The most recent state unemployment numbers (February 2010) show a number of California counties with unemployment rates soaring near to or over 20%: Imperial, 27.2%, Colusa, 27.6%, Merced, 22%, Tulare, 18.7%, and Fresno, 18.5%.

To an extent these rates are misleading. Even when the state economy is running smoothly, these counties, with significant agricultural employment, have unemployment rates over 10%. With the agricultural base, a level of seasonal unemployment is built into the local economy.

Yet, as Fresno County indicates, the current unemployment even in agricultural counties is a far different situation than in previous years. Tim Sheehan notes in a recent Fresno Bee article that the current unemployment in Fresno County (with a labor force of 441,300, the largest of the agricultural counties) is the highest unemployment rate in 17 years. The total number of unemployed is 81,800, the largest number ever.

It’s a good thing well-heeled GOP candidates like Meg Whitman, Steve Poizner and Carly Fiorina can finance their own campaigns because the state Republican Party sure can’t afford to.

State finance reports released Thursday showed the California GOP is raising less and spending more than its Democratic counterpart, leaving the party in shaky financial condition four months into an election year.

Actually, shaky is probably an improvement for California Republicans. Two years ago, the party was running in the red, with $3.2 million in the bank and $3.4 million in unpaid bills.

While the top-of-the-ticket names running for governor and Senate can be counted on to either raise enough money or write their own checks for serious campaigns, the down ballot races and legislative candidates depend on help from the party to get out the vote and help fight the general election battle.

California’s business climate has enough challenges: high taxes, regulatory zealotry, and any possibility Jerry Brown could make it back into the Governor’s office. Now, the state has to contend with the possibility California will be known as the place that may legalize – and massively expand – pot use.

As though we want to make it any easier for Governor Rick Perry to lure even more businesses to Texas.

“We support effective anti-drug education programs, stiff punishment for alcohol and drug-impaired drivers, and stiff penalties for drug dealers and drug users,” reads the California Republican Party’s platform. It’s a sound policy that puts the best interests of Californians first and foremost.

The number one factor preventing young people from trying illicit drugs is cost, and legalization would without question lower cost and expand access to dope. As a result, hundreds of thousands of more Californians would no doubt become the users of illicit drugs. The proponents of legalization certainly don’t want to wage a campaign on the fact that their effort will produce more dope users in everyone’s community, workplace, and public places.

One of my favorite books on politics that I’m currently re-reading is Star Parker’s “Uncle Sam’s Plantation: How Big Government Enslaves America’s Poor and What We Can Do About It.”

Written several years ago by Parker, an African-American and proud Californian, the book is more relevant today than ever before. In it, she shares her story of struggle and suggests that even when it appears that government intends to help the people, it is in fact big government that keeps the poor enslaved and bankrupts America in the process.

If Star Parker’s “Plantation” describes the U.S. Welfare system, then it only seems fitting that “The Color Purple” aptly describes the tens of thousands of state workers enslaved by the dysfunctional family that is the SEIU in California.

With its vast land, rolling hills, and fertile crops, California plays the setting of the vast plantation.

One of the key things CALA will be doing this spring and fall is sending questionnaires to candidates asking where they stand on key legal reform issues. Our questionnaires cover topics such as the impact of litigation on the economy, class action reform and penalties for filing frivolous lawsuits, among others. Most importantly we will be asking them whether they will be accepting contributions from the Consumer Attorneys of California or any of its affiliated political action committees.

According to the Civil Justice Associaton of California, the trial lawyers have given approximately $35.2 million dollars in contributions over the past decade. The trial lawyer influence in elections run vast and deep. Just in 2009, they gave approximately $1 million to incumbent state officials and candidates.

California needs to focus on creating jobs, not a legal climate that encourages more litigation. The reason we are in this economic mess is due to too many taxes, over regulation and a legal climate that is out of control. The legislature needs to adopt legal reforms that will help create jobs in our state, not drive them away.

The California Teachers Association has put another $500,000 into its effort to overturn a trio of business tax breaks, setting the stage for a nasty November ballot battle.

While half a million dollars is probably way less than the “incremental investment” Republican Meg Whitman has promised to add to the $39 million she’s already spent on her campaign for governor, it’s a sign as to just how seriously public employees unions are taking this fall’s election.

That’s serious as in $2.2 million serious, which is how much the CTA has spent in its effort to qualify the repeal measure for the ballot.

The business community also is gearing up for a fight. On Wednesday, Amgen, a Southern California biotech company, became the ninth big-name business to write a $100,000 check to the “Stop the Jobs Tax” campaign.

“If I have to, I’ll send the National Guard to the border. If that doesn’t work, I’ll send the California Highway patrol to the border. And if that doesn’t work, I’ll send the California Republican Party to the border.” – Steve Poizner, March 2010

CALEXICO, Calif. (Associated Press), July 5, 2011 — The difficult first day of Gov. Steve Poizner’s deployment of thousands of California Republican Party regulars to the Mexican border ended in frustration, with reports of dozens of injuries.

No immigrants were harmed during the day – or even apprehended. Those who were confronted by Republicans as they tried to cross the border found that they could easily outrun their would-be GOP capturers, who in most cases appeared to be more than a quarter-century older than the would-be migrants they attempted to turn back.

The Republican border watchers were not nearly as fortunate. Several collapsed from the heat during the chase for immigrants. There were dozens of reports of falls and broken hips, and paramedics were dispatched to treat two GOP border police for heart attacks.

When it comes to oil, California is the new Nebraska

The Obama administration thinks that off shore oil drilling is important to meet America’s energy needs. However, it is only important enough to open up underwater oil fields off the southern Atlantic coast, Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico. California and the West Coast states are treated differently where off shore oil drilling is still prohibited.

Guess this continues the Washington trend of cutting political deals to move the ball on big issues. California, Washington and Oregon fall into the same class as Nebraska. Recall in the heated healthcare debate Nebraska was given concessions to secure a crucial congressional vote.

In the case of California, the administration is not so much after the votes of senators or congress members but to help keep the biggest bundle of electoral votes in the president’s corner.

Carmen Trutanich has complained that since he came into office as city attorney on July 1, he’s done little but cut.

He faced an immediate 18 percent budget cut. He cut 100 lawyers. Now he faces more cuts. The poor guy. He just keeps cutting and cutting. (Well, one thing he doesn’t seem eager to cut is his own $214,000 salary.)

But I’ve got a question. If he’s really hurting all that much, why is he spending so much time and creative energy on something as silly as his war on supergraphics?

Trutanich a month ago jailed a Hollywood building owner for draping a supergraphic on his building. The jailing was shocking enough, but Trutanich did it late on Friday so the guy would have to spend a whole weekend in the hoosegow. I mean, that’s deviously creative. And bail was set at $1 million. One million? For hanging a big sign?