The National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) estimates that, under the Indian Gaming Regulation Act (IGRA), there are approximately 400 Indian casinos in operation today. These casinos are owned by roughly 220 federally recognized tribes and, in 2006, they generated over $25 billion in revenue, of which all tribal income was not taxable by the federal government. As new tribes are recognized every year and casinos are built, NIGC findings project these revenue numbers to climb above the $30 billion mark in the next decade.

Despite these enormous profits, nearly a third of all Native American families that were supposed to benefit from IGRA remain in poverty.

Why?

Part of the answer lies in the fundamental flaws inherent in the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. This act was created with the intent of providing economic opportunity and growth to Native Americans groups who had been living without basic necessities on poverty-stricken reservations for generations. Unfortunately, it has done little to help its intended recipients and, instead, has opened the door to multi-billion dollar tribal gaming monopolies that benefit a select few. This unintended… Read More

The Governor has signed AB 976. AB 976 prohibits landlords from inquiring into the immigration or citizenship status of the possible renters. So check this Governor out. No Driver’s licesnes, but you can rent a condo and get health care. 2 out of 3 isn’t bad.… Read More

Respected Sacramento Bee Columnist Dan Weintraub, on his blog (sorry, you have to pay $$ to read it) reflected on FR’s annual Top Twenty Bills to Veto. Apparently Weintraub might have to join the ranks of those who think that Arnold is more conservative than he actually is — those ranks include many on this website (and a vast amount of those who worked hard on his election and re-election).. Weintraub, upon review of our list (compiled by State Senator Dennis Hollingsworth, Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, and yours truly) said this:

The following just in….I’ll be talking to John within the hour for a non-press release comment or two….

CHULA VISTA CITY COUNCILMAN JOHN MCCANN ANNOUNCES CAMPAIGN FOR 78TH STATE ASSEMBLY DISTRICTMcCann receives endorsement of incumbent Assemblywoman Shirley Horton

Chula Vista, CA – With the endorsement of incumbent Assemblywoman Shirley Horton, and more than thirty local elected officials, Chula Vista City Councilman John McCann announced today his campaign for the 78th State Assembly District.

A Chula Vista native, John McCann was elected to the Chula Vista City Council in 2002, McCann ran an aggressive door-to-door campaign that won him 56 percent of the vote. During his first term, John built a reputation of being an independent government reformer willing to break ranks with the status-quo by demanding accountability from bureaucrats and politicians. This reputation has endeared him to Chula Vista voters and left him unchallenged in his last re-election.

“As a small businessman and local elected official I believe I have a unique set of… Read More

Respected Sacramento Bee Columnist Dan Weintraub, on his blog (sorry, you have to pay $$ to read it) reflected on FR’s annual Top Twenty Bills to Veto. Apparently Weintraub might have to join the ranks of those who think that Arnold is more conservative than he actually is — those ranks include many on this website (and a vast amount of those who worked hard on his election and re-election).. Weintraub, upon review of our list (compiled by State Senator Dennis Hollingsworth, Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, and yours truly) said this:

5:35 pm Union-Trib Update____________

The Union-Trib stunned the San Diego political establishment this morning by not only charging City Attorney Mike Aguirre with ethics violations for taking campaign contributions from employees, but also editorializing on how one would legally go about removing him from office.

Within a matter of hours, the GOP called a press conference for 3 pm today, to announce they would carry the water in the endeavor. Voice of SD has it as follows:

GOP Seeks Removal of Aguirre

The San Diego County Republican Party just announced that it will be filing an ethics complaint against City Attorney Mike Aguirre with the intent of having him removed from office.

A press conference is scheduled for 3 p.m. outside of City Hall.

The announcement comes on the heels of this… Read More

I think that one of the challenges about addressing concerns about healthcare in California as a public policy question is figuring exactly what government can do to help the situation, versus big brother getting involved in a way that will ultimately make things much worse. Yesterday, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger introduced a health care plan that would represent a radical and extreme shift in California, moving us significantly down the path towards a government-run healthcare system. There are a whole slew of problems with his proposal, but the single biggest part of it is that it defies one of the most basic, fundamental principles of our American democracy — individual responsibility. Using fancy rhetoric (courtesy of the left-wing New America Foundation), the Governor has declared that the provision of health care coverage in California is no longer an individual responsibility, it is now a "shared" responsibility. Apparently "shared" responsibility sounds better than saying "taxpayer responsibility" or, to put it in longer form, that health care is no longer YOUR responsibility. This proposal marks a radical… Read More

Yesterday, Senate President Don Perata pushed a vote on his ill-conceived water bond package. Happily, it did not get the 2/3 vote required and failed. Perhaps the only good to come of that vote was that it created a reason for Senator Tom McClintock to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and pen this floor speech:

California’s water shortage is real. The last major dam built in this state was the New Melones in 1979. In the intervening time, the population has grown from 23 million to 38 million people. California now stores less than one year’s water consumption in the entire system, which is why the prospect of even a moderate drought has become ominous.

The problem is that in the last ten years, voters have approved SIX bond measures totaling almost $17 billion that ALL promised to enhance California’s water supply.

… Read More