Recently, the Assembly passed a bill touted by Democrats as giving another “tool” to local government in the fight against a particular problem. But it wasn’t another tool; it was the same old tool, the right of government to raise fees on its citizens, to be wielded yet again.

I rose to oppose the bill, not because the underlying cause was unworthy, but merely to point out this uninspired approach to the problem. It seems, I said, that the only “tool” the Legislature ever uses is the tool of hammering people with increased fees and taxes. Perhaps, when your only tool is a hammer, all problems look like nails. But legislators have other tools available to us, if only we also had the political courage to use them.

Unfortunately, we don’t. Bills to reduce regulations on businesses, to rein in frivolous lawsuits, to create jobs, to otherwise grow revenue by growing the economy and putting people to work, all routinely die in the Legislature. The ruling party is constitutionally incapable of grabbing from the toolbox anything but the hammer.

The debilitating effect of this single-minded effort to increase the costs of government… Read More

The California College Republican’s held their annual convention in San Diego this past weekend. Over 250 College Republicans from around the state came to San Diego to rally for the upcoming election season. Speakers included RNC Committeeman Shawn Steel, Congressman Brian Bilbray, San Diego Mayoral Candidate Carl DeMaio, and Assemblyman Brian Jones. The College Republican’s unanimously elected Matthew Donnellan as their next Chairman along with Donnellan’s team, dubbed Elevate CCR.

Donnellan is currently campaign manager for San Diego City Council candidate Ray Ellis. Previously, Donnellan worked for Councilwoman Lori Zapf and managed her surprise victory over former Assemblyman Howard Wayne.

Thank you to the College Republicans for the hard work they have given the Republican Party and our candidates over the last few years and for the work they continue to do.… Read More

Today we should all get a peek into who will be the 169 delegates that Mitt Romney has tapped to represent him from the Golden State at the Republican National Convention. Under the state’s election code, all of the Republican Presidential candidates must submit their list of delegates one month out from the date of the election, which actually fell yesterday, Sunday the 6th. But when such a deadline occurs on… Read More

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Oped in the LA Times today is the biggest piece of garbage I’ve ever read, by anybody. I mean really? The gall of this guy is only second behind the condescencion and audacity of the current President. Let me tell you what we think of you Arnold. You burst on the scene, taking advantage of public outrage at the worst Governor in California history, Gray Davis, and your signature accomplishment was to become worse than him. It takes California voters quite awhile to want to abandon their leftist tendencies. In the recall of Governor Davis, you were the beneficiary of their pain. And you spent seven years screwing this State up and destroying the Republican Party. Yes, you reformed Workers’ Compensation. That was your only accomplishment. Your attempts to reform government via a special election in 2005 were commendable, but when you lost, you quit. You sir, became the “girlie man” you accused others of being. And you spent the next five years… Read More

I just received this urgent memo from Congressman Darrell Issa. He is very concerned that the SEIU is going to weigh into the race between three Republicans in the very GOP 67th Assembly District. Issa’s District Director Phil Paule, a former FlashReport contributor, is a candidate in that race. Read for yourself (see the original email here):

Dear Sacramento Friends,

I am writing this quick note to bring you up to date on the campaign in AD 67 and to urgently request that your organization endorse Phil Paule.

It came to my attention that SEIU was conducting a poll in the district last night, and is likely to be coming in with an IE for one of Phil Paule’s opponents.

As you know, Phil Paule is my district director and I believe he will be… Read More

Good lord time flies. It seems like just yesterday I was filming this video, but it was over five years ago! The video below was filmed at the San Diego County Republican Party Headquarters. It stars Grover Norquist, head of Americans for Tax Reform, and Nathan Fletcher, Republican candidate for the State Assembly. Nathan Fletcher signs the ATR “No New Taxes” pledge and Grover signs as the witness. It’s only a couple of minutes long. But given Nathan’s rather high-profile divorce from the Republican Party, it’s worth bringing it back for a reprieve. As I recall, Nathan was extraordinarily aggressive in appealing to the GOP base in the Republican seat which he sought. He was so successful at this that he ended with no Republican opponent in his race for the State Assembly.

… Read More

One advantage of being a legislator in the minority party is that with fewer members, you are more likely to be tapped for positions in party leadership. Today Assembly Republican Leader Connie Conway announced some changes in her leadership team. By my math her leadership team now actual includes a majority of her entire caucus. There are currently 27 Assembly Republicans (with the departure of Nathan Fletcher), and

Conway’s 14-member leadership team now includes:

Assembly GOP Leader: Connie Conway Assembly GOP Caucus Chairman: Brian Nestande Assistant GOP Leaders: Brian Jones+ and Steve Knight Assistant GOP Floor Leader: Curt Hagman Deputy GOP Floor Manager: Don Wagner* Chief Republican Whips: Dan Logue and Kristin Olsen+ Republican Whips: Paul Cook* and Mike Morrell* Republican Outreach Chairman: Jeff Gorell* Budget Committee Vice Chairman: Jim Nielsen Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Diane… Read More

Republicans in 1992 faced a new threat from the Democrat Party, and one which ultimately proved successful for our competitors on the left to win the White House for two terms and capture a large number of the nation’s governorships.

That threat was the movement known as the “New Democrats,” led by Gov. Bill Clinton of Arkansas. Following the pasting Democrats received in three consecutive national elections with tickets led by Jimmy Carter, Walter Mondale and Michael Dukakis, the Democrats recognized they had run out of ideas and had lost touch with a majority of Americans.

Clinton and others formed the Democratic Leadership Council to provide a new, more realistic governing philosophy for their party. Its centerpieces included a less-than-automatic embrace of higher taxes, support for welfare reform, limited support for the death penalty, free (or at least, freer) trade, and other policies traditionally supported by Republicans.

By rejecting the activist left that had steered the Democrats to three national defeats and defined the party out of… Read More