utililty tax in Sacramento isn’t a tax increase at all, according to the city! It actually lowers the utility tax on telephones from 7.5 percent to 7 percent. Yeah, on regular landline phones. Butthe new law will now add new technologies, such as text messaging and internet telephone services, to the taxable universe, resulting in $12 million more in tax revenue for the city. The city calls it the "Utility User Tax Reduction and Fairness Measure for Communications Services." LOL!

HJTA’s Biddle told the Sacramento Bee that while the city is "packaging it as a… 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 blah"… Read More

This just in from Tom Sawyer, the Governor’s Public Safety Liaison:

As the Governor’s Public Safety Liaison, I have the privilege of working with our local, state and federal law enforcement community to ensure that public safety remains our government’s top priority. With 36 years of experience in law enforcement, as a sheriff, California Highway Patrol officer and on the Board of Parole Hearings, I have devoted my career to ensuring that Californian’s are kept safe. Today, I was proud to see the Governor take a bold step in protecting California’s children from the dangers of internet child pornography. Today, Governor Schwarzenegger joined with the Attorney General and… Read More

Assemblywoman Nicole Parra, a Democrat, has apparently been flirting with the idea of becoming a Republican… No doubt helped along by a stinging attack on her from the Chairman of the Kern County Democrat Party. The odds are long that she would leave her party, but all eyes are pointed to her press conference (underway now) to see what she is going to say in response to accusations that she is overtly assisting Republican nominee Danny Gilmore in his efforts to succeed her in the Assembly. Worth a mention that Parra will be joined at her press conference by my colleague on the State GOP Board of Directors, CRP Central Valley Vice Chairman Laura Gadke…

As Matt Drudge would say… Developing…… Read More

Check THIS out, which just came over from Assemblywoman Parra. In all of my years of political involvement, I have NEVER seen a joint statement released by a Democrat Assemblymember, and two former Assembly Republican Leaders… Amazing… (both the instance, and the circumstances…)

From reading the statement below, it seems like Democrat angst should be focused on State Senator Dean Florez, for his work in opposing Nicole Parra. At the end of the day, who can blame Parra for wanted to get a little "pay back" for that kind of treatment. Of course, it is a bit poetic that the opportunity to "return the favor" comes in the form of working against the Senator’s mom (yes, as in mother), who is the Democrat torch bearer in the race to succeed Parra…

Read it and disbelieve…

Assemblywoman Nicole Parra Assemblyman George Plescia Congressman Kevin McCarthy… Read More

Bonnie Lowenthal, the 54th AD Democratic nominee and Long Beach City Council Member has plan for health care. It is pretty simple. Make the taxpayers pay. This time it was the taxpayers in Long Beach that appeared to have paid.

Poor Bonnie Lowenthal went to a John Kerry event at the airport in 2004. Like Gerald Ford, She slipped and fell. She apparently hurt herself and instead of being made fun of by Chevy Chase she filed a claim against the City of Long Beach.

See in Long Beach appearing at a campaign event is somehow considered related to her work as a council member. Again, partisan political events were part of her “work”. As a result, she got lifetime medical for the injury and 10K. Not too shabby.

Obviously, Lowenthal was hurt. But why not file a claim against the Kerry Campaign? Or the plane manufacturer for building an aircraft with slippery steps? Or someone other than the taxpayers of Long Beach? Did she have medical insurance at the time? Questions will need to be answered before November.

Also posted on Red County… Read More

It seems like just yesterday, but are we really celebrating the 10th anniversary of the successful campaign to pass the Proposition 227 to end bilingual education in California in favor of English immersion programs? The campaign we called English for the Children.

It seems like just yesterday when I got a phone call from my friend and political mentor at the time Lorelei Kinder. Lorelei, who is passionate about the education issue (I can still her rolling quotes from her friend and senior education official in the latter part of the Reagan Administration, Chester “Checker” Finn, off of her tongue). Lorelei asked me if I would be interested leaving my position (at the time I was a special assistant to then State Senator John Lewis) and go to work as the Campaign Coordinator for the fledgling Prop. 227 effort. I took her up on the idea, and soon found myself having a meeting with the impressive genius (literally) of this ballot measure campaign – successful Silicon Valley… Read More

It seems like just yesterday, but are we really celebrating the 10th anniversary of the successful campaign to pass the Proposition 227 to end bilingual education in California in favor of English immersion programs? The campaign we called English for the Children.

It seems like just yesterday when I got a phone call from my friend and political mentor at the time Lorelei Kinder. Lorelei, who is passionate about the education issue (I can still her rolling quotes from her friend and senior education official in the latter part of the Reagan Administration, Chester “Checker” Finn, off of her tongue). Lorelei asked me if I would be interested leaving my position (at the time I was a special assistant to then State Senator John Lewis) and go to work as the Campaign Coordinator for the fledgling Prop. 227 effort. I took her up on the idea, and soon found myself having a meeting with the impressive genius (literally) of this ballot measure campaign – successful Silicon Valley… Read More