Today John Perez, an ultra-liberal Democrat from Los Angeles, was elected Speaker of the Assembly. Good for him – and congratulations. That is a major achievement, especially for a freshman lawmaker. I know that Perez has the best interests of California at heart, even if his left wing ideology will guide him down the wrong path to make our state a better place for Californians to live, work and play.

As was tweeted by Anthony York at Capitol Weekly earlier in the week, and reported by Torey Van Oot on the Sacramento Bee’s Capitol Alert blog this morning that Assembly Republicans will put forward their leader, Sam Blakeslee, for Speaker. They did so, and it made me, as a Republican, proud.

I have written that Republicans as a minority party should put forward their own candidates for leader for many years. I did so when Senator Steinberg was elected Senate President Pro-Tem, and I did so when Speakers Nunez, Bass and now Perez were elected.

Yes, every Assembly Republican knew that the outcome of the Speakership vote was preordained. So… Read More

Yesterday, I posted a blog on Flash Report that disputed the numbers Governor Schwarzenegger used to compare California’s spending of prisons and higher education.

He said during his State of the State speech that California spends 45 percent more on prisons than on higher education. I replied that the state spent 7.3 percent of thetotal state budgeton prisons and 9.7 percent of thetotal state budgeton higher education, which differs vastly from the Governor’s State of the State numbers.

Keep in mind I was using the Governor’s own 2009-10 budget numbers!

Here’s the Governor’s chart (I’ve highlighted prisons in yellowand higher ed in green): (Click on the chart to enlarge it.)

Today, I read a Flash blog that… Read More

Well, it’s been almost seven long years since the voters of California placed their economic and political future into the hands of Arnold Schwarzenegger. With the State in far worse shape than when he inherited the Davis mess, one could make the case, easily, that when he declared himself to be "post partisan" his chance at becoming effective as Governor ended.

We can all have a romantic vision of post partisanship, but it doesn’t work, and never will. Politics is bloodsport. We are never, ever all just going to "get along". My chief complaint with this Governor is that a man with business experience and a supposedly center right disposition could get his ass handed to him over and over again by leftist legislators with nary a clue on how to run an economy or a government. Arnold had truly been a girly man during his term. He’s got one chance left now to make amends and not leave California hanging over a cliff.

This is the year to shut the State government down in order to make the budget work. There’s no revenue, and there has been no reform of State spending. Taxes can’t be raised unless the… Read More

In the State of the State address yesterday, Governor Schwarzenegger talked about using tax incentives on the purchase of green technologies as a means of creating jobs. This is not simply a theoretical notion. The fact is, there are several initiatives throughout the U.S. that could make this piece of the Governor’s plan a reality, and the President and CEO of two of them will be my guest on Go Green Radio tomorrow.

Robbie Diamond is the President & CEO of Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE) – www.secureenergy.org – , and the Electrification Coalition – www.electrificationcoalition.org -, both nonpartisan, not-for-profit groups of business four star military leaders committed to promoting policies and actions that facilitate the deployment of electric vehicles on a mass scale in order to combat the economic, environmental, and national security dangers caused by our nation’s dependence on petroleum.

Among Robbie’s distinguished group of… Read More

Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association's president Jon Coupal released official reaction to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's annual “State of the State” address today:

“Any attempt to bring down California's $20 billion budget deficit must begin with three things: creating jobs, easing revenue volatility, and cutting spending.

Streamlining the permitting of construction projects and creating CEQA exemptions will take the brakes off job creation and will help to bring down California's astronomically high 12.5% unemployment rate.

Job growth will lead to more stable revenue streams, but only if we end California's over-reliance on the few major income earners to help balance the budget every year.

In the area of Tax reform, a flat tax – where all Californians are invested in the economic climate of California – would be preferable to the Tax Commission's recommendation of a VAT-style tax.

We do not believe it is “bold” to play a game of 'hide the tax' with hard-earned taxpayer dollars.We also join with the Governor in his concern over… Read More

From Judy Lloyd, Vice Chairman of Lincoln Club of Northern CA and a client of Jane Clark in AD 15 in 2008 –

Bay Area Republicans are saddened at the loss of one of our most dynamic Republican fundraisers, Jane Clark this New Year’s Day. Reports are that Jane had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer just a week before. At first the prognosis was for aggressive chemotherapy then the tragic news that Jane only had one week to live. Sadly, Jane passed on New Year’s Day, with Bruce McPherson, the former Secretary of State, her friend and former client, at her side as well as her dear friend Anne Appleman. Jane had been a great friend and colleague of mine for many years. She helped many national, Bay Area and Central Valley Republicans including McPherson, Jeff Denham, Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, Jim Cunneen, Dick Rainey, and most recently Carly Fiorina. She also had several non-profit clients who adored working with her and for whom she showed great passion. Everyone who knew Jane appreciated her sense of humor, honesty and loyalty. Jane was a popular speaker for the Lincoln Club of Northern California and other Republican organizations. I talked… Read More

When I received this thoughtful response to the Governor’s State of the State Address from longtime FR friend Audra Strickland, I knew that I had to get it up on the blog right away.

To know Audra is to know that she can be very direct and pointed when she feels it is appropriate. In a respectful but firm tone, read how Strickland takes on Governor Schwarzenegger’s proposal to pass a ballot measure to amend the Constitution aimed at cut prison spending and shift that money over to higher education. Strickland makes the case for why, in setting priorities, we do not need to pit public safety needs against the needs of higher education.

Definately worth a read…

I think I can count on one hand (well, a six-fingered hand) the number of Republican women elected to partisan office in California. If the response to the State of the State from Audra Strickland (in the blog post below) and the even more harsh reaction from Board of Equalization Member Michelle Steel are any indicator, I wonder what Senator Walters, and Assemblywomen Harkey, Conway and Fuller thought of the speech?

Board Member Steel really hits the Governor hard on the taxes front, making the case that the Governor promoting the recommendations of his Tax Commission is a de facto call for a tax increase. She also, and rightly so, bangs the Governor for promoting the big-spending, pork-laden water bond package.

Well, rather than me telling you what Steel’s concerns are, here it is in her own words…