RINO Schwarzenegger Endorses Harris

This morning, I took note of an article in The Federalist blog that former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has endorsed Kamala Harris for president.  

Of all people, he should know how bad Harris was to San Francisco and California as a whole. He was a disaster as governor and he was instrumental in the near-destruction of the Republican Party in California. The state is now essentially a one-party state thanks, to a great extent, to him. That's why the state, known now as Commiefornia, has a mass exodus of people fleeing it.

I then went to the source on the story, The Gateway Pundit, who wrote:

Arnold Schwarzenegger, the self-proclaimed former “Republican” governor who famously barked at Americans opposing draconian COVID restrictions with a blunt “Screw your freedom!” during the COVID-19 pandemic, has endorsed Kamala Harris for president.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, once the iconic “Terminator,” has now rebranded himself as a “capitulator.”

Ignoring the Constitution and principles of conservative Americans, Arnold now parrots the media’s anti-Trump narrative and bashes the party he supposedly represented.

Birds of a feather flock together, right?

To read more, go here. 

The Moribund California Republican Party

Above, Ronald Reagan addressing a rally at the 1979 California Republican Party
 convention at the Town & Country Hotel in San Diego. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Back in the 1970s and 1980s, I regularly attended the annual conventions of the California Republican Party (also known as the Republican State Central Committee of California). 

These days, state party has become a moribund shell of its former self. During the days of Ronald Reagan, George Deukmejian and even Pete Wilson, the party had fairly decent leadership. I remember the days when the party mobilized its troops and won many special elections, even during the Watergate period.

Since Arnold Schwarzenegger's disastrous terms as governor, including his wacko Proposition 14, California has become essentially a one-party state. Small wonder it is called Commiefornia.

The party held its first 2024 convention in Burlingame last month. I just read one person's report on how the convention went and it is not too encouraging. 

The report, by William Del Pilar, begins with:

I am back from the California Republican Party (CAGOP) convention. My first in a few years, and many familiar faces are no longer around. While old leadership remains, I did see more younger faces than ever before. That gives me hope.

It was also great to see the San Diego Young Republicans out as a visible group. I met the future:

• A young female mayor with chutzpah, Indian farmers who’ve had enough.
• Latinos are fed up with Democrats hiding transitioning children from them.
• More blacks and Latinos are tired of CAGOP RINOs and are entering political races.

Sadly, none of that matters to an extent because leadership continues to be led by a token Latina who was elected not once, twice, but three times to serve her masters and not the people. For the bigots who want to call me racist, WRONG! I’m a conservative Latino, and I don’t need to be Latino to figure out why this person was selected to lead the CAGOP. She works for those above her who pay her, not the people!

To read the full report, go here. 

California Republican Party Chairman Election

The next state convention of the California Republican Party (CRP) will be held next month in Sacramento. This convention will elect a new state party chairman.

Right now, the CRP is "dead in the water and adrift". California is essentially a one-party state governed by leftist socialist Democrats who turned the state into Commiefornia. The crazy open primary system is a big factor on why the CRP is not even a shell of its former self. We can thank ex-Governor Schwarzenegger for this.

There are two ways the GOP can be a viable party in California again. One, is to go back to the former primary system. Second, is to rebuild the party from the bottom up. This includes organizing, voter registration, fundraising, candidate recruitment and training.

One candidate for state party chairman, Stephen Frank, has posted his plan of action to rebuilding the California Republican Party:



Quick Start Needed for California Republican Party – The Time for a Conversation is Over
Stephen Frank, Candidate for CRP Chair

In less than eleven months filing for the 2020 March 3 primary will close. In nine months, signatures in lieu will be opened. The time for a "conversation" is over. The time for action is now!

Just to recap: The Republican Party in November 2016 had 24 legislative seats, (Assembly State Senate and Congress), without a Republican on the ballot. As if this was not bad enough, in November 2018 there were 41 legislative seats without a Republican on the ballot - 25 Assembly, 6 State Senate and 10 congressional. In both elections there was no Republican on the ballot for U.S. Senate.

The CRP convention is seven weeks away and one candidate for Chair says we need to ‘start a conversation’. The time for talk is over, the time for action is now. As such, I am providing you with my plan of action in the first thirty days of being elected Chair.

