Paul Hegyi, who’s worn many hats over the past few years – Campaign Manager to Tony Strickland, Chief of Staff (and before that, Campaign Manager) to Van Tran, Campaign Manager to Shirley Horton, before that, time with Mark Wyland, etc – is tossing his hat in the ring to run for Assemblyman Nakanishi’s termed out seat next year.

Paul, who grew up in the district – going to high school and college in the area – and who now owns a home there, has been putting the pieces together to mount a strong campaign. No stranger to the campaign world, Paul assuredly will have a first-rate grassroots effort behind him. He’s been a part of some of the toughest races in California over the past few years, notably as Campaign Manager to Shirley Horton.

In addition, having been a part of campaigns in so many regions of the state, Paul is unique among would-be campaign/legislative staff-turned-politicians. Unlike some who’ve spent their whole careers pigeonholed in one spot, Paul has worked with the donor communities in San Diego, in Orange… 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

It’s a quiet Sunday. What better of a way to blow about three minutes of your April Fools Day than to check out "Rappin’ MC Rove" (yes, the WH Deputy Chief of Staff)in footage from the recent White House Correspondents’ Dinner… (You have to get through about a minute of dialogue first) … Read More

Mainstream Media’s Fall from Grace… It was just over a year ago that Investor’s Business Daily ran an editorial about the "old media" losing it’s way and the resulting rise of blogs and othernew media. It’s evenmore compelling now. An excerpt:

The evidence is everywhere: plummeting newspaper circulation and industry consolidation, as demonstrated by the purchase of publisher Knight Ridder by McClatchy Newspapers; the falling viewership of network news broadcasts; the growing angst among journalism professionals over what went wrong. It’s not that complicated, actually. At a time of unprecedented media options — from blogs to talk radio to cable TV — the mainstream media has clung to its old ways. While the new media was learning to excel at connecting directly with people, the establishment media was perfecting its penchant for "navel-gazing" and distancing itself from "the everyday concerns of readers." Liberal bias certainly played a role. The stories that most excite mainstream journalists tend… Read More

Some thoughts after reading today’s news… RENTING TO ILLEGAL ALIENS Assemblyman Charles Calderon has introduced legislation (Assembly Bill 976) that, according to the bill, "Would prohibit cities and counties from requiring landlords to ‘compile, disclose, report, provide or otherwise take any action regarding the characteristics of a tenant or a prospective tenant that is not expressly required by state or federal law.’ He has introduced this legislation in response to the recent goings-on in the city of Escondido in northern San Diego County, where the City Council passed a local ordinance to prohibit landlords from renting to illegal aliens. After facing an avalanche of legal challenges, the Council actually yanked their landmark regulation. Apparently Calderon doesn’t want it happening again. I think that if we are going to have state legislation come about as a result of all of this, how about allowing landlords the right to use legal residency as a legitimate screening issue when… Read More

Some thoughts after reading today’s news…

RENTING TO ILLEGAL ALIENS Assemblyman Charles Calderon has introduced legislation (Assembly Bill 976) that, according to the bill, "Would prohibit cities and counties from requiring landlords to ‘compile, disclose, report, provide or otherwise take any action regarding the characteristics of a tenant or a prospective tenant that is not expressly required by state or federal law.’ He has introduced this legislation in response to the recent goings-on in the city of Escondido in northern San Diego County, where the City Council passed a local ordinance to prohibit landlords from renting to illegal aliens. After facing an avalanche of legal challenges, the Council actually yanked their landmark regulation. Apparently Calderon doesn’t want it happening again. I think that if we are going to have state legislation come about as a result of all of this, how about allowing landlords the right to use legal residency as a legitimate screening issue when selecting their tenants? If I own an apartment… Read More