According to the Tax Foundation, California’s Tax Freedom Day won’t come until April 16 this year, a full two days later than last year and four days later than the average state.

Tax Freedom Day, calculated annually by the Tax Foundation, is the day Americans have earned enough money to pay their… Read More

The annual convention of the California Republican Assembly is scheduled for next month, where a new leadership election is scheduled. CRA is and always has been, since the 1930s when it was founded by among others former Governor Earl Warren, the most important Republican volunteer organization in the state. Almost all the leadership of the California Republican Party have had a run threw the chairs of CRA. But while the recent election of leadership in the CRP was quite harmonious, the situation in CRA is hardly the case. Just after the "record date" closed this last week for selection and disclosure of delegates to next month’s convention, the current leadership group, lead by President Celeste Greig, former Barbara Alby aide Tom Hudson, and Orange County volunteer Craig Alexander, apparently determined that they were destined to be turned out of office; so in what would have been their limited time left on the CRA board, they have concocted an emergency "bylaw" amendment that will disenfranchise scores of delegates to the convention and thereby, they hope, perpetuate what has become a very pathetic term of office for all three. An unusual, and… Read More

Yesterday we saw the most recent and highest profile “cessation of negotiations” between Governor Brown, legislative Democrats, and the GOP “Rogue 5” as we call them. There is plenty of analysis available on the web for those who want to dig into the specific policy issues that were being horse traded in return for jamming taxpayers with yet another election held for the purpose of reaching into their pockets. Suffice it to say that my position, which is the position shared by a whole group of taxpayer protection groups in a letter published on the FlashReport today, and the position of 30 Senate and Assembly Republicans – there is NO public policy trade off that makes it okay to then vote to place taxes onto a special election ballot.

It is my sincerest hope that this latest “break” in negotiations is not just more posturing, as some budget kabuki dances take longer than others, but that it really means that the idea of Republicans putting up at least two votes in each chamber to put taxes on the ballot is extinguished.

As I have written before, if the very large tax increases passed as part of… Read More

The following letter from major taxpayer advocacy organizations was distributed yesterday in the State Capitol to the offices of Republican legislators… (The link below opens a .pdf of the formatted letter complete with logos of the various organizations and signatures of their representatives.)

March 29, 2011 Dear Republican Legislators: Re: Expiration of the 2009 Tax Increases; Restoring California The undersigned taxpayer leaders are writing to reiterate our position that the 2009 tax increases hurt California; why they should be allowed to… Read More

As has been anticipated the last couple of days, Governor Brown has declared the three-year long drought in California officially over. With the state’s reservoirs quite full, and the snow pack in the Sierras at 165% of normal, ending the drought declaration is probably a good idea.

Hopefully the readily available supply of water will translate to some reductions in water rationing and perhaps the lowering of costs for end users (one can but hope).

But there is certainly one very bright, positive political aspect to California’s drought being over — it means that it will be harder than ever for the massive $11++ billion water bond package, due to appear on a 2012 ballot near you, to go down in defeat.

The "Water Porkulus" bond package, as I called it when it was being crafted by the legislature a couple of years ago, is literally 3 or 4 times bigger than what is actually needed to responsibly address our state’s water infrastructure issues (it depends on whom you speak, as to exactly how "too big" it is). The process of watching sausage get made is supposedly very gross and… Read More

Jerry Brown richly deserved his "Governor Moonbeam" moniker in his first incarnation as Governor (in the 1970’s). He emphasized his Zen ways, talked about the "era of limits" (before Reagan blew the top off of those limits in the 1980’s), and, with his unusual style, and odd public pronouncements, left the impression that he had more than his fair share of that "wacky tabacky" the use of which seemed to be on the rise in those days.

Before Jerry Brown was Governor, California had the best school system in the country. California had a freeway system that was envied throughout the world. 80% of Californians could afford a median price home. Gasoline was 22 cents a gallon, and water was prevalent, and cheap. Farmers didn’t worry about Delta smelts or fairy shrimp. We weren’t a welfare magnet, and bruceros crossed the border to work legally in the fields, and then went home. The state budget was $8.6 billion general fund. Things weren’t idyllic, but they weren’t bad.

After he left office, the state’s general fund spending had nearly tripled.… Read More

There is no more significant organizational endorsement for a Republican candidates for office, partisan or non, than this one — congratulations to Chuck DeVore… – Flash

The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association PAC Endorses Chuck DeVore for Orange County Board of Supervisors

March 29, 2011, Irvine, CA – The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association PAC, California’s foremost defender of taxpayers’ rights, today announced its endorsement of former State Assemblyman Chuck DeVore in his campaign for Orange County Board of Supervisors, 3rd District. Jon Coupal, the President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, the largest taxpayers association in… Read More

Five years ago, when the proposal for a redistricting commission came up before the Legislature, I balked. I said then that the Democrats would figure out a way to turn the commission their way. Redistricting is the most political thing that occurs in politics. Careers and jobs are on the line, and since government is the "be all and end all" for Democrats, they would make sure they would take over the process. The only problem? We would lose all accountability. We couldn’t argue that the lines were unfair. We asked for, and got, a "balanced, unbiased" commission. In the mine of politics, the Democrats would get the gold, and we would get the shaft.

I was told to mind my own business. My colleagues said I didn’t know what I was talking about. I pointed out that there was no such thing as an unbiased commission. In the world of politics, Democrats go out of their way to be partisan, and they prove it every day by attacking Republicans. Republicans, on the other hand, go out of their way to be nonpartisan, and they prove it every day by attacking… Read More