Fletcher & DeMaio in a virtual dead heat in San Diego Mayor’s Race

Two weeks can be an eternity in politics with ups and downs, twists and turns, and oftentimes weird and wonderful results. A new Survey USA poll released Thursday shows that Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher has surged since his party switch on March 27th – he is in a virtual dead heat with front runner Carl DeMaio. […]

Pensions, Perpetuity, and Personal Responsibility

On Tuesday, January 24th, council members in the City of San Jose will decide if they wish to curb their own lifetime benefits and those of future council members to reduce the city’s pension obligations. A proposal offered by San Jose Councilman Pete Constant, a former San Jose police officer, suggests elimination or amendment of […]

Soledad State Nurse Finds Solitude in $1 Million Payroll

As California grapples with its lagging budget and prospective initiatives on the California ballot to raise taxes, Bloomberg News reports that 42 California state nurses were paid $1 million each over a six-year period. Cited in the study by Bloomberg is Lina Manglicmot who has been paid $1.5 million since 2005, an average of $253,530 […]

Is Gingrich’s Prime Time Endorsement from Powerful New Hampshire Union Leader a Bellwether for his Future?

In the category, of “whoa, whoa, whoa”, the New Hampshire Union Leader (a.k.a. Manchester Union Leader), the state’s largest and most influential newspaper backed Newt Gingrich for President. According to 2010 figures, the paper’s daily circulation topped 48,000 and its Sunday circulation was just short of 64,000 subscriptions.  Previously owned by conservatives William and “Nackey” […]

Orange County Lincoln Club’s “New Conversation” on Illegal Immigration

Last month, the joint Lincoln Clubs of Orange County, San Diego, and Northern California went on their annual trip to Washington, D.C. to visit with Members of Congress, U.S. Senators and think tank leaders.  We talked mostly about the economy, jobs, and pension reform.  The issue of immigration was addressed in a session with James […]

Is Congress on the Right Track?

Earlier this month, sixty business leaders from California participated in a three-day whirlwind tour of our nation’s capital meeting with Members of Congress, U.S. Senators, pundits, and think tankers.  In all, 22 Members of Congress met with a delegation largely comprised of members of the Lincoln Clubs of Northern California, Orange County, and San Diego. […]

Remembering “Gib” Marguth – A True Leader in State Government

Gilbert R. "Gib" Marguth, Jr. was born in Oregon in
1934.  He passed away a few days ago
after a 9-year battle with leukemia and lymphoma at age 77.

Assemblyman Marguth represented the 15th Assembly
District with distinction in the 1980’s. 
He was a straight, common sense talker with a rye sense of humor and a
smile that lit up any room he was in.  He
served as Mayor of Livermore and also on the Zone 7 Water Board locally and
left the Assembly due to appointment as the State’s Deputy Superintendent of
Public Instruction.

I had the chance to work with Assemblyman Marguth this past
year when he attended several of our events with former Assembly Leader Martin
Garrick in the Brentwood and Walnut Creek area. I didn’t know "Gib" well but I
wish I had known him better.  He was a
gracious gentleman who enjoyed people and believed that public service was tied
to representative government.  He was the
embodiment of a true public servant.

Even a Dead Cat Bounces – What Mitch McConnell said in Silicon Valley

A "dead cat bounce" is a Wall Street term that refers to a
small but brief recovery in the price of declining stock.  Look at the graphs of this week’s "bounce"
and you might find yourself more productive buying a cat than trying to create
a job in California.

On Thursday, U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell
met with business leaders and friends in Silicon Valley to discuss the economy,
the debt ceiling, and what it would take to get California’s – and the nation’s
economy – back on track.

Southerners have an amazing way to turn a phrase and say it
in plain talk.

The Senate Leader talked about how some Silicon Valley folks
he has met with indicated they don’t mind paying a little bit more in taxes if
we can just "fix things".  He didn’t seem
to think that more taxes were necessary, stating, "the reason revenue is down
is the economy is down.  Let’s fix that
and then have a discussion."

Matt Fong – Taxpayer Advocate, Respected Public Servant, Friend

I was touched by Joel Fox’s tribute here at Fox and
Hounds.  Largely the word that comes to my
mind when I think of Matt Fong is – respect.

Matt earned the respect of taxpayers and policy makers who
cared about responsible governing.  He embodied
the ‘good’ in government serving with distinction whether he was elected or
appointed.  Public service and generosity
defined Matt Fong.  He knew that he served
"at will" – that his job was to protect taxpayer dollars and give his very best
advice to guard state finances.  Respect
for taxpayers catapulted him to notable national posts requiring financial
expertise and savvy.  One thing was for
sure: Taxpayers could trust Matt Fong.

I met Matt through several of my Asian American mentors and
friends including former U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao and former
Presidential appointees Joe Yew, Walter Liang, Clayton Fong, Elsa Cheung, and the
late John Tsu.  These individuals I
respect called him "friend."