My ‘Back to Basic’ plan provided the outline of what needs to be done to get the California Republican Party back on track and relevant again. The bylaws mandate that the Resolutions, By-laws and Initiative Committees meet at the February convention. But as per my plan, much more needs to be addressed, and done so, with a sense of urgency. To that end, and as per ‘Roberts Rules of Order’, by the end of March 2019, I will create and hold meetings of the following special committees to prepare the CRP for the 2020 election and the 2021 redistricting process.

1. Voter Registration

2. Absentee ballot harvesting

3. Communications

4. Legal issues

5. Finance a) high dollar b) low dollar

6. Ballot measures

7. Training of volunteers and candidates

8. Strengthening of County Committee’s

9. Candidate recruitment

10. Strengthening of volunteer clubs

11. Coalition building

12. Budget

13. Vote Integrity

14. Legislative challenges and coordination

I will open all these committees to the membership of the CRP, delegates and alternates. To that end, if you would like to serve on any of these committees or would like to see additional committees formed, please contact me directly at: stephenfrank@sbcglobal.net or 805-795-1271.

As a reminder: I am the only candidate for CRP chair that has been active in all areas of the Party. I was elected by a convention to the Board of Directors, served four terms as CRP parliamentarian and served on all the major and several minor committees. Unlike any other candidate, I have a working background within the State Party. If we are to revive the CRP, we must start now. We cannot afford to elect a Chair that needs time to learn and settle in. We must hit the ground running to ensure we have our people trained, our policies in place and our action plans ready to be activated in preparation for the 2020 election—and beyond.

I would be honored if you would endorse my campaign for chairman and vote for me if you are a delegate. Please vote for me, Stephen Frank, to represent all CRP members and to again make the Republican Party relevant again in California politics and policy, statewide. Can I count on your support?

###

If I were still a California resident and voting member of the CRP, I would be supporting Stephen Frank for CRP chairman. As Frank said, he's the only candidate with a "working background within the State Party." The others only have state legislative experience.

The Orange County Register has an interesting article on all of the candidates for CRP chairman. To view it, go here.

Japan To Levy Consumption Tax On Ebooks and Other Electronic Media From Overseas

Above, Japan will levy a consumption tax on foreign-based
ebooks such as The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

The Japanese government has decided to levy a consumption tax on ebooks, digital music and other electronic media sold online from firms based in other countries.

According to News On Japan:

The government has decided to levy consumption tax on e-books, digital music and other electronic media sold online by overseas vendors from October, according to sources. 

Currently, goods and services distributed in electronic formats by firms based abroad to consumers in Japan are not taxable. This has led to mounting criticism mainly from domestic booksellers, who call the system unfair. 

Under the envisaged system, digital media sold by vendors whose headquarters are located outside Japan will be subject to taxation, the sources said. Such firms include Amazon.com Inc. in the United States and Kobo Inc., Rakuten Inc.'s affiliate in Canada.

The ebook edition of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan would be subject to Japan's consumption tax beginning next October under this scheme. So, if someone from Japan should order the ebook (it is also available on Amazon Japan (images below)) they would also have to pay Japan's consumption tax.

As October nears, I predict that there will be a big rush in Japan to buy electronic media from overseas before the tax kicks in.

As former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said about government's insatiable appetite for more taxes (before he went wobbly in his second term):

"From the time they get up in the morning and flush the toilet, they're taxed. Then they go and get the cup of coffee, they're taxed....This goes on all day long. Tax, tax, tax."

- See more at: http://newsonjapan.com/html/newsdesk/article/110736.php#sthash.0TM5sgr2.dpuf

Weiner Making Himself Look Guilty

Rep. Anthony Weiner seems to be digging himself deeper into a hole on "Weinergate."

According to an article from the Village Voice blog:

With evasive answers and all-around awkwardness, Anthony Weiner is making sure #Weinergate doesn't go away any time soon, as we guessed it might yesterday before a head-smackingly bad press conference made the guy look guilty as hell. This afternoon, Weiner told Luke Russert of NBC News that he "didn't send that picture out," but when pushed to clarify -- "That's not a picture of you?" Russert followed-up -- made things way worse. "You know, I can't say with certitude," Weiner said. That means it's his penis, doesn't it?

