Publisher’s Note: Every year after the end of legislative session the FlashReport works with one or two legislators to publish a list of the worst of the bad bills passed by Senate and Assembly, and sent to the Governor for consideration. This last legislative session was, predictably, not a good one for those who embrace the ideas of liberty and freedom – and who embrace the concepts of individual liberty and individual responsibility. This year we are excited to again work with conservative State Senator John Moorlach as we present to you a Baker’s Dozen, or 13, of the worst pieces of legislation to make it to the Governor. As of publication he has already vetoed one, SB 1, and signed one, AB5. When he is done we will publish a recap of what did or did not become law from the list. — Flash

SB 1 (Atkins, Portantino & Stern) – California Doesn’t Care What Federal Environmental Law Says: This bill is a partisan missile thrown at the Trump Administration for clearing up a mess of convoluted and conflicting federal environmental laws made worse by a patchwork of presidential executive orders and Supreme Court rulings… Read More

Grassroots activists in California point to the initiative process as a potent and underutilized last resort, capable of ushering in sweeping reforms. They’re right, but the initiative process is equally available to California’s progressives, backed by powerful special interests. And while the activist reformers talk, the progressives act.

How else to explain the hundreds of local ballot initiatives that are marketed to voters in California’s cities and counties every time there’s an election, which in aggregate soak taxpayers for billions in new taxes every year? In November 2016, out of224 local tax proposals, voters approved over 70 percent, adding $2.9 billion in new taxes. In November 2018, out of259 local tax measures, voters approved another estimated $1.6 billion per year in new taxes.

The vast majority of these tax measures are sponsored by special interests who stand to gain from their passage. In fact, many if not most local tax… Read More

Breaking Bad:California vs. the Other States

by Richard Rider – Chairman, San Diego Tax Fighters

Version 3.15 Revised: 17 September, 2019

Email: RRider92131@GMail.com Phone: 858-530-3027

Rider Blog: www.RiderRants.BlogSpot.com

Facebook public “blog” page: www.Facebook.com/Richard.Rider

Here’s a depressing but documented comparison of California taxes and economic climate with the rest of the states.The news is not good (at least once a month, I… Read More

For years California has been ground zero for the resistance to all things conservative, and to all things Trump. Because one-party rule always lacks accountability, California’s leadership, all Democrats, have pursued one extreme policy after another, conservatives and common sense be damned.

But as the country prepares for critical elections next year, a new nonprofit group has formed with hopes of leveraging The Resistance against itself. Reject The Resistance plans to actively engage voters in states outside of California, warning Americans not to follow the lead of California’s political leadership, urging voters “Don’t Californicate America.”

… Read More

A constant topic these days seems to be that there is income inequality in our country. The questions are what is the motivation of the people regularly discussing this and why should you give a hoot about the subject?

Years back at a kid’s birthday party, one of our guests made a very negative comment about Bill Gates’ wealth. At the time he was the richest person in the world. I asked the person who brought up the subject “Has anyone been forced to buy Microsoft’s products? Hasn’t he had a competing platform (Apple)? Hasn’t his operating system bettered everyone’s life?” Of course there was no answer to those questions because the commentary against Gates was hollow.

Nearly all people who make vast sums improve the lives of others with their products and innovations. I find Jeff Bezos and the late Steve Jobs to be contemptible. Nevertheless, they both changed the world with the companies and concepts they created. Not one of us were forced to use the products, but we line up to do so.

It has been this way in our country for generations. Henry Ford was a disgusting anti-Semite. He also created a company that mass produced autos and employed… Read More

Whenever folks complain about California’s oppressive taxes, fees, cost of living, over-regulation, lousy roads, high utility costs and legal climate, progressives usually come back with this: “But California has the world’s fifth largest economy”— delivered with a smug “gotcha” look.

And it IS true — CA DOES have the fifth largest economy in the world. But that figure by itself tells us little about the prosperity of the PEOPLE in our Golden State. For instance, Red China has a much bigger economy (GDP) than California. Does anyone think that on average the Chinese are more prosperous than Californians? Well, anyone who’s not a Bernie Sanders acolyte?

Let’s look at the vaunted California prosperity compared to the otherstates— the only comparison that matters. Our CA median household income (half make more, half make less) is the 8thbest in the nation. Seven states have a higher median household income. So CA ranks high, but not the best.

See chart #1 below.

But then we have to consider that… Read More

Needless to say my last column on this subject caused a significant controversy as the orthodoxy on Trump and particularly on his statement that Jews were being ignorant and disloyal was anti-Semitic. There is quite a division on this subject. There of course is the effort to use this as an example that Trump is anti-Semitic in the minds of some on the Jewish Left.

The people who knee-jerk want to attack Trump on this act as if his statement existed in a vacuum. Not one person I queried knew to which question Trump was actually replying when he made his statement. Many did not even care to find out. The question was about the two actual anti-Semites, Tliab and Omar, suggesting they were propose cutting off funding for Israel.

Since the question was solely about Israel, one would question why people would write anything about Trump questioning people’s loyalty to America. They went off in legions saying, “whether Trump was questioning Jews’ loyalty to the U.S. or Israel does not matter.” Of course, don’t let facts get in the way.

And then there were people taking the position Trump was questioning loyalty to himself. In a summary from The Hill… Read More

A Defense of Proposition 13 Property Tax Revenues

by Richard Rider, Chairman, San Diego Tax Fighters

Updated 26 August, 2019 – updated for 2018-19 property tax revenues

Phone:858-530-3027Email:RRider92131@GMail.comBlog:www.RiderRants.BlogSpot.com

When it comes to gathering sufficient property taxes, Prop 13 is no problem at all–except for profligate spenders.Look at the history of my San Diego County–a history which pretty much reflects the history of property taxes in theurban/suburbancounties that hold over 85% of California’s population.

According to San Diego County, in 1977–the year BEFORE Prop 13 took effect (when everything was working great, according to Prop 13 critics)–our countywide property tax revenue was about $639 million.In the 2018-2019… Read More