Consistency is the hallmark of any successful business. When I spend money at my favorite hotel, store or restaurant chain I expect the same level of quality and service – whether I’m in Sacramento or any other city. A vast majority of chains are built around the consistency provided by the franchise model. One of […]

As a lifelong lover of dogs, I initially had a very positive reaction upon learning about legislation intended to establish the Prevention of Animal Homelessness and Cruelty Fund. This fund would go toward supporting cash-strapped animal shelters throughout the state. After all, how could anyone be opposed to this noble goal of protecting our beloved […]

“One of the great mistakes is to judge policies and programs by their intentions rather than their results.” Milton Friedman Every time Congress passes a law that establishes some new program or benefit, the members pat themselves on the back and tell us what problem or perceived problem the program is intended to address. Because […]

Crossposted on FoxNews.com Political conventions used to mean something. Many times in the old days  conventions actually decided who the nominee would be. Today they are nothing more than coronations since the outcome is known months before. But the party leaders and delegates still like to have a big party with overflowing buffets and free […]

Super Bowl Week
kicks off this weekend as NFL all-stars gather in Hawaii for the Pro Bowl game
on Sunday.  But there is another all-star
game of sorts happening near Palm Springs this weekend.  This one is not about football. But it is about
America’s other great passion-politics.

According to news
accounts in the New York Times, Politico and the Desert Sun, Koch Industries is
hosting its annual conference that has been dubbed by a representative of the
liberal Courage Campaign of California, a vehement opponent of the conference,
as "insidious." 

Now I have heard of
Koch Industries and the two brothers who run this highly successful
multi-faceted company but to be honest I hadn’t heard of their conference
before this year. From the sounds of things they do attract an all-star line-up
of speakers that includes leaders from government, academia and industry many
of them conservatives and libertarians. Sounds like a good conference from what
I have read.

Dave Jones is the Democratic candidate for Insurance Commissioner.

Dave Jones is running around California telling anyone who will listen that he is not taking campaign contributions from the insurance industry.

But whenever you hear a politician make a virtue out of who they are not taking campaign contributions from you should look at who they are taking contributions from.

As far as fundraising goes, the battle over Prop 21 the car tax increase disguised as a "save the parks" initiative has been a classic David vs. Goliath struggle.

In this case, the part of Goliath is being played by the "yes" side, in that as of this writing they have raised over $6.5 million to get out their message. David, being played by the "no" side, has raised a paltry $74,000. But just as in the ancient tale, David has a little something extra besides his sling and a small bag of stones-the support of the already overtaxed citizens of California.

I heard a story once about a rookie NFL quarterback who in his first game was blindsided by a wily veteran defensive end. As he lay on the ground the veteran reached out his hand and helped the rookie to his feet, and said to him "Welcome to the NFL, kid."

This week promising political rookie Meg Whitman got blindsided by wily veteran political operatives. They are not likely to help her to her feet but the message is the same. "Welcome to the NFL, kid."

There is only one way to beat this bunch of special interests that will do anything to cling to their power the public be damned.

For
years, the California Legislature, Governor Schwarzenegger and
environmentalists have been pushing for California’s investor-owned
utilities to get more of the power they generate and sell to their
customers from renewable energy such as wind, solar and biomass.

On paper, the efforts have produced great fanfare in the media but on the ground they are falling short.

In
2002, the legislature passed a bill requiring the investor-owned
utilities to produce 20 percent of their energy from renewable sources
by 2017. In 2003, the California Energy Commission moved it to 20
percent by 2010.