Two interesting items from today’s WSJ Political Diary E-mail, from FR friend (and native Californian) John Fund…

Divvying Up California

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has poured cold water on a fellow Republican’s idea for a ballot initiative that would end the practice of awarding all of California’s Electoral College votes to the statewide winner. Under the proposed reform, the winner in each of the state’s 53 Congressional districts would collect one electoral vote, while the remaining two (representing the state’s two U.S. Senate seats) would go to the statewide winner. In 2004, under the proposed formula, George W. Bush… Read More

The Governor signed his budget. One of the easiest reducations that could have been made to meet his $700 million in promised reducation was to wipe out the $6 million in the State Budget to support labor education and research at the UC. That didn’t happen.

He did take outfor the Scripps Institute of Oceanography and agricultural research. He also wiped out $8 million from the Public Library Foundation.

If I had to choose between a taxpayer funded labor union operation or library books. Well, I think everyone would choose the same way, except the Gov. and the union bosses.… Read More

This evening I was tooling eastbound along I-8 from San Diego into East County, passing San Diego State University on the right, just as I have done hundreds if not thousands of times over the years. The last several years the campus edge along the freeway has been adorned with a large electronic sign, flashing information about SDSU ongoings and upcoming events a few seconds at a time for passersby to see, even if only subliminally. "TUESDAY VOLLEYBALL 8 PM," and the like. A large e-vertisement for a moving but linearly captive audience.

Many San Diegans will remember the installation of the sign (with the opening of Cox Arena, if memory serves) as slightly controversial, especially to the Del Cerro residents across the freeway who complained of the outlandish night-time light in their otherwise residential community. The details are now a bit fuzzy, but I seem to recall finger pointing about SDSU as a State school ignoring local sign ordinances, a lack of a hearing and approval process for the public, etc. I believe SDSU agreed to have the sign off after a certain time of night.

The sign tiff has been quiet the last few years, although the… Read More

You knew it was going to be a tough budget year for fiscal conservatives from the minute that Governor Schwarzenegger introduced his budget to the legislature — one that was more or less embraced by the ultra-liberal legislators that dominate the State Senate and State Assembly. As a Governor who campaigned in two different elections as a fiscal conservative, we were looking to him to propose a budget that reduced the size and scope of state government. But instead, again, he introduced a budget that contained deficit spending. Using some football parlance, I equate the introduction of this bloated budget by the Governor the equivalent of a football team downing the ball on their own 20 yard line! Where we wanted strong negotiation between Democrats advocating big government on one side and the government championing taxpayers on the other — instead we got a ‘status quo’ budget.

(Need some ideas on how to shrink state spending? Remember this? Or how about these… Read More

Eastward, Ho

Arnold Schwarzenegger made lots of friends on the left when he declared that he won’t wait for federal action to combat global warming. Mr. Schwarzenegger announced a plan of mandatory carbon-dioxide emission reductions of 15% in the Golden State by the year 2020.

Now other states and even localities are catching the green wave. Washington, Oregon, Arizona and New Mexico have announced their own emissions reduction programs through regulatory mandates on businesses, homeowners and commuters. Washington’s new law will require a reduction in emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 and to 50% below that by 2050. In Seattle, King County Executive Ron Sims has proposed his own plan to save the planet from climate change. "Global… Read More

FR friend Carol Bone put this together, that is worth a read by all those who chance upon this website:

Earth’s Climate Change

Earth’s climate is one of continual change. It has been much warmer than the present and much colder. For most of the Earth’s history global temperatures were 8 to 15° C warmer than today. Over the last 2 billion years, glaciers have advanced and retreated many times. During the last major ice age, massive glaciers buried much of North America, Europe, and Asia. Sea levels were 300 feet lower than today. Then about 14,000 years ago, glaciers began to retreat. By 8,000 years ago, the land bridge across the Bering Strait was under water, stopping the migration of humans and animals to North America. Forests replaced sheets of ice. The earth cooled again about 12,000 to 10,500 years ago, and then warmed again. Around 5000 to 3000 BC, when many ancient civilizations began, temperatures were warmer than today. From 3000 to 2000 BC a cooling … Read More

Orange County Supervisor and legend who predicted that his predecessor would bankrupt the county coffers, John Moorlach has asked his successor to resign.

For more than a decade Moorlach served in the post of Orange County Treasurer-Tax Collector after having been appointed by the Board of Supervisors to fill out the term of Bob Citron, the now infamous County Treasurer who bankrupted the county through risky investments.

Last year Moorlach was elected to the Board of Supervisors and his successor, Chriss Street eased into office with limited opposition. But Street had been dogged by allegations of fraud in his dealing as a trustee for a bankrupt trucking concern.

Recently it has been reported that Street is under investigation by Federal authorities as well as the District Attorney. Although it is unclear what the investigations are about.

Orange County looks to Moorlach for guidance on everything related to public finance and he is an honorable man who is known for his integrity. So when he points the finger, people listen.

Next: The Orange County Board of Supervisors meets on Sept. 11 to discuss whether to pull investment authority… Read More

You knew it was going to be a tough budget year for fiscal conservatives from the minute that Governor Schwarzenegger introduced his budget to the legislature — one that was more or less embraced by the ultra-liberal legislators that dominate the State Senate and State Assembly. As a Governor who campaigned in two different elections as a fiscal conservative, we were looking to him to propose a budget that reduced the size and scope of state government. But instead, again, he introduced a budget that contained deficit spending. Using some football parlance, I equate the introduction of this bloated budget by the Governor the equivalent of a football team downing the ball on their own 20 yard line! Where we wanted strong negotiation between Democrats advocating big government on one side and the government championing taxpayers on the other — instead we got a ‘status quo’ budget.

(Need some ideas on how to shrink state spending? Remember this? Or how about these… Read More