Last week longtime FR friend Martin Garrick was sworn in as Assembly Republican Leader last week.

Today Garrick announced the appointment of his final leadership team members — the Republican Whips. By way of describing the roles of whips, I pull this language from Garrick’s release…

The following Republican Assembly Members were named today as Republican Whips:

I admire the passion of Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner. Having gotten to spend a lot of time with him over the last five years or so, I know him as someone who really pours his heart and soul into just about everything he does. I figure it takes that kind of drive to have his level of epic success in business, and it certainly takes an Energizer-Bunny type level of activity to get elected to statewide office as a Republican in California, let alone to now be running for the Republican nomination for Governor. I know Steve to be a good man, who is passionate about making a difference.

I preface this column with these comments because I don’t want FR readers to misinterpret a critique of an individual policy proposal of the Commissioner as some sort of rebuke of the man, which it certainly is not. Nevertheless I have been troubled by a proposal he has generated from the Department of Insurance, which I wanted to address. I have brought this up directly with Poizner, so he won’t be surprised to read it here.

Last year Insurance Commissioner Poizner rolled out what I thought was a creative and useful plan to review the substantial financial… Read More

I admire the passion of Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner. Having gotten to spend a lot of time with him over the last five years or so, I know him as someone who really pours his heart and soul into just about everything he does. I figure it takes that kind of drive to have his level of epic success in business, and it certainly takes an Energizer-Bunny type level of activity to get elected to statewide office as a Republican in California, let alone to now be running for the Republican nomination for Governor. I know Steve to be a good man, who is passionate about making a difference.

I preface this column with these comments because I don’t want FR readers to misinterpret a critique of an individual policy proposal of the Commissioner as some sort of rebuke of the man, which it certainly is not. Nevertheless I have been troubled by a proposal he has generated from the Department of Insurance, which I wanted to address. I have brought this up directly with Poizner, so he won’t be surprised to read it here.

Last year Insurance Commissioner Poizner rolled out what I thought was a creative and useful plan to review the substantial financial… Read More

This weekend, Assemblyman Alberto Torrico (D-Fremont), Chair of the Select Committee on the Prison and Rehabilitation, blamed Sacramento County Sheriff McGinness for the early release of Kevin Peterson, who hours after he was released from a Sacramento County jail, tried to rape a woman.

Asm. Torrico noted that the actions by the county were:

“A total aberration of the law here in Sacramento County, unfortunately. I think they had to do it intentionally, to try to lower their costs, to try to lower their population. It is a stretch beyond imagination what they have done here.” …

“It is a complete stretch to apply the legislation to a county inmate especially a dangerous one like they did here in Sacramento.” …

“What they are doing here in Sacramento is whole sale release of people who are not ready to be let out. They are giving them credit for time they don’t deserve. They are applying a statute that does not apply to county prisoners, it is a mistake and they put people in jeopardy here in Sacramento.”

… Read More

I received the following statement from Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform. FR readers will recall that is ATR’s No New Taxes pledge that Maldonado egregiously violated. No one forced him to sign the pledge, and no one forced Maldonado to vote to smack California taxpayers with the largest tax increase ever in the history of any state… “I urge California legislators to reject political payback for the guy that provided the deciding vote for the largest state level tax increase in the history of the United States.

First Abel Maldonado gets his ballot measure that would destroy the integrity of the primary election process in exchange for throwing already over-burdened California taxpayers under the bus, breaking his promise to not raise taxes in the process.

Now Abel Maldonado is on the cusp of rising to higher office.

This is not someone California taxpayers want sitting just one heart beat away from becoming governor.

The only job his recent behavior… Read More

The pervasive and corrupting influence of the state’s public employee unions is obvious. But we don’t need to tell Meg Whitman that, she’s talked about it on the campaign trail.

The Citizen Power Initiative, if passed, would curb the ability of unions to take money out of the paychecks of their members for for political purposes without their express permission.

There is no doubt that California will not get back on the right track until we can pass this important reform.

Tom Campbell has talked about this on the campaign trail — and has endorsed the Citizen Power Initiative.

Steve Poizner has talked about this on the campaign trail — and has endorsed the Citizen Power Initiative.

Chuck DeVore has talked about this on the campaign trail — and has endorsed the Citizen Power Initiative.

Carly Fiorina has talked about this on the campaign trail — and today has endorsed the Citizen Power Initiative.

That leaves only one candidate left on the campaign trail for Governor… Read More

Okay, I made the quote in the headline up. The County Supervisors didn’t really say that to SEIU when taking today’s action on a June ballot measure to ban PLAs. Not publicly, at any rate.

From the Del Mar Times…

http://www.delmartimes.net/news/265750-supervisors-consider-measure-to-ban-labor-agreements

Supervisors consider measure to ban labor agreements

The Board of Supervisors agreed Tuesday to consider putting a measure on the June 8 ballot that would ban project labor agreements on developments being undertaken by San Diego County.

A project labor agreement mandates that government contracts for public construction projects go only to union contractors.

The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to direct its lawyers to draft ballot language that would amend the county charter to prohibit project labor agreements. The panel also asked staff to craft an ordinance… Read More

In the face of the state’s perpetual budget crisis, some Californians are beginning to regret their votes in favor of the $9.9 billion high-speed rail bond last year. Even though proponents of the train have now admitted the bond was only a down payment on the actual cost to build the system, the numbers that were projected are changing—and all in the wrong direction.

The business plan released by the train’s advocates last month show the dramatic differences in what the voters were told and what reality is. For example, the price of a ticket from San Francisco to Los Angeles is now projected at $105, up from the previous $55 estimate. That new number changed the ridership predictions: now 41 million annual riders by 2035, down from last year’s prediction of 55 million passengers by 2030. The cost for building the train system has also grown. The proponents had been thinking $33.6 billion (2008 dollars) but have revised upward to $42.6 billion. Recently, the Obama administration announced $2.25 billion in funding for the project. Proponents said federal money would be used to close the gap between the voter-approved bond and the ultimate… Read More