Click here to see Arnold Schwarzenegger’s second commercial of the season. This one is touting his image on environmental issues. Click here to see Arnold Schwarzenegger’s first commercial of the season.… Read More

Orange County has a 1/2 cent transportation sales tax called Measure M that was passed in 1990 and expires in 2011. It created the Orange County Transportation Authority and has greatly improved OC transportation infrastructure (and I say that as someone who voted against it).

Now, the OCTA has been preparing a draft ordinance for the November 2006 ballot that would extend Measure M for 30 years. A very good case can be made for Measure M’s renewal, and I’m open to being persuaded.

However, it’s hard to be persuaded when you see OCTA spending taxpayer monies on thinly-veiled marketing efforts to build support for Measure M.

Which is why were are lucky to have several elected officials on the OCTA Board of Directors who are exercising responsible stewardship on behalf of the taxpayers.

A couple of months ago, OCTA awarded a $1.5 million contract to Townsend, Raimundo for a three-part countywide "informational mailing" on the draft Measure M renewal… Read More

In just about any race for office, the endorsement of the incumbent politician who is retired is usually coveted. Clearly one race where NO ONE wants the endorsement of the former incumbent is in the Special Election taking place in San Diego — after all, former Congressman Duke Cunningham is serving time in the federal pen for using his office to make millions to line his own pockets, while doling out government funds in returns.

One of the candidates in the race has managed to reach back to the conservative Congressman who represented the area BEFORE Cunningham — retired Congressman Ron Packard (pictured). Packard’s biggest claim to fame is that he actually won his first election as a write-in candidate. Now that is no longer recent history — as a matter of fact, it has been a long time since Packard served in Congress as all (though he served nearly two decades).

Anyways, Packard has endorsed businessman Eric Roach for this seat, and… Read More

Who the heck wrote that?… Speaking of anonymous blogging, I received a smart-aleck email the other day asking me if I receive a check every time I mention the SDPolitics blog. You may know that blog is run and written by a mystery person, but I find it a must read everyday. I often find breaking news and other tidbits that are worth posting, and when I do, I’m gonna give credit. Alternatively, SDPolitics several times has mentioned the FlashReport as the first source of something juicy. It’s mutual, apparently.

My answer back to the emailer: "It is professional courtesy to give credit where credit is due….I don’t see FR and SDPolitics being in competition, and I believe the mutual links drive readership at both sites."

By the way, I support Jon in his decision that these pages are attributed, and I wouldn’t have it any other way for myself…but it isa decision other bloggers need to make for themselves. Just call me… Read More

"If I had to guess, Democrat Francine Busby will be voting for Brian Bilbray this Tuesday, because that is whom she despirately hopes to run against – the candidate who makes this seat the must vulnerable to a GOP loss." – Jon Fleischman, Publisher of the FlashReport.

In California’s 50th Congressional District, the primary for special election to replace the disgraced and now-imprisoned Randy "Duke" Cunningham will take place in just three days. National attention will be paid to the outcome of this race. After all, no politician in memorable history has disgraced the office of Congress more flagrantly than Cunningham did, and add to it that as a special election, it is the only Congressional race being voted on in the country this Tuesday. Of particular interest has been the activity surrounding the campaign of Democrat candidate Francine Busby… Read More

I am working for a candidate running for Arcadia City Council. The election is April 11 and I keep telling him (Peter Amundson) to talk to voters. Stop getting distracted by peskythings like work and family.

Long Beach has an election April 11th as well. The Mayor’s race is wide open as the current Mayor Beverly O’Neill is retiring.

One candidate allegedly had something better to do than talk to voters. John Stolpe, a police officer, running for Mayor of Long Beach was arrested for exposing himself and resisting arrest. There are better ways to expose yourself to voters… walka precinct (voter ones, not police). See the revealing story here.… Read More

"If I had to guess, Democrat Francine Busby will be voting for Brian Bilbray this Tuesday, because that is whom she despirately hopes to run against – the candidate who makes this seat the must vulnerable to a GOP loss." – Jon Fleischman, Publisher of the FlashReport.

In California’s 50th Congressional District, the primary for special election to replace the disgraced and now-imprisoned Randy "Duke" Cunningham will take place in just three days. National attention will be paid to the outcome of this race. After all, no politician in memorable history has disgraced the office of Congress more flagrantly than Cunningham did, and add to it that as a special election, it is the only Congressional race being voted on in the country this Tuesday. Of particular interest has been the activity surrounding the campaign of Democrat candidate Francine Busby… Read More

Last week, political reporter John Marelius penned a piece on the rise of political blogging in the San Diego Union Tribune that prominently featured the FlashReport. In that piece, Marelius pens a few paragraphs talking about "anonymous blogging" — here is the excerpt: