Elena Miller, who was named Director of the state’s Department of Oil, Gas andGeothermal Resources (DOGGR) two years ago by former Governor ArnoldSchwarzenegger apparently had been too busy to attend meetings related toCalifornia’s oil and gas producers whom she is tasked with the job of regulating. That may be one reason why Governor Brown has decided that theposition needs a change of direction. Miller’s boss, Acting Department ofConservation Director Derek Chernow was also shown the door yesterday. EvanWestrup, a spokesman for Governor Brown confirmed for the BakersfieldCalifornian, “Both appointees served at the pleasure of the governor and werethanked for their service this evening.”

You can be quite sure that no tears were shed in California’s oil patch… Read More

The following is a speech from the floor that I delivered November 2, 2011, and wanted to share it with FlashReport readers…

The International Monetary Fund estimated that as of Halloween night, the debt of this nation surpassed its entire economy for the first time since World War II. We all know that if you live beyond your means today you must live below your means tomorrow. That’s the tomorrow that our generation has created for the children who were dressed up as princesses and cowboys when they came calling on Monday. That is our generation’s eternal shame, and something that our generation must set right.

The House is expected soon to vote on a balanced budget amendment that is critical to stop this plunder of our children. There are a number of excellent proposals out there and I would have no trouble supporting any of them.

I do rise, however, to express the hope that the final product of these deliberations proves worthy of the wisdom that guided the drafting of the Constitution.

The beauty of the American Constitution is in its simplicity and its humility. The American Founders recognized Cicero’s wisdom… Read More

Just in from Austin…

Gov. Rick Perry Announces California Finance Leadership Team Business and Technology Industry Leaders Spearhead Fundraising Efforts Statewide

Texas Gov. Rick Perry today announced his California finance leadership team, including Paul Folino, John Harris, E. Floyd Kvamme, Dean Spanos and Mike Tuchin as finance chairs.

“I am honored to have such a strong team of California business and community leaders join my campaign fundraising efforts,” said Gov. Perry. “With their support and hard work, we will run a strong campaign, to spark American job creation, take a wrecking ball to the Washington establishment, cut federal spending and get America working again.”

Gov. Perry has named the following individuals to his California finance leadership team:

Paul Folino, Statewide Finance Chair Folino is currently executive chairman of the board of directors of Emulex, an information technology product manufacturer headquartered in Costa Mesa, specializing in servers, network and storage devices for data centers.… Read More

Those of us who have spent our political careers trying to keep taxes low and rein in government overspending are often called “heartless” by the opposition. I remember a time in the California Assembly when a Democratic colleague went to the floor and accused me of killing children, an accusation which she was forced to retract. Another time on that same floor, a different Democrat inquired how blood ran through my body since I clearly had no heart to pump it.

It is unfortunate that many in society seem to find fiscal responsibility and caring for the needy to be mutually exclusive objectives. It is so unfortunate because it is not true. In fact, I firmly believe that one is necessary to do the other.

As regular readers of this missive know, I believe that it is our moral imperative to care for those in need around us. But, where I differ from some of our more liberal friends is on the means to accomplish that goal. President Lyndon Johnson declared “war on poverty” back in the 60s. Tons of new programs were set up and tens of trillions of dollars have been spent on this “war” in the intervening 40+ years. And,… Read More

Today, according to the Sacramento Bee, the California High Speed Rail Authority will formally announce that the estimated cost to construct a HSR system in California was not the already outrageous $43 billion that had previously been publicly stated by the Authority — instead a new report will show that the costs are $98.5 million — over twice the original amount!

If you need a reminder about why moving forward with this project is a bad idea, let me draw your attention to an… Read More

From today’s Wall Street Journal…

CALIFORNIA’S NEW GREEN TAX Wall Street Journal Editorial

It may be time for California to formally apply for membership in the European Union. Its taxing, borrowing and regulatory policies are already more in line with the southern tier of Euroland than with other U.S. states, and the Golden State has taken another lurch in the Euro-direction by becoming the first jurisdiction in the nation to adopt a full-scale cap-and-trade tax to combat global warming. The new taxes and regulations will require a nearly 30% reduction in carbon emissions from power plants, manufacturers, cars and trucks by 2020.

This green tax was signed into law in 2006 by then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger when the state’s economy was flying high. California was going to be the green role model for other states. Now no one believes that fantasy. Ten states in the Northeast entered a regional cap and trade compact to limit greenhouse gases in 2008, but that market is now dying if not dormant and states (recently New Jersey) are dropping out.

In 2006 it also seemed… Read More

In politics, as in economics, we see leading and lagging indicators that provide us with insight on where the country is heading. Leading indicators predict future trends, while lagging indicators show us where we are today.

Now, one of the leading political indicators has turned in favor of Republicans.

Following the 2008 election which saw the election of Barack Obama and a solidly Democratic Congress, the key leading indicator of political party self-identification turned strongly against Republicans. Gallup found the portion of the voters willing to call themselves Republicans had fallen to a modern low point. Many Republicans started referring to themselves as independents.

Political party self-identification is a critical leading indicator because it helps to predict future voter behavior. Voters are more likely to cast a ballot for a candidate of a party with which they identify, rather than an opposition party.

The correlating lagging indicator is voter registration. In states with registration by party, people obviously tend to register with the… Read More

The following is a speech I recently delivered to the California Independent Automobile Dealers Association, and wanted to share it with FlashReport readers…

We are in the third year of policies predicated on the assumption that if Government just injects enough money into the economy, it can jump start consumer spending and therefore, economic growth.

For three years, this administration has squandered more than a trillion dollars of the nation’s wealth in pursuit of this assumption.

In so doing, it has incurred a debt greater than that acquired by this nation from the first day of the George Washington administration to the last day of the George H.W. Bush administration.

It has cost our nation its triple-A credit rating and it now threatens to bankrupt our country.

And not only have its policies not worked, but they have needlessly prolonged and deepened our economic suffering.

These policies have not worked because they CANNOT work. Government cannot inject a single dollar into the economy until it has first taken that dollar out of the very same… Read More