You know that in the last days of a campaign you can always tell the losing candidate in a race. They are the ones making crazy charges and claiming all the "evil" in the world is the fault of their opponent.

Last night while trying to enjoy the LA Lakers having another blow out game, I was inundated with political ads. One of them was "promoting" Jackson. How did she promote herself? By blasting George Bush, our President. You might ask what does Bush have to do with the race in the 19th State Senate District in California?

Well, First she says that Bush "opposes" Social Security--which is a lie. Then she tells the truth that Tony Strickland in 2004 supported Bush for re-election. Then she implies that because of a wrongly stated position, by her, the people should oppose Strickland.

If you buy into that line of reasoning, here is another line:

Hannah Jackson supports Barack Obama for president. Obama had for 20 years a hate filled, bigoted pastor named Wright. For many years the Obama finance adviser and person who got him a job at a law firm was a mobbed up crook, Tony Reszko. Then you have the Obama political and policy adviser, Bill Ayers--who is an unrepentant terrorist, who we now know Barack partied with, along with a spokesmen for the terrorist Yasser Arafat, a man who wished he threw more bombs.

If Strickland ran such an ad, he would be laughed at. Jackson is not responsible in any way for the corrupt, terrorist, bigots surrounding Obama. if she believes Strickland is responsible for Bush policies than she is responsible for the corruption of Obama. Hannah, tell the truth, do you support the friends of Obama, his advisers and corrupt money machine?

I hope the mainstream media takes her to task for this sleaze. But, I doubt it.

On another note. We all know that the State is $10 billion in debt (which Jackson would raise taxes to make it worse). Part of the reason we are in debt is because some businesses refuse to pay taxes. This afternoon I will release the names and the numbers. I will give just a sampling of Ventura County businesses that are the cause of this problem. One Simi Valley firm, for instance, owes over $581,000 in taxes, according to the Franchise tax Board. Later today I will let you know who this recalcitrant is. You will be surprised!.

Maybe the Star could do a story on all the tax evaders of Ventura County. Collecting this money is a better way to cut the deficit than raising taxes, don';t you think?

Yesterday I drive around Simi Valley doing errands. As I went from one part of town to the other I noticed on several street corners folks holding signs in support and opposition to Prop. 8, the ballot measure to ban same sex marriage. In total, it seemed, citywide, to have an even number of people in opposition and support of Prop. 8.

There were possibly over 100 people, on both sides, telling the voters of Simi Valley where they stood on this issue important to our child and to society.

But I did find some interesting differences between the two sides. (disclosure: I support Prop. 8 and even stood for a half hour with a sign in favor of the measure at Tapo Canyon and Cochran)

The differences: Those supporting Prop. 8 were very serious people. Mostly families, husbands and wives, boyfriends and girl friends--several of the parents had their children with them. They seemed to take the assignment of holding a sign on a street corner, waving and giving the thumbs up sign to many of the drivers going by as a civic duty.

Those opposing Prop. 8 had a different approach, like it was a party. I listened in on conversations of those who opposed, to get a feel of their views and values. At Tapo Canyon a couple of those present were seriously discussing why they opposed Prop. 8 with those supporting it. Solid discussions, heart felt and very sincere. But a few seem to be present to see where the "party" was that evening. They saw this as a social event more than political.

The group at Sycamore had lots of young people, kids under 18. There the discussion ran in the direction of comparing notes, especially for those around 15 years old--girls--about hooking up and their social life. Some of the conversation revolved around "smoking weed" and being "party animals"--and these were the young girls--not all of them, some were there to make a social and political point.

Looking at the two sides, it was looking at two side of society. One side was serious about the course of society. The other side really seemed interested in having a good time, parties and letting people do "their thing". It is my observation that the Yes on Prop. 8 side believes in personal responsibility and trying not to have government involved in their lives.

On the NO side of 8, those on the streets seemed OK with high taxes and government involvement, "isn't that what government is about?" The few adults that I saw, folks older than 30 years, have been supporters of radical politics for many years. For the young people, this seemed to be the first year they took to political action.

The adults on the YES side, this seemed to be the first time in their life they took a public political stand.

When Prop. 8 is long gone, this will be an experience none of them will forget. Can't wait till next weekend. Were I in charge of either side, I would have a nominal number of sign holders on street corners and a maximum number of people walking door to door, talker directly to voters.

Last week several county officials announced the formation of an organization, with attorneys, to protect the interests of the people of Ventura County. Folks like Assemblywoman Audra Strickland, Supervisor Peter Foy, District Attorney Greg Totten and Sheriff Bob Brooks, along with major community leaders.

Now, the County leaders have gone the next step, issued a letter of opposition, setting out the problems with the one man band called Clark Kelso.

Here is all of the information:

VENTURA COUNTY LEADERS SEND OPPOSITION LETTER TO PRISON RECEIVER CITING LACK OF FEDERAL POWERS

Prison hospital in Camarillo is also a danger to public health, public safety

Latest turn in battle over proposed prison facility in Ventura County, just days before Federal hearing

Ventura County - Citing lack of Federal powers as well as a danger to public safety and public health, a non-partisan coalition of County Officials sent a Letter of Opposition today to California prison receiver J. Clark Kelso to oppose a proposed prison hospital in Camarillo. The strong letter is the latest turn in a heated battle over a prison facility site being eyed by the receiver.

Taxpayers for a Safe Ventura County, which came together last week in the fight against a new prison facility in the County, cited a number of reasons that Ventura County is an unacceptable site for a proposed prison hospital:

§ Legal Limitations of Federal Powers: Taxpayer for a Safe Ventura County cites that Federal courts are specifically prohibited from ordering "the construction of prisons or the raising of taxes." (18 USC § 3626 (a)(1)(C).) The proposal to build a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation facility in Ventura County to house inmates with medical needs is a direct violation of this statute and will not withstand a legal challenge. In addition, Taxpayers cites a recent non-partisan Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) report that states the receiver's plan is "overbudgeted" and lacks "key operational and fiscal details."

§ Risk to Public Safety: Members of Taxpayers for a Safe Ventura County - including Ventura County Sheriff Bob Brooks and Ventura County District Attorney Greg Totten - state that placing a prison hospital near residential areas poses a serious safety risk. Even if the Community accepts the receiver's assurances that an electronic fence (eFence) would be adequate to control prisoners in the facility itself, transportation of prisoners to other hospitals for basic medical procedures not available at the prison facility would create opportunities for escape during transport, as well as attack of medical staff and other patients at those hospitals. This is an unacceptable risk to the safety of our community.

§ Effect on Juvenile Justice: The closing of the existing youth facility would displace existing juveniles, and there is no evidence to suggest that the facility has any plans to close. Further, the receiver's plan provides no alternative plan for housing female juveniles outside of this, the only juvenile housing facility for women.

§ Negative Impact on Community Health Care: The receiver's proposed prison hospital would have more beds than all of the hospitals in Ventura County combined. The County will suffer further shortage of skilled healthcare personnel due to the presence of a prison facility, leaving Ventura County residents. The coalition strongly states that law-abiding Ventura County residents also have a right to adequate health care. At a time when many law-abiding California residents do not have healthcare, it is difficult to justify increasing healthcare expenditures for prisoners.

§ Lack of Infrastructure: The proposed prison facility will cause a dramatic and devastatingly adverse impact to our environment and our local infrastructure. The increased strain on our roads, water lines, sewer lines, and other utilities will be too difficult and costly to mitigate.

§ In Conclusion: Modification of Plans: The non-partisan coalition of County leaders closed their letter with an urging for the Receiver to modify his plans to exclude Ventura County as a potential site for a prison hospital.

The Letter is being sent to prison receiver Kelso today, just days before Monday's hearing in Federal Court in San Francisco to determine whether the State will be forced by a judge to make an initial payment on the proposed prison hospital sites throughout California.

Taxpayers for a Safe Ventura County also stated last week they intend to seek a vigorous legal challenge to the proposed prison site if necessary.

A copy of the letter from Taxpayers for a Safe Ventura County, to J. Clark Kelso is attached.

###

COPY OF LETTER

<>

October 23, 2008

J. Clark Kelso, Receiver

California Prison Health Care Services

P.O. Box 4038

Sacramento, CA 95812-4038

Dear Mr. Kelso:

We write to you to express our opposition to the construction of a new prison medical facility in Camarillo. While we appreciate your efforts to communicate your position on the proposed project, we believe that our concerns and some fundamental legal issues still have not been resolved.

LEGAL RESTRAINTS

In addressing prison conditions, federal courts are specifically prohibited from ordering "the construction of prisons or the raising of taxes." (18 USC § 3626 (a)(1)(C).) The proposal to build a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation ("CDCR") facility in Ventura County to house inmates with medical needs is a direct violation of this statute and will not withstand a legal challenge.

In addition to the direct legal prohibition of ordering the construction of a prison, federal courts are limited to "the least intrusive means necessary to correct the violation of the Federal right." (18 USC § 3626 (a)(1)(A).) Your plan goes far beyond what is allowed to remedy the 8th Amendment violations at issue in Plata and Coleman.

The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office ("LAO") has expressed serious concerns as to the scope, feasibility, and necessity of your plan. The LAO concluded that your proposal is "over budgeted and lacks the key operational and fiscal details (such as information on staffing and operating costs and the security of the facilities, among other items) that are necessary to fully justify the immediate approval of the entire package of construction projects." In essence, your proposal is much greater than necessary to achieve your ultimate goal. Thus, under federal law, it cannot be allowed.

You already have made significant improvements to the healthcare delivery system without a prison expansion program, as evidenced by the fact that the death rate in prisons has decreased during the two years of the existence of the Receivership, a fact Judge Henderson acknowledges. These new facilities, with their high price tag, are not the most cost effective and appropriate means to comply with the federal court order because, in part, the Receiver has shown that results can be accomplished with the current infrastructure the state has in place.

The LAO further notes that the overall California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation population is actually on the decline. It seems unnecessary, let alone dreadfully wasteful, to propose an expansion of prisons where the prison population is decreasing. We do not need more prisons to house fewer prisoners.

This plan simply defies logic, especially considering we are in the midst of an economic crisis. While our state is struggling to fund even its day-to-day operations, the last thing we need is to try to find an extra $8 billion for a prison expansion plan that appears to be vastly overreaching in its scope. Moreover, the $8 billion price tag does not include the additional funds that will be necessary on an ongoing basis for administration and operation of the facility.

EFFECT ON JUVENILE JUSTICE

You assert that the site in Ventura County came to your attention last year when you learned that CDCR had decided to close the Ventura Youth Correctional Facility. We have been told numerous times that there are no intentions to close this facility. Attached is a document from CDCR expressly stating there are no plans to close the facility, and in fact, a population increase is planned.

We also have concerns with the interaction of your proposal with the State's ability to comply with the consent decree in Farrell. The State has entered into an agreement with the plaintiffs in Farrell to improve the conditions and the services provided to youths within the juvenile justice system. While many of the youthful offenders have been shifted back to the counties, there still remains a population of offenders within the State's responsibility. Despite your assertions to the contrary, if you force the closure of the VYCF, it will jeopardize compliance with Farrell.

This disruption is particularly troubling since the VYCF currently serves as the only facility housing female juvenile offenders and there is currently no alternative housing plan for these young women. There are other sites (particularly ones the CDCR actually intends to close) that are available within California to house inmates with medical needs that would not result in the disruption of services to youthful offenders currently housed in Ventura.

EFFECT ON HEALTHCARE IN THE COMMUNITY

The increased demand for medical staff which would stem from the proposed facility will be sadly met at the expense of our community. Our citizens will lose access to adequate health care services and personnel because the proposed facility will be siphoning away the health care personnel we desperately need in our communities.

We disagree with your analysis that Ventura County will have an expanded medical workforce and thus would benefit under your proposal. Ventura County has been experiencing a severe nursing shortage for several years. Community colleges and other educational institutions have not been able to meet the demand for nurses under the current climate.

This additional demand cannot be met without negatively impacting the community. You can work with the educational community to expand training capabilities, but they will have a difficult time finding the necessary additional resources for that training. Ventura County lacks the necessary faculty and instructors to expand the nursing programs. Additionally, nursing students are required to complete clinical hours, and those resources are also severely limited.

Planning for the training, recruitment, and retention of medical staff is admirable, but it will not be as simple as you propose. The expansion of medical staff you require is a long term project, particularly if it is to be accomplished with experienced instructors and with minimal impact to the community.

Ventura County residents also have a right to access adequate healthcare. The CDCR facility you proposed would have more beds than all the other hospitals in Ventura County combined. The CDCR facility would reduce the already inadequate staffing of local hospitals and make adequate healthcare unavailable to local residents.

At a time when many law-abiding California residents do not have healthcare, it is difficult to justify increasing healthcare expenditures for prisoners. CDCR expenditures for healthcare have more than tripled in the last seven years, from $676 million in 2000 (approximately $4,170 per inmate) to 2.387 billion in 2007 (approximately $14,000 per inmate). By comparison, healthcare costs for California residents last year averaged half that, $7,100. Nor are increased CDCR healthcare costs necessary. The mortality rate for California prisoners (213 per 100,000 prisoners) is lower than the national average for all state prisons (250 per 100,000 prisoners), and lower than the mortality rate for United States residents ages 15-64 (308 per 100,000).

EFFECT ON PUBLIC SAFETY

Our understanding is that the proposed facility would provide maintenance healthcare services to prisoners similar to a skilled nursing facility, but would not be equipped to handle more serious medical problems such as surgery. We understand that prisoners would be transported to local acute care hospitals for such services. Even if we accept your assurances that an eFence would be adequate to control prisoners in the CDCR facility itself, transportation of prisoners to other hospitals would create opportunities for escape and attack of staff and patients at those hospitals. This is an unacceptable risk to the safety of our community.

LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE

Expanding the existing Ventura Youth Correctional Facility (VYCF) to accommodate the additional inmate population will cause a dramatic and devastatingly adverse impact to our environment and our local infrastructure. The increased strain on our roads, water lines, sewer lines, and other utilities will be too difficult and costly to mitigate.

CONCLUSION

We understand that the federal district court has appointed you to oversee and restructure the delivery of medical services within the California prison system, and the court has granted you authority to accomplish the goal of bringing the state prison medical program up to Constitutional standards. However, we do not believe your authority is broad enough to extend to this new proposed prison facility in Ventura County, as federal law is an insurmountable obstacle to your plan. Your plan would also have a detrimental effect on juvenile justice, would deprive local citizens of adequate healthcare, and would provide an unacceptable risk to public safety. Finally, the location lacks sufficient infrastructure to support it.

We urge you to modify your plans to eliminate construction of a CDCR healthcare facility in Ventura County.

Very truly yours,

<<>>

Many have asked for a source of the ACORN corruption of the electoral process. Now that they have been spotted in Ventura County registering Democrat voters, we need to have an understanding of the Banana Republic/corruption attitude of this organization.

A friend just sent me this web site for the documentation. Go here to see the national scope of this organization, which Barack Obama donated almost a million dollars to "enhance" its efforts.

After reading the facts, you need to be concerned about the integrity of the electoral process. Between intimidation, registration and voter fraud, ACORN is the leading cause of the problem.

Now, they are in our county.

The Democrats were running an illegal voter registration effort in Ventura County--using underage people to register voters.

Below is a press release sent out by the California Republican Party just a few minutes ago:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Hector Barajas

October 20, 2008 916-448-9496

DEMOCRATIC VOTER EDUCATION AND REGISTRATION FUND CLOSED DOWN IN VENTURA COUNTY

Today, the Ventura County Election's Division shut down the voter registration program by the Education and Registration Fund for violating Election Code 2101, 2104, and 2109. The Democrat registration organization had hired underage people to register voters, a clear violation of the California Election Code.

At a press conference today, the California Secretary of State, Debra Bowen noted that if complaints are brought forth to her office, her fraud unit will launch investigations "against any party."

An official complaint will be forthcoming, but either way, we won't hold our breath on Debra's promises to apply the law in a non-partisan manner.

Debra Bowen (10/20/08): My Fraud Unit Will Investigate "Against Any Party."

After close to 50 years of watching, and participating in political campaigns you can read the tea leaves of who is winning and who is losing.

One sign is when a candidate yells and screams about a minor technicality in the opponents delivery of a message.

If the best that a candidate can do is scream about a missing disclaimer, though the address of the sender is used, you know they are on the ropes. After spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on attack ads, forcing thousands of union members to donate to her campaign, without first asking each member permission, Hannah Beth Jackson is down to yelling about disclaimers. Seems like her attacks have not worked, now she is the complaint mode. Instead of saying the mailer is wrong, she is saying it is missing a disclaimer--seems to me like she is admitting that she does believe in higher taxes--as her record shows--and that she is no longer denying it. Even her hired gun, Parke Skelton, is no longer denying that Jacksons answer to any problem, real or imagined, is higher taxes.

