Yesterday the California State Senate, considered the more contentious house of the California State government, narrowly passed a proposal by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to release 27,000 inmate from prisons at a cost savings of $1.2 billion. California Republicans have argued that releasing prisoners is a threat [...]
Senator and Taxpayer Advocate George Runner has announced the endorsement of Senate Republican leader Dennis Hollingsworth and Senator John Benoit in his campaign for Board of Equalization. This announcement comes on the heels of a successful fundraising period and the recent endorsements of Senators Aanestad, Strickland and [...]
By Jon Coupal, Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association
Senator Steinberg, I realize that you are not inclined to listen to the concerns of ordinary taxpayers so you will probably ignore thismessage — hmmm, perhaps if we called ourselves a taxpayers “union” that would get your attention. Also, if [...]
By Michael Warnken, California Commonwealth
Have you ever had a problem with Government? Have you ever tried to meet with or discuss that issue with your representative? You generally cannot and usually, unless you have loads of money, a lobbyist or a PAC supporting you, you [...]
Today the California Budget is all but signed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. After 9 months of negotiating, a coup d’état in the California GOP caucuses, a special election and weeks of state issued IOUs all parties have finally reached a budget plan everyone can swallow. The taxpayers [...]
By Jon Coupal, Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association
By any measure, California’s government employee unions have been overwhelmingly successful — in advancing their own interests.
Pay for government workers ranks first out of 50 states. They have no competition. Their political clout allows them to select most of their [...]
By Senator Bob Huff
Amidst the state’s budget turmoil and raging “cuts versus taxes” debate, Governor Schwarzenegger has sounded a voice calling for reform. Reforming state government has been strongly advocated by Republicans for years. Now, the Governor has seized upon the disarray of unsustainable expenditures and [...]
The Committee to Elect Jeff Gorell today announced that Jeff has raised more than $111,000 from more than 200 individuals and organizations since announcing his candidacy for the 37th State Assembly District.
Local fundraising has been the focus of the Gorell Campaign. Approximately 80% of Jeff’s total contributors [...]
With California issuing out IOUs for almost 2 weeks and the $26 billion dollar budget gap not even close to being closed, many are quickly beginning to wonder how the state got into this mess in the first place. One common opinion is [...]
To ensure that Proposition 13 will be vigorously defended, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association today asked the California Supreme Court for permission to intervene in a lawsuit that challenges the two-thirds vote requirement for new state taxes.
On July 10, a former UCLA chancellor, Charles Young, filed suit [...]
As the leaders of the Democratic and Republican Party continue to negotiate to close the now $26 billion gap in the California State Budget — or as Democrat Assembly Leader Karen Bass refuses to go to meetings and play the blame game instead — it [...]
By Jon Coupal, The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association
Several years ago, the last time California was “going off a cliff,” I wrote a column entitled “Taxpayer Ants and Government Grasshoppers.” It was based on the wonderful old Disney cartoon about industrious ants working hard and putting away [...]
By Larry Sand, California Teachers Empowerment Network
It is obvious that tough economic times have come to the United States, with California being the hardest hit of all states. We hear almost daily how California’s budget crisis threatens to devastate a public education system that once led the [...]
Today the California Budget is officially late and no one should be surprised. The California State Legislature, controlled by Assembly Democrat Karen Bass and Senate Democrat Darrell Steinberg failed to produce a budget that that was built to live within California’s means, instead relying on [...]
The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers’ Association today endorsed Republican Businessman Jeff Gorell to succeed Assemblywoman Audra Strickland in the 37th Assembly District.
“Jeff Gorell is a dedicated deficit hawk who is committed to reforming wasteful government and balancing the state’s budget without higher taxes,” said Howard Jarvis Committee President [...]
California State Controller John Chiang recently told legislators that if a budget isn’t passed by June 30th, he will be forced to issue Revenue Anticipation Warrants (commonly known as State IOUs) to all debtors except state employees starting July 2nd. [...]
By Jon Coupal, The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association
In order to “solve” California’s massive budget crisis, the tax-and-spend lobby and left-leaning academics are again suggesting that we revise Proposition 13, which changed the state’s tax structure in 1978 by lowering property tax rates and limiting annual increases.