C'mon! Every guy knows what his, uh, junk looks like ("like the back of your hand").

This little scandal is getting hilarious. Even some liberal sites are starting to think that the photo is of Weiner's wiener. The Village Voice isn't exactly what one would call a conservative-friendly publicatation.

Probably the only person really happy about this is former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. This story got his problems off the front page (at least for a while).

To read the full article, go here.

UPDATE: Weiner was interviewed by CNN's Wolf Blitzer:

WOLF BLITZER, CNN: "Have you ever taken a picture like this of yourself?"

REP. ANTHONY WEINER (D-NY): "I can tell you this, that there are -- I have photographs. I don't know what photographs are out there in the world of me. I don't know what have been manipulated and doctored and we're going to try to find out what happened. But the most important reason I want to find out what happened is to make sure that it doesn't happen again. Obviously somebody got access to my account. That's bad. They sent a picture that makes fun of the name Weiner. I get it. Touche."

Couldn't he just say "no"?

Was Arnold Blackmailed By The Democrats?

Above, Patty Baena (child's face an artist's conception).

The revelation that former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger had a love child with the family maid ten years ago hit the media by storm. The former governor disclosed the affair and love child after firing the maid, 50-year old Patty Baena. Schwarzenegger revealed the affair when Baena threatened to disclose it after being dismissed last January.

I was listening to talk-radio station KFI-AM yesterday and the discussion got very interesting. A couple of major questions were raised: Did the Democrats know about Schwarzenegger's love child years ago? Did they use it to blackmail him into liberal policies?

When Schwarzenegger first ran for governor, he ran as a conservative Republican. For the first two years or so of his governorship, Schwarzenegger did govern as a fairly conservative governor. Then, after his ballot initiatives failed and he won re-election, he seemed to have done a complete 180 and governed as a liberal Democrat.

Arnold Schwarzenegger's last-minute reduction of the prison sentence of former Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez's son in the slaying of a college student caused a major uproar.

Was Schwarzenegger blackmailed into the commutation of Esteban Nuñez manslaughter sentence? Was he blackmailed into supporting liberal policies?

Schwarzenegger has a lot of questions that need to be answered. Had this revelation occurred while he was governor, he would have been badly compromised. He would never have been elected governor had this affair been revealed years ago.

Villaraigosa's Idiotic "Tsunami" Statement

Leave it to L.A.'s playboy Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (a.k.a. El Pollo Antonio) to make a stupid statement. He likened California's budget and tax battle to Japan's earthquake and tsunami.







From China's People's Daily website:

A coalition of local government officials, students, teachers, unionists and business leaders joined a call on Monday, urging Republican legislators to support California Governor Jerry Brown's budget proposal.

The coalition made the call after Brown and a group of Republican lawmakers had failed to reach compromise on ways to address the state budget crisis over the weekend.

"I think it's absolutely outrageous that these people (Republican state legislators) would abdicate their responsibility, sign on to some ideological pledge that says they won't raise revenues even when the state is stuck underwater," Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said on behalf of the coalition.

"This would be a tsunami when you think about the devastating impact on families," he said. "My hope is that they'll get back to the table and be responsible, and put this on the ballot. That's all we're asking."

To eliminate the state's 25-billion-dollar budget deficit, Brown wants to ask the voters to decide whether to extend billions in sales, income and vehicle taxes for an additional five years, but Republicans oppose his proposal.

A tsunami?! Stuck underwater?! Thousands of people died, were injured and left homeless due to the March 11 earthquake and tsunami and Villaraigosa says that the GOP's insistence of budget cuts, holding down taxes and reforming the state employee pension mess (a money-laundering operation for the public employee unions) will have the same effect on families. Incredible!

The mess in Sacramento was caused by his own party, with a little help by ex-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. They have no desire to fix the fiscal mess in Sacramento as it would run counter to the interests of the Democrat Party's constituency groups.

California taxpayers are already being taxed to death and the politicians demand more out of them. The idiocy of Villaraigosa is mind-boggling!

To read the full People's Daily article, go here.

Payback For Treachery: Abel Maldonado Appointed Lt. Governor

Last night on the Jay Leno show, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger nominated State Senator Abel Maldonado, the poster boy for why RINOs aren't to be trusted, to replace John Garamendi as lieutenant governor.