Free Advice to Parke Skelton and Hannah Jackson: -get back on message--promote your program of bigger government, more taxes, supporting fewer criminals in prison and more on the streets. Be proud of your values. Stop trying to sound like a conservative, everybody knows who you really are.

This article from politkerca.com explains the issue--you will see that Jackson knows she is losing.

Jackson campaign alleges foul play with Strickland mailer

By James B. Gerber

The campaign of Santa Barbara Democrat Hannah-Beth Jackson, candidate for the 19th state Senate District, accused opponent Republican Tony Strickland of Thousand Oaks of mailing an illegal flier and attempting to "confuse" voters.

The mailer, titled "Hannah-Beth Jackson's Economic Plan," alleges that "Taxin' Jackson" will raise taxes "left and right" in what has become the standard line of attack from the Strickland camp. However, nowhere on the flier is the sender disclosed as is required by state law, though Strickland's campaign address appears on the mailer's return address.

Parke Skelton, Jackson's campaign consultant, alleged that "this was not an inadvertent failure to put the proper disclaimer on the mailer," but "an obvious attempt to confuse voters."

Strickland consulant Joe Justin, who produced the mailing, disputed the accusation and said he never intended to deceive voters. "There was no foul play, it was a complete mistake," said Justin, pointing to the fact that he correctly included the campaign's return address. "I accept 100 percent responsibility."

Justin said he will be sending out a revised version of the same flier, this time with full disclosure.

I just came back from Wal Mart, to buy groceries at low prices--lower than Von's, Ralphs or Albertsons.

As I came out I noticed a young lady registering to vote. I asked the guy running the table who he worked for. His immediate answer was ACORN. I told the lady about the voter fraud of ACORN in Ohio, Indiana, New Mexico, etc. His response was:

a) they are all lies.
b) he does not work for ACORN--though he refused to say who he worked for (when confronted about the corruption of ACORN he changed his story)
c) showed me his drivers license (how do I know if it is real or not--remember a few years ago Congressman Gallegly and his aide went into Los Angeles and was able to buy one on the street)
d) he claimed that ACORN only worked in the MidWest--not true, recently they had been working in Oxnard
d) if I did not leave and stop telling the lady about ACORN he would call the police.

Lets see:

a) we all know that the FBI is investigating ACORN for voter fraud in numerous states.
b) if he was honorable he would tell who he is working for. Every other petition gatherer tells, why not him?
c) his announcement that he would call the police was typical of the type of intimidation used by ACORN

If he is with ACORN, as he originally claimed, the manager of the Simi Valley Wal Mart has a lot to explain--ACORN has a major project to harm the store.

Wal-Mart Alliance for Reform Now, or WARN, an Acorn affiliate that focuses on what it considers to be unfair labor practices and other issues at Wal-Mart, is still operating.

In short, voting is a precious right---a right that ACORN has diminished for all of us by its fraud and intimidation tactics. If you register to vote with someone you do not know, be careful.

The Santa Barbara News-Press has made it clear, Hannah Beth Jackson can not be trusted.

During the 2003 budget debacle, she tried to stop the passage of the budget. In doing so, she was trying to stop money going to education, health care and public safety. She was more interested in politics than in people. When asked recently about the secret meeting, she outright lied and claimed no such meeting happen.

From the article:

"A report in the San Francisco Chronicle stated: "Members of the Assembly Democrats' progressive caucus were heard making candid, if not intemperate, statements . . . that they may want to 'precipitate a crisis' over the budget this year." The L.A. Daily News noted that the Democrats "speculated that the continuing deadlock over the state budget could benefit their party politically by slowing the drive to recall Gov. Gray Davis."

Voters must ask themselves: Do you have enough trust and confidence in Ms. Jackson to give her a job in Sacramento? "

So--she refuses to discuss the economy because her plan has always been to raise taxes.

Jackson gets caught lying and playing politics, she lied about endangering the lives of children and the elderly. Jackson refuses to discuss the budget deficit, because her plan is to raise taxes on the poor and middle class.

In her own owns, Hannah Jackson can not be trusted--and her local newspaper notes it.

Some people like to play golf, or tennis. Others swim or go to movies. Me, I like to go grocery shopping. Ask me the price of bread and milk and I can tell you without a problem.

I usually shopped at the Von's on Erringer in Simi Valley. But I have noticed that I have instead been buying at either Wal Mart or Valley Produce, in Mountain Gate.

WalMart sells "Quick Oats", the off brand, for $2.39 Von's charges $3.39 for the same item. WalMart charges $.88 for a pound of Imperial margarine--Von's charges $1.25.

Produce is really an amazing story--I no longer buy any from Von's, and here are the comparative prices between Von's and Valley Produce (where not noted, quality is the same):

(Prices compares at 4:00pm, October 13, 2009)
Vons Valley Produce

brussel spouts 1.99lb. .99lb

celery 1.79 .49 (but Von's is better quality)

lettuce 1.69 1.29

carrots .79 lb .49 lb

bananas .79lb .50 lb (need to ripen)

tomatoes 2.99 lb .49 lb (same quality)

strawberries 3.00 lb 1.99 lb

green onions .79 bunch .10 bunch

red onions 1.29 lb .25 lb

barlett pears .33 lb .39 lb

fuji apples .88 lb .50 lb

broccoli crowns 1.79 lb 1.19 lb

gala apples .88 lb .89 lb

The difference is that Wal Mart and Valley Produce are non union, and can not be closed by folks who demand workers pay "dues" or they are not allowed to work. Von's is a union only shop, remember the two recent strikes?

So, if you want to stretch your food dollars and have the same or better quality food, you decide.

Tomatoes at $3.00 a pound at a union shop, or tomatoes for $.49 a pound? BTW, the same goes for government. Want to build a road at union costs or real costs? We pay a 15-25% premium to hirer "union only". Can we afford that any more?

The Star reported on the debate yesterday between Tony Strickland and Hannah Jackson, the nominees for their political parties for the 19th Senate District.

The story was excellent, as a news story. The good news is that the reporter told the readers about the debate, without bias or spin. It was a straight news story, as it should be in the news section of the paper.

Now for the analysis:

On questions of health care, Strickland wanted the citizens to decide. Jackson wanted government intervention.

On the mortgage meltdown: Strickland wanted the crooks punished--including those who lied on the finance forms about their income.

Jackson wanted more government.

On cutting government: Jackson wanted to look at "all" programs. Not an answer to the question, "which programs would you cut?". You would think that after six years in the legislature she could name a single program that is a waste.

Strickland named 14 commissions he would cut as a start. He gave a direct answer. He was wiling to answer the question.

Both were asked what would the focus be of their first piece of legislation as a State Senator.

Jackson wanted to use colleges to "retrain people who lost their jobs". That is not the real focus of colleges--that is the focus of high schools and continuation schools. After six years in the legislature she still does not understand the role of colleges, universities and the rest of the education system. Her answer was just words, meant to sound good, with no reason, logic or basic understanding of education. If she had specified the community colleges, that would be a good answer--but she did not.

Strickland continues with emphasis on alternative energy sources. He understands that to lower future energy costs, to make us independent of terrorist and totalitarian nations--plus it creates productive jobs.

Finally, the question about same-sex marriage was raised. Jackson, as a politician said she was glad it was on the ballot--what does that really mean? But, she was honest to say she opposed traditional marriage.

Strickland supports Prop. 8 and traditional marriage along with most Californians.

The bottom line is this. If you believe government is the answer and you do not feel you are not smart enough to run your own life, this debate showed that Jackson is your candidate.

If you believe in yourself, if you understand that government is out of control, if you think government is too big, then Strickland is your candidate.

One last thought that I will be writing about in another blog: One of the reasons we have a deficit is that we have people and businesses that refuse to pay their taxes. The total might be as high as $4 billion, the same amount the State needs to borrow, at high interest rates, for the cash flow problem we are facing. I will tell you about one Ventura County business that owes lots of money in taxes, but is donating money to the State to clean up the environment--instead of paying the taxes it owes.

Want to know why the cost of health care is so high, look at the actions of the SEIU. In this Star story the SEIU claims the five day shut down of several hospitals has "nothing" to do with money. That, despite the fact they want a 17.5% raise, over three years. So, why not take that out of the negotiations and just discuss "staffing". What a joke.

If the SEIU gets it way, the cost of health insurance goes up and the number that can afford insurance will go down.

The good news is that if the SEIU gets its way, no private hospital will be able to stay open. Then we will all be able to get government health care--and you know how :good" that is. Want to destroy an industry, service or product? Just go UNION. Ask those who worked in the auto and steel industry. Note the major newspapers firing thousands, like the LA and NY Times, the SF Chronicle, the Sac Bee. Thanks to unions, the cost of government is at a premium and taxes are going up.

When you are waiting in a crowded emergency room trying to get treatment, remember the SEIU. When you have to wait for months for needed surgery--like they do in Canada and Britain--remember the SEIU. You can thank them, now for your troubles later.

The short article about Barack Obama below is scary.

This is what we already know.

Barack Obama has taken in millions of dollars of questionable funds. Seehere.

He has a history of involvement in radicalism, with terrorists as friends, colleagues and fund raisers. See here.

The Obama campaign has given almost one million dollars to ACORN, a well known, corrupt organization. Found guilty in several States of voter registration fraud. See here. Many more examples in at least ten States.

We know he has tried to close down the First Amendment by stopping talk radio from discussing his connection with radicals and crooks. See here.

Now we have young children singing about Obama, like kids in Cuba sing about Fidel Castro, children in China sung about Mao Tse-Tung. See here.

The corruption, friends with terrorists, having a hate filled spiritual leader like Jeremiah Wright, connected to the notorious Daley machine is NOTHING compared to this frightening YouTube display of the "Cult of Personality" found in totalitarian States throughout history. Note the quasi-military pants. Look up the history of the "Freikorps" and you will know why many are frightened by this election and its aftermath.

Please see the whole YouTube here. Then write your thoughts on the totality of Barack Obama.

Here is the short article from The American Thinker, written by Thomas Lifson and published today:

"First came the disturbing video of very young children singing the praises of Obama, in the style of North Korean children hailing the transformative powers of the Dear Leader.

Now comes equally or more disturbing video of older children, this time in uniforms, marching and proclaiming that "because of Obama" they will achieve various accomplishments.

Note the chant "Alpha, Omega" with which these youths march. That reference apparently means that Obama is their god, drawing on the Book of Revelation 1: 8 in the King James Version which reads "I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last."

Obama is running for president, not God."

On September 27, 2007, at 7:00 p.m. The Second Annual Light Up the Cross was held at the father Serra Cross at Grant Park in Ventura, California. Worship music was provided by Expression Ministries. Several of the pastors, and three young people, who are the presidents of their high school Bible study groups, took turns leading the approximately 400 worshipers in prayer.

Ed Lupton, Sr., 90 years young, was recognized with Certificates of Recognition by United States Congressman, Elton Gallegly, California Assemblywoman, Audra Strickland, and Light Up the Cross for his efforts in the early 1960's for constructing Grant Park and for placing the original lights on the Cross. The lights were removed in 2003 after 40 years of lighting Ventura's Cross because of the objection of an atheists and the threatened law suit of an ACLU backed attorney from San Fransisco.

In addition, a donation was taken, a portion to benefit the maintenance of the Cross, and the remaining portion to benefit Ventura's youth. Mayor Christi Weir, on behalf of the Cross Conservancy gave a prayer of thanksgiving for the donation.

When darkness fell Kimble Ouerbacker offered a prayer and asked everyone to turn on their flashlights and "Light Up the Cross. Out of the pitch black darkness, as if the stars in heaven instantly lit up, the Cross came alive with the light of hundreds of worshipers flashlights and the Light of Jesus Christ.

"Light Up the Cross" consists of Kimble Ouerbacker and over twenty local Christian churches, both Protistan and Catholic, with the list of participating churches still growing.

The reason for "Light Up the Cross" is threefold:

1) It is an opportunity for local Christians to leave the four walls of their own home church and join hands and hearts with other Christians to worship Jesus Christ as "one body." And to give back to the community in the form of financial donations raised at the Lighting;

2) A movement to encourage a return to the pre-2003 lighting of the Father Serra Cross at Grant Park;

3) An opportunity for Christians to show solidarity in the face of ever increasing national anti-Christian sentiments, the like of which forced the City of Ventura to sell the Cross in 2003, championed by the ACLU and similar minded groups and individuals.

Though I am Jewish, I have tremendous respect for those of Faith, true faith. At a time when even the mention of religion brings a horde of ACLU attorneys, it great to see hundreds of people stand up, turn on their flashlights and Light Up the Cross.

I should note that the founder of this effort and coordinator of the event was Kimble Ouerbacker, of Ventura. Good to see people do the right thing, in the face of government and the ACLU.

The Nanny State in California is a few bills short of the loony bin thanks to the Governor.

Some folks believe that metallic balloons will end humanity as we know it, so they had to be outlawed. Senator Scott, a man who prepared himself for another, government job, while a legislator, wanted to stop the sale of metallic balloons. When that did not work, he got a bill passed to put a label on the balloons that they "might" be dangerous.

Thankfully the governor determined this was not a priority and vetoed it.

He also vetoed a bill to give illegal aliens a drivers license. Then he vetoed a bill that really made no sense. Democrat Senator Gil Cedillo wanted to give financial aid to illegal aliens so they can go to college--which is illegal to begin with.

He also vetoed nine out of ten job killer bills. But, he did every sign SB 375 that will in 25-30 years force Simi Valley, Santa Paula, Ventura and every other Ventura County city to look and feel like New York or San Francisco.

This bill, to save the planet, will force high rises for affordable housing, building only with a short distance from mass transit (government transportation systems) and the State, not the local Planning Commission could stop a project. No more local control of zoning.

This disaster will hit us soon. While it will not kill jobs, it will kill the California Dream. If you love New York and San Fran, you will have it here in Ventura County.

That was a polite way to say that the California School Board Association lied about the budget to the parents, teachers and taxpayers of California.

In an article in the Sunday Star, Kathi Smith of the Ojai school board wrote, "With its budget signed by the governor, the state Legislature decided to cut $3 billion in funding to K-12 public education. California School Boards Association president, Oxnard's own Paul H. Chatman, said, "This budget falls drastically short of providing our students -- California's future work force -- with the resources they need to succeed." Why don't people view school funding in light of the future adults produced by schools?"

She is claiming that the State CUT education funding.

In fact, this is a downright lie, and they know it. And this, in the face of most school districts having declining enrollment.

This is an excerpt from the Governors Budget that he just signed -

EDUCATION FUNDING
Funds the Proposition 98 guarantee at $58.1 billion - $1.5 billion higher than the current-year funding. This level of funding eliminates the proposed reductions in the Governor's May Revision and maintains funding to base categorical programs such as class size reduction, special education, child nutrition programs and child care.

The $3 billion dollars is what the group wanted, but did not get. In other words. If they asked for $8 billion and did not get it, they would consider the education budget received an $8 billion cut.

These folks, are teaching our children. At the least, they are being dishonest.

What do you think, is it appropriate for the California School Boards Association to lie to the public? Do they think that the ends justifies the means? In a State where we have an over 30% drop out rate, don't you think we deserve the truth from those who say they are professionals?

Write your thoughts.

For months the prison czar, Clark Kelso, has been threatening to open a 1500 bed prison hospital in Ventura County. This guy is such a wimp that he has refused to come into the county and meet with the citizens. Today he sent a letter to "concerned citizen's". Did you get your copy? I didn't, but a friend sent it to me.

Kelso wants you to know why he is doing this to us, but is afraid of coming to the county and answering questions. That is why he sent a letter to a few people--he is unwilling to face the people of Ventura County, he is unable to answer our questions, and when he places 1500 criminals in our county, and the gangs that will visit them, he will continue to live in his safe community, far from any prison.

On October 6 a court will determine if he can steal $8 billion to build his prisons. What he did not note in his court filings is that he refuses to have any legislative over site. Then when the prisons are finished he is refusing to be audited by the legislature or an independent public agency. This is how they do it in Chicago, not California.

Since you did not receive the letter, here is the press release about it. Then you can read the whole letter in the .pdf below.

Please note, the letter is on the letterhead of the "California Prison Healthcare Receivership Corp.". Yup, a PRIVATE corporation, not a government agency. Imagine allowing a private corporation to just take $8 billion from our treasury! Then would mean education, public safety and health care would have to be cut so Kelso's corporation can make Ventura County unsafe.

