While taxpayers continue to worry about soaring gas prices, home ownership, and rising food and tax costs, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) has prematurely paid taxpayer dollars for vans that are sitting idle because there is no clear plan to equip them for their intended purposes. Consequently, CHP has wasted an enormous amount of taxpayer dollars that could have been spent on improving roads, providing water storage, or actually fighting crime. According to the (Sacramento Bee, September 21, 2007), “’The California Highway Patrol wasted almost $1 million in taxpayer money by buying 51 vehicles that went mostly unused for more than two years,’ State Auditor Elaine Howle said in an audit released Thursday.” “Howle’s review found that 46 of the 51 vans, most of them intended for the CHP’s truck inspection operation, sat almost entirely idle, parked on CHP property in an outdoor location….As of April, those vans had been driven only 401 miles – an average of nine miles per van….”… Read More

There seems to be a new trend in California. Republicans running for the State Assembly ….as Democrats.

The first one does not really surprise me much. San Mateo County Supervisor Jerry Hill was a registered Republican for several decades. When he was elected to the non-partisan San Mateo City Council in 1991 he was a registered Republican.

Hill is now running for AD 19.

He was a Republican because years ago he wanted to support former Congressman Pete McCloskey in his run for President. I can buy that. I know some big name Republicans that actually voted for Gray Davis in the 1998 Democrat open primary thinking that he was the only one that the people of California would never actually elect as Governor.

If you read his policy positions it seems pretty clear that he would be far more comfortable in the political party with Jerry Brown, Nancy Pelosi, and gang.

The next two are a little different.

… Read More

Joey Bishop (1918-2007), last remaining member of the ‘Rat Pack’ passed away last night.

RIP

… Read More

There seems to be a new trend in California. Republicans running for the State Assembly ….as Democrats.

The first one does not really surprise me much. San Mateo County Supervisor Jerry Hill was a registered Republican for several decades. When he was elected to the non-partisan San Mateo City Council in 1991 he was a registered Republican.

Hill is now running for AD 19.

**There is more – click the link**

View Full Commentary… Read More

The beleaguered Fresno Unified School District finally has a Board and Executive Leadership team that "gets it": you can’t serve the interests of schoolchildren without being financially stable. In my op-ed piece today in the Fresno Bee, I exhort the Board to stand tall against the Fresno Teachers Association – and not because I am opposed to teacher, but because it is actually in the interest of the teachers to lose this fight over a contract.

As you might expect, instead of placing a high value on the District’s financial status, the FTA is playing the negotiations right out of the NEA playbook – acting ugly in the process.

The FUSD Board needs to hang tough in this fight.… Read More

From the AP Wire:

Calif. GOP House member says Doolittle shouldn’t seek re-election Associated Press Newswires WASHINGTON (AP) – Republican Congressman John Campbell of Orange County says it would be best if fellow GOP Representative John Doolittle doesn’t run for re-election. Campbell, who made his comments Wednesday in an interview with The Associated Press, is the first of Doolittle’s colleagues in the House to call publicly for him to step aside. … Read More

The Orange County Lincoln Club announced today that they have endorsed Dana Point Mayor Diane Harkey in her bid for Assembly District 73 (now held by Mimi Walters who is seeking the 33rd Senate District seat held by Senate Republican Leader Dick Ackerman who is termed-out).

Harkey has the support of Assemblywoman Walters, Congressman John Campbell and virtually every other elected official in Orange County. Adding the Lincoln Club is however a big boost since their membership is attracted to candidates like Harkey who have a business background themselves. Harkey has already enjoyed significant contributions from Lincoln Club members and will likely see more going forward.

LINCOLN CLUB ENDORSES DIANE HARKEY FOR 73rd ASSEMBLY

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. (Oct. 15, 2007) – The Lincoln Club Board of Directors last Friday unanimously endorsed Hon. Diane Harkey, Mayor of Dana Point, for the 73rd Assembly District. Harkey is… Read More

Here’s a funny one from an editorial in yesterday’s North County Times (admittedly taken a bit out of context):

"…the governor broke some new ground, and turned his back on conservatives…"

As FR readers know, the governor’s had his back turned on conservatives for quite some time…… Read More