I thought FlashReport readers would get a kick out of my friend Grover Norquist’s (Americans for Tax Reform) letter to President Bush late last month about all the bailouts, auto, bank, and otherwise. Grover’s letter is extremely short, encapsulates the "true conservative" view, and is attached!!!… Read More

I’m cross-posting this from RedCounty. Today, House Republicans released the 11th Congress roster for GOP members. Here is the full link over at RedCounty.… Read More

As I mentioned yesterday, I had the opportunity to be a fly on the wall during Governor Schwarzenegger’s press conference on the state’s budget problems. To be both biased and balanced, I wanted to point out that despite continuing to talk about raising taxes, the Governor was right on target when he talked about the need to cut spending and make government more efficient – harkening back to his campaign slogan of “blowing up boxes” in Sacramento. When he was asked about what ideological lines the Democrats needed to cross to satisfy him, this was his answer:

No room to cut budgets?

Here is a notice in today’s Fresno Bee, page B2:

Stonewall Democrats talk over farmworker legal helpFresno Stonewall Democrats will hold a meeting at 6:00 pm Wednesday at Carrow’s Restaurant, 4280 N. Blackstone Avenue. Diana Oliva of California Rural Legal Assitance will speak about legal services for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender farmworkers. Details: (559) 266-92**, ckrugman@********.met.

Wow. I never knew there was a need for such essential services. I was left asking myself this morning – who would actually go to a meeting like this? And why would any government agency fund this nonsense?

The existance of these programs is why we do not compromise this year on the budget. As long as idiotic programs like this exist, we should hold out.… Read More

Why give building permits for free?

The Los Angeles D.A. seized tapes illegally made by a developer. The tapes which can be admitted as evidence may show thatthe Mayor Cathe Wilson and council members Judy Wong and David Capra of demanded a condo and thousandsof dollars in cash paymentsfrom a developer. Otherwise no project.

Now that is an economic stimulus package.… Read More

California’s new legislative analyst issued a report yesterday in which he suggested that legislators might want to place a tax increase on the ballot. Quickly the idea has been embraced by some as some sort of epiphany – a breakthrough on how to get past the political impasse on how to solve the state’s overspending-induced financial crisis.

Not so fast. The legislative analyst (the one who, along with his predecessor, has joined in the “we need new taxes” chorus) seems to be drawing the most bizarre of trivial distinctions – the difference between voting to raise taxes, and casting your vote to place a tax increase on the ballot. That may seem like a huge difference to some liberal with a razor sharp focus on what is always the goal – increasing the size of government. But from where I sit on the conservative – libertarian side of the isle, they are one and the same.

We live in a democratic (small d) republic, we the citizenry select, through elections, people to represent them in office, and make… Read More

California’s new legislative analyst issued a report yesterday in which he suggested that legislators might want to place a tax increase on the ballot. Quickly the idea has been embraced by some as some sort of epiphany – a breakthrough on how to get past the political impasse on how to solve the state’s overspending-induced financial crisis.

Not so fast. The legislative analyst (the one who, along with his predecessor, has joined in the “we need new taxes” chorus) seems to be drawing the most bizarre of trivial distinctions – the difference between voting to raise taxes, and casting your vote to place a tax increase on the ballot. That may seem like a huge difference to some liberal with a razor sharp focus on what is always the goal – increasing the size of government. But from where I sit on the conservative – libertarian side of the isle, they are one and the same.

We live in a democratic (small d) republic, we the citizenry select, through elections, people to represent them in office, and make decisions.… Read More

For those who feel the world is in crisis, let’s put it in perspective: there’s more important things to worry about beyond the economy. Things like getting a slow food and organically-inclined chef in the Obama White House kitchen and ensuring that television remains a "right" to be guaranteed by the government.

The New York Times blogged yesterday and reported in print today on a letter to the President-elect from noted California chef, restaurateur and "slow food" activist Alice Waters (along with others) calling for a new White House chef focused on serving local and organic meals during the Obama Administration. That might be easier in Waters’ native California with a nearly year-round growing season and massive agricultural resources (compared to say, Virginia and Maryland). But more importantly, it’s proof that no PR opportunity is too small! Just wait till Obama has to pardon his first Tofurkey.

Over in the Times’ Op-Ed section, two former FCC commissioners… Read More