Will Kelso ever be man enough to come to the county and face the people? Doubt it, he would rather steal money and thumb his nose through an impersonal letter to a few people.

Here is the press release:

Federal Receiver Sends Open Letter to Ventura County and Camarillo Officials, Concerned Residents on Potential Correctional Health Care Facility Construction

SACRAMENTO - J. Clark Kelso, the federal receiver appointed to overhaul California's correctional health care system today sent a comprehensive letter to officials and concerned residents in Ventura County detailing why a correctional health care facility will be considered for the Ventura County Youth Correctional Facility property (PDF attached.)

"It's important for Ventura County residents to understand precisely why this correctional health care facility is needed and importantly, why we are considering building in their community," Mr. Kelso said. "The debate has been rife with misinformation. This letter will correct the record and we hope set the tone for a practical, reasonable discussion about the merits of this project."

Here are a few highlights of the letter:

"The site in Ventura County came to our attention last year when we learned that the CDCR had decided to close the Youth Correctional Facility because of its deteriorating condition."

"If the Receivership were engaged in "politics as usual," I might respond favorably to this type of "not in my backyard" argument, particularly if powerful, local political forces join in the opposition. But this is not politics as usual. I am accountable for implementing a federal court order and must do so in a measured, responsible way, largely free from the impetuosity and arbitrariness of political bargaining. We are focusing on the Ventura site for very good, substantive reasons."

"I believe that a 1,500 bed low-rise health care facility in Ventura County, given the County's current incarceration rate, is entirely appropriate. It will, in both the immediate future, and in the long run, provide jobs and benefits which far outweigh the concerns that have been expressed to me."

"... [T]he Youth Correctional Facility in Ventura County is in poor condition, requiring tens of millions of dollars in expenditures to bring the facility up to usable standards. Furthermore, the ward population has been steadily declining. According to the CDCR, there are less than 85 male wards at Ventura today, and only 20 (less the 25%) are under the age of 18. There are less than 90 female wards at Ventura today, and only 21 (less than 25%) are under the age of 18. Spending tens of millions of dollars at a time when CDCR is substantially reducing its juvenile population statewide (from 10,000 wards to 2,500 wards in ten years) makes no fiscal sense at all.

"As for the dedicated CDCR employees at the Ventura Youth Correctional Facility, the Receiver's personnel team has been hard at work on an employment displacement plan to ensure that they have access to employment in the adult health care facility we will be constructing."

"This new correctional medical facility will be safe and secure. The perimeter will be an impassable, lethal barrier known as an eFence. No California prisoner has ever escaped from a correctional facility secured with an eFence. These electrified barriers cannot be breached by an inmate and have an unobtrusive appearance."

"Because of the staffing needs of this medical facility, it would be unfair to your community for the Receivership not to plan carefully for training, recruitment and retention. Our facilities are not acute care hospitals - they are chronic care facilities, and we will be relying upon the local health care community for specialty and other care that we will not be providing directly. As a result, we share your interest in making sure that your local health care community is fully staffed for all local demands, including ours."

"I remain convinced that the Ventura site is suitable for our purposes, none of the concerns raised so far appear to me to be insurmountable, and I hope to be able to work with local community leaders and others to mitigate any adverse impacts."

# # #

Receiver Letter to Ventura.pdf

As the Governor signed the budget this morning, he signed a deficit that starts at $6.5 billion--$1.5 billion planned and the other $5 billion if the public doesn't allow the theft of $5 billion from the Lottery, money meant for education. Oh, that vote will not happen till June 2, 2009, 28 days before the end of the fiscal year. if it fails, it will throw the state government into an immediate tailspin. So our choice will be to harm education or harm the economy.

Ugh!!

Remember last year when the Governor signed the budget he said it was balanced. Eight weeks later it was $6 billion in defciit, on its way to $20 billion. They are honest to say, even if illegal, that this budget starts with a deficit.

The bill also has $435 million in "tax amnesty" money--no charges to be brought against those the pay what they have owed, some for years--some in the tens of millions of dollars. You would be shocked to see the list, especially those in Ventura County, some well known people and businesses. In fact there is one who owes $581,000 that believes taxes should go up--while his family business doesn't pay the taxes it owes.

The current bill gives $2 billion more to government education. Yet, CTA is upset they did not get the full $5 billion they asked for--so they might stop supporting Democrats, by stopping donations to their campaigns. CTA might also support Prop. 11, California Voters First, redistricting--so, a bad budget might cause a union to do the right thing, though for the wrong reason.

Mark June 2, 2009 on your calendar...that is when the Legislature will call for a vote at a Statewide Special Election for "reform". The reform the Governor wants is to create a "reserve fund"--which he could do by providing it in a budget and refusing to sign a budget without one. Even if we have a "reserve fund" it does not matter. If you run a deficit between $10-20 billion year after year, you will not have a reserve fund. This is just for show.

Then you have the money to be taken from education via "borrowing" from the Lottery. If the Lottery does not earn enough money to pay back the loan, and that is a real possibility, then money will come from education, directly from the classroom. This is a scam we can not afford.

The Democrats want a reform making it easier to pass deficit budgets. This then forces tax increases to pay for the deficits--it is known as the Texas two step. This is not a reform, it is another scam.

The 2009 Special Election could look like the 2005 Special, lots of heat and noise, in the end, nothing goes! Just another waste of money by people trying to make you feel like they are doing something.

If you want to hear about the budget, in a spin by the Governors office, you have a chance.

Here is information on a conference call this afternoon, at 2:30pm--enjoy.

This will be a listen-only call.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

PLEASE NOTE: Due to the expected number of callers, we recommend that you dial into the call at least five minutes early.

Very strange. Some folks are not happy that Tony Strickland would not speak to a political organization, recently set up for political purposes.

Yet Democrat nominee against Strickland, Hannah Jackson, refuses to meet with the Santa Barbara Taxpayers Association, an organization formed in 1956--52 years ago.

The issue was to be taxes, and she did not want to answer the same questions on tax policy as her opponent, at the same time, as her opponent.

Below is the press release sent by the organization.

Katie Teague, the founder, president and main spokesperson of the recently formed political group said this about Strickland not appearing before her organization, "Tony Strickland has kind of shot himself in the foot - if he won't even do a forum, he can't expect to get a better than "Not Favorable" from CAPC."

Looks like Hannah Jackson, to use Teague's words, shot herself in the foot. This was not done at a recently formed political group, but before a long time, well established, credible organization.

But, then, how could she explain her votes on tax increases?

Here is the press release:

HANNAH BETH JACKSON TURNS DOWN INVITATION TO DEBATE
TONY STRICKLAND AT TAXPAYERS' FORUM

(Buellton) On Thursday, September 11, the Board of Directors of the Santa Barbara County Taxpayers Association (SBCTA) hosted State Senate Candidate Tony Strickland. Both candidates in the high-profile race to replace Senator Tom McClintock were invited to attend and participate in a forum. But only Tony Strickland chose to accept the invitation. Strickland used the opportunity to discuss his vision and ideas and take questions.

"With an ongoing state budget crisis and energy crisis as well as the slowing economy being the key issue facing California today, the SBCTA planned to use this important opportunity to ask some tough questions of both candidates", said Executive Director Joe Armendariz. "I was both surprised and disappointed that Hannah-Beth wasn't willing to set aside an hour to address these important issues with the members of the Association."

"There are families here in Santa Barbara that are finding it hard to make ends meet with the high price of gas, groceries and other basic necessities," says SBCTA Past President Jan Evans. "Needless to say, we were disappointed that Hanna-Beth Jackson decided not to participate in the forum."

The SBCTA was founded in 1956 and represents the interests of families, individuals and small, medium and large businesses throughout Santa Barbara County. For over fifty years, SBCTA has been a steady voice of reason in the public policy arena and brings reason based on expertise and impartial analysis to public policy issues. The Association has consistently represented taxpayers by examining important community concerns and urging lawmakers to responsibly manage the fiscal affairs of local government.

Katie Teague is a centrist--she supported a Democrat, Jim Dantona over a Republican Peter Foy for County Supervisor. Even though she is a registered Republican that is her right.

Then when the Republican Party of Ventura County endorsed Tony Strickland for State Senate, she wrote this in the Flashreport, "Comments

Considering the Ventura County Central Committee are all Strickland minions, it isn't surprising that they would bend the rules to back Tony. Now the question is, does the rest of the district think Tony is the one or will they back Jim Dantona? I smell blood in the water.
Posted by Katie Teague at May 24, 2007 7:12am

Over the years she has clearly not been a friend of Tony or Audra Strickland. Even her so called "centrist" organization seems to be a front for the Democrats.

Note that her page on Ventura County PAC's does not mention a single Democrat PAC, not even one. Guess she forgot about all the union PAC's that support Democrats. Instead when you read her description of a PAC, Teague always tries to tie it back to Tony Strickland. Does Jackson take money from the much investigated, and as the LA Times has shown, the very troubled, SEIU? Katie Teague does not say. Wonder why?

Guess what, Tony and Audra are and have been GOP elected officials, of course GOP oriented PAC's will support them. Is that a surprise to anybody.

Now she is claiming her Democrat leaning organization (seems to be anti-McClintock, Gallegly, Audra and Tony Strickland and anti Peter Foy) is upset that Tony Strickland won't attend an event she sets up. The only state GOP person involved on her organizations Advisory Board is Keith Richman. Richman was the GOP Assemblyman who voted against a budget because it did not raise taxes enough.

The bottom line--this is an organization that prefers Democrats over Republicans and tax increase supporters over those who believe government is out of control.

In fairness, here is an email sent by Katie Teagiue. Note that she realizes that Tony Strickland would not attend her event.

From: Katie Teague
To: Katie Teague
Sent: Tue, 9 Sep 2008 3:33 pm
Subject: Need Input from CAPC members

Katie Teague
California Association of Political Centrists

In another post I will discuss the phrase "Tony Strickland has kind of shot himself in the foot - if he won't even do a forum, he can't expect to get a better than "Not Favorable" from CAPC." in the Teague email. Hint Hannah Jackson (yes, I do know her name) has a serious problem on discussing tax issues.

The Star today had a story today about what may be the biggest race in Ventura County history (even though the 19th Senate district includes portions of Santa Barbara and Los Angeles Counties)

Bias is easy to slip into an article, even without the reporter realizing it.

In this case the article noted the support and relationship of Club for Growth and Tony Strickland. Yet, the article did not note the relationship between the radical Planned Parenthood, Hannah Jacksons legislative support of its multi-million over billing of the California taxpayer, and their support of Jackson. For those who do not know, Planned Parenthood is the largest provider of abortions in the world.

Instead, of talk about organizations, this race needs to be about issues..

Strickland supports lower taxes and less government. Jackson believes in big government and more taxes.

Strickland supports education of the public. Jackson supports monopoly government education.

Strickland wants to keep criminals in prison. Jackson believes that "rehabilitation" is the answer, the legislative Democrats support the immediate release of over 30,000 prisoners, but she won't say if she agrees with Perata, Nunez and Bass on this.

Strickland believes that the law should be enforced in regard to illegal aliens. The political party of Jackson promotes amnesty for illegal aliens and full benefits for them. Why doesn't she join Tony Strickland in supporting the Rule of Law, even if her fellow Democrats don't?

This is not going to be an election about Barack Obama, George Bush, Planned Parenthood or Club for Growth. it is about jobs, freedom and families.

Strickland, by his votes in the Assembly shows he believes that government is the problem, Jackson by her votes in the Assembly shows she believe government is the answer.

What do you believe? Then vote your values and beliefs.

Earlier this evening I attended the grand opening of the Republicans headquarters in Simi Valley.

And, it was a grand evening. Among the attendees were Congressman Elton Gallegley and his wife, Simi Valley Mayor Paul Miller, City Council members Barbra Williamson and Glen Beccera.

More than 70 people attended. Lots of precinct walkers, phone bankers and people who care about Simi Valley and out State and Nation.

Lots of talk about Gov. Sarah Palin, disgust with the new budget and folks anxious to do what they can to elect Tony Strickland to the State Senate. The good news from the GOP leadership that voters registration is picking up and folks are coming out of the woodwork to help the cause.

If you are interested, the location is 3208 Los Angeles Avenue, in the strip mall. The phone number is 805-462-7914. Thanks to Peggy Sadler for the invitation and her leadership to organizing the Simi Valley GOP headquarters. Stop by, say hello, take a lawn sign and sign up to help the Team.

Oh, I heard a rumor that the HQ is going to have a debate watching party next Friday next. Will report if I hear more about it.

While all the excitement was on the budget, taxes and "reform", our Assemblywoman Audra Strickland also kept her eye on two bills being pushed through the legislature in the dead of night, last night.

The bill the Assembly had was SB 1092. I think the bill the Senate had was AB 1189. Both bills included funding for Clark Kelso's attempt to bring a prison to Ventura County.

Working with the legislative leaders, she was able to stop both bills from even coming to the floor.

This is a major step for Ventura County. Kelso thinks he is going to start building his prison early next year. Now he will have to go to court to get the money. Strickland showed that the State legislature, Republicans and Democrats have little trust in a man who refuses to give details on how tax dollars will be spent.

While others are posturing and talking, Assemblywoman Strickland has come through for the people of Ventura County. She and her staff should be thanked for catching this little seen or noticed bill and making sure it did not make it out of the legislature.

Some things do not make sense.

The Governor tried to cut the wages of state workers, and a lawsuit stopped that.

The Governor claimed he would not sign any bills until the budget was passed--but he really wanted a $20 billion choo choo train bond (principal plus interest--then another $80 billion to finish the project), so he signed that bill.

The Governor demanded a tax increase on the poor and middle class, he knew the GOP would stop that.

Now, at 3:00pm today, he is going to announce that he will VETO the just completed budget.

Of course, since the budget passed with 2/3 vote in each house, and since he was not a part of the negotiations to get the bill passed, he was NOT invited to participate, why does he think his veto will be upheld.

Here is his problem--he wants a larger "reserve fund". Per the budget bill, the "reserve" is $1.2 billion--sounds good, right? Well, the PLANNED deficit is $1.5 billion. In other words, the reserve will be gone before it even exists.

Worse, last year he had a $3 billion "reserve" and that was gone in eight weeks after the Guv signed the last budget.

We need to cut spending, sell unneeded assets and get rid of the special interests if we really want a balanced budget. To veto a budget that will shortly be overturned by the legislature will make the Governor look even weaker than he is today. Guess this is what happens when you use Gray Davis advisers as yours.

Note that a poll released this morning his total approval rating is 38% approval--and among Republicans is is 45% approval and 45% disapproval.

See the veto story here. More as it becomes available.

The American Left has two words they throw at a moments notice--"right winger" and "hate monger". Oppose their goals or candidates and they label use with these supposedly negative phrases.

These words are thrown out without context, fact or reason.

Instead, it shows the lack of class and intelligence.

Here is an article from the Chicago Tribune showing how irrational many Obama supporters are...note the use of their favorite phrases. Also note they give no reasons for use of these phrases.

So the next time you hear someone using those phrases you know they have emotional problems and need help. When you ask for examples, they have none, but claim you are a hate mongering right winger.

Sick.

WGN-AM again target of Obama campaign

Posted September 15, 2008 9:42 PM
The Swamp

by John McCormick and Steven Schmadeke, updated

Chicago radio station WGN-AM is again coming under attack from the presidential campaign of Sen. Barack Obama for offering airtime to a controversial author.

It is the second time in recent weeks the station has been the target of an "Obama Action Wire" alert to supporters of the Illinois Democrat.

Monday night's target was David Freddoso, who the campaign said was scheduled to be on the station from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. Chicago time.

"The author of the latest anti-Barack hit book is appearing on WGN Radio in the Chicagoland market tonight, and your help is urgently needed to make sure his baseless lies don't gain credibility," an e-mail sent Monday evening to Obama supporters reads.

"David Freddoso has made a career off dishonest, extreme hate mongering," the message said. "And WGN apparently thinks this card-carrying member of the right-wing smear machine needs a bigger platform for his lies and smears about Barack Obama -- on the public airwaves."

The Tribune-owned station was flooded with calls and e-mails about an hour before an Aug. 27 interview with Stanley Kurtz, a conservative writer who examined Obama's ties to former 1960s radical William Ayers.

A WGN producer said Monday night's response was about the same as when Kurtz was on the station.

It has been reported by the Sacramento Bee a few minutes ago that the Democrats and Republicans, not the Governor, are right now in the midst of finalizing a new State budget.

See the story here.

This will be a victory for taxpayers, job holders and families--thanks to the legislative Republicans.

The Democrats wanted to take an extra $10 billion from your pocket and spend $3 billion more! The GOP said no to both.

