CA School Toy Gun Buy-Back Program
Nanny state politics has ruled California for many years. If it moves, the California legislature wants to tax it, regulate it, or mandate it. Schools have also been under the thumb of teachers union bureaucracies and with that comes behavior that is one-size-fits-all – dictated by a nanny state bureaucracy that is rigid and unbending. […]
Personal Reflections on George W. Bush
I served from 2002-2006 as a member of George W. Bush’s Administration. Because of this, I am completely biased in my opinion. However, I believe that sharing my perspective on events I personally saw might lend clarity to those who saw the Bush 43 Presidency only through their television screen and the lens of the […]
Union Membership has Declined – But are They Less Influential?
Since I served in the leadership of several national business associations and was formerly the Regional Representative at the U.S. Department of Labor, I’m often asked about the power of unions vs. the power of business. I always answer the question the same way: There is no such thing as unorganized labor. Unions almost always out-organize […]
Obama and Congress Use their Powers for Good
I’m aware that this seems an unlikely headline given the antics of the fiscal cliff and the bickering about taxes and spending between the President, U.S. House Speaker Boehner, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Reid, U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and U.S. House Minority Leader Pelosi. But sometimes there is a silver lining and it happened last […]
A Giant Among Men – Sheriff Warren Rupf (1943-2012)
Residents of Contra Costa County in California learned this week of the sad passing of a giant in public service – retired Sheriff Warren Rupf. He was only 69 and had been diagnosed with myeloid leukemia just six weeks ago. I got to know Warren four years ago during my campaign for state assembly. His […]
Contra Costa Supervisors’ Race – A Bellwether for the National “War on Women”
This week, Danville Mayor Candace Andersen trounced Community College Board Director Tomi Van de Brooke (60% to 27%) in an election for Contra Costa County Supervisor in District 2. Sean White, who didn’t raise money but ran on election reform, gained nearly 12% of the vote. Incumbent Supervisor Gayle Uilkema passed away in May after […]
The Republicans (and Democrats) War on Nathan Fletcher
I love working on domestic policy issues and solving problems. I do not consider myself either a liberal RINO (Republican in name only) or an ultra-right conservative. I hate labels but if I had to own one, I’d say that I am a Ronald Reagan Republican and that I believe that someone I agree with […]
Contra Costa County Supervisor Gayle Uilkema Was One of a Kind
Gayle Uilkema, a woman who served as a Contra Costa Supervisor in District 2 for 16 years, passed away this past weekend from ovarian cancer. She was only 73. Gayle’s record of public service is well known – her 16 years as a Supervisor was preceded by 19 years on the Lafayette City Council. She […]
GSA Boondoggle – Did $14 billion in stimulus funds play a part in the Henderson Hot Tub Scandal?
Crossposted on California Political Review “Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.” – P.J. O’Rourke Quite a bit has been written about Jeff Neely, the federal government bureaucrat at the center of the GSA taxpayer boondoggle in 2010. Neely serves the Pacific Rim at the General […]
War on Women: Workplace Flexibility Fails Again in California
Efforts supported by countless business organizations to promote greater flexibility to employees’ schedules have once again failed in California. This week, two measures authored by Senator Bob Dutton (R-Rancho Cucamonga) were killed legislatively by Democrats during a hearing of the Senate Industrial and Labor Relations Committee. Both bills were listed as “job creators” by the […]