Category Archive

This op-ed originally appeared in the Flashreport It’s tough for Republicans to feel relevant in Sacramento. The overwhelming Democrat majority in both houses of the legislature and the total lock on every constitutional office in the state ensures that we are seldom needed for more than a one-off deal. To be sure, every session a few Republicans experience an “opportunity” to …

This op-ed originally appeared in the Flashreport The Governor wants to build “s—” he exclaimed at a recent press conference announcing support for high speed rail, which was followed by a surprise proposal to dig tunnels for water transport from the Sacramento Delta, and the grand opening of the Sunrise Powerlink, that will one day allow for transmission of solar power …

With much fanfare, the governor last week may have sealed California’s fate as the Greece of the nation. The official signing of high-speed rail funding legislation empowers the California High-Speed Rail Authority with $8 billion for five years, with no additional legislative oversight. Promising a billion north and a billion south — with no guarantee of funding for either — …

This op-ed originally appeared in the Flashreport A recent Field Poll found that voters are connecting the dots from debt to taxes much quicker than their elected officials. Governor Brown and many Sacramento Democrats seem unable to set priorities even though the state is bankrupt, boasts the lowest credit rating in the nation, must borrow $10 billion for short-term cash …

This op-ed originally appeared in Fox & Hounds To quote a rock and roll classic, when trying to gather votes for a statewide project you can’t always get what you want.  One should expect a few snafus when a project concept begins in the mid 1990’s and takes years to get a Legislative buy-in. But, with the contorted track of …

This op-ed originally appeared in the Flashreport We are witnessing the “Graying” of Governor Brown.  While Republicans started the successful recall effort of Gray Davis, it was Democrats that made the recall possible. Pressure from state government unions, environmental lobbies and other left-leaning and business interests had pushed an agenda destined to fail. The dot-com bust, budget deficits, inability to …

This op-ed originally appeared in the Orange County Register You can’t accuse California of not being creative. You know we have reached the pinnacle in regulation when we cannot manufacture goods and services, but can manufacture a “market” for pollution. Thanks to all the unemployed investment bankers that fled Wall Street after the housing bubble burst, landing in San Francisco …

This op-ed originally appeared in the Flashreport Increasingly, voters believe they’ve bought a lemon. One would think with millions of dollars for statewide marketing at their disposal, the California High Speed Rail Authority would be able to increase support for the multi-billion dollar project, which only 52% voted for in 2008. HSR proponents blame the Tea Party and/or the Republicans …

This op-ed originally appeared in the Dana Point Times  We greet the New Year with anticipation and hope, setting goals in spite of the unknowns beyond our control. With almost complete one-party Democrat control of the levels of power in Sacramento, there should be fewer unknowns; setting goals and moving forward should be easy. But voter sentiment, open primaries, new …

This op-ed originally appeared in the Orange County Register In the Legislature, I’m forced to fight against proposed new taxes and Nanny State laws every day. While I usually avoid involving myself in city issues, this Monday night [Dec. 12] the Dana Point City Council will consider an ordinance that falls into both categories. The ordinance would ban retail stores, …

This op-ed originally appeared in the Flashreport The California High Speed Rail Authority and the Governor finally released the long-awaited business plan with quite a bit of fanfare, claiming 100,000 jobs would be created. I thought our tarnished golden state had hit bottom with Arnold Schwarzenegger who buried us with a legacy of debt and regulations. But Governor Brown, who …

This op-ed originally appeared in the Orange County Register While Assemblyman Jose Solorio (D-Santa Ana) whines about being robbed by his campaign treasurer, Orange County was in fact, robbed of $48 million in the June 2011 budget deal. While the tax grab may have occurred with or without his vote, Mr. Solorio was the only OC member to vote for …

This op-ed originally appeared in the Flashreport If you believe that our state’s influence is waning, take a second look. While California may be declining in economic power, our political muscle is unfortunately being felt in Washington, DC.  The brinksmanship, confusion over who is in charge, constantly changing, last minute negotiation of legislation, and the final outcome of the debt …

This op-ed originally appeared in the Flashreport The ink was hardly dry on the Governor’s “balanced” 2011-12 budget, before we learned that the state’s cash receipts were less than expected for the month of May and June of the 2010-11 year we just completed.  Also, while claiming to spend only $86 billion, the total was actually $91.5 billion, when one …

This op-ed originally appeared in the Flashreport The Democrat majority in the Legislature just passed another unbalanced budget that includes deferrals to education, early release of state prisoners to our counties, phantom revenue projections and legal challenges waiting in the wings. By any calculation, it also adds to our state’s wall of debt, that the Governor claims to want to …

This op-ed originally appeared in the Orange County Register Is California Trapped in a Debt and Tax Spiral? I applauded when Gov. Jerry Brown announced that he was not asking Wall Street for additional long-term debt this year. While employment is showing modest gains, state debt and defaults are the topic du jour in financial circles, with California topping the …

This op-ed originally appeared in the Sacramento Bee  There is no need to spin from budget dance to budget dance every six months in California. But unless the state begins to deal with the huge structural problems that face us, we will continue to be dysfunctional. I had very high hopes for the “new” Governor, as expressed in previous editorials. …

This op-ed originally appeared in the Orange County Register As promised Gov. Jerry Brown released his budget, asking for a five-year tax increase to help close the state budget deficit. Playing to his special interest groups, a coalition of public employee and teachers’ unions, as well as environmental interests, we should expect this governor to request tax increases. And, playing …

This op-ed originally appeared in Fox & Hounds  Noted “straight talker,” State Treasurer Bill Lockyer, must be living in another California. In a recent Los Angeles Times editorial (“California Isn’t Broken”), he suggests that criticisms of California’s fiscal and economic problems are overblown. While I agree that the state will repay its bond debt, I strongly disagree that we are helpless victims of the recession. …

This op-ed originally appeared in the San Clemente Times Entering 2011 “another year older and deeper in debt,” quoting a Johnny Cash tune, I’m surprisingly optimistic. I predict that 2011 will be a new day as California climbs out of its gigantic financial hole. Estimates of how steep the mountain “range” from $30 billion-plus short-term to $500 billion-plus over the …