The state senate has to approve the appointment for it to take effect.

As many Californians recall, Maldonado's vote was the deciding vote last February for a more than $12 billion tax increase on Californians, the largest state tax increase in U.S. history. This tax increase, right smack in the middle of a recession, did absolutely nothing to fix California's finances.

Now Maldonado is being rewarded for this treachery. If he should decide to run for lieutenant governor next year, it is doubtful he would survive the GOP primary.

Report: California Regulations Killing Business and Jobs

A report was issued by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's office on the effects of the state's regulations on doing business. The report was not a good one.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported:

Regulations on small businesses in California have cost the state's economy $492 billion and 3.8 million jobs, according to a report quietly released by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's office this week.

Republicans in the Legislature have pounced on the findings and on Thursday called the report the "smoking gun" that proves lawmakers are killing the state's economy through burdensome government mandates. But Democrats and at least one capital think tank are highly skeptical of the accuracy of the findings.

The 84-page report does not specify which regulations were studied and relies on data collected largely by Forbes.

Citing the report, Republicans said the state should suspend implementation of Assembly Bill 32, California's greenhouse gas reduction plan championed by the governor, along with all other new regulations.

"We are protecting ourselves literally to death," said Assemblyman Roger Niello, R-Fair Oaks (Sacramento County), at a Capitol news conference held by Republicans to call for action, including legislative hearings and further study to determine costs, or benefits of specific regulations.

This report really does not come as as surprise as California has lost many businesses to other states. Nevada has been actively advertising the "business-friendliness" of the state.

To read the full article, go here.

California State Workers Authorize Strike

As if California hasn't enough problems, now the union representing state workers has been given the green light to call for a strike.

Reuters is reporting:

California's largest state employees' union voted on Saturday to approve a strike authorization measure to protest furloughs of state workers and pressure state officials to ratify its labor contract.

A spokesman for Service Employees International Union Local 1000 said a strike was not imminent but that the vote authorized union officers to initiate certain job actions, including a strike if necessary.

The SEIU represents about 95,000 state employees, including clerical workers and teachers.

SEIU has been trying to gain representation status with Securitas USA employees in recent weeks. I currently work for Securitas.

It is fascinating that the liberal Democrat legislature and liberal Republican Governor Schwarzenegger have practically spent California into oblivion and also raised taxes, but they still don't really have enough to cover necessary state services.

Now the state employees are threatening a strike. What interesting times we live in!

Craig T. Nelson Is Mad As Hell

"Coach" Craig T. Nelson is hopping mad. He was on the Glenn Beck Show on the Fox News Channel May 28 and said this:

NELSON: No, we are a republic. And that means that we need to be represented. We're not being represented.

Listen, I'm not going to pay any more money. What these people are asking me to do —

BECK: You're seriously saying you won't?

NELSON: No, I'm asking Glenn Beck to promote this. I'm saying it personally. But I'm asking you...

BECK: Are you are saying you personally won't pay income tax anymore?

NELSON: I'm really thinking about it, Glenn, because as a fiscally responsible grandfather, there are programs that they're asking me to fund that I refuse to fund.

Wow! I didn't know Nelson's a conservative! (Well, maybe he wasn't until Schwarzenegger and the Sacramento Democrats made a mess out of the state.)

To read the full (rush) transcript, go here.

California Voters: "Up yours!"

California voters yesterday sent a very loud and clear message to the politicians who have bankrupted the state: no more taxes!

It wasn't just "no," it was "hell no." Not since Proposition 13 in 1978 has California voters made clear that they don't like the tax and spend policies of the state's government.

The voters defeated Propositions 1A through 1E that were backed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Democrat legislature, labor and teachers unions. Only Proposition 1F, that will freeze legislators' salaries during hard times, passed.

The Los Angeles Times reports:

Schwarzenegger has called for cuts that would hit every corner of the state. He announced plans to lay off 5,000 of the state's 235,000 workers and has proposed slashing education by up to $5 billion, selling state properties, borrowing $2 billion from local governments and potentially reducing eligibility for healthcare programs.

