It’s 3 days later after the bonds were approved for the November ballot and we still don’t know what the language is that will be in them. But I’m sure further ‘tweaking’ will make them just right, that all the dollars for levees will go to levees and transportation moneywill go for roads. The silver lining of the whole event in the early Friday hours was the element of Pay-As-You-Go that made it through, concerning levees. This will be controlled by the Governor through DWR and I’m confident that this 1/2 Billion dollar appropriation will go well under their oversight, unlike the unknown that will occur when the flood bond dollars will have to be appropriated by this Legislature asprojects move along. I can only imagine the priorities besides actual levee work This Body will spend it on.

We all know there is a bunch of money, unexpected ‘new revenue’ under this current budget cycle,[due to things like holding the line on taxes and regulations, improved workers… Read More

I’ve been contacted by a couple of big wheels from Team Arnold this morning about this whole issue of the Governor appearing with Jerry Brown today. The message: The Governor today is going around the state touting a public policy victory with members of the legislature. The Governor’s stop in Oakland is less about Jerry Brown (or rather, not about Brown at all, they say) but about it being the home district of State Senate President Don Perata.

Of course, not lost on anyone is the fact that Jerry Brown is not just the Mayor of Oakland, but is also the leading Democratic contender for the office of Attorney General. So the challenge for the Governor is going to be how to "kick off" the Democrats who will cling to his pant legs, anxious to spend time with a Republican who is touting the largest spending plan in California history.

In my humble opinion, inviting enemies of freedom and liberty to fly on his airplane is not the best start. Especially given that Perata and Nunez… Read More

Have about 18 minutes to spare? Click here to see the video of Governor Schwarzenegger, Senate President Pro-Tem Don Parata, Speaker Fabian Nunez, Senate Republican Leader Dick Ackerman, and Assembly Republican Leader George Plescia at a press conference in Oakland touting the achievement of placing the BIPARTISAN BIG BONDS on the November ballot. This stop is the first of four — in the home districts of the four legislative leaders — with stops in Orange County, San Diego and Los Angeles still to go.

[UPDATE: The Governor talked about immigration on Q&A at this event.]

[UPDATE: The Governor will campaign with Perata and Nunez into the fall. What will this mean for the ‘contrast campaign’? Especially for town-ticket… Read More

It was good to see Governor Arnold get it right in today’s LA times, on the subject of immigration. Congress has had five years since 911 to build an administrative infrastructure to support a guest worker program with a realistic deportation feature, and has done nothing.

We cannot deport illegals until wehave a rational system of entering the country. The technology exists to cut the wait time from years to weeks, yet the federal government doesn’t have it. If we don’t build the required technological infrastructure to accomodate a guest worker program, nothing the Congress might pass in the way of legislation will work. Nothing. And deportation is only a good tactic if wait times to enter legally are dramatically reduced.

Maybe the Governor’s people are paying attention to my blogs finally. OK, I don’t have anywhere near the ego to believe that. But make no mistake of this: assigning blame… Read More

On this very quiet Sunday, Jon is taking the day off (after setting up the main page for Sunday news-junkies).

I always recommend a glance at the FR Weblog, and at the Featured Columns Library, or the Jon’s Commentary Library.

We were pleased to announce last week the additions of State Assemblyman Doug LaMalfa as our ‘North California’ correspondent, who will be bringing you tidbits from the other side of Sacramento (there is something north of the Sacramento airport), and Congressman John Campbell, who is our new D.C. "Inside the Beltway" correspondent, bringing us the latest out of our nation’s capitol! COMING YOUR WAY… Tomorrow, look for a great column from State Senator Jeff Denham, and also the announcement of yet another new member of the FR Weblog team — an old friend of the FR joins Dan Schnur as an official "State… Read More

On this very quiet Sunday, Jon is taking the day off (after setting up the main page for Sunday news-junkies).

I always recommend a glance at the FR Weblog, and at the Featured Columns Library, or the Jon’s Commentary Library.

We were pleased to announce last week the additions of State Assemblyman Doug LaMalfa as our ‘North California’ correspondent, who will be bringing you tidbits from the other side of Sacramento (there is something north of the Sacramento airport), and Congressman John Campbell, who is our new D.C. "Inside the Beltway" correspondent, bringing us the latest out of our nation’s capitol!

**There is more – click the link**

View Full Commentary… Read More

USA Today Covers La Suer Bill Targeting Convicted Athletes… I’m posting this a little late, perhaps, but what political junkie reads USA today? Glad I came across it now. La Suer’s AB 2165 would ban college students from team sports or collegiate sporting events if the athlete is convicted of a violent felony, until after paying their debt to society. This after last year’s state community college football champs (Grossmont College) apparently fielded some thugs…meaning thugs off the field…thuggery on the field is still ok, it is football.

Even the ACLU couldn’t have a problem with this bill, could they…or should I ask?

See the story here.

Those Damn Water Boards Will Get You Every Time… A press release from the campaign of 77th AD Candidate Joel Anderson referred tohis service as president of the Padre Damn Water Board. A prime example of just why you can’t rely on spell check. Other… Read More

Two of my favorite words. A couple days ago it was revealed that four city council members, the city manager and the attorney from my city of West Covina had an after meeting-eating excursion in Pico Rivera. See the my first review here. They met at a popluar politico steak house in Pico Rivera, the Dal Rae. You can see a story about the place here.

If anyone wished to buy me lunch there, please let me know. I won’t eat that much honest, but I need to send a press release out.… Read More