Yes, government will not grow. Plus,business will get a $1.6 billion or more tax increase early next year when the Unemployment Fund goes dry and needs a minimum of $1.6 billion to keep it afloat.

This also does not include the $388 million in a lost lawsuit, nor the $15 billion Clark Kelso is trying to take from the treasury to make criminals more comfortable in prison.

California is not out of the woods yet. But, as least the Republicans saved families and businesses $10 billion.

Here are the facts on the budget:

1. The GOP version had $2 billion more in it than the Democrat version for education

2. The GOP, including Assemblywoman Audra Strickland, presented an emergency bill, to pay for health care, education and vendors until a real budget could be passed.

3. Assemblywoman Audra Strickland and every Republican supported the emergency bill.

4. Democrats like Senator Sheila Kuehl opposed giving education $2 billion more per year. Democrats like Assemblyman Pedro Nava opposed the emergency bill to help the elderly and the child.

Where do you think the unions and their friends picketed? Did they go to the office of Kuehl and Nava to demand more money for education, to demand emergency money now?

No, they yelled and screamed at the office of Assemblywoman Audra Strickland, who wanted to give them more money, who wanted to give them money now.

In the future why should Strickland or any other GOP'er want to help government schools? Instead of being thanked for doing the right thing, she gets harassed by so called educators and unions.

Why should the Democrats do the right thing for education? No matter how much grief they give schools, money they take away from government education, the unions will continue to give campaign donations to them.

Finally, the Democrats and the Governor have given in! After begging the Republicans for 75 dyas to harm families and jobs, we will soon get a budget that reduces spending, has no taxes and no borrowing.

Why couldn't they have done this in June?

This is from the Sacramento Bee:

New taxes off the table?
By Aurelio Rojas
Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata told his Democratic caucus Friday that he and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger are willing to back off on demands for new taxes to end California's 75-day-long budget stalemate.

In the article the most investigated member of the legislature the article says, "Perata wrote that he told Schwarzenegger on Thursday, "Let's see if I can work on a deal with (Republicans) that is no tax, no borrowing. He agreed."

Perata said that he plans to work with Republicans through the weekend to try to reach a budget deal."

This could have been done 75 days ago. The Governor and the Democrats over played their hands, and harmed the elderly, the children and those who had faith in the contracts signed by the State of California--and then have not been paid.

While newspapers editorialized that the GOP should give in, it was those demanding bigger and more expensive government gave in. This will be a victory for all Californians. It is a defeat for the Left and their special interests.,

We still have out of control spending, we still have a deficit, we still have Clark Kelso trying to steal $15 billion from the treasury so criminals can be comfortable in prison.

If we stick together, we will beat back Big Government and its allies, the Special Interests and the Unions. Kelso and the Federal Courts can be stopped.

Just as we celebrate the passing of Prop. 13 in June of 1978. We will celebrate the victory of a no new taxes budget. Assemblyman Villines and Senator Cogdill, the GOP legislative leaders, will be remembered with Howard Jarvis and Ronald Reagan as those that stood tall for all Californians.

Below is a video of Assemblywoman Audra Strickland today at a press conference arguing for the need to pass a continuing appropriations bill so that state can pay for the medical bills that it is obligated to pay.

The Democrats oppose such a measure because it is their hope that the pain and suffering by those that depend on the government to pay their medical bills will pressure Republicans to raise taxes. This is cruel. The Dems should not use seniors, the disabled and the infirmed as pawns in their political games.

Audra did a great job making that statement today. Note that she "signed" her complete statement, while speaking.

See video Audra Strickland 090808_128K_4x3_001.wmv">here.

Today is a big day. Mark March 3 on your calendar. On that day we will have a statewide Special Election.

At that time the ballot will include billions in bonds--to add to the debt. Also,a series of measures of "reform" to fix the budget problem. We have tried reform before. What we really need is honesty in government, not more toothless laws. Plus, the current budget battle is not being honestly reported. Thanks to a union, we might also have the Recall of the Governor on the ballot. But, he is NOT intimidated!

What the special interests do not note is that the Republicans want to give $2 BILLION MORE TO EDUCATION than Democrats. Plus, the Democrats, to give less money to education wanted to raise taxes, add costs to energy and food for the poor and middle class.

Earlier today I received a copy of a statement from our State Assemblywoman, Audra Strickland.

Thought you should see it directly, without being filtered by special interest groups.

From Assemblywoman Audra Strickland:

"As a former classroom teacher, I understand the critical importance of funding education as a priority. I have never supported suspending Proposition 98 and have strongly fought attempts to reduce education funding. Republicans in the Assembly have proposed funding education $2 billion dollars over and above the Democrat budget.

I will continue to fight to protect our children and our teachers and only support a budget that will do the same".

It is time to pass an honest budget that does not kill jobs or force families to move to another State. Now is the time to pass a budget that protects those who want to provide quality public education. Glad to see that the GOP is willing to schools, families and jobs. Now if we could get the Democrats on board, we would have a budget that works for all Californians.

The Star today had a excellent editorial and the need for the State to fund Care Centers and other heath care needs.

The article also quotes Democrat Assemblyman Pedro Nava as saying, "Assemblyman Pedro Nava, D-Santa Barbara, told reporter Kisken that, if legislators cannot resolve their differences on the budget, "we, as a state, may have to consider emergency alternatives before people die."

I guess Mr. Nava has a real problem with his memory. Last week the Republicans presented legislation to PAY for the care centers, health care needs, education and vendors who have provided the State with products and services.

Mr. Nava, through his Leader, Speaker Karen Bass, told the care centers to forgot it. No way will he allow the care centers to be paid, as long as Republicans refuse to raise taxes. Nava supported the effort to hold the elderly hostage.

The fault is NOT with the Legislature--it is with the Democrats and Governor who are holding the elderly and children hostage.

The media needs to tell the whole truth. if an editorial board wants to complain about the lack of payment for care centers, they need to point out that the Republicans wanted them paid, it was the Democrats and Governor who said no.

BTW, one of the reasons the Democrats and Governor want to raise your taxes is to pay for a Northern California resource board to change its name--at a cost of $5 million. Feel better--this is why the care centers are not being funded, so a bureaucrat can work for an agency with a nice name. Too bad that is not getting as much ink as those demanding a tax increase.

What do you think?. Are the Republicans right in demanding funding for care centers, health care , education and paying vendors. Or are the Democrats right in refusing to pay these needed programs until taxes are raised?

Gloria Steinmen claims that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin does not have the "experience" to be Vice President or President. She said that in an op-ed piece in the LA Times today.

This from a person who supported the corrupt Illinois Senator Carol Moseley Braun for President in 2004. Slate.com had a good article explaining the lack of ethics of Braun.

So, who does Steinem support now? She supports another Illinois Senator, Barack Obama. This Senator considers a terrorist, Bill Ayers, a bigot, Jeremiah Wright and a convicted felon, Tony Rezko, as friends. Does Gloria only support people with questionable friends and ethics?

Then you have Sally Quinn, who does not believe that a woman, with children can run for office--unless they are Democrats. If a GOP'er said that, you know the storm that would create./

Just as the NAACP does not consider Clarence Thomas "black" enough. The Bigots on the Left do not consider Palin "woman" enough. Worse, Sarah Palin can use a gun for food, and protection.

The Boston Herald is more concerned with the hairstyle of Gov. Palin, then her qualifications.

The headline reads, "Stylists to passe Sarah Palin: Let your hair down"

Some say that Palin has a four month old child with special needs, so she should stay home.

The Left did not challenge Joe Biden in 1972 when his wife and a child died tragically in an accident. No one suggested that he give up his Senate seat to take care of his two small sons.

The Left is concerned about a 17 year old becoming pregnant, yet supported a President that had sex in the Oval Office, then lied about it. The Left knew that John Edwards had an affair and possibly a baby while his wife was fighting cancer and might be dying of the disease.

Gov. Palin fired a State official for not firing a State Trooper who used a taser gun on a ten year old for n o reason. The same Trooper threatened the life of the Governors father.

Yet the Left is upset that this out of control Trooper was being fired and that she fired an official that would not protect the public from this Trooper. I thought the Left opposed bad cops--except when it is a Republican doing the firing.

I have always said that the last remnant of bigotry in America is the Democrats and the Left.

Democrats believe a woman can not get a job unless government sets quotas. Democrats believe minorities are too stupid to get into school without government mandates.

Watch the opposition to Gov. Sarah Palin. You will see the hypocrisy and bigotry of the Left.

That is what is at stake on November 4th.

I look forward to the Democrat/Leftists defending their double standards. For those who believe in honesty in government, and freedom, do not be shy in responding to the Left.

I saw the Star headline this morning and got angry.. They I read the story and an get even angrier.

First, immigrants are folks who come here, with permission. No one is opposing them, no need to demonstrate or lobby on their behalf. They get and deserve all the freedoms, and responsibilities the law expects.

So when people travel 1,000 miles in favor of "immigrants", while it is nice, it is a waste of time.

The headline should have read, if it was to be correct, "Parties See Illegal Aliens as No Win". The headline mistakenly used the word "immigration". Immigration is NOT a n issue, illegal aliens is the issue.

When a newspaper miscommunicates an issue, the folks reading the article will not understand the real issue.

The issue is about those who sneak into our nation, without permission, as criminals. The issue is about these law breakers crowding our schools, crowding our hospitals, costing Californians close to $10 billion per year in services (almost the entire deficit is because of illegal aliens--not a dime due to "immigrants".)

The radicals believe in open borders. So when a newspaper uses the term immigrants in the headline, when they really mean illegal aliens, it confuses the issues and promotes open borders.

Gangs, with illegal aliens are involved with many of the crimes reported. Were we to stop "immigrants" it would have no affect on crime. Were we to stop illegal aliens we could see an immediate 30% drop in crime.

I would urge reporters and headline writers to learn the difference between immigrants and illegal aliens. Until they do they will not be telling the truth about the problems facing honest Californians.

What do you think? Are law abiding immigrants the problem or are law breaking illegal aliens the problem? Do you think our deficit would be as high if we enforced our immigration laws--allowing only those who asked and got permission to be here, government services?

Can't wait to see if anybody will defend illegal aliens. My guess is that they won't. Who would want to be publicly known as a supporter of law breakers?

Here is the article.

Last week Senator Jeff Denham presented a bill, AB 207, in the Senate, for the purpose of a special appropriation.

The purpose was to have the State continue to pay the costs of health care, as well as vendors--people who have provided products or services to the State. Unfortunately the Democrats in the Assembly and the Senate said NO. Democrats did not, and do not, want to pay legitimate bills.

They demand that taxes and spending be raised--if not, they are holding their breath and harming the people of the State.

Late this afternoon, the Governor released a statement--in support of the Democrat position--he, too, wants tax increases, or no budget.

Here are his words:

Gov. Schwarzenegger Sends Letter to Legislative Leaders, Responds to Senator Perata on Continuing Appropriations

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today sent the following letter to legislative leaders:

September 2, 2008

Dear Speaker Bass, Senator Perata, Mr. Villines and Senator Cogdill,

It is irresponsible not to have a budget more than two months into the fiscal year and 80 days past the legislative deadline. California is now headed into unknown territory, but what we do know is that some state checks will not be cut and that state services will be impacted.

We cannot afford a temporary fix. Legislators should not be devising band-aid solutions like continuing appropriations. What legislators should be focused on is passing a budget - the best way to ensure that state payments are made.

This delay in the Legislature could cost California more than a billion dollars, because we are losing another month of budget solutions included in the compromise budget I proposed. Assembly Bill 207 would require the state to take out a short-term loan that would cost hundreds of millions of dollars - maybe more than a half-billion - and would dig our budget hole that much deeper and make our cash situation that much worse.

The best way forward is to vote on and approve the compromise budget I proposed two weeks ago.

Sincerely,
Arnold Schwarzenegger

Senator Jeff Denham immediately issued a statement.

Here is his comments:

Denham Responds to the Governor's Letter of Opposition to AB 207

Sacramento - Senator Jeff Denham (R-Merced) responded today with the following statement to the Governor's letter of opposition to AB 207:

"AB 207 is not a 'Band-Aid' approach. It would fund life-saving medical treatments and other vital services to thousands of California's most vulnerable.

"Senate Democrats and the Administration know the budget system is broken. They waited over two months to present a real budget proposal and continue to hold the state hostage.

"AB 207 could be amended to at least allow federal funds to be released to those in need.

"People's lives are at risk. We need to put partisanship aside on this issue and fund these vital services now."

--30--

What do you think, should the State pay its bills or should we be held hostage to those who demand tax increases? We have grown the State budget by 44% in five years, that is why Sacramento does not need more money.

The Governor wants to raise sales taxes. And he uses former Governor Pete Wilson as a supporter of that plan. Sorry, says Wilson, I do not support more taxes. That according to Wilson is the wrong approach. See the Sacramento Bee article here.

"Wilson said he opposes the tax increase because he believes the state engaged in too much "deficit spending" under his successor, Gov. Gray Davis, and has not cut programs enough since then". He went on to say:

"I think the analogy is a false analogy," Wilson said. "The situation was very different. When we had to do that, we weren't engaged in deficit spending, and that's what we determined we would not engage in. But at the time, the gap from the recession - almost a depression - was so severe that it actually took one-third of the revenues of the entire General Fund."

And, finally, ""The attitude of the Democratic majorities has not changed. They are for spending and they are for tax increases."

Gov. Wilson is right, we are taxed to much and spend too much. Now is not the time to add to the budget. Without hesitation I can tell you there will NOT be a budget this week.

In fact, the Guv held meetings last week to plan for not having a budget till after your New Years Eve Party, welcoming 2009!

For those that oppose the proposed Camarillo crime wave, ur Kelso Prison, this is good news. That means Kelso will not have any money to pay for the contracts he has signed, without any oversite. And, he will not tell the public his plans, nor show us the contracts he has signed, in our name, with our money.

It also means no new taxes and no new spending. I am sure this disappoints the Democrats.

What do you think? Should we have a budget if it means higher taxes, more spending and job losses--maybe your job? Are you willing to lose your job in order for California to have a budget?

Today is day 62 without a budget. Tomorrow we go into record territory--63 days without a budget.

The good news is that the people of California do not have a tax increase.

The GOP plan has more real spending cuts, $2 billion in borrowed money from the Lottery and about $350 million borrowed from redevelopment agencies.

The Democrat/Governors plan has billions in new spending, billions in new taxes and billions in new fees.

The GOP saves jobs, the other plan kills jobs.

Now we are ready for a compromise? I doubt it--why should the GOP compromise away jobs, raise taxes on the poor and middle class?

For those that read this blog and love the Democrat/Governors plan--here is a real compromise.

All you have to do is send a check to Sacramento, voluntarily. If you really believe you are being taxed too little--then tax yourself. In the mean time, allow families to feed their children, businesses to grow new jobs and folks to pay their mortgages. Don't do any more damage to California than you have already done.

To paraphrase a New York newspaper headline from years ago, "Democrats to California: Go to Hell"

We have a fiscal crisis, caused by Democrat over spending. Instead of cutting, like the addicts they are, they demand another fix, more spending, more taxes.

They do not care how many children and elderly they harm. Obviously they do not care about the vendors they are hurting and the jobs they are killing. Perata, Bass, Nunez and friends are holding the people of California hostage--give us your money or we will harm your elderly, stop the education of your children, let criminals go free.

The Republicans have provided a mechanism, an emergency expenditure bill to pay the needed invoices and agencies. Below is a press release from Senator Jeff Denham explaining what the GOP bill covers.

Oh, you may wonder why the Democrats would refuse to pay the legitimate bills of the State. Easy. If we paid the bills, then the reason for a tax increase would be gone. Democrats need their tax increase fix and nothing will get in their way--even the woman, children and elderly of California.

BTW, I know that Tony Strickland has opposed the tax and spending increase of the Democrats. But his opponent, by her silence, appears to support higher taxes on the poor and middle class. Hannah Jackson seems to be siding with Don Perata, who will be financing her campaign, in trying to drag every dime possible out of the hard working families of Lomoc, Ventura, Thousand Oaks and Santa Barbara. Her lack of support for the families of the Central Coast is deafening.

While Strickland and the Republicans want the State to pay its legitimate bills, Jackson just wants tax increases and bigger government. Strickland would have voted for the emergency payment bill. Jackson would continue to stiff the workers and vendors of the State.

There is a difference in the 19th Senate District.

Here is the explanation of the GOP legislation to pay our bills, a press release from Senator Denham:.

Senate Democrats Block Denham's Fight to Get Emergency Funding for California's Most Vulnerable

Sacramento -- Senate Democrats today voted down an effort by Senator Jeff Denham (R-Merced) to hear Assembly Bill 207 which would have allowed the State to make payments to nursing homes, health clinics and other vital facilities during the budget impasse.

