[Publisher’s Note: After this was written, it was announced to the world that Luciano Pavarotti passed away on the island of Sicily, Italy – Flash]

The French novalist, Emile Zola, once wrote, "Iam an artist… I am here to live out loud." Zola was agreatartist, and was also involved in politics, bravely standing up to the anti-Semitism of the Second Republic in France and exposing the so-called Dreyfus affair in the military. He was shunned, but lived to be a hero.

Luciano Pavarotti is no politician. Reports today are that he is dying in Modena, Italy, his hometown. But he was surely an artist that was "here to live out loud." And how loud! The first Opera I ever attended was with my dad and a Catholic priest at the San Francisco War Memorial Opera house in 1966, where as just a boy I heard a young man named Pavarotti sing a Rudolfo in Puccini’s "La Boheme" that literally blew away the crowd. I didn’t fully know what I was hearing at the time, but I knew it was special. San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen wrote… Read More

The battle over eminent domain continues in the Capitol. On one side is the initiative sponsored by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association (HJTA) to solve the problems presented by the US Supreme Court in the Kelo v. City of New London case. On the other are the defenders of the status quo, the League of California Cities and the California Redevelopment Association. Also on the side of big government are some of those who benefit financially from the exercise of government power, groupsthat use government influence, and the exercise government power for personal gain.

As an attorney, prior to my time in the Legislature, land use, property rights, and abuse of government power in the control of property was a specialty of mine. I started my stint in politics as Chair of the Citizens For Property Rights in Riverside County and spent much of my time arguing for the rights of landowners on my local Planning Commission. As one of the most ardent supporters of property rights, my friend, Gil Ferguson once adamantly insisted that the Republican Caucus to listen to my counsel on the issue. He knew, as I know, that every freedom we have, freedom of… Read More

All FlashReport readers should take a few minutes to read this correspondence below from State Senator Tom McClintock (see the .pdf version here). This letter recognizes an important reality — that that a coalition of groups led by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and others has raised the necessary funds and is currently qualifying a ballot measure for next year to provide California property owners with the necessary rights to so that they can fight-off unfair "takings" via eminent domain. This is significant because the redevelopment industry is trying to twist GOP arms to get a fake fix (ACA 8) on the ballot via legislative vote (which takes a 2/3 vote of each chamber) to try and STOP the real eminent domain reform bill currently being qualified for the ballot… The good news — GOP legislators aren’t buckling under their pressure.

Just over the transom, the office of Congressman John Doolittle has put out this release, in response to reports that two of his top aides have been subpeonaed by a Federal Grand Jury. Doolittle brings up a good points — both of the staff members in question are relatively new additions to his team, so you have to wonder what they could add to the knowledge-base of prosecutors?

All FlashReport readers should take a few minutes to read this correspondence below from State Senator Tom McClintock (see the .pdf version here). This letter recognizes an important reality — that that a coalition of groups led by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and others has raised the necessary funds and is currently qualifying a ballot measure for next year to provide California property owners with the necessary rights to so that they can fight-off unfair "takings" via eminent domain. This is significant because the redevelopment industry is trying to twist GOP arms to get a fake fix (ACA 8) on the ballot via legislative vote (which takes a 2/3 vote of each chamber) to try and STOP the real eminent domain reform bill currently being qualified for the ballot… The good news — GOP legislators aren’t buckling under their pressure.

Word is getting back to FlashReport HQ (far from the State Capitol) that a full-court press is underway to strongarm/cajole/extend-false-promises to Assembly Republicans to try and cajole out the necessary votes to get ACA 8 out of the Assembly.

Assembly Republicans know better. Property rights is a corner-stone issue for our party and for our party’s activists and donors. I would be extremely surprised if the redevelopment lobby, who for years has been abusing private property owners, will be able to turn GOP votes for this terrible bill simply by spending a lot of money to hire pseudo-GOP lobbyists.

The reality is that a vote to pass out ACA 8 is what we would call here a "watershed" vote — it will define those Republicans who do so as being non-respectful of one of the most basic core-values of the GOP. What does this mean? A VOTE FOR ACA 8 WILL BE USED TO DEFINE CANDIDATES IN FUTURE PRIMARIES AS BEING BAD ON PROPERTY RIGHTS. Heck, given the passion on this issue out here (away from the Capitol), a bad vote on this core issue might even INVITE a primary unbidden.

Given that this is a #1 priority for the Howard Jarvis… Read More

Erica Werner over at the Associated Press is reporting that two senior aides to Congressman John Doolittle were subpeoned recently by Federal authorities who are investigating ties between Congressman Doolittle, his wife and jailed ex-lobbyist Jack Abramoff. The existance of these subpeonas was announced today after the aides gave a required notification to the House.

Clearly this demonstrates that an investigation is still active and ongoing — presenting a serious, ongoing challenge to Congressman Doolittle’s ability to get past this issue, as he tries to make the case that he can be re-elected next year.… Read More

I am not sure what it is about the message "we’re not interested" that the League of Cities and the redevelopment lobby just don’t get about the desire for Republicans to have real, comprehensive Kelo reform. That is why there is so much support for the Jarvis-backed measure that WILL be on the ballot last year. Unlike ACA 8 which only protects some property owners, but not all property owners (and the property owners it does protect does not enjoy protections for all of his or her potential property), the real solution is already headed for the ballot.

It is understandable the the redevelopment lobby has hired a boatload of consultants and lobbyists to try and work over Republican members in order to place the faux-reform on the ballot — this measure would make it really hard to pass a real fix.

The FlashReport would like to commend our Republican legislators for holding firm on this very important issue. The time to ‘negotiate’ on ACA 8 is past — as soon as the coalition behind the "pure" reform made it clear that they have raised the necessary funds to go to the ballot, the need to settle for 1/4 of… Read More