In the latest chapter of Sacramento’s ongoing effort to chip away at local governance, Senator Tom Umberg’s SB 249 proposes to override county-level decision-making by mandating that all county boards of education elections be held during the statewide general election in November of even-numbered years. While this might sound like a harmless administrative adjustment, it is a brazen overreach that sacrifices both fiscal responsibility and the principle of local control.

SB 249 affects five California counties—Orange, Riverside, Sacramento, San Joaquin, and Alameda—by stripping them of their authority to determine how and when to conduct their board of education elections. All five currently have the power to modify their election timelines through their county boards of supervisors. Yet instead of allowing these counties to continue making informed, localized decisions, Sacramento politicians are once again pushing a top-down, one-size-fits-all mandate.

This is not the state’s first attempt to meddle in this arena. It’s the third attempt in as many years. SB 286 (2022) and SB 907 (2023), aimed at Orange County alone, were defeated—one in… Read More

I’m playing around with Substack. I’m going to be putting some content over there. Including a post I just put up: Five Reasons The Founders Included the Second Amendment Check it out. If you want to be notified when I post on Substack, just subscribe (there’s a button on the Substack post). It’s free.… Read More

There is a major discussion circling around us about the masses of illegal aliens who entered this country while Joe Biden was President. It is akin to what occurred when Angela Merkel opened the floodgates to people entering her country. Once in Germany, they then spread across the rest of Europe causing tremendous havoc for the native populations. The question is what is our responsibility in removing these people from our country? A lot of people have been barking about “due process.” They may be correct, but why are they considered by some to be correct? What rights should people have if they enter the country illegally, not following the proper procedures? Vice-President Vance has taken the following position: “Biden overwhelmed the system with illegal migration. Is your proposed solution to give a jury trial to all 20 million illegal aliens (more if you count those already here)? I am sick of abstract arguments. What your proposal does, whether you know it or not, is ratify the presence of millions of illegal aliens in our country. I reject that.” Not everyone agrees with that position. Andrew McCarthy writes regarding the current cause… Read More

California drivers know the sting of filling up at the pump, where prices often hover $1.50 to $2 above the national average—$4.65 per gallon versus $3.15 nationally as of April 2025. While crude oil and refining costs play a role, the real culprit behind these sky-high prices is a web of state taxes, fees, and regulations that inflate costs far beyond what’s necessary. Add to that the elevated operational costs for gas stations in California’s pricey real estate and regulatory environment, and it’s clear why motorists are squeezed. Worse, the state’s aggressive climate policies, like cap-and-trade and low carbon fuel standards, promise global environmental gains but deliver negligible impact, raising questions about their prudence.

Let’s break down the numbers. According to the California Energy Commission, taxes and fees account for roughly $1.35 per gallon of gasoline in 2024. The state excise tax, the highest in the nation, stands at 59.6 cents per gallon, up from 27.8 cents in 2017, with annual increases tied to inflation. The federal excise tax adds 18.4 cents, unchanged since 1993. State and local sales taxes, averaging 2.25% but varying by region,… Read More

California’s Roster of Handguns Certified for Sale is a cunning gun control scheme dressed up as public safety, designed to erode the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Californians. This restrictive list, managed by the California Department of Justice, dictates which handguns can be sold in the state, imposing arcane requirements like microstamping, chamber load indicators, and magazine disconnect mechanisms. The state limits the handguns that Californians can legally purchase to about 750 models, many of them variations of the same model. That’s a fraction of the variety available to Americans who do not reside in California – and it ironically bans the saleof newer firearms with cutting-edge safety features. Far from protecting citizens, the roster blocks access to modern firearms with cutting-edge safety features, reflecting the liberal elite’s agenda to disarm Californians through bureaucratic overreach. Legal challenges, including those led by the California Rifle and Pistol Association, are exposing this policy as an unconstitutional attack on fundamental rights. The roster stems from California’s Unsafe… Read More

A recent encounter left me conflicted as to whether or not someone’s comments were racially based. I thought the person’s assertion that the comments were racially based were over the top. I told the person that is because he lives in a race-based world, and I live in a post racial world. Forces on the Left have driven us backwards to a race-based world. Black Lives Matter (BLM), a group led by self-identified communists, were able to take advantage of a man’s death in Minneapolis. This led to destructive riots causing billions in damage, not to mention lives lost, without any repercussions. Corporate America, which sometimes sways with the winds, poured $90 million into an organization that misused the funds, bought at least one personal residence for a founder, and was never held to account for their malfeasance. That is because the people in charge of our government want to take us back to a race-based world. These supposed “leaders” want to act as if America exists the same as it did in the 1950’s. While America is not a perfect place for blacks (or anyone else for that matter), it is the single best place to be in a multi-racial… Read More

For a conservative like me, The New York Times is a paradox, a daily tug-of-war between delight and dismay. On one hand, its games—Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee, and the rest—are a daily ritual I cherish, a mental workout that sparks joy and sharpens my wits. On the other, its news and opinion pages often feel like a lecture hall for far-left ideology, leaving me questioning whether the subscription is worth it. It’s the best of times and the worst of times, all in one app.

Let’s start with the good. Wordle is a daily gem, a five-letter puzzle that demands precision and patience. I savor the moment when the tiles flip green, signaling victory in mostly three or four guesses (but I’ve gotten it in two a few times!). Connections, with its grid of 16 words, is a test of lateral thinking, grouping terms by obscure themes that make me feel like a detective cracking a code. Spelling Bee is my personal Everest—chasing “Queen Bee” status by finding every possible word from seven letters is a thrill that rivals any crossword. These games are apolitical, elegant, and addictive. They’re a sanctuary where I can engage my brain without being preached to, a… Read More

The Huntington Beach City Council’s unanimous appointment of celebrity chef Andrew Gruel last month, to fill the vacancy left by Tony Strickland’s election to the State Senate is a triumph for Surf City. Gruel, a leading conservative voice with a commanding social media presence and regular Fox News appearances, brings a bold, principled perspective to an all-Republican council that has revitalized the city since seizing the majority in 2022. His selection strengthens the council’s commitment to local control, fiscal discipline, and community values, ensuring Huntington Beach remains a conservative bastion in California. With Gruel’s business acumen and unapologetic advocacy, he’s poised to elevate the city’s governance to new heights.

Gruel is no ordinary appointee. Beyond his culinary fame as the owner of Calico Fish House and former founder of Slapfish, he’s a vocal defender of individual liberty and economic freedom. With over 200,000 followers on platforms like X, Gruel has used his YouTube cooking channel and media appearances to champion causes close to Huntington Beach’s heart. He’s lambasted Sacramento’s overreach, calling out COVID-19… Read More