"It is hypocritical for Senate Democrats to talk about the suffering of California's most vulnerable citizens and then play partisan politics and not vote to fund the vital services on which they depend," Denham said.

Specifically, AB 207, authored by Denham, would have provided a $12 billion emergency appropriation to ensure that hospitals and nursing homes received the necessary funding to keep their doors open."

"Healthcare for those in need should not be interrupted while the Legislature is late on passing a balanced budget," said Denham

Ironically, on Friday, Senate Democrat Leader Don Perata claimed to be concerned for those at risk because of the budget stalemate:

"The list is long, characterized in common by innocence, helplessness and anonymity," said Perata. "Special education children, physically-disabled adults, elderly residents in long-term care facilities, rural hospitals, home-to-school transportation, food service to state hospitals and state prisons, financial aid to hundreds of thousands of students at UC and CSU, thousands of small businesses employing thousands of our constituents that supply every community with essentials such as sanitation, cleaning, security and rehabilitation...This is a game of political roulette we will not play."

"Apparently Senator Perata is willing to play political roulette with the most innocent and helpless among us," said Denham.

--30--

As expected the Democrat plan for a budget, approved by the Governor, went down to defeat. One Democrat, Correa, refused to vote for it. The Senate plan by the ethically challenged Don Perata was defeated. Why? because it raised taxes on the poor and middle class--and in the long run expanded the base for sales taxes...meaning bigger tax increases automatically, in the future.

In a couple of days we will be in the record books, the longest without a budget.

For Californians, this is a victory. Another day without higher taxes. Another day we can spend more of our money, instead of government.

It was announced this afternoon by Secretary of State Debra Bowen that the deadline has passed for new measures to be put on the November ballot.

That means we will have to hold a special election if the Governor or Democrats want to create new laws on the budget.

Several have asked why the GOP has not presented a budget. The simple reason is that the Governor and the Democrats are committed to tax and spending increases. The GOP is not. So why waste the time in providing a document that will not be passed--that is what Democrats do.

But, some of you want a list of cuts the GOP wants. Senator Jeff Denham the man Don Perata spent millions trying to Recall from office, and failed, due to Denhams' refusal last year to vote for a deficit budget, has a short list.

Feel free to add your cuts to his list. Any expenditures you want to defend?

Senator Jeff Denham (R-Merced)
Identifies Idiotic Budget Items in the 'Governor's Compromise Lite'

Senate Democrats dropped a new Conference Committee Budget Compromise on Senate Republican's late yesterday which further increases taxes while cutting education.

The "Governor's Compromise Lite" proposal, which assumes the economy will rebound even in the face of higher taxes, contains the following ridiculous and/or unnecessary General Fund items:


'Smörgåsbord' Board

Nearly $7 million for a "Central Valley Flood Protection Board", which will basically just rename the already existing Reclamation Board and allow the state to take control away from local government

Chic Décor

Nearly $1 million to buy the State Controller some new office furniture while the Controller's office withholds funding for nursing homes, health clinics and other vital services during the budget stalemate

Err A-Parent

Over $1 million for "Male Involvement Program" pamphlets, posters, advertising and events to tell young men what they likely already know; they play a role in teen pregnancy and can prevent it

Railroad Lies

$456,000 in this year's budget and $2.3 million next year to again fund the North Coast Railroad - a "paper railroad" (as veteran political columnist Dan Walters described it) which has already consumed $60 million of state taxpayer money but hasn't run a train since 1992

Convict Crafts

$118,000 to hire two helpers to deliver art, craft and other "hobby" supplies every week to murderers and other vicious convicts on death row

Air Regularity

$910,000 to retrofit some old State Parks and Recreation Department diesel vehicles while the budget proposes to cut programs for the frail, the elderly and the disabled

Coastal De-Commission

Over $10 million to fund "permitting and enforcement activities" of the narrow-minded and power-abusing Coastal Commission, which should be abolished and its duties returned to local government

ALERT: As a Holiday present to the workers of California, the Senate Democrats are going to vote on a massive tax increase--both a permanent income tax increase and a permanent sales tax increase.

Just so the workers of California understand how much the Democrats want to tax us, they are going to broaden the sales tax base. If the Governor and the ethically challenged Don Perata have their way, the doctor trying to save your life will charge you a sales tax on his services. Then the hospitals, providing the operating room and a bed, will charge you a sales tax. Then, if they fail, the mortician will charge your family a sales tax.

The barber, cutting your hair for the last time will be forced to charge a sales tax. Your wife, getting her hair done for your funeral will be charged a sales tax. Your attorney will charge your family a sales tax for his services in reading the will.

Makes you feel good to know that your death means so much to government.

The good news is that this will not pass. Which means we will go into September without a budget. That is good for California. At some point the Democrats will understand, Californians can not afford the government they demand we have.

The GOP is prepared to pass a budget we can live with. The Democrats want a budget government can live with. Personally I prefer my family to government. Do you?

The Fresno Bee's Jim Boren has a big exclusive. In a meeting with the Bee's editorial folks, the Governor announced he is willing to wait till November or December to get the budget he wants--which includes a major tax increase.

Of course the Guv has said a lot of things lately, and reality has "made" him back off.

But, maybe my original thought that the budget would not be passed till October 3 was close to what will happen?

Go here to see the Guv's thoughts, today, on the budget.

The Governor said he would blow up the boxes of government. But in five years he grew government by 44%

Arnold said he would tear up the California credit card--but in 2006 he promoted over $40 billion in new bonds.

The Governor said that no one should go to the political conventions, but several Democrats went anyway. Why not, nothing was happening in Sacramento in re: the budget.

The Governor said he would not sign any bills passed by the legislature until they passed a budget.

This afternoon the Governor announced he would sign bills that would put $20 billion in bonds on the November ballot--actually, including principal AND interest, a total of $40 billion.

Yes, he does want a change in the lottery and a reserve fund (which he could do without a ballot measure--all he has to do is say he would not sign a budget bill without one). But, what if the Democrats just give him $40 billion in bonds, but no reform, will he still sign them?

See the story here.

The good news is that Speaker Bass and GOP Leader Villines are meeting. The bad news is that the Democrats are still demanding tax and spending increases.

2009 will be the year of collapse. California government will collapse next year. Revenues will go down, spending will go up, unemployment taxes will go up, billions in new bonds and union contracts will come due--with no revenues for payment.

We have a judge trying to take $15 billion to make criminals comfortable, while Clark Kelson wants to put 1500 vicious criminals in the middle of Camarillo . Then we have a judge that has cut the California water supply by one third.

We are in trouble. It is time to yell as they did in Network, "I am mad as hell and not going to take it any more?"

The other day Democrat Speaker Bass announced there would not be any sessions till Friday, except for a "check in session" so they "qualify" for their per diem

But, a little while ago the Sacramento Bee announced that Democrat Bass will hold sessions on Wednesday and Thursday (which can be canceled at a moments notice).

See story here.

The Democrats in the State Senate were to allow a session to begin at 10:00am this morning. Democrat Don Perata, the ethically challenged, and most investigated member of the legislature, pushed the session back, to start at 4:00pm today.

To see that story, click here.

There are strong rumors that the Democrats realize the budget can not be passed if it includes tax increases.

Is it possible that the real reason for the re-newed sessions is that an honest budget deal is finally being worked out?

If so, then this could really be good for California. Of course several California legislators are already in Denver, so it will be a problem getting enough votes to pass.

Worse, if a deal, without taxes is worked out, will the radicals in the Democrat Caucus approve of it?

This would NOT be a compromise budget. It would be a victory budget for the people of California.

Would not be surprised if a budget is passed this week.

Ever wonder why government is in such bad shape? It is because government officials are ALLOWED to lie in statements or reports to the Legislature and the public.

Yes, it is a misdemeanor for them to lie in reports or statements to the legislature. Yet, even though many complaints are noted, not a single public official has ever been charged in California.

Moorpark Assemblywoman Audra Strickland presented AB 1135 in 2007, the Truth in Government Act.

From the legislative analysis:

This bill:

1. Stipulates that every written report required to be submitted to the Legislature, a Member of the Legislature, or any state legislative or executive body by any state agency or department must include a signed statement by the head of that agency or department declaring that the factual contents of the report are true, accurate, and complete to the best of his/her knowledge.

5. Defines "written report" and stipulates that the declaration in the signed statement as to the truth, accuracy, and completeness of the contents of the written report shall not apply to any forecasts, predictions, recommendations, or opinions contained in the report.

Imagine, having to force government employees to tell the truth. Well, as we all know, that is what it will take.

I have been told that some believe the Governor has vetoed this bill because he is afraid he could not get anyone to work for government in a position where they would be forced to always tell the truth. This reminds me of the Jim Carrey movie, "Liar", where he got into trouble because he had to tell the truth every time. It was VERY uncomfortable.

But real life is not the movies. Government is not a storyline When you have folks lying to get budgets, lying about failed programs, lying about corruption and abuse of office, we need to make these folks uncomfortable.

The Governor had this to say in his veto message (10/13/07):

"Finally, this bill would create an inconsistent system in which some of the information submitted by the Administration is subject to declarations of truth while all other information used in the legislature's deliberative process is not."

In other words, since they are allowed to lie in some circumstances, government employees should be allowed to lie in all circumstances. Now you know why you should not have any trust in government, even the Governor knows that State Employees are lying.

By the way, Strickland's AB 1135 passed almost unanimously in both the Assembly and Senate.

It is hard for the media to fully cover all the work of our elected officials. But, I thought you should know that Strickland believes government employees should tell the truth or suffer the consequences.

What do you think, should government employees always tell us the truth?

Below is a memo from Democrat Speaker Karen Bass. While it is not written in a foreign language, you might not understand the phrase, "Floor session upon call of Speaker." In plain language, the Assembly members are free to go to Denver and party.

So, if someone asks next week why we do not have a budget, the answer is simple. The Democrats believe going to a convention is more important than doing the business of the people of California.

The Governor has said that no one should go to a political convention while the budget has not been settled. Looks like, once again, the Democrats have thumbed their noses at the Governor. Seems to be like he has been negotiating with folks who don't care.

Now is the time for Arnold to create a compromise with the legislative Republicans, then tell the Democrats no new taxes, no new fees, no gimmicks, the budget will be balanced.

Hope the Democrats enjoy the party, hopefully the people of California will remember.

By the way, I understand that our Assemblywoman, Audra Strickland will not go to Minneapolis if we do not have a budget next week. Too bad Bass, Nava, and the rest of the Democrats prefer politics and fun to doing their job. Shame on them. Can't wait to hear the excuses for their poor conduct.

MEMORANDUM

TO: All Assembly Offices

FROM: Assembly Speaker Karen Bass
DATE: August 22, 2008
SUBJECT Assembly Session Schedule August 25-29, 2008
______________________________________________________________________
The tentative Assembly session schedule for August 25-29 is as follows:

Monday August 25 Floor session at 1:00 p.m.*

Tuesday August 26 Floor session upon call of the Speaker

Wednesday August 27 Floor session upon call of the Speaker

Thursday August 28 Floor session upon call of the Speaker

Friday August 29 Floor session at 9:30 a.m.*

* Times are approximate. Floor session may continue into the evening.

Limited or no guest introductions and/or floor ceremonies August 25-29, 2008

Additional floor sessions may be called by the Speaker. Assembly Members, committee staff, administrative staff and support staff with session related duties must be present when session is called. A three-hour notice will be given for additional floor sessions. Please ensure that all contact information is on file with the Assembly Sergeant-at-Arms and is current.

Committee meetings will continue as announced in the Daily File or as approved by the Speaker's Office.

Well the endorsement season is here.

Tony Strickland, the GOP nominee for the 19th State Senate district has received the endorsement of the California Association of Highway Patrolmen. Go here for the endorsement.

The major issue on the ballot this November dealing with crime is Prop. 6, the Safe Neighborhoods Act. I am proudly working as a professional to gain its passage (for full disclosure).

This measure will focus on gangs, audit gang programs, determine which programs are best. Then, coordinate the fight against gangs between counties, cities and the State.

A key element to the Safe Neighborhoods Act is that illegal aliens, that are booked by law enforcement, can not be bailed out without a special hearing. And, ICE is notified that an illegal alien is in jail.

Strickland was among the first endorsers of the measure and is a Ventura County Co-chair for its passage.

His opponent, as best as I can find out, has not taken a position on Prop. 6.

So, does Jackson stand, does she want to keep illegal aliens that commit crimes in jail, without bail? Or do you want them bailed out? Strickland says no bail. Looks like Hannah Jackson has not taken a position at this point.

I know her consultant, Parke Skelton reads all of my blogs. So, Parke does your client Hannah Jackson support keeping illegal aliens in jail, those that are accused of committing felonies?. Or would she support the bailing out of people like Pedro Espinosa, the long term illegal alien who has been charged with the gunning down of Jamiel Shaw?

The next 74 days will be a real roller coaster!

At one point the Governor said he wanted to "blow up the boxes" of government. He didn't

Then he said he wanted to tear up the credit cards. He didn't.

Then he called the spending addicted Democrats "girly men". He apologized

In 2006 he berated Phil Angelides as someone who would raise taxes, something he would not do. Phil never got a chance, while Arnold is doing what he accused Phil of wanting to do

In 2007 he created a reserve fund in the budget. Within eight weeks of signing the budget the reserve was already spent.

Now he has compromised on the budget--by siding with the Democrats on a tax raise.

He has tried to cut the wages of janitors and attorneys, to minimum wage. The State Controller refused to violate the law and contracts, so the Guv sued. But the courts will not hear the case till at least September 12.

In 2005, the last time the legislature refused to pass legislation, the Governor called a Special Election. He lost all of his measures, fired his Republican staff and hired Susan Kennedy (formerly of the Gray Davis staff) and many other Democrats.

Tonight the SF Chronicle is reporting that the Governor is saying he will call another Special Election if he does not get his way on water bonds and the creation of a reserve fund.

It should be noted that if all the bonds on the November 4th ballot are passed, that will cost the State $2.7 billion in debt service on the new bonds in the next year--without any revenue to pay it. In other words, the bonds will add $2.7 billion to the already planned $10 billion deficit in the new budget (unless cuts are made). If the Guvs water bond is passed, add another $300 million to the deficit.

A lot is at stake in this budget. Doubt if there is much support by GOP'ers or Dems for a Special Election.

What do you think, would you support another Special Election?

Well this is Day 51 and the Governor has decided to lower his tax increase on the poor and middle class. Instead of collecting $6.6 billion for four years, he will collect $6 billion per year for only three years.

But, watch out for the loophole. Nothing stops the Governor NEXT year from adding a year, or another $6 billion per year (two cents) to your sale tax bill.

Compromise usually means going 50/50--The Dems wanted $6.7 billion in their latest budget, the GOP wanted zero. A compromise would be around $3 billion. Of course, the people need a tax cut not a tax increase. Any tax increase will cost jobs, so to those people the tax increase will be 100%.

In other news a judge hearing the case of the SEIU has determined that the hearing will be September 12--so, by default, State workers will get full pay for the month of August. If the budget is resolved before the end of September, then they will be sure to get full pay. Or if the judge rules as expected, they will get full pay regardless of the Governors "order".

Update: Democrat Assemblywoman Nicole Parra is still on the street in Sacto, with a closet for an office and another small office one block away from the Capitol and the other 119 legislators. The Democrats have also told her the three bills she still has pending are dead--they will not be heard.

Don't you love the Democrats, they believe in democracy until a representative truly tries to represent their district. because a Democrat would NOT agree to a tax increase, a deficit budget or increased spending without water in the budget bill, they politically kill her. Of course this makes it even harder to pass a bad budget, so that is a good thing.

Will we hit 60 days without a budget? What do you think?

The Tony Strickland campaign has taken nothing for granted for the November 4th ballot.

Starting in April, he and his supporters have been walking door to door in every corner of the Senate District.

He is the only candidate with a real store front campaign office.

For a few weeks Tony Strickland has had radio and TV ads, going directly to the public with his views and philosophy.

Go here to see the latest TV ad. This one is on the environment. Note that this is a positive ad, giving his views, not knocking anyone. It is refreshing to see one candidate in the race run an issues oriented campaign.

By the way, it should be noted that Tony Strickland would not vote for the tax increase, deficit ridden budget presented by the Assembly Democrats, Hannah Jackson would have voted for the Democrat budget. As you can tell, there are differences between these candidates. Your choice higher taxes, or more jobs?

Democrat Assemblywoman Nicole Parra, from Bakersfield, believes the State Budget must address the water problem of the Central Valley. She wants to represent the people of her District. Now, isn't that what an elected official should do?

