As I write this, it is raining in Sacramento. Pouring, actually. And even though I live about 200 yards from the Sacramento River, I have confidence that the levees within the city limits are in good shape. (As well they should be given that Sacramento’s flood control agency collects millions of dollars from local property owners annually to keep them maintained).

In a word, California is wet. Rain totals and snowpack measurements are the highest we’ve seen in about a decade. But despite the fact that flood gates at major dams throughout the state are now open, levies have been breached and there is serious flooding in both Southern California and the Central Valley, the State Water Resources Control Board refuses to declare the drought over.

As taxpayer advocates in a high tax state, we’re accustomed to seeing a political motivation in most statements coming from government. But this time, we’re not alone. Local water officials gave the State Water Resources Control Board an earful last week about the failure to call the drought over. A representative of the California Water Association, an organization comprised of local water districts, noted that the… Read More

I’m opposing Rep. Xavier Becerra’s appointment as California’s Attorney General.

Californians deserve better than a top law enforcement officer who wants to protect illegal alien drunk drivers. As a supporter of sanctuary cities, that’s exactly what Congressman Becerra wants to do.

In last Tuesday’s Assembly Special Committee hearing Congressman Becerra repeatedly told Assemblyman Gallagher to have some beers with him to talk about important issues. He offered the same invitation to Senator Berryhill in yesterday’s Senate Rules Committee hearing.

Congressman Becerra wants California to shield illegal alien drunk drivers from deportation. For someone who sees alcohol as a solution to tough questions, it’s understandable that he doesn’t grasp the serious threat his position poses to public safety. I do understand it, and that’s why I oppose his confirmation.

A review of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) data by the Center for Immigration Policy in 2015 clearly shows that Sanctuary… Read More

Across America media outlets are promoting various planned marches, rallies and “protests” for President-elect Donald J. Trump’s inauguration January 20. Project Veritas this week exposed numerous radical groups organizing attacks, planning to incite violence, create transportation shut downs, and commit acts of domestic terrorism during the Deploraball January 19, as well as the Presidential Inauguration January 20.

The Washington Times reported Tuesday that ads offering activists up to $2,500 per month to protest the inaugural of President-elect Donald Trump were running in more than two dozen cities, posted by a company called Demand Protest, run onBackpage.com. Fox News’ Tucker Carlson exposed this group as fake on his show this week. But there are other groups advertising on Craig’s List offering protest jobs.

More likely these faux protestors will be paid $15 per hour, and receive transportation, food and hotel costs.

In 2015, I did a series… Read More

There are two intertwined themes that define unionized government in California. First, funding government retiree pensions will soak up every new source of tax revenue they will ever collect. Second, cloaking new taxes and fees – and new agencies – in the virtuous raiment of environmentalism will deflect criticism and demonize critics. Here’s why:

Now that Democrats have a super-majority in California’s state legislature, expect to see plentiful new taxes to pile onto the$5.0 billion in new state and local taxesthat were approved by voters on November 8th. After all,California’s projected 2017-18 state budgetstill has a $1.6 billion deficit. And that’s nothing. Here is a look what sort of deficit challenges California’s state and local governments are actually facing:

California State/Local Pension Funds Consolidated Est. Funding Status and Required Contributions at Various ROI

… Read More

Removing all doubt that the California Agricultural Labor Relations Boardis a Marxist tool for unionization, William B. Gould IV, Gov.Jerry Brown’s appointed Chairman of the board, announced his resignation Friday, in a cranky letter complaining that farm workers don’t want to join the United Farmworkers Union.

Gould’s resignation also… Read More

Governor Brown has just released his spending proposal for 2017-18 and taxpayers should not be blamed if they feel like they are walking down a dark alley in a high-crime neighborhood.

While the governor’s proposed budget has been described as austere, it still represents a spending boost of five percent, a rate of increase only slightly smaller than last year’s six percent. Because the state is in the process of rewarding its employees with generous pay increases and covering an expanding requirement to fund their pensions — pensions that are currently subsidized by six percent of the general fund budget — more spending does not represent an increase in the quantity or quality of services for average Californians.

The Brown budget contains no major program increases except for transportation. But the kicker is that this would be contingent on higher taxes on gasoline and car registration. So, while state workers will be kept snug and comfortable, if commuters want those pot holes repaired, they must pay extra.

To read the entire column click here… Read More

I had the privilege of meeting with Gov. Jerry Brown on the first day that I arrived in Sacramento as a brand new State Senator. He observed that we needed to find a way to fund transportation improvements.

Three budget cycles later, and the Governor has not put real transportation funding in his budget. His latest budget mentions $4.2 billion. However, it needs a new revenue source to fund it! Let’s use the old euphemism of “contributions from you” versus yet another… Read More

Climate change is California Gov. Jerry Brown’s “crusade,” his jihad, his holy war. Yet Gov. Brown’s climate change and drought policy is flooded with a manic madness – never has his manic obsession with climate change been more evident.

In March on Meet the Press, after declaring Ted Cruz unfit to run for president because of his views on climate change, Brown said, “We are running out of time because it’s not raining. This is a serious matter we’re experiencing in California, as kind of a foretaste. But there is no doubt that into the future, we’re going to have more problems.”Brown also claimed research shows a “connection” between California’s drought and climate change.

California’s drought conditions are actually historically normal; water shortages are created by incompetent and scheming government. California’s recent drought was billed by government and media as the driest period in the state’s recorded rainfall history. However, scientists who study the Western United States’ long-term climate patterns say otherwise: California has been dry for significantly longer… Read More