Ironically, [...]
The Ventura County Republican Central Committee voted unanimously last night to officially endorse Jeff Gorell’s bid for the 37th State Assembly District in 2010. The Party joins Senator Strickland, Senator Runner, Assemblywoman Strickland, Assemblyman Smyth, Supervisor Foy, and many other elected local Republicans with the endorsement.
“Jeff Gorell’s [...]
The California State Assembly and Senate are poised to vote on what appears to be a doomed-to-fail budget stemming from Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, a Democrat from Los Angeles and Speaker of the California State Assembly. The Governor has announced he will veto the budget because of [...]
With today’s announcement that Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will not be running for Governor of California, the Democratic field has been reduced to presumably two candidates — San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and California Attorney General and former California Governor Jerry Brown. With California Lieutenant Governor [...]
Former Governor Jerry Brown has been hinting at another run for Governor for months now. He all but announced his campaign this week when he made a major plea for donations from his supporters in order to develop a base of support going into primary season. Recent [...]
By Jon Coupal, The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association
A great line from Carly Simon’s You’re So Vain is “you probably think this song is about you.” Well, if you are reading this, Anthony Adams, rest assured that this column is not about you. It is about reasonable [...]
By Senator Bob Huff
Many are not aware that California spends more money on education than any other program in the state, roughly half of the entire budget. Last year in fact, taxpayers spent close to $72 billion on education. We even have the highest paid teachers [...]
A Briefing from the Senate Republican Office of Policy
Overview
The last few summers in Sacramento have been extremely heated, more so because of budget talks inside Legislative chambers than the weather outside the Capitol. On one side, Republican lawmakers are holding the line on taxes. On the other, Democrats are trying [...]
Assembly Minority Leader Sam Blakeslee, of San Luis Obispo, today issued the following statement in response to the move by Democrats on the Budget Conference Committee to adopt tax increases as part of their budget proposal.
“I am deeply disappointed that the Democrats chose to use the Conference [...]
Recently the Democratic Party has begun to attack Proposition 13, calling it the source of California’s problems. Claiming that the 2/3 rule written into Prop 13 is preventing the passage of a balanced budget for the state, the left seems bent on both using technicalities to circumvent the law and [...]
By Jon Coupal, The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association
On May 19th, California voters made it clear that they are taxed enough and want their elected leadership to prioritize spending using the large amount of tax revenue we already send to Sacramento. That revenue, of course, includes the [...]
Unions have long been the agent that has controlled the California Democratic Party. By passing laws giving them mandatory dues payments from their members Democrats have eliminated opportunity for internal dissent or accountability to their members. In return, union leaders take their unchecked influence and make massive political donations to Democratic candidates. Additionally, they represent [...]
This week the Schwarzenegger administration announced it’s intentions to seek an oil lease for the purpose of slant drilling of the oil reserves under the coast of Santa Barbara, California. Schwarzenegger’s intention is to help close the $24.3 billion gap in California’s unbalanced budget by generating new [...]
By Senator George Runner
For all the talk about the budget deficit and comparing our economic woes with the Great Depression, the Legislature sure has a funny way of showing they understand the urgency of the challenges we face. Despite these pressing issues, Sacramento has chosen to intrude [...]
Going public is a tool an a political leader’s toolbox meant to be utilized when insider negotiations fail. Put simply, going public is where you appeal for the public’s support when you cannot get support from the elected officials you negotiate with internally. Such was the case with Propositions 1A [...]
Dear Friends,
I’m making it official. I am running for the state legislature in the 15th State Assembly District.
Voters across the state sent a strong message when they defeated Propositions 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, and 1E. They told legislators that it’s time they started doing their jobs and [...]
Two major recent events have changed the political landscape for the California Republican Party recently — the exit of Mike Villines and subsequent election of Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee to lead the Assembly Republicans as well as the recent failure of the Democrat ballot proposals in the May [...]
