Richard Wills Dichiara Born April 2, 2007 6 pounds, 3 ounces 18 1/2 inches 17 years, 363 days until he registers Republican… Read More

A friend forwarded this memo from the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board which has some tough words for those who dare to send documents to the Board that are not properly hole punched. I kid you not. Check this out for your laugh of the day.… Read More

This morning, the dominant headlines in California concerning Presidential politics are the results of a Field Poll that show, among Democrats, Al Gore is the most popular candidate – and he’s not even running. In the absence of the Academy Award winner, Hillary Clinton holds a commanding lead.

Also big in the news are all of the fundraising numbers from the Presidential campaigns, which I will touch on in my commentary in about an hour.

In the midst of all of this news, the McCain for President campaign shot out a news release about three minutes ago (see the attachment below) sharing with us that former California legislator JIm Brulte is now onboard with the Arizona Senator’s campaign for the White House. Brulte served as Senate Republican Leader before term-limits brought his legislative career to an end. The Senator is known as a politically savvy pol, and his endorsement is a feather in the cap of McCain’s California campaign.… Read More

I used to believe there was a difference between Senators Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein. Boxer was (and is) always the shrill airhead attack dog, while Feinstein carried herself in a statesmanlike manner. As a result, the GOP was always far more interested in giving Boxer a spirited challenge while recognizing that Feinstein, while not ideologically dissimilar to Boxer, was at least perceived as an adult.

No longer.

Today the senior Senator was in the Central Valley touting freeze relief for citrus farmers. Surrounded by all the usual suspects – Republicans sucking up to the power, Feinstein lamented the plight of the poor farmer. After all, the freeze relief is attached to the Iraq war funding bill, which the President has promised to veto due to its unique "planned surrender" feature.

Feinstein actually defended the relief funds being placed in the middle of a war supplemental bill. With her comments, she moves into the phony leftist shill column with her sister Boxer and others of their ilk, such as Ted Kennedy. It was hard to decide who looked more foolish. Feinstein or the Republican farmers standing behind her as she… Read More

Imagine being the only conservative on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. You would be imagining the life of Supervisor (and former State GOP Chairman) Mike Antonovich. That said, he has consistently stood tall for the cause, and should be given a lot of credit. This short piece from the Supervisor demonstrates a perspective that comes from being ‘on the ground’ in an area where homelessness is rampant.

California’s education system is struggling – despite billions of dollars and a never ending parade of Legislative quick-fixes, California students continue to fall behind the national averages in almost every academic area. One of the problems with California’s education system is the missmash of special funding (categorical programs) and the gross inequity created by a convoluted state formula for distribution of education dollars. Some schools accomplish a lot despite the inefficient system, but California’s largest school district (the Los Angeles Unified School District) is not one of them. Recently, LAUSD approved a teacher’s contract that creates a $213 million annual shortfall – and they readily admit they have no idea how to pay for it. This is more than just irresponsible budgeting – it should be criminal. Coincidentally, LA Assemblyman Kevin de Leon recently introduced… Read More

California’s education system is struggling – despite billions of dollars and a never ending parade of Legislative quick-fixes, California students continue to fall behind the national averages in almost every academic area. One of the problems with California’s education system is the missmash of special funding (categorical programs) and the gross inequity created by a convoluted state formula for distribution of education dollars. Some schools accomplish a lot despite the inefficient system, but California’s largest school district (the Los Angeles Unified School District) is not one of them. Recently, LAUSD approved a teacher’s contract that creates a $213 million annual shortfall – and they readily admit they have no idea how to pay for it. This is more than just irresponsible budgeting – it should be criminal. Coincidentally, LA Assemblyman Kevin de Leon recently introduced… Read More

If only it were a reality…you could get on a train high-speed train in Los Angeles and be at Disneyland in less than 30 minutes.

Well the California High-Speed Rail Authority is working on such things and apparently todos beneficiamos (they sent a brochure about some upcoming scoping sessions that are printed in English and Spanish).

If you want to weigh in on the project there are several public meetings in April in LA, Anaheim and Norwalk.

Apparently the the SoCal route could also extend down to Irvine.

If the thing operates over existing rail right-of-ways and doesn’t eliminate any current roads I am all for it assuming I don’t have to pay for it. I probably won’t ever take it but according to their studies they project 100 million passengers a year by 2030.

How will it be financed? Who pays for it? The slick… Read More