What do South Dakota, Wyoming, Alaska, Nevada, Florida, Montana, New Hampshire, Delaware, Washington and Utah all have that California doesn’t? According to the Tax Foundation, these statesproudlypossessa national Top 10 business climate rating.

California, on the other hand, continues to rank at the bottom thanks to Sacramento’s job-killing machine known asState Government. Thanks to a bureaucracy that sends businesses packing to neighboring states, and a regulatory environment that makes it difficult to flourish in California, the Tax Foundation ranked California 48th amongst all states. While the nationwide economic crisis has contributed to tough times in our once Golden State, we must come to terms with the overregulation that needlessly drives our state further and further into disrepair. Unfortunately, due to policies that place special interest groups ahead of hardworking Californians, the liberal majority in Sacramento have constructed a business climate in which it has become near impossible to exercise one’s entrepreneurial spirit and successfully operate… Read More

I’ve been away from a computer since early this morning. Seems appropriate to note that ex-Assemblyman Mike Duvall has jumped out of the frying pan, and it remains to be seen if he falls into the fire.

As Barry Jantz noted below, ace political reporter Carla Marinucci, anxious to let all Republicans who missed her at convention that she is back in town, blogged about GOP candidate Meg Whitman’s having supported Barbara Boxer early on in her 2004 re-election. For my part, reading about Whitman’s check to Boxer was not news — that had been out for a while. But it was the fact that she was visibly out there, with her name on media release put out by the incumbent whacky-left Senator that startled me (see it below).

In reading the Marinucci story, Whitman’s spokesperson says, get this, that her support of Boxer was anti-tax. Nice.

A lot of… Read More

Gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman and her team have been having to endure what is now over a week of intense scrutiny after an investigative piece published in the Sacramento Bee last week concluded that until just a few years ago there is no sign that Whitman had voted in any elections.

Normally when a candidate is faced with a "bad" story, the tactic of the campaign is to try and "starve it" and wait it out — change the subject. Sometimes, though, stories become big enough that you have to deal with them with a press statement, or at a press conference.

This story apparently has enough legs that Whitman has decided to actually create a professional video message to supporters and potential supporters, confronting it head on…

Check it out below…

… Read More

Assembly Speaker Karen Bass has sent water policy novice Assemblywoman Anna Caballero to Washington D.C. to as one of the Democrat's “chief negotiator” for California's water crisis.

Why does the Assembly Speaker Karen Bass believe Asm. Caballero is one of the top negotiators on water for the Golden State, when Asm. Cabellero has only introduced two water related bills and the one that seeks to improve the Central Valley water crisis, Asm. Caballero lifted 90% of the language from Senator Cogdill's bond bill?

This doesn't make Asm. Caballero and expert in water. It makes her an expert in photocopying and taking other people's ideas.

With Asm. Caballero in Washington D.C., what immediate actions will our damaged region receive? Will the pumps be turned on, or will there be another study, more delay and empty promises, and more lost jobs? The people in the Central Valley were hopeful when the Assembly Leader Alberto Torrico stated the that Latino Caucus in supporting a proposal that puts the people over politics and improves the Central Valley, not special environmental interests. … Read More

According to Forbes Magazines just-released "Top 400 Wealthiest People" list, Margaret "Meg" Whitman of Atherton, California, comes in at #326 with an estimated worth of $1.2 billion.

Well, you may have to subtract a couple of bucks from that as she recently bought me a cup of coffee. Though I suspect it won’t bump her down to #327.… Read More

Republicans are big supporters of law enforcement. We believe in the fair and just application of the law and support our men and women in law enforcement. However, Republicans also have a healthy distrust of big government and irresponsible prosecutors. Prosecutors wield immense power and this power can do severe damage to the average citizen when it is not exercised justly.

The recent case of the State of California v. Joel Angeles is a perfect example of how unjust the system can be when corrupted by an irresponsible prosecutor. The case surrounded events which occurred outside the June 18, 2008 Tony Strickland fundraiser featuring Mitt Romney. The race to replace State Senator Tom McClintock was hotly contested. Both sides spent nearly 6 million dollars each and when the dust settled Tony Strickland had prevailed by less than 1500 votes (or as Strickland likes to say, he won by about one vote per precinct).

It was in this environment that a group of Democrat protesters arrived at the Strickland event. It became clear that the intention of the group was to engage with the Strickland supporters who were gathered in front of the hotel.… Read More

Just off the transom…

In response to the release of the California Tax Commission report, Jon Coupal, President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, released the following statement today:

We are pleased that the California Commission for the 21st Century Economy has arrived at proposals which do no violence to Proposition 13. It should be noted that the original charter for the commission was to deal primarily with the issue of revenue volatility. Of the three major revenue streams to government in California, the property tax under Prop. 13 is the most stable. Thus, it has not only saved taxpayers from being taxed out of their homes, it has proven to be a moderating influence during economic turmoil.

It should also… Read More

I regret that I was unable to attend the CRP Convention this past weekend and having been catching up on my reading, the big story seems to be Meg Whitman’s history of failing to exercise her rights to register to vote and to vote.&NBS; A bigger story still is her failure to handle the issue at a press conference, or her seeming lack of preparation for the questions.&NBS; And now, we find out that being a mother and CEO of Eba is to blame.

These excuses are weak.&NBS; I can’t think of another job requiring more full attention multi tasking than Governor of this mess of a State we are in.&NBS; I am stunned that, in this age of downloading voter registration cards on line, completing and mailing them in that anyone is "too busy" to do this simple task.&NBS; I’m even more perplexed at the "motherhood" excuse.&NBS; I’m as involved as anyone with kids and I’ve not ever missed a vote.&NBS; It isn’t that hard to participate in our system of government, we’ll even mail you a ballot.

I don’t know how much life this issue really has, and I don’t know that anyone will care… Read More