There was an interesting comment posted yesterday responsding to what Kate Folmar wrote on the San Jose Mercury’s blog about the gubernatorial campaign and the theme of taxes. It’s a comment I can’t stop thinking about it. It reads:

"I really wish someone (Angelides campaign? the press?) would call Schwarzenegger out on this taxes thing. What does "not raising taxes" have to do with the 7 million Californians without health insurance, or the millions more who are struggling to survive under skyrocketting housing, child care and other costs? These are the problems that need fixing, and these are the problems that should be at the center of the debate.

"Raising taxes vs. not raising taxes is such a red herring, and out [sic] state will continue to suffer if that is where the debate is focused."

Indeed, there are a great many things at stake in California aside from tax increases. I’m beginning to wonder if there isn’t some truth to the idea that taxes are a red herring.

Our attention is being diverted from the ugliness of liberal corruption… Read More

Having been on the ballot twice in less than a year — once in November 2005 when it lost, and again last month when it won — the 1% sales tax increase in National City now has the opposition asking, "Would’ya go two out of three?"

Opponents of the tax are moving ahead on qualifying the rubber match for an upcoming ballot.

Officials in National City say city services will be drastically cut without the tax being at 8.75%, the highest in San Diego County. Opponents of the tax, including even a SD Union Tribune editorial, say if the city hadn’t increased pensions so significantly over the years, it wouldn’t be in this mess.

This in from SD Taxfighters:

The National City Sales Tax Increase Is Going Back on the Ballot Campaign Theme is “Two out of Three” San Diego – Last week, initial papers were filed to put the onerous National City sales tax increase back on the ballot for voter consideration. The new initiative will seek to repeal that city’s recently passed Prop D, the full 1% sales tax increase.

Starting this October,… Read More

I voted for it before I voted against it…

More cellular coverage is a good thing and I have voted to support cel sites whenever they have come before me as an Irvine Planning Commissioner.

However, last month Sprint had an application before my commission for 10 ‘repeaters’ in the Turtle Rock area of Irvine (a hilly community notorious for lacking cel coverage). Repeaters are much smaller than traditional cel sites. They are simply appendages that attach to either side of a street light standard and tie into the local cable company’s fiber optic network below the street.

The LA Times had a story a couple weeks ago that indicated that I had voted against the proposal. In fact, I voted for it, before I voted against it. Weak, I know. But I had a good reason.

That night the commission was lacking one commissioner and the vote was two-to-two. After realizing I was not going to be able to muster the votes for an approval, I assumed as with any other 2-2 vote that it would be deemed a denial and the applicant (Sprint) could appeal the… Read More

Middle class students leaving for a better education. The board is fighting the city on school reforms. Some areas want to break awayand now the superintendent is leaving. This is not LAUSD but Pasadena…inLA County.

Pasadena unified has faced these same problems. Altadena wants out, the city wants to change the way the board is elected. Right nowa candidate declares for a particular seat and then runs district wide. There is a run-off if no one gets over 50% in the primary. The superintendent was bought out after a several years of service. Good stuff. Read about it all here in the Pasadena Weekly.

I bet parents are glad they aren’t part of LA Unified.… Read More

On budget matters, Gray Davis always over promised and under delivered. President Bush tends to do the opposite. Today’s announcement of this year’s revised estimate of the budget deficit was $296 billion, which is $127 billion bellow February’s prediction. If economic growth continues next year’s deficit could shrink to below $200 billion.… Read More

The FlashReport today is topped with two ‘must read’ columns. The first is an exclusive feature column penned by Kevin Dayton of the Associated Builders and Contractors of California…. What would you say if I told you that the budget for the State of California — you know, the one signed in the spirit of ‘bi-partisan cooperation’ (translation: where just enough GOPers joined with the Governor to pass the budget while the overwhelming majority of legislative GOPers voted NO on the budget) – what would you say if I told you that it contains six million dollars in funding for a ‘labor institute’ where YOUR tax dollars are literally funding a massive big labor education and training camp ensconced at a California University? It is absolutely NUTS. What is worse is that the Associated Builders and Contractors, who see this as a government subsidy for those who would drive businesses, large and small, out of the state, lobbied hard against this funding – both during the budget debate and also for a veto afterwards — to no avail. If any GOPers who voted for the budget this year want to pen a column in support… Read More

The FlashReport today is topped with two ‘must read’ columns. The first is an exclusive feature column penned by Kevin Dayton of the Associated Builders and Contractors of California…. What would you say if I told you that the budget for the State of California — you know, the one signed in the spirit of ‘bi-partisan cooperation’ (translation: where just enough GOPers joined with the Governor to pass the budget while the overwhelming majority of legislative GOPers voted NO on the budget) – what would you say if I told you that it contains six million dollars in funding for a ‘labor institute’ where YOUR tax dollars are literally funding a massive big labor education and training camp ensconced at a California University? It is absolutely NUTS. What is worse is that the Associated Builders and Contractors, who see this as a government subsidy for those who would drive businesses, large and small, out of the state, lobbied hard against this funding – both during the budget debate and also for a veto afterwards — to no avail. If any GOPers who voted for the budget this year want to pen a column in support… Read More

Today we feature an amazing column from Kevin Dayton of the Associated Builders and Contractors of California exposing an amazing $6 million dollar program in the recently-approved State Budget that funds a biased big-labor institute. You can read the column here.

The FR would like to extend an opportunity to the Governor, or to the following Republican Legislators who voted for this funding (with their vote for the budget) to submit a 600-800 word column in support of this program.

THE GOP LEGISLATORS WHO VOTED YES ON THE BUDGET:

STATE SENATE Dick Ackerman (R – Tustin) Roy Ashburn (R – Bakersfield) Jeff Denham (R – Merced) Bob Dutton (R – Rancho Cucamonga) Chuck Poochigian (R – Fresno)

STATE ASSEMBLY George Plescia (R – San Diego) Greg Aghazarian (R – Stockton) Lynn Daucher (R – Brea) Bill Emmerson (R –… Read More