With the holidays in full swing and the New Year approaching, it’s a time to reflect on the past and set goals for the future. Thirteen Republicans, myself included, will return to the Senate and Assembly chambers as alumni of the California Trailblazers program this January. We embark on a new year, with the same resolve: to make California the golden land of promise it once was. In order to strengthen job creation and protect taxpayers, we remain committed to stopping tax increase proposals and burdensome regulation. Equally important is removing barriers to high-quality education for California’s children, who are the future of our state.

California Trailblazers made significant contributions in 2015. Through the Trailblazers program we studied policy, identified priorities and received the training and preparation needed to define, shape and control debate on important issues once elected. And that is why, as freshmen legislators; we were positioned to make such strong strides to protect hardworking Californians.

There are a few successes I would like to recognize, as we work to build on them in 2016.

Providing transparency in government operations… Read More

How overpaid is the Escondido City Attorney? You decide.

The Escondido City Attorney employs 7 attorneys (counting himself) and 6 staff.

https://www.escondido.org/Data/Sites/1/media/PDFs/Finance/PreliminaryOperatingBudget1516.pdf page 14

The San Diego City Attorney has 155 attorneys working under his management, and 355 employees total.

http://www.sandiego.gov/fm/annual/pdf/fy16/vol2/v2cityattorney.pdf

San Diego runs a big misdemeanor department, handling FAR more issues and cases than the backwater Escondido City Attorney department. The county handles Escondido’s misdemeanor load.

San Diego City Attorney Jan Goldsmith’s 2014 salary was $202,000.… Read More

The recent Paris World Climate Summit, a gigantic diversion, allowed cowardly world leaders, and the cowardly mainstream media to avoid dealing with the skunk on the table – Islamist Terrorism.The cowardly Obama administration led the way to consensus of an international climate change treaty at the Paris Summit, which will do little or nothing to reduce carbon (also known as plant food).

This World Climate Summit took place in Paris, almost immediately following the November 13 murders of 140 people in Paris, by Islamic terrorists.

The response following the Paris attack, and more recent San Bernardino attack, from the mainstream media, clearly synchronized with the Democratic National Committee, has been woefully ho-hum, demonstrating contemptible levels of cowardice.

And instead of hunkering down and reassuring Americans that our government and military will protect us, Obama shifted his fourth-grade attention span to climate change.

This faux-Treaty will only serve to decrease fossil fuel use in developed countries, while extorting billions more from the pockets of U.S. and European taxpayers, for redistribution to developing… Read More

“There are some lunatics out there and for $200 we encourage them.” – Senator Mark Leno, speaking in favor of AB 1100,as quoted by the Los Angeles Times, August 17, 2015

Filing an initiative in California is about to get harder, thanks to a law taking effect on January 1st, 2016, that will increase the filing fee from the current $200 to $2,000. While $2,000 may seem like a lot, if the original fee, set at $200 back in 1943, wereadjusted for inflation, today it would cost $2,366. And anyone seriously intending to place their initiative onto California’s statewide ballot will need a lot more than $2,000, since qualifyingthe measures invariably requires paying professional signature gatherers. How many signatures are required varies depending on turnouts in California’s gubernatorial elections. Based on the 2014 turnout, getting ballot initiatives onto… Read More

“Because of Prop 13, our property taxes are low in California.”

Well, at least that’s the mantra of the MSM and the CA progressives. Facts say otherwise.

According to recent figures graciously provided me by RealtyTrac — a highly respected national firm — the 2014averageCA single-family residence (SFR) property tax is the 8thhighest state in the nation. Our average tax is $4,211. The national average is $3,188.

Here’s the link to the average SFR property tax for all 50 states in spreadsheet form, courtesy of RealtyTrac. In addition, another “tab” in the spreadsheet workbook gives the average tax by county across the nation — check out your area.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zvqPvc8vI6VPHZnTuVPlYWNiQMK2VSBAfuBFX792llI/edit?usp=sharing

For more information on… Read More

After the passage of Proposition 13, Howard Jarvis became even more popular with average citizens. He would joke that overnight he went from being regarded as a “nut” by the political elites to being seen as a “savior” for millions of California homeowners.

Visitors to Howard’s office would praise him for coming up with Proposition 13 just when it was so desperately needed. But Howard would just smile and point out that he had been working on property tax reform for 16 years.

Howard was tenacious and a big believer in the power of people when they combined together to make change. When speaking to groups he would hold up his hand with his fingers extended and say that while separately they were weak, united they were strong and he would form his hand into a fist. Some will remember seeing the photo of Howard holding up his fist on the cover of Time Magazine.

To read the entire column click here http://www.hjta.org/california-commentary/%E2%80%8Btenacity-is-the-secret-to-taxpayer-success%E2%80%8B/… Read More

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At first blush, boys identifying as girls and demanding access to the girls’ bathroom seems like a recent phenomena. But the underlying issue–identity versus reality–is nothing new. 19th century writer Hans Christian Anderson explored the subject in “The Emperor’s New Clothes”.

As you may recall, the emperor hired a pair of weavers to update his wardrobe. As it turned out, they spun a better tale than robes.

Although in reality he was not wearing anything, the King identified as fully clothed. The untrustworthy tailors had convinced the royal that his new clothes were not visible to anyone who was incompetent or stupid. Only a child was brave enough to finally blurt out the naked facts.

In today’s push for sexually integrated bathrooms, all too many have given into the notion that sincerity trumps reality and those who don’t go along are stupid, or worse, are hate filled bullies. But it is possible to have compassion for those that believe biology has betrayed them without integrating traditionally sex separated facilities.

In California, Privacy For All is gathering signatures to place the Personal… Read More

What’s missing in most government representation these days is actual representation of the citizens. The city of Fresno, CA is fortunate to have a councilman who works on behalf of its residents. And now, Councilman Clint Olivier, a Republican, is running for State Assembly. But what makes his race so interesting is he announced his Assembly run early to replace Assemblyman Henry Perea, D-Fresno. However, complicating issues, Perea just announced last week he is resigning office effective December 31.

There will be a Special Election to fill out the remaining months of Perea’s term, likely to be held in early April, if all goes well.

“If Olivier’s name isn’t familiar, be thankful,” I wrote in June. “He’s not the son of a politician. He’s not from Hollywood. He didn’t get independently wealthy as a hedge-fund manager on oil and coal investments. He hasn’t sold rocket launchers to Filipino Muslim separatists, or offered bribes to FBI agents.”

Assemblyman Perea shook up the race for his seat as he announced his resignation last week to head for a lucrative lobbying job. The two previously announced contenders for the Assembly seat… Read More