Did Chief Justice Roberts Put the Court’s Popularity Above the Constitution?

Bob SiegelBob Siegel 2 Comments

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 …

Death knell for public employee labor unions? Let’s hope so!

Richard Rider, Chairman, San Diego Tax FightersUndesignated Leave a Comment

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 …

The Voters Get It

Diane HarkeyBoard of Equalization Member Diane Harkey Leave a Comment

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”

Diane HarkeyBoard of Equalization Member Diane Harkey Leave a Comment

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

Richard Rider, Chairman, San Diego Tax FightersRichard Rider, Chairman, San Diego Tax Fighters 6 Comments

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

Thor's AssistantPress Releases / Media Advisories 16 Comments

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

Richard Rider, Chairman, San Diego Tax FightersUndesignated 3 Comments

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?’

Senator Brian JonesSenator Brian Jones Leave a Comment

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

Thor's AssistantPress Releases / Media Advisories 2 Comments

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

Bob SiegelBob Siegel Leave a Comment

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

B-DaddyB-Daddy 1 Comment

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!

Richard Rider, Chairman, San Diego Tax FightersRichard Rider, Chairman, San Diego Tax Fighters Leave a Comment

  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

Assemblymember Marie WaldronAssemblymember Marie Waldron Leave a Comment

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 …

Albondigas North County Poll: Rocky Chavez Leading in AD76

South Bay SunnycrestSouth Bay Sunnycrest Leave a Comment

The informal, non-scientific poll results from Albondigas North County shows a close campaign in the 76th State Assembly District, but Republican Rocky Chavez is leading fellow Republican Sherry Hodges in San Diego County’s only R vs. R run-off for a state legislative seat. The former Oceanside City Councilman and Acting Secretary for the California Department of Veteran Affairs is leading …

The Bob Filner Biography the Left Wants to Hide

Richard Rider, Chairman, San Diego Tax FightersRichard Rider, Chairman, San Diego Tax Fighters, Undesignated 17 Comments

It occured to me that even many of my knowledgeable allies are not fully familiar with the historical degree of affiliation Bob Filner has with socialist and communist organizations. His background speaks for itself. Below is a comprehensive summary of Filner’s red-tinted political affinity for collectivist, tyrannical government.  It’s clearly a biased piece, but that does not mean it is …

Lincoln Club Endorses DeMaio for Mayor

Tony ManolatosTony Manolatos 5 Comments

Lincoln Club Endorses DeMaio for Mayor _____________________________________________________________________ Tony Manolatos is a communications strategist and the Lincoln Club is one of his clients. You can follow Tony on Twitter or LinkedIn. You can hear him talk politics and media with KOGO’s LaDona Harvey every Monday at 2:35 p.m. on AM 600 and FM 95.7.