Longtime FR reader Joe Armendariz sent over this commentary, which echoes on what I penned this morning. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did… This isn’t the first time and it certainly won’t be the last time Pete Wilson gets it wrong. Yesterday he defended the indefensible by suggesting his decision to raise taxes meant "having the guts to do what should be done". Wilson was wrong in 1993 when he raised taxes and he is even more wrong now by defending that bad decision in a clumsy endorsement of Doug Ose over Tom McClintock. And not only that, Wilson has done what another former california Governor implored Republicans never to do; Wilson broke the 11th commandment by attacking Senator Tom McClintock. But I digress.… Read More

That headline wouldn’t be the biggest news in the world if not for the fact that the senior Hunter, meaning the current 52nd District Congressman, is supporting Doug Ose for the 4th District seat.As most readers know, Tom McClintock is running for that seat as well.

So, apparently, despite Hunter-the-dad’s support for his opponent, McClintock is willing to put it aside to support the younger Hunter?

Insiders say it’s not quite that complex. Congressman Hunter endorsed Ose two weeks prior to McClintock joining the fray, I am told. McClintock apparently understood Hunter’s endorsement of Ose as support for a former colleague, not as an anti-Tom sentiment.

So, in the final analysis, no grudges held, and McClintock is supporting the individual in the open 52nd contest he prefers will join him in Congress.

The release:

Senator Tom McClintock Endorses Duncan D. Hunter for Congress Backing of Leading Fiscal Conservative Adds to Momentum of Campaign

(El Cajon, CA) — State Senator Tom McClintock, largely regarded as one of… Read More

This Sacramento home owned by Rep. Richardson was sold at foreclosure auction. The buyer agreed to pay her property tax bill, and her lender lost $200,000 on the deal. She fail to pay property taxesover $12,000.(Rich Pedroncelli / The Associated Press)

… Read More

AB 1996, a bill to grant food stamp eligibility to those convicted of felony drug charges has passed by a 42-31 vote today. It only requires thatthe user merely be on a waiting listfor drug use rehab,or enrolled, but no requirement of actually completing said rehab to receive benefits. 3 Dems joined 28 Republicans in voting no.… Read More

In light of the debate whether what is yours is yours, or if it is only yours when government decides what is yours, 2 bills were just defeated that would raise the tax on internet purchases and take away the tax refund option on bad retail loans.

AB 1840 applies sales tax to certain Internet transactions, known as the I-Tunes tax. The we need revenue crowd only numbered 18 Aye votes and 31 No votes, including 4 Dems.

AB 1839 went down by 24-33 with 3 Dems voting No. If a retailer had sold it’s financing paper of a retail item to a "Big Finance" house, if that became a bad debt, the lender could no longer recover the sales tax via refund, from the state. The state is in effect saying, "nope, thats mine, too bad for you" even though the retailer is eligible for the refund and rightly so. In the floor presentation of the bill, the author included a statement that asked "When did the state become a partner of these businesses on their bad sales tax debt?" I know. When the state became everyone’s silent partner by forcing retailers to… Read More

What does the county of Los Angeles need to help with infrastructure? More taxes!

H/t to LBReport.com for showing that the MTA is drawing up a list of projects that could be used to “sell” voters on a half cents sales tax hike. Already us, Angelinos pay 8.25% with 1% going to transportation.

Show me the roads! Most of the money has gone into subsidizing mass transit. Not a good deal. Fortunately, whenever I drive into neighboring San Bernardino County and need gas or food. I stop on the border and keep the difference. So there.… Read More

State Board Of Equalization Member Bill Leonard is considered to be one of the GOP’s experts on State finances… He penned the following for his “Leonard Letter” e-mail….

***Phony Revenues in May Revise***

I have now spent hours trying to explain the state budget to myself and ended up frustrated. I did find in the Department of Finance information the numbers that the state expects to take in (with May and June included in advance). The total is $101.1 billion this year and, for the next year that everyone is fighting about, the take is projected at $102.9 billion. However, I have learned the Governor is booking new bond debt and his lottery sale proposal — around $5 billion that is not real revenue, but actually is borrowing.

If you and I count money as revenue, we have to pay income taxes on it. However, if it’s a loan we do not have to pay taxes on the money because the IRS/FTB do not consider it revenue. But if you are state government, borrowed money is called revenue even though it was not earned nor collected as taxes and must be repaid. Most budgets would make the distinction between earned revenue and… Read More

Democrats have made it clear that raising taxes (rather than cutting spending) is the only is way to solve California’s budget problems.

But today, when given the opportunity to increase taxes by over $34 million so they could continue to spend like drunken sailors, Democrats failed to put their money where their mouth is!

As Assemblyman Doug LaMalfa previously posted, Assembly Bill 1840, by Assemblyman Chuck Calderon, D-Montebello, which forces Californians to pay sales taxes on the items they purchase online didn’t get enough votes to pass off the Assembly floor today.

Only 18 Democrats voted in favor of the measure. 4 Democrats voted ‘No’ and 27 didn’t vote at all.

Assembly Republicans, of course, opposed the bill because it would not only raise taxes, it would also hurt California business and cost jobs. While it’s a good thing that the bill didn’t pass, the only budget solutions Democrats have proposed, or even discussed, so far have been tax increases. But when it comes down to it even they won’t vote for taxes.

It’s becoming clear that Democrats are all talk and no… Read More