(San Diego, CA) – George Plescia today announced his support of Governor Brown’s state employee pension reform plan. Governor Brown released a twelve point plan outlining his proposal earlier this year. Mr. Plescia has called on Assemblyman Marty Block to join Governor Brown in pushing the reform through the Legislature. Mr. Plescia is running to represent San Diegans the California …
Steve Baric and the Partisan Democrat
Our conservative-minded friends up north at OCPolitical in Orange County (imagine them as OC’s version of your trusty SDRostra blog) have been writing lately about a term limits conundrum that’s occurred in their most populous city county seat, Santa Ana. Three-term Councilwoman and Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Alvarez, a Democrat, is seeking a legal ruling through a third party on whether or not a 2008 ballot …
Vargas Dominos: Been there, done that
Today’s print edition of the U-T San Diego (online yesterday) includes a story about the “domino effect” a Juan Vargas congressional victory would (will) have on those potentially vying for his current Senate seat, the area’s Assembly seat should Ben Hueso win in a Senate contest, and down the line to San Diego City Council. Names like labor leader Lorena …
URGENT: Getting Pension Reform Done
I have an update on my efforts to reform the pensions at City Hall – and want to alert you of a few potential roadblocks we must confront. As you know, pension reform is my top priority because every dollar we save from pension reform can be put back into restoring the neighborhood services we’ve lost in the past decade. …
Cap Alert: George Plescia’s candidacy puts San Diego Senate District in play
Capitol oddsmakers have assumed for months that the 39th Senate District, which covers the urban center of San Diego County, would be easy pickings for Democrats in this year’s election. Maybe not. Read more here
Did Chief Justice Roberts Put the Court’s Popularity Above the Constitution?
Originally published in Bob’s column, Forbidden Table Talk by Communities At Washington Times SAN DIEGO, July 6, 2012 — Chief Justice John Roberts’ surprise decision to uphold the Affordable Health Care Act as constitutional has birthed enough hot air explanations to fill every elegant Washington D.C. ball room with wall-to-wall helium balloons. Some explanations sound more logical than others. Of …
Happy Ending for Surfing Madonna?
The SDUT published an editorial today that was mostly correct re: Encinitas and the “Surfing Madonna”. It was indeed a piece of art which was illegally and anonymously affixed to public property and subsequently removed by the artist to prevent it from being destroyed. The artist then went through the permit process to gift the piece to the city, but …
Death knell for public employee labor unions? Let’s hope so!
Superb commentary last month from columnist Jeff Jacoby of the BOSTON GLOBE. The Wisconson experience with reining in their public employee labor unions is a lesson for California — if we can learn from it. http://www.jeffjacoby.com/11828/the-end-nears-for-a-50-year-mistake The end nears for a 50-year mistake by Jeff Jacoby The Boston Globe June 10, 2012 IN RETROSPECT, there were two conspicuous giveaways …
ACA Anti-Tax Protest Rally – Bilbray Also Speaks
I attended the Anti-Tax Rally today in downtown San Diego held in front of the County Administration Building. Brian Bilbray was clearly the most famous speaker invited. He is in a competitive district, as I have previously discussed. The rally started with doctors in white lab coats speaking about the harm done to health care under the law. Doctor Gary …
The Voters Get It
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 …
Gathering Votes for High Speed Rail: “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”
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 …
5 Reasons the CA HSR Project Shouldn’t Get More Money
There’s a CA State Senate vote coming up (currently 2 PM, 7-5-12) on issuing the billions of dollars in High Speed Rail bonds approved by voters in 2008. But the current project has only a titular relationship with the original HSR system barely approved by CA citizens. Here’s why this madness should end now: Reason Foundation http://reason.org http://reason.org/news/show/california-high-speed-rail-funding 5 Reasons …
Repeal Obama-care Tax Rally this Saturday
Click here for FB RSVP link Keynote Speaker: Congressman Brian Bilbary, along with Congressional Candidate Nick Popaditch, and Tea Party Reps from all over SD County. San Diego County Admin Building 1600 Pacific Coast Hwy (map) Sat. July 7 – 9 a.m. sharp Bring your signs specific to the topic of Obamacare Tax Don’t sit on the sidelines, get into …
New Report Says AB 32 Leading the State Down a Costly Path; Billions in Lost Revenue for Local Government
http://www.californiacitynews.org/2012/07/new-report-says-ab-32-leading-st-down-costly-path-billions-lost-revenue-local-govt.html New Report Says AB 32 Leading California Down a Costly Path; Billions in Lost Revenue for Local Government Business leaders and local government officials gathered in Sacramento June 28 to discuss the California Manufacturers and Technology Association’s long anticipated AB 32 (California Global Warming Solutions Act) cost impact report and investment survey results. In the absence of a full, …
Assemblyman Brian Jones Releases Fourth Installment of ‘Are You Kidding Me?’
SACRAMENTO – Assemblyman Brian Jones, R-Santee, releases his fourth broadcast commentary in the “Are You Kidding Me?” series. Assemblyman Jones questions why the Assembly Budget Committee spent less than one hour debating the state budget, and didn’t even take a vote, yet another committee spent nearly three hours debating bear hunting. The “Are You Kidding Me?” series consists of brief …
Jerry Kern: Taxpayers Win with California Supreme Court Decision
NEWS RELEASE – Oceanside City Council Member Jerry Kern For Release July 2, 2012 Charter Cities Exempt From Prevailing Wages Council Member Kern Declares Victory for the Taxpayers http://www.courts.ca.gov/opinions/documents/S173586.PDF Oceanside City Council Member Jerry Kern praised the California Supreme Court decision this morning in City of Vista v. State Building and Construction Trades Council. The Court agreed with the City …
The Obama Registry Turns Special Days On Their Heads
From Bob’s column Forbidden Table Talk published by Communities At Washington Times. Used by permission. SAN DIEGO, June 27, 2012 — Having trouble deciding what to buy your friends for their wedding or some other special occasion? Did the coupon for a free Slurpee from 7/11 seem too uncreative? Well be of good cheer, our President of the United States …
Bankruptcy – No Pension Panacea
In the 2010 San Diego City Council race, and in previous mayoral campaigns, the idea of bankruptcy for San Diego has been proffered. However, neither Vallejo, which survived bankruptcy, nor Stockton, now going through bankruptcy have demonstrated that public employee pensions can be discharged in bankruptcy court, at least in California. In California, after the Vallejo experience, the state passed …
California to Business: Get Out!
Grimly funny. Actually, NOT so funny. —- Last November I posted on my blog http://open.salon.com/blog/richard_rider an excellent article on California’s anti-business climate — produced for CITY JOURNAL, and later published in the WALL ST JOURNAL. I failed to post this article on Rostra for some reason. Belatedly, here it is. And then some. http://open.salon.com/blog/richard_rider/2011/11/16/california_to_business_get_out by STEVEN MALANGA Cali to …
Finally Victory for Local Control
Vista, CA – The landmark ruling from the California Supreme Court agreeing with the City of Vista that prevailing wage decisions on municipal projects are “municipal affairs” governed by local ordinances, is a long-awaited victory for local control, reform and the California taxpayers. In essence, the court reaffirmed that for “municipal affairs,” charter cities are “supreme and beyond the reach …
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