If I had to rank-order public employee union bosses from evil to less so, clearly on the top of the list you would have to put the California Teachers Association. Like all of the other unions they have a voracious appetite for pursuing the "standard" trio of union goals: higher wages and benefits for their members, job security for their members, and the creation of new public employee positions that are members of their union.

That said, the CTA is particularly awful because they pursue this pro-public labor agenda under the banner that somehow all of this is somehow "better for children" and helps kids to have a better education. For anyone who wants to understand how hurtful teachers union bosses can be, go see the movie Waiting for Superman, which illustrates quite well the road blocks that teachers unions put up to keep bad teachers around. Bottom line: a good teacher can make the world of difference for child, and a bad teacher can do the opposite. But the CTA protects and defends all teachers, as if they are all of equal ability.

Anyways, a friend of mine who lives in Senate District 1 just sent me a… Read More

How many employers out there in the private sector provide Cadillac healthcare benefits to their part time employees? The answer, of course, is virtually none. Welcome to the “good life” of many part-time local elected officials…

As economic times have gotten extremely tough in the private sector, a lot of attention has been paid to the gold-plated salaries and benefits going to many public employees at both the state and local levels. Whether it extreme defined benefit retirement plans that in many instances (especially for public safety employees) to retire making more money than they did when they worked, or salaries that are no longer comparable to the private sector which has seen so many reductions with the economic recession) or just the fact that those in government have not had to face the kinds of layoffs and unemployment issues.

While these important issues have started to dominate discussions in the public square, one of the issues that is about to… Read More

Jerry Brown spokesman Sterling Clifford "The Liar," issued a press release yesterday attacking Meg Whitman, Jon Coupal and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers PAC for the PAC’s endorsement of Meg Whitman. Clifford, whose performance as Brown spokesman brings to mind Jon Lovitz’ character "Tommy The Liar Flanigan," claims Jarvis endorsed and voted for Jerry Brown in 1978. Well I was there, and Clifford is lying to you, again.

The fact is Brown was a semi-hysterical opponent of Prop. 13 in 1978. After Prop. 13 passed by a 2/3rds margin in the June primary election, Jarvis endorsed the Republican candidate for Governor and even cut a TV spot for him. But after that, Gray Davis, Brown’s chief of staff, made a greasy secret deal with the Jarvis organization consultants at the time (long gone they are now from HJTA) and a meeting was scheduled to be held in a Hollywood residence between Brown and Jarvis. Jarvis thought the meeting was to discuss Brown’s implementation of Prop. 13. But the consultants knew better. When Jarvis got to the residence, a private camera crew was already set… Read More

Three days to go.

What the heck are you doing on the blogs?

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All of Barry’s enlightening advice…and other posts. _… Read More

The following opinion piece by Scott Wilk was featured in today’s Santa Clarita Valley Signal:

In 1994, I had the honor of serving as chief of staff in the state Assembly.

After exhaustively interviewing applicants for a vacant staff position, I received a call from a friend asking me to interview some kid named Anthony.

When the lanky young man stepped into my office, his smile brightened the room. His enthusiasm was immediately contagious.

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Anyone who works in politics understands the importance of having poll watchers and ballot observers. Particularly in close races, voter fraud can influence the outcome of an election. In the past few years, this has become a huge issue—especially with the revelation of rampant voter fraud at such organizations as ACORN. There was also that infamous video of Black Panther members engaging in voter intimidation in Philadelphia. With the advent of new media and the empowerment of citizen journalism, voters can expose any instances of fraud or intimidation and broadcast it to the public. That’s exactly the concept behind a new mobile phone app created by American Majority Action. The … Read More

Republicans are poised to pick up three U.S. House seats in California, which is a big deal since with our highly partisan gerrymandering, it is rare to see a party-flip in a single seat. This portends well for Carly Fiorina, if federal races in California are being caught up in this national sweep for the GOP. The next big “scandal” to rock California politics will be public awareness and repudiation of local part-time elected officials (city councils, school boards, water boards) who are cashing in on full-time employee benefits (Cadillac healthcare benefits or big cash payments to opt out of it, retirement benefits, and the like). In Assembly District 5, the California Medical Association is pumping big bucks into electing a liberal Democrat Doctor into what has been a long-time GOP seat. Apparently the priorities of the CMA are raising taxes, and increasing burdensome government regulation. Everyone has become obsessed with public opinion polling, trying to figure out who is going to win for an office based on each latest survey. I would remind you that the results of a survey are only as good as a … Read More