Schwarzenegger said the voters' message was, "Don't to come to us for extra help. That was the message. And you know something. I appreciate that when you hear that from the people. It gives us a chance to go and adjust, and say 'OK, we went in the wrong direction. Now lets go in the right direction and lets go do what the people want.'"

This is not a good omen for Barack Obama and the Democrats. First it was the tea parties that were organized in response to the massive spending and bailouts of Obama and the Democrats in Washington. Now it is the California voters rejection of more taxes. This is a prairie fire that is sure to build to a big climax in 2010.

Will the state make meaningful cuts? Or will they hope for a Washington bailout and let taxpayers from other states carry the burden of paying for California's excesses? We shall see.

California Ballot Propositions In Trouble (Good!)

The Sacramento Bee is reporting that five of six California ballot propositions are failing.

Their pollings show that Propositions 1A-1F are in serious trouble except for the proposition limiting legisators' pay hikes:

A plurality of voters favored one measure -- Proposition 1F -- which would ban pay raises for state elected officials when there is a budget shortfall. Prop 1F was favored by 45 to 35 percent.

Their other findings are as follows:

Proposition 1A, trailed 51 percent to 38 percent, according to the poll. Prop 1A would impose state spending restrictions and a "rainy day" budget fund while triggering $16 billion in extended tax hikes.

The Proposition 1B educational funding measure -- which is pegged to passage of Prop 1A -- trailed 50 percent to 41 percent, according to the poll.

Proposition 1C, would allow $5 billion in borrowing from a revamped state lottery, was by far the least popular measure. It trailed 52 percent to 29 percent and was losing in every geographic region in California.

Majorities also opposed Propositions 1D and 1E. The measures would allow voter-approved funds for child development and mental health programs to be used for other purposes.

Talk show host Hugh Hewitt took a look at this and noted:

The single biggest driver behind the "no" vote is, however, the dishonesty of the "yes" campaign. The brain trust in Sacramento decided to try and sell their massive tax hike and theft of money from designated funds as a "spending cap," and in so doing conveyed enormous contempt for the voters. Every time Arnold calls Measure 1A and its sister stealth proposals as other than a massive tax hike and a series of tax grabs --1D is literally stealing money from kids programs like dentistry and autism/asthma treatment even as the legislature kept its cars and staffs-- the public feels, correctly, that Arnold and the Sacramento Dems thinks they are idiots. The smart guys running the campaign have managed to telegraph a sneer with every ad that shows a weary fireman pleading with the voters not to end firefighting in the state. Voters know they are being conned, and no amount of campaign spending can erase the complete knowledge that the electeds and their sharpie advisors think the voters a vast crowd of fools.

The significance of the "no" vote on 1A through 1E is that it signals more of the same disgust as powered the Tea Parties: Government is too large, takes too much of our money, and lies about doing so.

It looks very encouraging that California voters are catching on that the Sacramento government (i.e., Schwarzeneggar and the Democrat-controlled legislature) have overspent and brought the state to its knees.

With the exception of Proposition 1F, I also urge a 'no' vote on these measures.

Obama Threatens California

The Los Angeles Times is reporting:

The Obama administration is threatening to rescind billions of dollars in federal stimulus money if Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and state lawmakers do not restore wage cuts to unionized home healthcare workers approved in February as part of the budget.

Schwarzenegger's office was advised this week by federal health officials that the wage reduction, which will save California $74 million, violates provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Failure to revoke the scheduled wage cut before it takes effect July 1 could cost California $6.8 billion in stimulus money, according to state officials.

As much as I opposed the stimulous bill and don't like the way Schwarzenegger and the Democrat-controlled legislature have run California into the ground fiscally, I find this move by the Obama Administration another example of thuggery, Chicago-style.

The Obama Administration isn't interested in keeping California (somewhat) solvent, it is more interested in pandering and giving paybacks to the labor unions.

An Alternative for California

An Alternative for California

by Armand Vaquer


The nightmarish budget compromise signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger can be overturned by the voters.

The compromise, as it is written, calls for several ballot measures to be placed on the ballot for a May 19 special election.

From the Washington Post.com:

The budget compromise requires voter approval of five ballot measures during a May 19 special election. Those measures would set a cap on state spending and institute a rainy-day fund, authorize the state to sell bonds based on future lottery revenue, shift money from certain social programs and guarantee billions more for schools.