Well, because the Democrat budget, which did include massive tax increases and deficits, but did not address the water issue, she did not vote for the budget--she abstained.

Today, the Democrat Speaker, Karen Bass, literally kicked Parra out of her office.

Now her staff has been sent one block away from the Capitol--very inconvenient. And, her Chief of Staff and one other worker have been given a converted CLOSET--no kidding-!!

This now means that the Democrats will need NINE Republicans to support a budget with tax increases, gimmicks, fee increases and deficits. That will not happen. While the budget may not be passed till late September, the good news is that the amount of taxes and deficit might drop.

Politics is hardball. Congratulations to Nicole Parra for standing up for the needs of her constituents.

The actions by Bass will make it even harder to pass a bad budget, and that is a good thing!

To see the complete story click here.

Looks like Sacramento does have some legislators with principles and backbone.

A few minutes ago, at 8:15 pm, the Democrat Deficit Budget/tax Increase effort failed by nine votes in the Assembly. The vote was 45 in favor and 30 opposed. As soon as I get the names of each vote, I will post it here. I understand the 34 votes in favor of higher taxes and more spending were all Democrats. The votes to allow families to keep more of the money they earn, and in favor of a balanced budget without gimmicks were cast by Republicans.

Three members were excused because of illness and two did not vote.

If you want to see a great blow by blow account of the more than four hour debate, see the John Myers KQED blog here.

A key point was raised. the Democrats had reduced the taxes to be raised from $8.7 billion to $6.6 billion. By doing that and not cutting the spending, the deficit went from $10 billion to $12.1 billion next year, just to start. But, due to Prop. 98, education funding, 40% of the $6.6 billion would have to go to government schools. So, about $3 billion would be added to the deficit, bringing it up to $15.1 billlion. This equals the deficit of THIS year, and they would have 9-10 months to grow it!

Imagine, passing a budget that is already $15 billion in deficit--that was what the Republican said NO to, how would you have voted?

Will the Democrats see the light tomorrow and provide a real budget, without gimmicks, taxes, new fees and built in deficits? Until they do the Republican will say NO.

As this is being written, the State Assembly is debating a budget that NONE has seen. They only have a "summary" of the proposal. Somewhere in the Capitol there is a copy, I guess.

There is good news!!! The Democrats have decided to take two of their tax increases off the table. From the live blog of John Myers of KQED, Sacramento:

"Also worth noting: Assembly Democrats have dropped two of their tax increase plans from a few weeks ago -- the cancellation of expected "indexing" of tax rates for upper and upper-middle income earners (it would have given the state an extra $815 million) and a lowering of the taxpayer credit for having a kid (which would have brought in an extra $215 million)."

But, since they are NOT cutting anything from the additional $3 billion in spending, this just adds to the already PLANNED $10 billion in deficits for next year.

Want to see the complete Democrat plan to bankrupt California families and businesses? Go here.

My "favorite" Democrat tax increase is this one:

"Restoration of a higher tax on many businesses that existed prior to 1997, generating $470 million"

In other words, if your business is twelve years old, or older, they are really trying to kill you. Guess the Democrats don't like "old" businesses.

Possibly sometime tonight the Assembly will vote. Not a single GOP'er is in favor of it, and it appears that some Democrats are concerned about voting for a massive deficit and massive tax increase, at the same time. They prefer separate votes on those things.

The really good news is that the Democrats understand massive tax increases don't work--you can expect less tax increases as the days go on. But, until they start cutting spending (oh, education funds are being INCREASED, the CTA and all those educrats are LYING about education cuts) we will be in trouble.

Oh, and the Guv had surgery on his knee today.

Now we need someone to do surgery on the budget.

I had predicted the budget would be passed by August 23, so the Democrats can see the Barack and Clinton show in Denver. But it is looking like my original prediction of October 3 for passage of the budget might actually can true. The Guv has announced he is prepared to skip the Republican National Convention in Minnesota. so he is getting ready for the long haul--plus, he can't go, and not because of the budget.

He has been summoned by Clark Kelso, the court appointed Prison Czar (who demanded the Guv steal $2.5 billion from the Treasury) to a deposition, to explain why he would not steal the money--and that is set for September 3--in the middle of the GOP convention.

If you want to watch the live blogging of thr Assembly budget debate, go here.

California finally has something to be proud of, we are the State with the highest taxes.

Even better the Governor wants to raise those taxes. Plus, we have Los Angeles wanting to raise their sales tax by a penny, as well. Not to count the tens of billions of bond measures on the November ballot from the State of California to the $7 billion for LAUSD.

Today we found out that California only has the fourth highest unemployment rate in the nation. But if Perata has his way with another double digit deficit, to go along with higher taxes, we could be number one in that category before the end of the year.

During the first week of September the Governor and his Chief of Staff, Susan Kennedy, will be deposed. Clark Kelso, the one man bankruptcy team, is suing the Guv because Arnold would not steal $2.5 billion for him. Now Kelso wants $3.1 now, $5 billion later, than another $7 billion or more for other prison projects.

Anybody know where that $15 billion will come from.

Folks, California is in deep trouble.

(Oh, why do I call it stealing? When you demand someone give you money that does not belong to them, that is theft, stealing.)

Let us not forget the $550 million lawsuit lost by the State last week, and due to interest, growing rapidly every day.

On Sunday the State Assembly, apparently, will have a vote on a budget. The budget will have $10 billion in new taxes, $3 billion in new spending and maybe a "rainy day fund", whatever that may be. Last year we had a reserve fund that was gone in less than eight weeks.

High taxes, high unemployment, lawsuits and a dysfunctional Legislature. Makes me proud to be a Californian.

Will we have a budget by August 23 so the Democrats can go to their convention.

What do you think, raise taxes, kill employment and move?

One thing about Tony Strickland, he is not going to try to buy the 19th State Senate seat. Yes, millions will be spent. The total cost of the race, for both candidates, when you include Independent Expenditures might top $10 million...with Hannah Jackson spending about $7 million.

Yet the Strickland campaign, in April started walking the district, household by household, from Santa Clarita, to Simi Valley, Carpentaria, to Buellton.

Now the campaign has started what they call the "Burma Shave" portion of the effort. On many days, in different parts of the district during the morning and the evening drive times, you will see Tony Strickland and his supporters at key intersections holding signs and waving at the cars as they go by. That is old fashioned campaigning. I almost expect him to hop a train from Santa Clarita and do a whistlestop throughout the district.

My good friend Dr. Greg Cole has also written about this and even has photos, you should visit the web site, http://flapsblog.com/2008/08/13/tony-strickland-watch-burma-shaving/

In an age where many candidates have special interests giving them large sums of money, spend it on slick mailers, radio and TV ads, it is refreshing to see a candidate that is approachable and seen throughout a district each day.

Based on the number of "Burma Shave" days already under his belt, and the tens of thousands of homes already walked, this campaign is going full steam ahead.

Which do you prefer, a candidate that personally walks precincts, speaks to groups, is seen in every community, or one that just raises money and sends out mailers, does TV and radio ads?

Today is the 44th Day Without A Budget, and there is lots of news!!!

1. The Governor has agreed with the Democrats to raise taxes. Now they have to tell the Republican that, just like the Governor, they need to go back on their word to the people of California.

2. The Prison Czar that is looking to put a prison in Camarillo, is suing the Governor for $8 billion and contempt of court. The contempt? The Governor refused to steal $2.5 billion from the State just because Clark Kelso demanded he do it. That was after Kelso demanded the Legislature give him $7 billion, no questions asked and they are not allowed to know how he will spend the money.

Kelso is still refusing to tell the people of Ventura County about his plans. Wonder if he will provide guns to the folks in Camarillo to protect themselves from the murderers he is bringing to their community?

3. A Republican State Senator, Roy Ashburn of Bakersfield has announced he is willing to vote for increases taxes on the poor and middle class. He is upset he was taken off the Rules Committee. So, he wants to punish 38 million Californians for that slight.

4. The Luddites Rule!! Highway 50, a key freeway in and around Sacramento will NOT be widened. Why? Because if you allow more cars, you will get Global Warming. Instead, the Luddites prefer traffic jams.

5. The big question is whether the legislative GOP will role over because Arnold and Perata tell them to do so.

6. The Governor is providing a reform. He wants a reserve fund established. This is a good thing. Except, he could have put it in the budget he sent to the legislature, but did not.

Last year he had a reserve fund in the budget, that lasted less than eight weeks from the time the budget was signed. So why should anybody believe having a reserve fund would work now?

He also wants to put a cap on spending. This from a Governor that has increased spending by 44% in five years. He doesn't need a cap on spending mandated by law. All he had to do is provide a budget that did not increase spending. And, if the Democrats increased the spending, he could veto it--which he didn't in any large number.

While some play petty politics, and others play with their power games, the people of California are about to fall into a fiscal abyss, thanks to Sacramento. We are in for tough times.

It is my hope the GOP provides a clean, balanced budget, with no gimmicks, tax, fees or spending.

Then let Ashburn vote on that, let the Democrats vote on that. Then vote on the Democrat/Arnold budget.

Then let the people see who wants to be fiscally responsible? Who do you think is right in this?

Twelve days ago a group calling itself "Moderate Republicans for Jackson (the Democrat candidate for State Senate that could not find a tax increase to oppose in six years in the Assembly) announced their formation.

In the 12 days, so far, a total of two people have signed the petition--Lou Pandolfi and his daughter. Pandolphi was the person who organized the small group of folks to protest Gov. Mitt Romney raising money for Tony Strickland, the GOP candidate for State Senate in the 19th to replace termed out Tom McClintock.

Maybe with my noting of this, the rest of his family will join as well.

It is worth noting the names of some of the the gripers:

People like Judy Mikels, who ran for re-election for the Board of Supervisors, while commuting to Phoenix or Tucson to visit her husband, who was/is and has been for a long time, a resident of Arizona. Mikels is the Board member that refused to let the people of Simi Valley or Moorpark know about the expansion of the Simi landfill, though it would create three times the number of trucks on our streets.

Bob Larkin is another one of the gripers. He ran against Audra Strickland, and ran a very poor race--not much had been heard from him since then,. Oh, he did quit the California Congress of Republicans, an organization of which he was the State Chairman at one point. When it was noted that he endorsed a Democrat, the organization sent out a letter denouncing him and proudly noted they endorse Tony Strickland.

John Lane and Jere Robings are listed as well--and they too ran against a Strickland, Tony.

Then you have Cathie Wright, who is a good friend of mine and a great lady.

But something has gone wrong. During the recent primary she opposed Tom McClintock for Congress and signed on to a letter to the editor strongly criticizing him

Since the organization was posted, nothing more has been heard from them, no one, since day one, signed on as a Member.

The "Republicans" for Jackson group will have their name on Hannah Jackson literature, maybe they will co-write a letter to the editor.

They will support a candidate that loves tax increases, bigger government, an environmentalism that kills jobs and hurts families.

If you are a Republican with a gripe, these folks have the wrong answer.To these people, if you can't beat them, oppose them. Sophomoric politics at its worst.

What do you think?

As i expected yesterday, the Governor is being sued for his decree in laying off thousands and cutting wages to the Federal minimum wage. The SEIU, the union that recruits illegal aliens to join their union (as well as prostitutes in Nevada) has stood up the the Executive Order.

Besides wage violations, they are charging the Governor with failure to give legal notice of a layoff. Seems State and Federal law says that layoffs of over 60 people must have a 90 days legal notice--that did not happen.

The union is going to use expensive attorneys. The Governor will use attorneys that he pays $6.55 an hour, and might be unhappy about the pay cut themselves. Now, the attorneys are being paid the same as janitors.

In the end, the only losers are the people of California. We get to pay the bill. And, if the SEIU wins, we get to pay their attorneys as well.

See the story here.

The State Controller has released a chart showing how many people were laid off today by the Governor.

The chart shows the three categories of employees, the department or agency they work for and the county in which they work.

Ventura County has 411 layoffs, of which 194 are in the Parks and Recreation department. This could affect our fire fighting ability.

To see the chart go here.

Oh, the State Controller made it clear that the grounds the Governor is using, no money, is not true. Controller Chiang said he had enough money to pay the employees through August, then he would issue "RAW's"--Revenue Anticipation Warrants--after that. So, what will the $6.55 per hour attorneys use in the lawsuits to defend the Governors actions?

It is now the 31st day without a California State budget. That is a good thing. That means the $10 billion in tax increases and theft of money from 43 State Trust Funds, has not happened yet.

But we do have progress. Attorneys, doctors and janitor are now getting paid the same, $6.55 per hour--just like Cuba, everyone is equal. You can expect that the Governor and the State of California will be sued. Arnold will have to depend on attorneys being paid $6.55 per hour to defend his actions. You can bet the attorneys representing the unions will be paid more. You can bet the attorneys representing the Federal government for the violation of federal wage laws get paid more.

You can bet that the attorneys for the State of California, suing the Governor for violation of State wage laws, though being paid $6.55 per hour, have a great incentive to beat the Governor.

Over that next day or so, we will know how the Guv's laying off of part time, temporary, workers will affect agencies. The first to report is the DMV. They will lose 1300, people or 15% of their employees.

Regardless, a court has determined that Medical reimbursements can go down 10%. The cuts are beginning. The fiscal health of California is melting down. Unless spending is decreased, we will fall further. But, if I wanted to destroy the State on the "fast track" I would follow Perata and friends into higher taxes, higher fees, more job killing regulations and the theft of money from 43 Trust Funds. Why are we paying into those funds if they were not needed. Is Perata telling us that we are putting too much money into these Trust Funds--that is how it appears.

The Democrats need to finish the budget now, before more incompetence and corruption is exposed.

Here is a very disturbing article about the direction of the Global Warming religion.

In Britain and Canada efforts are underway to force children to turn their parents into government for the "crime" of leaving on a light bulb or washing clothes at the wrong time of day or week.

We already have California government outlawing gas lawn mowers, BBQ's and independent truckers workers at ports. Many products and services have been outlawed by government.

But this, having children turn in their parents, that is what they did in Nazi German.

Read the article, we now know what they are going after next...please do not laugh--the Al Gore sycophants are looking at making refrigerators illegal. I have written for years that Gore and friends are Luddites, this is more evidence.

See the story here.

First to blink and back down on the game of chicken was the ethically challenged Senate Democrat Leader Don Perata. He announced that he would NOT demand a Senate vote on Tuesday on a non existent budget.

That was followed by the announcement by the Guv''s press people that he would NOT sign an Executive Order to cut 22,000 workers and pare back pay to Federal minimum wage for janitors and doctors alike. Now he says he will sign the order on Thursday. Of course, since pay is done by the State Controllers office, the EO has no legal value, but is a nice statement of intent.

Perata was 100% correct. Arnold was only 50% right.

Arnold was right in not killing a tree to sign an Executive Order that can not be enforced, just as his "the end of all deficits" ballot measure Prop. 58 can not be enforced.

He is wrong in not laying off the 22,000 temporary and retired personnel still working for the State government. This also means he is NOT mandating a hard freeze on hiring--which means from July 1 to July 31 the State will gain 1700 NEW employees! From August 1 to August 31 we get another 1700 NEW State employees.

Through all this only the unions and special interests care. In fact, the Guv announced a grant of $37 million to education at the end of last week--not bad for folks who lied about firing 20,000 teachers.

Then you had the BIG lie from the ethically challenged Don Perata. Remember last week Perata announced that he would not take a dime from bond measures to cover the deficit he caused.

Now we know that his version of the budget "borrows" from 43 Trust Funds run by the State. He is using the Trust Funds as slush funds to cover his out of control spending habits. This man needs help. If indicted, maybe he will use diminished capacity as his defense?

Still, it is 28 days without a balanced budget. Dems still want taxes and Reps still want fiscal responsibility. The Perata vote is off, though he still plans on taking money from trust Funds. the Guv, so far, has backed down on cutting wages and jobs.

In the real world the Dodgers are still not consistent, the Lakers are looking good for the new season, roads are packed, prices are high and Sacramento is still operating like a Third World nation. Real people don't pay attention, they are living their lives.

The State Senate is going to "vote" on a budget this Tuesday--of course no budget has been agreed on by the legislative leaders or the Governor. But the ethically challenged Democrat Senate Leader, Don Perata, will hold a vote anyway.

The politicians are continuing their game of chicken. The Democrats demand higher taxes and the Republicans demand a balanced budget.

In all of this the Governor is showing his flair for the dramatic--cutting wages for janitors, doctors and attorneys to minimum wage. He wants to sell or lease the lottery, sell State assets, he is a man of action. The Democrats just want more money and the Republicans just want fiscal responsibility.

