I’m pleased to be reporting from Houston where I’ve just presented a seminar on election law and nonprofit rules to one of our clients, a national organization in favor of tax reform. And I must say, this city, which eschews many of the normal rules of urban development, looks pretty darn cool. Downtown Houston is undergoing a "Renaissance" that has included moving the Houston Astros from the old Astrodome to a new field, "Minute Maid Park," which is just steps away from major hotels and shopping and which include significant private sector support, unlike many of our new stadiums in California. The Rockets play basketball at a new stadium largely funded by Toyota (helping to keep some jobs, at least, in America!). And when I discuss the rules of election and nonprofit law here, the locals ask really great questions, such as "Why in tarnation would the government do that!?"

The last time I was in Houston was in 1981. Today, parts of the city look like Michigan Ave. in Chicago, the Galleria shopping area is great, the art museums are top drawer, and the tex-mex is outstanding! No wonder, with California, from 1976 to… Read More

Imagine a scenario where the Executive Director of the California Coastal Commission is frustrated because four different times in recent months, "his" Commission has over-ruled the recommendations of his staff, in granting approvals for fractional-ownership hotels in California’s coastal development zone. Then imagine that the Executive Director, rather than talking with the staff about adjusting their guidelines to stay in concert with the majority of the Commission, instead goes out and recruits a liberal extremist State Assemblyman to introduce legislation to have California ban the very type of "condominium hotels" that were being approved… Sound like the classic story of the tail wagging the dog? Well that may be, in fact, what you have with Peter Douglas, the longtime Executive Director of the Coastal Commission (pictured on the cover of City Beat magazine). At their… Read More

(Cross posted from Red County/OC Blog)

The race for the 60th Assembly District GOP primary is quickly heating up, as the incumbent, Bob Huff, has declared his candidacy for the State Senate, where Dick Margett is retiring due to term limits.

With the largest portion, by far, of this tri-county district (Orange, LA, and San Bernardino Counties) being here behind the Orange Curtain, the fact that Larry Dick is the only announced candidate from "The OC" makes him a very strong candidate to replace Huff. Mike Radlovic over in Los Angeles County was a candidate for only a brief period of time before deciding not to run (so I am told). The only other candidate is Chino Hills Councilman Curt Hagman. Hagman’s first… Read More

[This is cross-posted from Red County/OC Blog]:

I spoke today with Anaheim Councilwoman Lorri Galloway about a truly astounding example of the ineptly heavy-hand Disney has been wielding in Anaheim of late.

The Los Angeles Times approached Anaheim Councilwoman Lorri Galloway about doing a profile of her, to which Councilwoman Galloway agreed provided the focus was on Anaheim Resort workers and not her per se. Last Wednesday, the LAT called Galloway and asked if she’d be available for a photographer to shoot to get some shots of her with some Anaheim Resort workers. Ultimately, it was arranged for Galloway and Ada Briceno (head of the hotel workers union UNITE HERE, OC/Long Beach chapter) to meet at the Disneyland Hotel.

According to Lorri Galloway, Briceno and she went into a back area of the hotel to meet with some hospitality workers, while the Times photographer got some shots for the article. Galloway told me Briceno signed them into the back area, and… Read More

In case you were wondering if the Democrats in Sacramento are out to reach further into the pockets of every taxpayer in California, here’s a list of tax hike measures introduced by Democrats, moving forward in the legislature right now… Paving the Way for Higher Car Taxes for California Motorists Democrats have introduced several bills to raise the car tax on California motorists, who already are struggling to pay high gas prices.

Senate Bill 240, by Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, would allow an unelected body in the Central Valley to increase the car tax on Valley motorists to as high as $30 – without a vote of the people. They would also be able to impose a new $300-a-year tax on “stationary” sources of air pollution, such as homes, businesses, and farm equipment. Assembly Bill 444, by Asm. Loni Hancock, D-Berkeley, enables two governing bodies in Alameda and Contra Costa … Read More

In light of all the latest in the scandal-ridden world the public sees that is the political arena, I thought I would share this campaign poster I ran across at a school campus the other day. The name has of course been left off to protect the…candidate.

Yes, politicians are role models. Young people watch what those that are in charge say and do and ‘learn’ that is how business is done. Like this current early primary/term limit deception isn’t fooling anyone I talk to. This poster reminds me of a statement back in the mid 90’s that, if memory serves, I think Clinton apologist [now Congressman] Rahm Emanuel was saying on one of the Sunday AM news shows in defending the latest Clinton deception then, when he said, "Well, the President has kept all the campaign promises that he intended to." Oh. Thanks Rahm.

At least this candidate for school secretary has tossed in a disclaimer with this head-fake tohis/her schoolmatecolleagues, "You’re not going to Disneyland!"… Read More

The Americans for Tax Reform’s Taxpayer Protection Pledge is very straight forward. It reads:

I, ____________, pledge to the taxpayers of the _____ district of the State of _________ and to all the people of this state, that I will oppose and vote against any and all efforts to increase taxes.

Such a simple pledge make the contrast between the Republican and Democrat Parties as clear as it can be. A look at our California Congressional delegation shows that every single Republican has signed this pledge, and that not one Democrat has done so.

Today at 11 a.m., Grover Norquist, the President of Americans for Tax Reform, along with State Senator Tom McClintock and other legislative Republicans will be holding a press conference where they will announce that enough State Legislators have signed the ATR Taxpayer Protection Pledge to guarantee that there are not the required 2/3 votes in either the State Senate or the State Assembly to pass a tax increase.

At the press event, it will be announced… Read More

The Americans for Tax Reform’s Taxpayer Protection Pledge is very straight forward. It reads:

I, ____________, pledge to the taxpayers of the _____ district of the State of _________ and to all the people of this state, that I will oppose and vote against any and all efforts to increase taxes.

Such a simple pledge make the contrast between the Republican and Democrat Parties as clear as it can be. A look at our California Congressional delegation shows that every single Republican has signed this pledge, and that not one Democrat has done so.

Today at 11 a.m., Grover Norquist, the President of Americans for Tax Reform, along with State Senator Tom McClintock and other legislative Republicans will be holding a press conference where they will announce that enough State Legislators have signed the ATR Taxpayer Protection Pledge to guarantee that there are not the required 2/3 votes in either the State Senate or the State Assembly to pass a tax increase.

At the press event, it will be announced… Read More