The following is a letter that appeared in a recent edition of Managed Care Weekend Update (2/13/10), published by Oppenheimer & Co, an investment and banking company.This letter is a great response to the Obama Administration’s (and Assemblyman Dave Jones (D-Sacramento) reaction to the rate increases recently implemented by Anthem/Blue Cross (WellPoint).This is a must read for those in Sacramento preparing for the Jones hearing on this issue next week.Steve Poizner’s staff should read it as well. As the writer points out, this is all just "political grandstanding" to try to force through a health care reform package that the public doesn’t seem to want. The Secretary of HHS Crosses a Line Dear Secretary Sebelius: Reading through your last two letters to WellPoint, it seems like the crux of … Read More

I just sent this out to the CRP membership…

Last Saturday I wrote to you about the question that will be coming before the California Republican Party Board of Directors – whether or not to extend invitations to the Republican candidates for Governor, Attorney General and United States Senate to participate in debates at our upcoming convention next month in Santa Clara.

In that e-mail I mentioned that the Board would be voting on a proposed resolution to that effect today. I wanted to let you know that our meeting ended up not taking place today, but that will be convening for a telephonic Board meeting on Thursday morning at 8:30am.

I would like to share with you that I have heard back from nearly a quarter of the State Central Committee members, and by a staggering proportion, they would like… Read More

Controller John Chiang released a new actuarial report last week that shows California faces a $51.8 billion bill to pay for health and dental benefits for state retirees.

The unfunded obligation as of June 30, 2009, grew $3.6 billion from $48.2 billion in the prior year. Unlike state pensions, which are covered by pre-funding and investment returns, California pays for retiree health benefits on a pay-as-you-go basis as the costs come due each year.

The State would need to contribute $2.8 billion in 2009-10 to fully fund its obligation. But Controller Chiang did not go far enough. These are contractual obligations that legally are more important than regular legislative budget appropriations. Chiang should announce that he will prioritize what checks to write to make sure that contracts are honored.

The report can be found … Read More

Many FlashReport readers are no doubt aware of the fine work of longtime columnist and writer Dan Weintraub. Dan’s career has spanned multiple newspapers, most recently he left the Sacramento Bee and is doing some writing for the New York Times. While Dan is not an ideological right winger, per se, he often ends up sounding that way in many of his columns because conservative ideas, put into practice, work — and Dan’s figured that out. He’s thoughtful, thorough, and insightful. OK, he’s also my friend. All of that said, Dan is today launching a new endeavor. But rather than having me explain to you all about it — I reached out to Dan and he has penned this piece below, telling you what he is up to! Read on, and then check out his new website! — Flash

Hmmm. The first radio spot put out by the union-backed effort to bash Meg Whitman contains… a fundraising appeal? Maybe this effort isn’t as flush as reported…… Read More

Peter Foy has endorsed Steve Poizner. Here’s a featured column from Foy, the Chairman of Americans for Prosperity, California…

The well-respected Rasmussen public opinion research company today has released some new survey data on the California Governor’s race with some pretty significant results…

This just in from Tucker Bounds, Communications Director for the Whitman for Governor campaign…

With Election Day 2010 fast approaching, Jerry Brown has refused to explain what his intentions would be as governor. It’s a stark contrast to the way Meg has gone about courting voters.

Meg, who leads her Republican primary rival by 30 points and is tied with Jerry Brown in a brand new poll, is running a modern, multi-tiered media campaign that is focused on how Californians get their news today. Since announcing her intentions to seek the Republican nomination for Governor,… Read More