When the Transportation Bond was being "sold" to the voters last year two projects were mentioned time and again as priorities by the Governor – the 405 in LA, and the 91 through Riverside. What a surprise to find out last week that only $2.8 of the first $4.5 Billion was to be allocated, and that both those projects missed the first cut.

The irony is that the process of allocation was to be "nonpolitical" and handled by CTC staff in an objective manner. Well, it stunk, and it took the politicians about a second to wind up and speak out. Last week there was a hearing in Sacramento packed to the walls with local and state electeds. End result? Miraculously the entire $4.5 will be allocated. And know what else? The 405 and 91 will be included after all. Read more here…

Two Inland transportation projects that were shunned by state officials last week as they proposed spending billions in bond money were suddenly in favor Monday following a week of lobbying by everyone from local officials to Gov. Schwarzenegger. But another project that initially had been included for funding was dropped.… Read More

I just received the following obviously-quickly-written missive from MoveAmericaForward.org, and had to laugh.

BIG BIG NEWS!!!

Dr. Laura Schlesinger, the 4th highest radio talk show host in the nation, is urging her listeners to support Move America Forward’s "THESE COLORS DON’T RUN" national pro-troop/patriotic caravan (heading across the nation from Thursday March 8th – Saturday, March 17th) and the "Gathering of Eagles" event that takes place at the culmination of the national caravan.

See her "Call to Action" here: http://www.drlaura.com/action/index.html?mode=view&tile=1&id=13528

Find out where you can join the caravan or attend one of the 2 DOZEN pro-troop/patriotic rallies that will take place along the caravan route here:http://www.MoveAmericaForward.org

OK, I know that Rush has… Read More

Today’s San Francisco Chronicle reports that local Chinese media was barred from Sen. Clinton’s fundraiser at the Sheraton Palace on Friday. They were not included on Clinton’s media list for a press release on the event, and when reporter, Portia Li, arrived to cover the event, she was told that no “foreign press” was allowed. The incident was considered quite a snub, and though the Clinton camp apologized, the Chronicle reports that tension remains.

The first thing that went through my mind when I read this article was.doesn’t the Clinton campaign have someone knowledgeable on the ground in San Francisco who can help them avoid such a provincial faux pas?

And then it hit me: this is Nancy Pelosi’s home turf.

Can we infer anything about the relationship between Pelosi and Clinton if the former allows the latter to make such a blunder? San Francisco is no small media market for Democrats in a presidential primary. This could get very interesting.… Read More

Incumbent Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo has announced her intentions to seek a third term.

She’s going to have a difficult time making a case to voters for another 4 years. The city of Sacramento has grown despite her lack of vision for the city. She will be running for reelection with big time development projects going belly up downtown (high rise condos and redevelopment of the K Street Mall) and following the arena fiasco (the tax increase to build a new arena for the Kings failed miserably) hanging over her head.

No doubt about it, the The mayor is tough. Fargo recently announced that she has been living with multiple sclerosis for the past 10 years and is the veteran of a few nasty political campaigns (against Roger Dickinson and Rob Kerth for Mayor 2000).

Their are some potential challengers in the wings:

Grantland Johnson – former County Supervisor, veteran of the Davis administration, currently working for labor locally (opponent of Arena… Read More

This post partisanship nonsense is driving me nuts. The Governor wonders out loud why "How come Democrats and Republicans out here don’t schmooze with each other?" It’s real easy Governor. They don’t like each other. It’s personal. They literally don’t like each other. I suggest you spend some time on the liberal hate sites, like the Daily Kos, so you can read all the angry hateful posts from the left. They don’t believe in defending this country, and they don’t believe our President is legitimately elected – either time. They wish death to Dick Cheney. They openly root for our defeat against terrorists. What is there to Schmooze about, sir? The elected officials on the left are listening to their base. Do you know who their base is, sir? They shout down conservative speakers on campus, protest the war against terrorism, and heap anger and misery everywhere they go.

So the President needs to move to… Read More

An Orange County Superior Court Judge today decided to not rule on Jim Gilchrist’s request for an ex parte emergency order to take back control of the Minuteman Project, Inc. website, bank account, and other assets. Instead, the Judge scheduled a new hearing on March 21.

The scheduling of the new hearing gives dissident Minuteman Project, Inc. Directors Barbara Coe, Marvin L. Stewart, and Deborah Peterson, the opporunity to prepare more extensive responsive papers and potentially some time to schedule a deposition of Gilchrist. Gilchrist claims that Coe, Stewart and Peterson are not directors of Minuteman Project, Inc., and that he is the sole director. But Coe, Stewart and Peterson claim they are the directors of Minuteman Project, Inc., and that Gilchrist has poorly managed the organization by bouncing checks, signing checks without authority, failing to obtain IRS tax-exempt status, abusing postal rate regulations, and using the nonprofit organization to receive personal royality payments from a private book deal.

Gilchrist is represented by Irvine attorney and former Congressional candidate Guy Maille. I am representing Coe, Stewart and… Read More

In one week voters go to the polls in various communities across LA County. As part of the rebuilding of the LA County GOP, they started endorsing canidates in non-partisan races. Here is the list for next week.… Read More

Who does a California conservative support for President?

The top tier of candidates — John McCain, Mitt Romney, and Rudy Giuliani — must all overcome varying amounts of suspicion from the GOP base. The second tier of candidates — Sam Brownback, Mike Huckabee, and Jim Gilmore — have to make a credible case that they can win. Without a natural candidate around which to rally, conservatives are forced to decide which of the front-runners they can trust. The developments so far have been fascinating to watch.

My former boss McCain was the insurgent when I worked for him in 1999 and 2000, when he was anethema to a party establishment had flocked to then-Governor Bush. Eight years later, though, McCain is now the establishment candidate, using his strong support of Bush on terror and Iraq to develop an organizational and endorsement infrastructure that early front-runners have historically used to ward off challengers. Watching this year from the sidelines,… Read More