FlashReport Weblog on California Politics
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Arizona Boycott: A Story of Wimps and Wasters
Horrible Arizona has passed a horrible law that allows cops to ask about immigration status if someone horrible is busted doing something wrong and has no identification.Did I say how horrible?
Somehow critics of the law think Arizona peace officers will take time from busting smugglers on the border and increased violence in their cities to check identification cards at local theaters and somehow violate everyone’s rights. Well not everyone’s.
Needless to say such an outrage must be met harshly. My county and several cities have decided that they will boycott Arizona and its companies. Martin Luther King and Ceaser Chavez are held up as great examples of the success of boycotts.
Truly though today’s boycotters are nothing like their heroes. Today’s boycotters are wimps. They will only boycott unless it is "necessary”. Some sacrifice. We will not do business with you unless we need too. What a great… Read More

Election Preview: Orange County
Ok, nowfor the real analysis on Orange County…(other than the treasurer’s race for which I did a public poll, all predictions are based on my best guess)
-Appointed Sheriff Hutchens will either win re-election or be the top vote-getter
-District Attorney Tony Rackauckas is re-elected (he has no opponent)
-Clerk-Recorder Tom Daley is re-elected
-Public Administrator John Williams is re-elected or will be the top vote-getter
-Auditor David Sundstrom wins re-election
-Assessor Webster Guillory will fend off a challenge from former BOE member Claude Parrish
-Shari Freidenrich will be in a run-off with Keith Rodenhuis will face each other in a run-off for Treasurer
-5th Dist. Supervisor Pat Bates wins re-election (no opponent)
-2nd Dist. Supervisor John Moorlach wins re-election (no opponent)
-Fullerton Councilman Shawn Nelson will win the Special and Primary Elections for 4th Dist. Supervisor and probably face Harry Sidhu in a run-off on November (but Nelson will be seated immediately to fill the unexpired term of now Assemblyman Chris Norby)
There are some other less interesting offices like… Read More

Race to Watch tomorrow: Democrat Lt. Governor
The race to watch for Republicans in tomorrow’s statewide primary election is actually the Democrat primary for Lt. Governor. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is battling it out with Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn. Hahn has great name identification from years of her family’s public service in the county, a far bigger media market than San Francisco. But Newsom is spending money and can probably do more to light up the core Democratic Left voters in the primary than Hahn.
The race is now very important because it will define some of the more obvious differences for voters in the Democrat and Republican statewide tickets in November. The odds are that Jerry Brown will win his primary for Governor in the Democrat party, and Meg Whitman and Abel Maldonado will most likely win theirs for Governor and Lt. Governor in the Republican primary. A “Whitman/Maldonado” ticket will look a lot different to California voters than a “Brown/Newsom” ticket from the standpoint of pure winnability. “Whitman/Maldonado” will look more like California to statewide voters, while “Brown/Newsom” will look more… Read More

Prop 14 Means More Sestak Scandals
Survey USA just released poll results that show Proposition 14 is “positioned to pass” tomorrow. I know the Flash Report contributors have been vocal about the dangers posed by Proposition 14 and its “top two” primary system. Although the measure is being sold as way to lessen the influence of “special interest”—especially the political parties—Proposition 14 will actually create even more of the backroom political deals that voters despise. The latest political scandal creating headlines is the allegation by Democrat U.S. Senate candidate Joe Sestak that the White House privately pressured him to end his challenge against incumbent Arlen Specter. Amazingly, Sestak actually rebuffed the emissary sent by the White House: former President Bill Clinton. In the end, it worked out pretty well for Sestak when he defeated Specter in the Pennsylvania Democrat primary. Voters are … Read More

California Agencies are Reaching for the Wrong Superlatives
Sometimes I wonder if agencies like the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) make it past their own headlines and read the rest of the newspaper. The above-the-fold front page headline in Thursday’s Tri Valley Herald reads, “Air board gets jump on pollutants,” and goes on to explain a new set of thresholds requiring builders to conduct pollution reduction studies before developing projects that fall within the typical range of what cities call “infill development.”Infill development has helped many cities replace blighted areas in their downtown areas with new, affordable housing for residents who want to work in the cities and enjoy short, often public transportation-enabled, commutes. While the executive director of the BAAQMD, Jack Broadbent, was patting himself and the agency on the back for being the first to adopt such guidelines, business leaders and advocates of affordable housing were not so enthusiastic. Adding additional legal hurdles to the development of badly needed urban housing in California only … Read More

Foy’s Nominal Opponent Commits Gaffe On Mailer
FlashReport readers are very familiar with Peter Foy. You’ll recall that in addition to being Chairman of the Americans for Prosperity California chapter, Peter is an elected Ventura County Supervisor. What you may not know is that Peter was elected to the Board of Supes four years ago by taking on and defeating an incumbent RINO (Republican In Name Only). Since then, Foy has been a solid conservative leader in Ventura County, and he is coasting towards a big re-election this Tuesday night.
Foy does have an opponent, however nominal, who would not even be worth writing about, except for his big-time blunder in for all I know is his only mail piece. Foy’s opponent is a Moorpark School Board Trustee by the name of Bruce Thomas. A mail piece just dropped for Thomas (the entire piece is viewable through the link below) but check out the clip from… Read More

Sunday San Diego: The 2010 Primary Election Contest!!!
It’s that time again. Stop what you are doing and take a stab. Send your picks to me here. (do not post them as a comment).
Deadline is 7:55 p.m. on June 8 (or anytime before).
Winners will be announced after the election, when I can get to it, or later in the case of any hand counts or other chads-like determinations by the Registrar, especially if followed by protracted lawsuits and court battles.
The contest victors get the ultimate prize – their fellow hacks’ amazement at their prowess.
On yes, in the past, some FR readers have complained that this contest is too "San Diego oriented." Well, yes, I do write about San Diego area politics. It is your choice to participate. Or not.
So, here we go, eleven questions and a couple of tie-breakers, if needed…
1. Chula Vista Fair and Open Competition Initiative: Will Measure G win or lose?
2. Oceanside Charter City question: Will Measure K win or lose?
3. Poway (two part question, must get them both correct):
a) Will Betty Rexford… Read More