Capitol Weekly and Probolsky Research (my firm) debut our statewide poll today, a poll that is less pedestrian than the other regularly published statewide polls.

The first article on the results highlight support among California voters for a part-time legislature. John Howard and Anthony York wrote an article about the poll in Capitol Weekly’s Thursday edition.

Another article by Anthony York discusses the difference between our results and results from a Enviro group sponsored poll on the prospect of loosening environmental regulations for new projects in California.

Overall we found that voters are not happy with the direction the state is headed nor the leadership of the governor.

We also identified a more than two-to-one Democratic preference among Decline to State voters over Republicans.

The actual poll reports can be viewed by visiting… Read More

So FR readers know that a judge ruled against State Controller John "Union Tool" Chiang and so Governor Schwarzenegger’s modest proposal to require all state employees to take off two days a month without pay (now referred to as "Furlough Fridays" apparently). My prediction is that this action foreshadows more extreme decisions by the Governor, such as significant layoffs. Logically, how do you shrink state expenditures down to the level of state income without reducing the state’s work force? I digress…

So all of the State’s Constitution Officers who are not famous movie stars all send whiny letters to Chiang, who packages them all up (see the attachment below) and puts a cover letter on them, and asks Judge Marlette to, in essence, exempt these 15,000 or so state civil servants from the furloughs that effects over 200,000 other state employees. (I would note, by the way, that I never saw these Constitutional Officeholders complain about any raises that were bargained with the Governor for their employees).

Without going… Read More

I have to tell you that there is a humorous irony with President Obama’s pronouncement that companies that want a government subsidy courtesy of the egregious and ill-advised $700 billion TARP bail out (and presumably companies who choose to feed at the taxpayer trough if/when Obama’s latest boondoggle "stimulus" package is signed) will have to limit the compensation of their top execs to 500k annually.

For those of us that oppose the bailouts, past, present and future — this is delicious. As far as I am concerned, the more disincentives we can provide for private companies to accept bail-outs the better.

To those who supported the taxpayer bailout of Wall Street, some good friends of the FR, well I suppose you think Obama’s decree is outrageous, because you think it is okay for private companies to get taxpayer subsidies.

Here is the problem. Normally, I shouldn’t CARE about what the CEO of Citibank makes. That should be a private matter — I guess if I were a stockholder, I might have some interest. But not really as long as my dividends are high.

But now we all have to care, because we… Read More

Sometimes you do something and you get an unexpected benefit. Kind of like if you go to the movies, and find out that it is "free poporn night" after you get there. You would still have bought the ticket to see the movie — but the free popcorn is an added bonus of sorts.

Being berated by the Sacramento Bee in an editorial this morning for being an "anti-tax jihadist" was the furthest thing on my mind when I quickly threw together a prospective resolution for the State GOP Covention to take any GOP legislators to task that vote for or support a tax increase as part of a solution to the state overspending-created fiscal deficit.

That said, the Bee’s hit piece on me is definitely the "free popcorn" in this deal. LOVE IT.

Even better is this outstanding commentary from San Diego Union Tribune Editorial Board Member Chris Reed, where he comes to my defense, and really lays out the Bee’s Editorial Board. It’s a MUST READ REED!

I should probably make it… Read More

From the Orange County Register’s Editorial Page Blog:

Posted by Steve Greenhut

Jon Fleishman of Flashreporthas, in his role as a California GOP vice chairman, offered a resolution for the party’s convention that would censure tax-hiking Republican lawmakers. It’s a good way to keep those who are a bit weak in line with the party’s anti-tax-increase stance. The Sacramento Bee, in an editorial called… Read More

"Yes, you read that right!" said San Diego City Councilmember Carl DeMaio. "You thought the Wall Street bailout mess was bad! Take a look at the 44% increase in the number of city workers earning $100,000 or more each year. Stay tuned for more data in the coming weeks on why the city has a spending problem, not a revenue problem."

Also, read this morning’s Union Trib editorial on the matter.

Six Figure Salaries Soar in City Workforce – Up 44% in One Year DeMaio Releases Study on City Worker Compensation: “$100k Club” SAN DIEGO – City Councilmember Carl DeMaio today released a… Read More

We don’t typically reprint press releases here on the FlashReport. But on occasion, we make exceptions. I am very excited that FlashReport’s own Shawn Steel, former Chairman of the California Republican Party and currently California’s Republican National Committeeman has been tapped by new RNC Chairman Michael Steele to serve on a small, and influential transition team. The team will have its first meeting next week at the RNC Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Congratulations to Michael Steele on his election, and to Shawn Steel for this appointment. It is great news for the California GOP.

The release…

Steele Announces RNC Transition Team Team Will Implement Sweeping Changes; Prepare Party for Upcoming Elections… Read More

There are dozens of speeches still posted on Barack Obama’s campaign website that the President delivered over the last several years, beginning with his statement opposing the Iraq War in 2002 and concluding with his Election Night victory address this past November. One entry that has received less attention was a floor speech from his first few months in the U.S. Senate, when Obama warned his new colleagues about how their constituents were becoming increasingly unhappy by the overly partisan behavior they saw in Washington.

"What they don’t expect is for one party – be it Republican or Democrat – to change the rules in the middle of the game so that they can make all the decisions while the other party is told to sit down and keep quiet." said the new Senator. ".we need to rise above an ‘ends justify the means’ mentality because we’re here to answer to the people – all of the people – not just the ones wearing our party label."

The circumstances under which Obama leveled his warning were historic. Senate Republicans, who then controlled that chamber, had become increasingly frustrated… Read More