A sixth measure, placed on the ballot as part of last-minute deal-making to pass the budget package, would be a constitutional amendment to freeze lawmakers' pay when the state runs a deficit.

Another constitutional amendment, planned to go before voters next year, would create an open-primary election system.

The compromise deal, which is intended to cover the state's spending needs through the rest of this fiscal year and next, cuts $15.1 billion from programs, primarily education, and raises $12.8 billion in revenue, mostly through increases in the sales tax, personal income tax and vehicle license fee.

If the voters approve these measures, the tax increases will supposedly be only "temporary" for two years. If they fail, then the tax hikes will be for three years. Some deal, eh? To me, this is a lose-lose situation for Californians.

But we can fight back!

However, as we have a system in which voters an get their own ballot propositions placed on the ballot, we have an escape hatch.

Why not have the voters put a budget proposition on the ballot that would have it based on the 2005 California budget and then adjusted for inflation up to 2009? Spending in California shot up around 40% since 2005.

This way, the people will dictate to the loons in Sacramento on what we are willing to pay for and taxed. It's time to fight back!

"Benedict" Maldonado Caves In on California Budget

California State Senator Abel "Benedict" Maldonado just kissed his political future goodbye this morning.

From WSJ.com:

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- California's legislature approved a plan Thursday morning to close the state's $42 billion budget deficit through steep cuts and new taxes, after state leaders corralled the last Republican vote needed to end a 15-week partisan impasse that has battered an already-crippled state economy.

State Sen. Abel Maldonado provided the required "aye" vote after senate leaders met his demands that certain state-government reforms be added to the budget proposal and that the plan be stripped of a gas-tax increase.

On Wednesday night, Mr. Schwarzenegger and Democratic lawmakers finally persuaded the 41-year-old Mr. Maldonado, a broccoli-and-cauliflower farmer from Santa Maria, to become the 27th and final 'aye' vote needed to pass the proposal in exchange for the concessions.

The changes made after negotiations with Mr. Maldonado include measures calling for the state to hold open primary elections and to stop pay raises for lawmakers in years the state faces a budget shortfall. Both reforms would have to be approved by voters, however. Legislative leaders also agreed to strip out the gas-tax increase.

Sen. Maldonado has made no secret of his ambitions to run for state controller. By caving in to Schwarzenegger and the Democrats, he won't have a ghost of a chance to win the GOP primary for state controller in 2010. Maybe that's why he wanted open primaries.

But Republicans and irate California taxpayers won't forget. Open primaries or not, Maldonado will have a lot of opposition against him.

California budget impasse goes on!

The California budget impasse goes on! Gov. Schwarzenegger and the Democrats need one more Republican vote and the Republican legislators are budging.

From the Wall Street Journal.com:

The impasse has revolved around a bill, out of the nearly 30 in the budget proposal, that would generate $14 billion in revenue by temporarily raising the sales tax by one percentage point, by increasing the gasoline tax by 12 cents a gallon and by adding a surcharge of up to 5% on income taxes, among other steps. Republican legislators have contended that Californians can't afford new taxes during the recession, while Democrats countered that it would be impossible to close such a massive deficit without revenue increases.

Many economists agree, raising taxes during a recession is insane and the California taxpayer is already overtaxed. They will need to do more spending cuts.

California Tax Revolt Starting?

According to Hugh Hewitt over at Townhall.com, there appears to be the beginnings of a tax revolt going on in Sacramento.

According to the Los Angeles Times:

But several hours after voting on the package of 27 bills began Saturday night, the momentum stalled. Sen. Dave Cox (R-Fair Oaks), who Democrats say indicated in private talks he was prepared to vote for the budget plan put together by the governor and legislative leaders, announced he would not support it. A spokeswoman for Cox said the senator was never on board with the budget plan.

See Beginnings of A Tax Revolt?

Hewitt: "It has become clear over the past 96 hours that any GOP legislator voting for the tax hikes is finished forever in state politics. That may be enough to stop the economic suicide that is a massive tax hike in the middle of a recession, but watch that space."

As Ronald Reagan used to say, "The government spends too much!" Maybe the GOP is finally realizing this in California.

Cross your fingers!