Assembly Republican Leader-Elect Sam Blakeslee, of San Luis Obispo, today announced the members of his Caucus Operations team. This division of Blakeslee’s leadership team will be charged with improving coordination between Members and caucus resources to optimize the effectiveness of each member in their district.
“The success of [...]
By Senator George Runner
While there are many groups clamoring for a piece of the state’s budget pie, one of the most persistent is the education bloc. Indeed, districts, unions, and faculty associations are constantly decrying cuts to education. For all their crowing, the budget cuts to education [...]
By Jon Coupal, The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association
Last week, this column set forth the various messages that were sent to our political leaders via the stunning defeat of the budget “reform” package of Propositions 1A-1E. Despite stacking the deck and outspending opponents by at least 10 [...]
Senator Roy Ashburn
Senator Roy Ashburn (R-Bakersfield) released a statement yesterday on Senate Constitutional Amendment 21, an amendment he joint-authored with Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mateo) to rein in the continuing abuse of power displayed by the University of California’s governing body. The following is his statement:
The [...]
Today the California Supreme Court issued an opinion on the constitutionality of Proposition 8 — which prevents same sex couples from marrying in the state. In a 6-1 decision they chose to uphold Proposition 8 and in a 7-0 decision chose to protect the same sex [...]
By Ron Nehring, Chairman of the California Republican Party
In a sign that there is some sanity left in this world, the California Supreme Court ruled 6-1 today that the state Constitution is constitutional. Meaning, the constitutional amendment called Proposition 8, defining marriage in California as the [...]
The California State Supreme Court will release it’s opinion this Tuesday on the constitutionality of Proposition 8 — the ballot initiative approved by voters last November that defined marriage as between a man and a woman. While the California Supreme Court’s ruling is only concerning procedural questions — whether or [...]
By Ron Nehring, California Republican Party Chairman
I just returned from the Republican National Committee’s State Chairmen’s meeting in Washington, D.C.
Remarkably, this week marked the official transition from focusing on the past to focusing on the future for our party nationally, and in California.
Nationally, RNC Chairman Michael [...]
By Jon Coupal, The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association
Even before this week’s historic special election, the same people and interests which drove California off the financial cliff are, once again, placing blame on Proposition 13. Several anti-Prop. 13 bills have already been introduced in the California Legislature [...]
The people of California have spoken. They don’t trust or believe Sacramento.
We understand.
Senate Republicans heard the message. Yesterday’s vote was not about the budget. It was about a more serious condition — the loss of faith in the institutions of state government.
And while the talk today in [...]
by Assemblyman Chuck DeVore
California lawmakers are struggling to spin the results of the May 19 special election, fearful of the possibility that the voters may have just fired the first shot of the next great tax revolt.
I was on NPR with Senate President pro Tem [...]
With the failure of Propositions 1A thru 1E in the May 2009 Special Election, the Democratic leadership of the California government will be back at the drawing board attempting to close the $21 billion deficit. There are several strategies they might pursue — some wiser than others. [...]
Here are the results from the May 19, 2009 Special Election. Propositions 1A thru 1E failed and Proposition 1F passed.
View The Policy Report May 2009 Special Election Page
Propositions 1A “Rainy Day” Budget Stabilization FundYes - 1,334,724 (34.1%)
No - 2,569,677 (65.9%)
Yes - 1,460,630 (37.4%)
No - [...]
This week Arnold Schwarzenegger released the Governor’s May Revision to the 2009-2010 Budget Proposal. This year is interesting because California already has a budget on the books, but the recession and numerous tax increases caused a shortfall in the actual collected tax revenue statewide leading to [...]
At the scheduled May Los Angeles County Republican Central Committee Meeting on Thursday, May 14, 2009, the Committee elected new officers who will serve through the end of 2010. New Chair Jane Barnett, Burbank, assumed the position after winning the majority vote of her elected peers in a contested election, [...]
Here is a copy of the overview and specific detail of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 2009-2010 May Revision.
View or Download the May Revision Here (pdf)
[...]
By Jon Coupal, The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association
Polls show that the revenue shifts and tax increases contained in the six measures placed on the May 19th Special Election ballot by the Legislature and governor are not going over well with voters. Californians are angry. They are [...]