Until we feel some pain, until we determine this game must end we will not have a budget. That may be a good thing. A $3 billion budget increase demanded by Perata, along with a $10 billion tax increase will only make things worse. It will make the poor even poorer and the middle class looking for the phone number of U-Haul.

In five years the budget has increased by 44%, do you think that is too much or not enough?

This could be the week the budget is finalized. But at what cost to the families of Ventura County?

It is amazing. Would the Democrats be upset and spend lots of money on congressional hearings if only one illegal alien was found at a meat packing plant?

Yet, 400 were found at one location, working for one firm, they get arrested and will soon be deported. Oh, did I mention that not only did the 400 sneak into the nation, they were also charged with identity theft and Social Security fraud. These are NOT nice people, they are criminals.

Yet, the Democrats are more upset that law enforcement did its job rather than the corruption and criminals acts of the illegal aliens.

This upset the Democrats, from the Ventura Star article, ""This looks and feels like a cattle auction, not a criminal prosecution in the United States," said Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., a former immigration lawyer and chair of the House Judiciary subcommittee on immigration."

She calls a mass collection of law breakers a "cattle call". How ignorant. Instead of congratulating law enforcement on doing a good job, she harasses the leadership of ICE for doing their jobs. Maybe the Democrats should present a bill and put a cap on the number of illegal aliens at one time, in one location that can be found? .

If Lofgren was doing her job she would hold hearing on why the corporation hired so many illegal aliens. She would ask how much do these criminals cost honest Americans. She could question how so many in one location can break so many laws? That would be responsible.

Would the Democrat Congresswoman suggest that only one illegal alien be arrested and that the other 399 be let go because there were too many of them?

Lofgren should be glad that one raid gave us so many illegal aliens.

What I would like to see is an analysis of the cost of the 400 illegal aliens--health care, education welfare, lower wages, housing, etc.

The Democrats prefer open borders and law breakers holding jobs that belong to honest citizens. Do you agree? Or what other excuse would you give for the holding the hearing and calling the raid a "cattle call"?

Earlier tonight more than 150 real people, honest citizens who want to live in a clean and safe community, met in Camarillo.

They have formed a group, Prison Hospital Action Committee, to stop the imposition of a hospital for criminals plopped down about 2000 feet from homes. They have filed for a 501 (c) 4, are in the midst of raising big dollars--$400,000 for a start. And are looking to hire an attorney to file a lawsuit...that is where the money will go.

It was also announced by the leader of the group, Kathi Miller, that the City of Camarillo has hired an environmental consultant, and will allow the consultant to "share" information with them and their attorneys. They have a web site, it is www.phac.org

As many know last week Assemblywoman Strickland, District Attorney Totten and Supervisor Kathy Long met with The Czar, Clark Kelso. Kelso believes he is has the authority to ignore all environmental laws and cam directly take money from the State treasury, without any over site. His predecessor, Robert Sillen, gave medical professionals working in prison hospitals a major pay raise, without a vote of the legislature or approval by an elected official. That pay increase was so much that private facilities started have problems keeping employees. Also, medical people inside government, but not in the prison system, demanded equal pay--hundreds of millions has been lostbyo the taxpayers so far in just that one move by a Prison Czar.

Here is a complete report about the status of the prison from Assemblywoman Audra Strickland.

Note that Kelso truly has little concern for the safety of our county. He is considering forcing local hospitals, yes forcing them, to build special wings to take care of the surgical needs of the criminals. They will be surgically treated in the same hospitals, per the demand of the Czar, that woman will have babies and your children will have their broken limbs fixed.

Please also note that he seems not to have made provisions for hospitals that refuse to build new wings--nor does he seem to have told the hospitals he (I mean the taxpayers) will pay for the new facilities he is going to demand. And, he does not say he would pay for the added law enforcement needed in Ventura County due to the criminals he is bringing here and the families or the criminals, many of them gangsters as well.

Well, read the actions he will take and the powers to destroy a whole country he believes he has, and you will see that the Federal Judge did NOT appoint a "Monitor", he appointed a King...and not a benevolent one.

From Assemblywoman Audra Strickland:

Thank you for taking the time to contact me regarding the possible conversion of the Ventura County Youth Correctional Facility into a maximum-level security medical and mental health prison facility.

As always, it is an honor to represent you in the Assembly.

Sincerely,

Audra Strickland

Unions, so far, have donated a total of $97,000 of the money raised by Hannah Jackson for State Senate. One of the unions, the SEIU,gave $7200 on May 22, 2008.

For those that do not know the union, it is actively recruiting illegal aliens as members. In other words, money donated by the SEIU includes money from dues from the illegal aliens to Hannah Jackson. In this YouTube, it shows an official of SEIU proudly proclaiming the recruitment of illegal aliens into the SEIU.

The SEIU supports drivers licenses for illegal aliens, benefits for them, and jobs. The fact they are openly and aggressively recruiting illegal aliens as members shows the values of this union. Now, this union is donating money to Hannah Jackson.

Do you think she should give the money back and refuse to take any more money from the SEIU? Do you think she should be supportive of businesses or unions that promote the hiring of illegal aliens? Do you think she will openly oppose the SEIU?

State campaign finance laws states that foreign nationals may not donate to candidates for office. Yet, the SEIU is taking dues money from illegal aliens, knowingly. Are part of the dues going to the SEIU political fund? If so, doesn't that show that foreign nationals are therefore donating to political candidates like Hannah Jackson?

What else do we know about the SEIU, the "donor" of $7200 to Jackson?

From a web site, SEIU Exposed you will find this:

SEIU members in Los Angeles were victimized by one of the most appalling cases of union corruption in recent history.

Members saw their money illegally used to support the city council race of Martin Ludlow. Ludlow was sentenced for conspiracy to illegally funnel money from SEIU Local 99 to his campaign and ordered to pay $36,000 in restitution........

In the same scandal, former SEIU head Janett Humprhies collaborated with Ludlow to use union funds to pay the salaries of six union employees working on his campaign.

Other recent scandals include:

* In June 2006, the National Labor Relations Board found that SEIU interfered with the free choice of employees by illegally making promises to wave initiation fees - much like the union accuses employers of making promises to employees during union drives.
* In June 2006, a federal judge ordered SEIU Local 1000 to pay $37,000 as punishment for failing to give members adequate information about how the union was spending employees' agency fees (which are forced payments from employees who do not wish to union members).

Question: Should any candidate that receives funds from the SEIU return the donation? Would you?

If money going to political parties from energy and tobacco companies can be questioned, shouldn't money from the SEIU also be questioned?

One thing drives me crazy about elected officials. Just one.

A issue comes up in the legislature or in the community, you ask them their position. The answer you get is a bunch of "weasel words". They are not sure not, need to consider the totality of the issue, want to hear all sides, not sure of all the facts, need to wait to the final wording before they can say for sure--you get the point.

The prison Czar, Clark Kelso, unelected to anything, not appointed to anything by any California official, has told the people of Camarillo and Ventura County he is going to bring 1500 criminals to our community, and we have no say in this.

Today, Assemblywoman Audra Strickland made her position clear in the Star. The title of the piece leaves no doubt she opposes it, "Prison facility doesn't belong in Camarillo"

Former Senator Cathie Wright was like that as well. She was always willing to be direct, even when she disagreed with you. I was a strong supporter of hers. But on occasion we had differences on public policy. But at least she was honest enough to look you in the eye and tell you, instead of using "weasel words" like many of her colleagues.

Leaders tell you where they stand on issues and concerns. I look forward to other office holders to come out publicly on the prison issue.

Do you want your elected officials to tell you directly, or do are you willing to accept "weasel words"?

Edison did not complain about the darkness, he did something about it.

Ford did not complain about the lack of affordable cars, he did something about it.

Newt Gingrich is not complaining about the high cost of gas, he is telling us how to lower it.

It is currently illegal, per Congress, to get oil from the oil shale in Montana. There is THREE times the amount of oil in the shale of Montana than there is in Saudi Arabia. But Congress says we can't use it.

Brazil just found 80 BILLION barrels of oil off their coast--but it is illegal, per Congress, to get oil from the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic or Pacific--though Cuba is now getting oil off of Florida--where they can drill, but U.S. companies are outlawed from drilling.

See this YouTube showing how gas prices can be lowered, almost over night.

Well, it hit the fan in Sacramento today. Earlier today i wrote about the proposal to take $200 million from early childhood education to cover a portion of the massive deficit.

The Democrat leadership scheme to borrow money from education, transportation and other "trust" funds became public. The leadership, Perata, Bass and company realized it would hit the fan.

First, Senator Don Perata, the most investigated member of the legislation, and Democrat Senate leader, sent out a press release, IMPLYING that borrowing was off the table. But as an article in the Capitol Alert notes, he didn't really take borrowing off the table. All he said was that it would not be a major part of the solution to the deficit. His plan was to borrow about $3 billion. So that is only 20% of the $15 billion deficit.

The article said, "The Perata statement issued Friday, however, did not rule out borrowing finding its way into a final budget. The statement reiterated that the Democrats' priority is to find a more permanent solution to the state's structural budget problems."

Then Democrat Speaker Karen Bass needed to be heard. She too opposed borrowing as the main method of solving the deficit problem.

Even though Perata and Bass killed trees to tell us borrowing is not the best idea to cover their deficit, be careful. Borrowing is STILL on the table. No fund for education, health care, roads or the environment is safe while this legislature is in session.

This is as slow as the Democrats can go. On one hand they are screaming that we are cutting needed services and education opportunities for children because the Republican will not raise taxes (and take away money from families).

Now it is reported that the Democrats want to take money from cities, counties and transportation to cover the budget. But deep in the proposal reported in the LA Times is this:

"Officials involved in the confidential budget negotiations, who agreed to speak on condition of anonymity, said lawmakers also were looking to borrow $200 million voters set aside for early childhood education programs through 1998's Proposition 10."

I expect immediate denunciations of this proposal by Democrat Jack O'Connell, Karen Bass, Don Perata, the PTA, the teachers unions and the complete education establishment. Or do they believe we have too much money being spent on early childhood education?

They can not be pleading for more education funds yet allow this money the people voted for, to be used to cover an out of control Sacramento.

What do you think? Is this a good idea or are those running Sacramento in such trouble they are willing to take money from the education of little children?

Democrat Speaker Karen Bass wants to create a tax on candy--to pay for foster care programs

Democrat Assemblyman Jim Beall wants another tax on beer--to pay for alcoholism programs.

Democrats seem to have determined that targeted taxes is the way to go--and leave the General Fund for generalized spending where they have not figured out a special tax to pay for their special interest programs.

The Governor would like to "lease" the Lottery revenues. Read the fine print, if the revenues do not meet the repayment schedule, then the General Fund must pay This means money meant for education, health care, roads and public safety must be taken off the top to pay the Wall Street bond holders..

Then you have the Prison Czar, Clark Kelso, who believes he has the right to just take $15 billion, off the top, from the State treasury to make criminals more comfortable

In total, the Democrat want $9.6 billion in new taxes to cover the $15.2 billion deficit. Then they want to take money meant for cities and counties, $3 billion worth, and give it to education, then use education money, $3 billion to cover the deficit. Then the Democrats want $2 billion taken from various trust funds to cover the deficit.

And, in an instant, we have the $15.2 billion deficit covered!!! Of course we will have higher taxes, fewer services, cities and counties will either have to raise taxes or cut services...but the Democrats will have covered the deficit, for this year.

Then next year, we start with a $10 billion deficit, how will they cover that?

No, I am not upset the legislators have gone home without a budget.

The families and jobs of California could not afford it, if we DID have a budget.

Now you know why the Auto Club is sending 900 jobs to Arizona, they can not afford the taxes and regulations of California.

California is melting down, and it is not because of Global Warming.

A McDoanlds franchisee, with 11 shops in Nevada has been fined a million dollars for hiring illegal aliens. This is a good warning to other businesses that hire illegal aliens.

Even better the person responsible may go to jail for five years. This should give pause to those who hire illegal aliens.

From the article, "And the former vice president of Mack Associates pleaded guilty to inducing an illegal alien to remain in the United States and faces a possible sentence of up to five years in prison and a 250,000 dollar fine."

This is what it takes, get the employers who knowingly hire illegal aliens.

What do you think?

Escondido, in San Diego County has begun cracking down, again, on illegal aliens.

This is a growing movement by honest citizens in an effort to maintain the Rule of Law. Escondido is working to make sure the conditions for illegal aliens are stopped--loitering, trespassing, supporting illegal aliens by allowing hiring areas and so called "day-labor" centers.

Santa Clarita has a law, created by Assemblyman Cameron Smythe when he was a city council member, that mandates any vendor to the City of Santa Clarita caught hiring illegal aliens automatically loses their city contract.

Costa Mesa checks the residency status of all prisoners.

Looks like the fight against law breakers is coming down to a city by city effort.

We all know areas of communities in Ventura County where illegal aliens hang out, looking for jobs.

The Federal government has a program, E-Verify, that can check on the residency status of potential employees. Do the government agencies in Ventura County use this? They should. Each city and the County should demand, like Santa Clarita, that all vendors show their employees have the legal right to work in the United States or lose their government contracts.

You can also ask your local fast food joint, coffee house or retail store if they use e-Verify.

Government needs to be the role model for its citizens. if government does not verify resident status, why should we expect private businesses? California has possibly 3,000,000 illegal aliens. Hospitals have been closed when they could no longer afford free health care for illegal aliens. Our prisons are over crowded due to approximately 45,000--of the 170,000 prisoners, being illegal aliens.

Escondido is doing its small part--will Simi Valley, Ventura, Oxnard do their part? What do you think? Open the borders or support the Rule of Law?

Let us get real. Clark Kelso wants to put a prison in Camarillo. Yes, the criminals might have an ailment, it is still a prison, for 1500 of society's worst.

The story in the Star today shows a growing opposition to the Kelso Prison

People are organizing in opposition to this being put in our community. On July 24 there will be another meeting at the Sterling Hills Golf Course in Camarillo, 6:30pm. I will be attending to see if this is a real movement.

Please note that so far not a single elected official or candidate has stated their SUPPORT for the Kelso Prison. Nor has any group formed in support of this new prison for 1500 criminals.

If such a group is formed, I will attend their meetings as well.

Since our political leaders need the voice of the people in order for the needs of the community to be met, the size of the opposition is important. Also, politicians understand it when no one comes out in favor of such moves. In politics size does matter.

As we get closer to November, it will be important that we demand every candidate to take a position on the Kelso Prison in Camarillo. Though I am not a candidate for anything, allow me to be clear. Kelso is abusing our tax dollars, creating safety problems for the families of Ventura County and is arrogant. I am opposed to his plan. Are you?

Clark Kelso is the court appointed prison monitor. And, like hallway monitors in school is a sneak, bully and a tattletale--in his case he does not like elected officials telling the truth to their constituents.

Kelso is the man who demanded the legislature give him $7 billion. He also refused to tell them how he was going to spend it. Democrats and Republicans were united, if you are embarrassed to tell us how you will spend $7 billion then we can not give it to you.

Then he demanded the Governor take the money from the State Treasury, and give it to him. The governor said no.

They Kelso sued the State Controller, so he can get the money. The Democrat State Controller said the Treasury has NO money. In fact, it is borrowing money to keep the State afloat.

Now this man is upset that an elected official, Assemblywoman Audra Strickland, told her constituents the "secret" plan. When you are spending billions of tax dollars, without a single elected official or voter approval, there are no secret plans. I am proud of Audra Strickland for speaking out and telling the truth, something Kelso apparently is afraid of hearing. Unlike Kelso she does not believe government should operate in back rooms, with secret deals to spend billions of our dollars.

Now, this guy, without hearings, a vote, decision, signed an agreement to spend $2.5 billion of your money, even though it does not exist.

Tuesday he will finally meet with a few Ventura County elected officials to tell them of his plans. But note in the article in the Star today, he says, "He said he has already talked with local hospital executives who looked favorably upon the idea."

In other words he has told private citizens his plans, but not our elected officials. When Assemblywoman Strickland held a public hearing on this proposal Kelso refused to attend and refused to allow any of his people to attend.

This is a man with a problem. He demands money, he commits to spending money and he decided on massive changes to communities, all by himself. He is either too brilliant for this world or a man in need of help. Sadly, the people of California will pay for his one man band.

What do you think? Should the people of Ventura County have a say in this matter? Should voters and elected officials determine if $7 billion should be spent, or just one man?

The Sacramento Bee, just 30 minutes ago, reported that the GOP nominee for the 19th State Senate seat, received a $595,000 donation from the California Republican Party. This, after he reported raising more than $1,000,000 before June 30.

Most observers believe this may be the first $10 million race in Ventura county history.

