The problem with stories about California’s prison system is they are based on fiction more than facts; hyperbole more than rational thinking.

But high drama sells newspapers far more than just telling the boring truth. And everyone knows that newspapers – including titans of yore like the Sac Bee – are struggling.

So Californians are led to believe that our prison system is wildly out of control and filled with non-violent offenders who are nothing more than victims of medieval laws brought forth by Republicans.

First, California’s prison population has increased by 13,000 between 1998 and 2008, from 158,000 to 171,000. This 8% increase is far slower growth than the general population increase for that same time period. California’s state population grew almost twice as fast from 33 million people to over 38 million people in the past 10 years.

Furthermore, all of the prison growth can be attributed to inmates committed for violent crime including an increase of 6,300 for homicide, 2,500 for child molestation, and 2,400 for robbery. During the same period, the population of inmates committed for property and drug crimes declined by… Read More

Recently, we have seen the Governor, Democrats and liberal columnists running around like the sky is falling because Senate and Assembly Republicans have refused to cave in and go along with their schemes for higher taxes and higher spending.

But lost in their hysteria is the fact that this budget stalemate could actually be the best thing that has happened to California taxpayers and business owners in a long time.

If lawmakers and the Governor are unable to reach agreement on a budget before September 30, the Governor would be forced to follow through with his pledge and veto every bill on his desk.

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Recently, we have seen the Governor, Democrats and liberal columnists running around like the sky is falling because Senate and Assembly Republicans have refused to cave in and go along with their schemes for higher taxes and higher spending.

But lost in their hysteria is the fact that this budget stalemate could actually be the best thing that has happened to California taxpayers and business owners in a long time.

If lawmakers and the Governor are unable to reach agreement on a budget before September 30, the Governor would be forced to follow through with his pledge and veto every bill on his desk.

This means some very bad bills will be vetoed by the Governor.

Imagine for a moment some of the terrible bills that will be sent to the Governor that could be killed if the budget is not resolved . . .

Drivers licenses for illegal immigrants (Senate Bill 60 – Cedillo) Financial aid for illegal immigrants attending California’s public colleges and universities (Senate Bill 1301 – Cedillo) A new scheme that will pave the way for … Read More

The following article appears in Roll Call, the newspaper of Capitol Hill, concerning the 2010 California Governor’s race: Poizner May Be GOP Savior on Redistricting By David M. Drucker Roll Call Staff September 4, 2008

In a twist of political irony, the California Republican who invented… Read More

Except for a good immigration plank in the platform, we don’t her much about immigration at the RNC Convention.

In Arcadia, the city council unanimously voted Tuesday to draft language that could be inserted into city contracts that allows them to ask for documentation of employee status.

And Democrats think that city officials like Sarah Palin don’t deal with these kinds of issues. They do, especially when the federal government won’t.

That’s the point to being on city council. Make decisions. Tell that to the Democrats.… Read More

Looking for alternative L.A.news sources about the convention? Former Assemblyman Bob Pacheco has a blog for the San Gabriel Valley Newspapers.… Read More

You know what I like most about Assemblyman La Malfa, he can say in three words what is takes me a one thousand to say. The wisdom of a farmer over the verbosity of a lawyer.

That being said, I wanted to talk about the budget and two articles that appeared today about the dispute, one from Dan Walters and the other from Dan Weintraub. A short synopsis of the Walters article is that the Republican plan is the one most likely to be adopted, not because it is a perfect plan, but because the Legislative Republicans are sticking together. Walters notes the problems in both the Governor’s plans and the Democrat plan, neither of which will fix the budget problem either. The Weintraub artilcle blasts those same Republicans because they won’t vote for a tax increase to "permanently" fix the budget problem in California.

Now usually neither Walters nor Weintraub get things right, not because they are not experienced, but they don’t think outside the box in politics. They like the tired old cliches that masquerade as solutions among the pseudo-intellectual chattering class in Sacramento. They are willing to criticize doctrinaire Liberals… Read More

I think I may have just witnessed the most defining moment in the history of the women’s liberation movement, and it happened at the RNC Convention!As long as I live, I know I will never forget this night.

Sarah Palin made me so proud. She’s a mom, a wife, a sister, a leader, a friend, and a steadfast advocate for others compelled by a strong moral compass.She was the embodiment of everything a woman can be…a strong political leader, a fearless champion of truth, a tender mother rocking her baby, and a loving wife who adores her husband. Her effortless demonstration of all these qualities tonight brought tears to my eyes as I watched her emerge intonew purpose. And she did so with eyes wide open, clearly cognizant of the intense ire that she would bear in order to fulfill that purpose. That’s bravery and courage.

I remember when I was just a little girl in Girl Scouts, we learned the words to"I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar," at a Girl Scout sleepover one night. How could I… Read More