Use of the term "Mayor" was stricken as a ballot designation for Los Alamitos Councilman Ken Parker in an Order signed yesterday by Orange County Superior Court Judge Jamoa Moberly.

Under California law, a ballot title must accurately state the primary vocation, occupation or profession of the candidate, is limited to three words, and cannot be misleading. A "Mayor" in a general law city and some charter law cities using a city manager form of government, isa position by statute that is essentially ceremonial,and the Mayor’s major statutory function ischairing councilmeetings. A Mayorin these cities is not elected by the public and does not receive any special compensation or have any other specific duties.

For many years courts rejected the use of the term "Mayor" in ballot titles for councilmembers running for reelection during their rotational year as Mayor, until Huntington Beach Councilmember Debbie Cook (and a rotational Mayor), in the faceof a lawsuit filed by some Republican lawyers,convinced a Judge earlier this year to allow her to use the title in her race against Congressman… Read More

Judge Peter Polos of the Orange County Superior Court signed a final order this afternoondenying Luigi Rossetti, Jr’s attempt to be placed on the ballot and in voter guide materials as "Lou Penrose." The Judge found that the name "Lou Penrose" was technically false, and the parties all stipulated to the judge’s tentative ruling that Luigi Rossetti’s ballot name for the upcoming Dana Point Municipal Election shall be listed as: "Lou Penrose, a/k/a Luigi Rossetti, Jr."

A lawsuit was filed by Petitioner Denise Erkeneff of Dana Point after the Registrar of Orange County had allowed the "techically false" name to appear on the ballot. The Registrar stated in a sworn statement that he does not have resources to investigate the truthfulness of proposed ballot names andthough he had approved Rossetti’s ballot name as "Penrose," he had advised him by letter to consult a lawyer.

Facts developed in the case established that there was almost no internet or public agency history on "Penrose," but there was ample history on "Rossetti," including… Read More

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