How Democrats Won the Super-Majority
Everyone has an explanation for why the California Republican Party was dominated in the last election. Immigration, demographics, social issues, taxes, etc. But, all the blathering has ignored the elephant in the room: money. Big business and big labor teamed up and spent big money to elect Democrats. And they used party central committees to […]
Brown, Munger End GOP Monopoly on Circular Firing Squads
Crossposted on CalWatchDog For the past two decades, California Republicans have perfected one thing, the circular firing squad. No political party, organization or institution has been better at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. The Republican monopoly on this self-destructive habit is about to end, thanks to Gov. Jerry Brown and civil rights attorney […]
Tax Hike Won’t Solve Cal State’s Budget Problems
Crossposted on CalWatchdog Congratulations or condolences? It’s hard to say which is more appropriate for Timothy P. White, the newly appointed Chancellor of the California State University system. White takes over the top job at the country’s largest and perhaps most beleaguered public university system. Over recent years, Cal State has been fraught with controversies […]
Some Bloggers Still Concerned About FPPC Censorship
Crossposted on CalWatchDog California’s chief political watchdog sent the blogosphere into a collective tizzy earlier this year. In April, Ann Ravel, chairwoman of the Fair Political Practices Commission, floated the idea that California become the first government body in the country to regulate political blogs and websites. Bloggers all over the country reacted with outrage, […]
Proponents, Opponents Exaggerate Prop. 32’s Effect
Labor unions rarely agree with their archenemies, the proponents of paycheck protection. Proposition 32, the “Stop Special Interest Money Now Act,” has only hardened those battle lines. The measure would substantially change the way political campaigns are financed in California. It would prohibit government contractors from contributing to candidates, ban unions and corporations from imposing […]
Scramble for Congressional Seats Could Prevent Calif. Tax Increases
Crossposted on CalWatchDog Anti-tax groups face a tall order this November. There’s priority one: defeating the competing multi-billion-dollar tax-increase plans of Gov. Jerry Brown and liberal activist Molly Munger. Both propositions will receive tens of millions of dollars in campaign contributions from unions and special interest groups. Even if both measures fail, Democrats have a backup plan […]
FPPC’s Power to Regulate Drudge, Out-of-State Sites
Crossposted on Flash Report California’s chief political watchdog, Ann Ravel, recently announced plans to regulate political websites that accept payments from campaigns. California bloggers right, left and center quickly criticized the proposal for quashing free speech and putting them at a disadvantage to out-of-state competitors. “The Internet is global,” wrote Mark Paul on his blog, the […]