UPDATE: (7:47 PM) There are not enough votes to pass the budget! Three Republican 'yes' votes are needed and Schwarzenegger and the Democrats aren't getting them. One target is Sen. Abel Maldonado (R-Santa Maria). So far, he isn't voting for the budget proposal.

DeVore Resigns As Chief GOP Whip

DeVore Resigns As Chief GOP Whip

"The St. Valentine's Day deal to raise taxes on hard-working Californians will neither close the budget deficit nor control spending."

From BusinessWire.com:

SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--California State Assemblyman Chuck DeVore resigned today as Chief Republican Whip due to his opposition to a massive tax increase deal brokered by Republican legislative leaders. DeVore said, “The St. Valentine’s Day deal to raise taxes on hardworking Californians will neither close the budget deficit nor control spending. I believe leadership thinks they are doing the right thing – but I cannot be a party to this agreement as I believe it will harm California.”

Excerpts of DeVore’s letter to Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines follow:

“…the recent agreement you negotiated to increase taxes in exchange for a spending limit will not likely accomplish the twin aims of deficit reduction and budget control that you seek.

“This proposed agreement also strikes at the heart of our longtime opposition to tax increases. Excessive taxation both harms the economy and robs hardworking Californians of a portion of their liberty. Placing our Caucus squarely in line with tax increases also demoralizes our supporters – people who were counting on us to hold the line.

“For these reasons, I believe it is appropriate for me to resign as Chief Republican Whip, effective immediately. I can no longer participate as a leader on a team that is preparing to make a fundamental mistake of colossal proportions. For the sake of California I hope I am wrong – however, I fear I am right and that this tax increase and budget deal will result in more harm to the Golden State than good.”

It is nice to see some Republicans ready to stand on principle! It is insanity to raise taxes in a recession where people are already struggling.

Assemblyman DeVore's website is www.ChuckDeVore.com

Californians: Hold on to your wallets!

Californians: Hold on to your wallets!

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democrat legislative leaders have come to an agreement on the budget. It involves deep "cuts", borrowing and tax hikes.

The Los Angeles Times reports:

Legislative leaders are scurrying to round up votes for the plan; whether they will get enough by Friday is unclear. Republican lawmakers, in particular, are under tremendous pressure from anti-tax activists to reject the plan.

A copy of the fiscal blueprint obtained by The Times shows that the deficit would be wiped out with $15 billion in cuts; $14.4 billion in new and increased taxes on sales, vehicles, gasoline and personal income; $12 billion in borrowing against future profits from the lottery; short-term loans; and various accounting maneuvers. Some of the cuts and borrowing could ultimately be offset by billions of dollars in federal aid that California would receive in the economic stimulus package that passed the U.S. Senate this week and is awaiting final approval in Congress.

Californians would also take a substantial hit in their wallets.

Vehicle license fees would nearly double, going from the current rate of 0.65% to 1.15% of the value of a car or truck. The sales tax would increase by 1 cent, raising the rate in Los Angeles County to 9.75%. Gasoline taxes would increase by 12 cents a gallon. And Californians would pay a new surcharge on their personal income taxes, amounting to 2.5% of their total tax bills.

It is absolute insanity to increase taxes during any recession. But this recession isn't an ordinary one. If any Republican votes for this, they are good as dead politically.

Talk show host Hugh Hewitt, after hearing the details of this agreement, wrote:

Watch the line form at the door for productive people to pull up stakes. This is nuts. California doesn't deserve government this dim.

UPDATE: States like Colorado, Arizona, Nevada and Utah are now campaigning to get Californians to uproot and move to their states.

From Wall Street Journal.com:

Colorado is the first out of the box with a Valentine-themed banner that will trail behind an airplane circling rush-hour traffic in Los Angeles on Friday morning, urging Californians to give Colorado a try. Ads in newspapers from San Diego to San Jose will feature a Cupid in ski boots over a bold-faced tease: "California, can you feel Colorado's love?"

Right behind Colorado are Arizona, Nevada, Oregon and Utah -- all planning to make similar runs at luring corporate executives, venture capitalists and manufacturers who might be fed up with California's political gridlock or anxious about potential tax hikes and deep cuts to schools, parks and other services.

This is looking more appealing every day!