You know things aren’t as good as a few years ago when a four-decade-serving U.S. Senator can only generate $250,000 in "gifts" (not actual bribes, according to reports).

It wasn’t long ago that a lowly San Diego Congressman could collect a cool million and have a boat named after him in exchange for a few contracts and votes.… Read More

Most of our Southern California bloggers are probably still recovering from the jolt of the 5.4 magnitude earthquake that just struck Los Angeles and Orange County, so I’ll post a quick note until they can report in. According to the USGS, the quake’s epicenter was Chino Hills but there are reports from all across the area (even Las Vegas) of feeling the earth movement and several aftershocks. As anyone who’s experienced an earthquake can attest, it’s a startling and unsettling experience. It looks like there is no major damage to report at this time.… Read More

Jon reported yesterday that the Senate had cancelled the budget vote that a week ago had been scheduled for today. I haven’t seen anyone report the Assembly side of it yet. The Assembly, at first resisting a vote since the 2 sides of the budget debate are still far apart, then, a couple days ago had also decided to schedule one for today. Then, the Senate cancelled theirs yesterday and soon after the Assembly did too. As frustrating as it is for all Californians to not have the budget, it is probably better this way to not have show-only votes today as there is no way anything would pass.… Read More

Tuesday had been the day for a scheduled budget vote as requested by Sen. Perata a week before. The Assembly had none scheduled as it wouldn’t be seen as productive withthe sides so far apart. That changed Friday as Speaker Bass decided that the Assembly should also take an action today with a vote up or down on the budget. Then, yesterday, the Senate canceled their vote and soon the Assembly did too. With Sen. Perata stating that the discussions were warming up to a moreco-operative tone, that holding a vote would only detract from that thawing process, it was a good thing to not go throughwith a for-show only vote today.

With the $9 Billion in new taxes likely to still have been in a Tuesday vote document, no budget reform agreed upon yet, as well as several other important points not agreed upon it would’ve been a waste of everyone’s time to bring up [or down to Sacramento for us northerners] 120 leglslators to go through an exercise that not even the Big 4 can agree on. Much staff time and much printing are required to even do an exercise vote. Then there would be the floor speeches that would go on and on about how… Read More

I use a pretty simple tool in my day-to-day work to help clients explain what they intend to do once they are elected or what they have accomplished. I call it a CAR story. Ask yourself what was the CHALLENGE, what ACTION did you take and what were the RESULTS.

In the current budget debate, Republicans have done a better job this year, than in years past of defining the CHALLENGE as a structural problem in the budget process (it doesn’t matter how much money you give to state government, it’s never enough) that needs fixing. Combine the Republican’s message with a decade of the Democrats crying wolf about not enough revenue to balance the budget, higher gas prices and a slowing economy and it is obvious to see why the Democrats usual message of ‘Cuts Hurt’ is falling flat with voters this year.

By talking about budget reform and a need to fix the yearly problems of not having enough money, Republicans have tapped into the mood of the electorate that is exasperated with government’s inability to solve problems. That frustration with government is much stronger today than the need to raise taxes for programs that should… Read More

I use a pretty simple tool in my day-to-day work to help clients explain what they intend to do once they are elected or what they have accomplished. I call it a CAR story. Ask yourself what was the CHALLENGE, what ACTION did you take and what were the RESULTS.

In the current budget debate, Republicans have done a better job this year, than in years past of defining the CHALLENGE as a structural problem in the budget process (it doesn’t matter how much money you give to state government, it’s never enough) that needs fixing. Combine the Republican’s message with a decade of the Democrats crying wolf about not enough revenue to balance the budget, higher gas prices and a slowing economy and it is obvious to see why the Democrats usual message of ‘Cuts Hurt’ is falling flat with voters this year.

By talking about budget reform and a need to fix the yearly problems of not having enough money, Republicans have tapped into the mood of the electorate that is exasperated with government’s inability to solve problems. That frustration with government is much stronger today than the need to raise taxes for programs that should… Read More

Did you hear the shocking tale about a San Francisco illegal alien/gang banger who shot a father and his two sons in cold blood last month?

You probably have since national media outlets like Time and Fox News have covered the story.

If you haven’t, the story goes like this: Witnesses say Edwin Ramos, 21, was perturbed that his car was temporarily blocked by 48-year-old Tony Bologna’s car. So Ramos opened fire on Bologna and his sons Micheal, 20, and Matthew, 16, killing all three.

This heinous crime could have been prevented. Ramos, an El Salvador citizen and a member of the violent MS-13 gang, should have been sent to state prison and then deported a long time ago given his record of criminal activity in San Francisco and his illegal alien status. But because of systematic problems within California’s criminal justice system, Ramos was freed to roam the streets of San Francisco.

Here’s a look at his criminal activities prior to the vicious slaying of the Bologna family:

In 2003, Ramos, 17 at the time, beat and kicked a passenger on a San Francisco city bus. Ramos was briefly incarcerated as a juvenile for the gang… Read More

Lame duck Senate President Pro-Tem Don Perata has announced that the floor session scheduled for tomorrow to vote on the joint proposal by legislative Democrats to try to foist over $9 billion in new taxes on hard working Californians has been cancelled. He’s probably too distracted reading yet another major story (linked on the main page) about the long FBI investigation into his personal and campaign activities to focus on a floor session. Of course the vote on the massive tax increase would have ended in failure, since every Republican in the Senate has signed a pledge not to vote to increase taxes one penny, let alone billions of dollars.… Read More