It has noted noted by others that Strickland has also built a powerful grassroots operation that has been walking precincts for several months.

Over the coming weeks "Frankly Speaking" will ask the candidates for State Senate their positions on issues important to the people of the 19th. Each candidate will be challenged to give their position on tax increases, budgeting, quality of life, the environment, public safety, illegal aliens. You will get a direct answer or you will get their refusal to answer--in their own words. They will not be allowed a "no-answer answer", they will give their positions.

The donation of $595,000 is a strong statement that Tony Strickland will be well funded. Along with his grass roots efforts, this district should stay in the GOP column.

The Star ran a little story about a gang fight in Ojai--and it might be gang related. It is obvious from the story it IS a gang fight.

Gangs are a serious problem throughout Ventura County. Now they are in Ojai. We do have gang task forces in the County. But is that enough. LA County last week had a gang sweep in the North part of the San Fernando Valley. A couple of days ago law enforcement swept a gang in Compton.

This would be good for our county as well. Weekly sweeps of gangs, make them nervous. Pick them up for talking on their cell pones while driving, lack of seat belt, or suspicion of the latest murder.

It is time to harass the gangs, to stop them from harassing honest citizens.

What do you think is the answer.

Since July 1 it has been illegal to drive while talking on your cell phone, IF you do not use a wireless device.

It is NOT illegal to talk on the phone if you use blutooth or a headset. It is NOT illegal to eat, drink coffee, smoke a cigar, while driving. You can discipline your children while driving and you can dry your nails while driving.

In fact, North Carolina has had this law for a year and has shown no difference in the accident rate.

What this law is really about, as Cuba Gooding would say is , "Follow the money".

A ticket costs $20, to start. In Riverside County the real cost of a first ticket is $76 and a second is $190.

Plus Blutooth has government forcing people to buy its product and pay sales tax. This is a win-win for government revenues and a lose for honesty in government.

Some might know that the money spent on recycling of bottles is actually a slush fund for the State to cover up a portion of the deficit or pay for programs." to do bad things to the public. Usually these bad things cost us money.

Why didn't the State tell us that they wanted the ticket money to cover State and local programs, instead of claiming this was a good government move?

A couple of years ago we were told we needed to raise the cost of recycling each bottle, for recycling. Instead, so far $350 million, and growing, has been used for other purposes, like covering up a deficit.

It appears that a major goal of Sacramento was not your safety, but to make money for government to spend.

Left or right, Republican, Decline to State or Democrat, does anybody truly trust government? Does anybody really believe government has your best interests in mind?

Government gives us "good reasons" for its actions. Too bad they are not always honest reasons.

The state of California has a policy, demanding local communities not to build homes without adding "affordable" housing. In most cases, affordable housing becomes ghettos and slums--just look at Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and other government mandated housing.

There are three side affects to government mandated "affordable housing".

1. Property tax revenues do not go up as expected, hence money to finance needed services like fire protection, schools and public safety go down. In other words taxes must go up to make up for the lost revenues.

2. Areas of affordable housing have higher social and government costs. More crime, more needed governemnt services, more drugs, more health care problems.

3. By creating "affordable housing" by government mandate, the cost of non-covered housing goes up, making the rest of the community poorer.

The City of Santa Paul is now being harassed into poverty, by the State of California. Should the City Council, or the people by a vote, promote "affordable housing, they need to know they are promoting higher housing costs for themselves and their children, more crime and higher taxes (or less services)

As my Economics I teacher taught, "Government is the leak in the economic garden hose."

Government does not produce, it consumes. In this case it will consume more of your hard earned money to make up for the revenues it is losing and the cost of the higher amount of services needed by its policy.

At some point local government needs to say to the State, "you provide us with the lost revenues, you provide real home buyers or apartment renters with a credit for the higher costs you cause, BEFORE we implement your policies. You broke it, you pay for it".

In the end, we as voters are responsible for costly State policies. We vote for legislators that vote for such costly policies--on the basis of "we need to do something". Well intentioned, but harmful to the community.

Santa Paula is just the latest victim of liberalism of Sacramento.

What do you think?

There is more than one way for the State of California to take money from hard working families. It can raise taxes and fees on the State level. It can also cut back funding on mandated programs and force cities and counties to raise taxes for their residents.

For the State of California and the out of control Democrats running Sacramento, this is the best answer. Get others to do your dirty work. Then the Sacto Democrats will not have to take responsibility for the increases.

In the last couple of years the State has paid over $1,000,000,000 in fines to the Feds for incompetent and illegal management of Federal tax dollars. The voters passed a bond issue for affordable housing but is planning to give a billionaire in downtown LA tens of millions of dollars for a condo project for the very rich.

LAUSD knowingly builds one high school for $400 million, on top of a cancer producing methane field and another high school, for the arts for $260 million--this is downtown LA, which means the 1,000 students will be forced to drive or use government transportation to attend.

Note that the money given by the State to LAUSD should have gone to local districts, like Simi, Ojai, Ventura. Our children are being shortchanged by the corruption and incompetence of LAUSD.

In 2006 the voters agreed to a water bond. Yet the "leaders" in the Capitol voted to use part of the money to build motels in Lake Tahoe and an aquarium in Fresno.

State government has more than enough money. It is the incompetence and corruption of the system that is the problem.

The more money you give government, the more it has to play with. In five years the State budget has grown by 40%. Think you got your monies worth?

Enough said.

In the face of all this the city councils of Oxnard and Port Hueneme have decided to put increased sales taxes on the November 4th ballot. Instead, the city councils should be demanding the money owed to them by the State. They should be screaming to their citizens that Sacramento is wasting their money, abusing the families and businesses of the community.

Government has enough money, at all levels. What it has is a deficit of honesty, common sense and priorities. We give them bond money and they abuse it. The taxpayers give it money for education and the State allows LAUSD to waste it.

We have an important State Senate race in November. One candidate, Tony Strickland, as an Assembly member, consistently voted for tax cuts, honesty in government and limiting the spending of the State. He opposed deficit spending.

The Democrat candidate, Hannah Beth Jackson, was also consistent. She always voted for tax increases, more government spending and believed that government, not people can solve the problems of the community. She promoted deficit spending.

This is as clear cut an election as we have had. This election will decide whether the people of the 19th Senate District support bigger government, higher taxes and less money for families or do they believe they can make decisions for themselves?

As the voters of Oxnard and Port Hueneme vote in November, they need to think about the next time government runs out of money. Will the city councils ask for more money from families or demand more responsibility from State government?

One way to cause the value of housing to go up is to limit the supply of housing. Hence, existing housing will have more people going after fewer homes. That is basic Economics I, a class that radicals seldom take. They prefer emotion and ideology to the needs of families and community.

The Star ran a story today noting that the anti-freedom initiative to limit housing has qualified for the November ballot.

By limiting housing, communities also limit families for schools (declining enrollment), have higher housing costs (meaning fewer children in schools) and limits sales tax revenues for the community.

All in all, artificial limits on housing supply is a bad idea. Hurts families, jobs, city revenues.

The people of Fillmore will have a chance in November to close their town, in a small step. In the end, these laws, which raise housing costs, squeeze out the middle class. Just look at San Francisco.,

Totalitarian nations tell people where they are allowed to live. By raising the cost of housing Fillmore will be telling future residents be rich or don't bother looking.

The free market sets prices based on need. Housing limits set prices based on greed of those already in a community. The only winners are those that already own homes in Fillmore. The value of their homes, over time, will grow. Of course, at some point the costs will be so high their children will be forced to live elsewhere..

Artificial limits harm everybody. But Luddites do not care. They want their way and throw a tantrum if they do not get it.

Now the people of Fillmore have a chance to tell the Luddites and ideologues they prefer freedom to raising housing costs.

Come November we will know if a majority of Fillmore residents passed Economic I.

What do you think?

The State of California has a contract to reimburse Planned Parenthood for giving out birth control pills.

But, it seems that Planned Parenthood overcharged the taxpayers by a possible $180 million.

From the article in LifeNews:

"A former Planned Parenthood official has filed a lawsuit against affiliates in California saying they overcharged the state hundreds of millions of dollars on birth control. P. Victor Gonzalez says the abortion business fired him because he raised concerns about the illegal practices.

Gonzalez says his own internal audit estimates that Planned parenthood overcharged California taxpayers for purchasing birth control by at least $180 million.

He was the vice president of finance and administration for Planned Parenthood of Los Angles and, according to a Los Angeles Times report, the overbilling began in the late 1990s."

Even the LA Times found Planned Parenthood had violated the terms of its contract with the State of California. "However, altering the statute didn't address the billing practices prior to it and the Times says a 2003 state audit found at least $5.2 million in overbilling in 2003 alone from just one of the nine California Planned Parenthood affiliates."

What did Assemblywoman HB Jackson do? Did she demand the State fully audit the accounts? Did she demand that the contract of Planned Parenthood be ended? Did Jackson demand that those responsible be sent to jail?

No, she sponsored legislation to ALLOW the over billing. Even that of course did not change the fact that for years Planned Parenthood had overcharged the people of California.

The Left believes that if a defense contractor overcharges, the firm should not be allowed contracts with government and people should go to jail. Not Jackson, she worked to legalize the over billing.

Planned Parenthood, in its defense, said it was confused. "However, the Times says state officials now say Planned Parenthood was given conflicting information on billing practices. They say Planned Parenthood does not need to repay the millions it overcharged state taxpayers."

In other words, "State Officials" are giving a donation of your tax dollars to this organization.

If it was "confused", that is understandable and they should give the money back. They haven't. Instead they had HB Jackson sponsor legislation to allow the over billing.

Were it me, I would accept the explanation of Planned Parenthood, and a check for the over billing. I would NOT sponsor legislation legalizing the over billing. Would you?

Do you want the money back? Do you question the whole process? Read the article. Then write a comment if you agree that the money should be returned or that Jackson was right in supporting the over billing.

Sadly, the special interests have a lot of control over the legislature. This is just one example.

Numerous news stories and editorials have commented on this weeks Supreme Court decision on Second Amendment rights.

Many of the stories made it appear as if these were NEW rights foisted upon Americans.

Actually, the Second Amendment has been the law, including individual rights to "keep and bear arms" since 1791. Over the past 20 years radical, out of control cities, like Chicago, D.C. and San Francisco have been outlawing th Second Amendment. Honest people in D.C. challenged the abuse of power by the local government, sued and the Supreme Court reminded city officials they can not violate the Constitution of the United States.

But the Star, in its editorial on June 28, "Sights set on handgun bans Court paves way for lawsuits" made the same mistakes as other media.

The editorial states, "Owning a gun for self-defense is now a right on a level with the other guarantees in the Bill of Rights."

It has always been a right, just that cities have tried to take away this right, and honest folks have sued to have it returned.

This is a very important decision for all Americans. No longer can government abuse our rights without lawsuits. No longer can government say honest people are not allowed to defend themselves against criminals.

This decision will open the floodgates against other abusive laws, nation wide. Protectors of freedom will see this as an opportunity to return free speech, religious and private property rights to all Americans.

My belief is that this will re-start the movement to make "carry" permits as easy to get as a drivers license. In a free society it is the criminals that should be nervous, not honest citizens.

What do you think? If this Constitutional right can be protected, should others be as well?

Thanks to our nations Founders, this right to keep and bear arms has existed since 1791, not Tuesday.

On Tuesday the Star ran a story about how the Board of Supervisors is thinking of canceling the shuttle bus for visitors to the Juvenile Center (jail) in El Rio. The actual cost, based on usage, is $125-156 per passenger. That, after an original start up cost of $450,000. That is money taken from the hard working families of our County. The money could have been used for public safety, health care or schools. Instead, it was used to make it easier for families to visit criminals in a jail.

In fact, it would be cheaper to have a cab take the 4-5 people per day to the jail. Much cheaper.

With that I challenge my readers in Simi Valley, and the rest of the County to look at the buses running around the streets, causing pollution. You will note, that except when school is in regular session, before and after school, are the only times government buses have any significant ridership in this County. All government bus systems are heavily subsidized (meaning your tax dollars) to keep them going.

During the day, these massively large buses usually have one or two people on the bus. This is a major cost to the taxpayers and an addition to the carbon problem facing us. Would it not be better to hire cabs for the few who use the buses and get the school districts to pay to get the students to the schools?

It is time we reevaluated government transit and its costs--financially and to the environment.

End the tax subsidies to the buses and they will go broke in a few days. Instead, the people of Ventura County are going broke propping up the government bus system.

Count the riders on the buses, then tell your city council we need a new answer to move people--maybe a free market approach?

What do you think? Are there other areas of government that are wasted?

Several years ago Governor Gray Davis had a problem with the State prison system. A lawsuit was filed in the Federal courts. Instead of fighting the effort, he gave in. He turned our prisons over to a Federal Judge.

Remember it was Gray Davis who stopped the State from defending Prop. 187, the effort to control illegal aliens. As Governor it was his responsibility to defend the ballot measures that passed, he refused.

Then we had the energy crisis. Remember it took a lawsuit, by Assemblyman Tony Strickland, to find out the terrible terms Davis had agreed to in order to have energy in the State. Davis was so embarrassed by his actions he had to hide them till a court ordered them to be made public.

Today, Californians are suffering from the Davis decision to turn our prisons over to a Federal Judge and his Czar. This will cost us between $15-30 billion, based on the financing method.

Worse, the people of Ventura County are about to be punished by the Czar.

The name of the man is Clark Kelso, he used to work for both Davis and Arnold.

Kelso has demanded that the legislature give him $7 billion. They refused because he refused to tell them how he was going to spend the money. He also refused to allow any over site.

Then Kelso demanded that the Governor take the money and give it to him. The Governor said no.

Now Kelso is suing the State Controller, in an effort to take up to $7 billion from the State accounts. This while the State has a $15 billion deficit and will run a larger one next year. This money Kelso wants to take will have to be taken the elderly, schools, roads and public safety. Since the money does not exist, the State will either have to cut other programs or raise taxes--in the middle of a massive increase in unemployment, foreclosures and the middle class fleeing the State.

Clark Kelso is a one man band, Early last week folks in Sacramento wanted to meet with him, and he refused to attend.

Assemblywoman Audra Strickland held a public hearing in Camarillo last week. He refused to attend and refused to allow any of his staff to attend

He is demanding the right to build a 1500 bed in Camarillo. If you or I wanted to build a 1500 bed hotel or hospital in the area, we would need hearings, permits and studies. Instead Kelso is not talking to anybody and plans to start building next year.

To build such a large facility would easily violate State and Federal environmental laws--laws that would put us in jail and paying having fines.

The worse part of this is that this facility will cause the closing of local businesses and the loss of many new jobs in the County. You ask why?

Under the provisions of AB 32, each county has till 2012 to provide a plan to lower carbon in the air.

So, if you create a facility that has 6500 people, with all the cars going and coming, the County will have to cut businesses to meet the requirements.

Then you have the cost of moving the current facility and patients--how much will that cost? Will Kelso only give construction contracts to unions--will he discriminate against non-union firms and workers?

What about the security around the hospital--this is really a prison, just 2,000 feet from homes and schools. How will this affect the property values in Camarillo? We know the answer, they will drop.

Through all this Kelso gives no answers. He claims he will tell the community about his plans in 30-45 days. So what? Regardless of our concerns, he will do what he wants. He has just one boss, a Federal Judge.

My guess is that lawsuits will be filed, people will organize against the effort. If this is to be stopped we will need to take action locally, like starting a petition. We need to overwhelm him when he finally holds a meeting in Ventura County.

We must also support the legislature and the Governor in their efforts to keep the door to our tax dollars closed to this man.

Clark Kelso refuses to answer questions from legislators or the people.

Clark Kelso is openly trying to violate our environmental laws.

Clark Kelso is trying to make Ventura count unsafe.

It is time to take back our prisons.

What do you think should be done?

Please note the patch on the shoulder of the Oxnard Fire Department employee on the right. It is an Oxnard fire Department patch. Here is the law:

1. Political activity

Distribution by sheriff's department personnel of postcards opposing chief justice's reelection qualified as "political activity," within meaning of §§ 3201 and 3206 prohibiting officers from engaging in any political activity while in uniform and using public funds to promote partisan position, even though chief justice had not yet declared candidacy for reelection. California Common Cause v. Duffy (App. 4 Dist. 1987) 246 Cal.Rptr. 285, 200 Cal.App.3d 730. Elections 311.2(1)

Local peace officers may not wear their official uniforms while privately employed as private investigators, private patrol operators or repossessors, except that in other private employment situations, the official uniform may be worn only if wearing it involves no conflict of interests, unlawful misrepresentations or other violations of law. 65 Op.Atty.Gen. 631, 12-30-82.

West's Ann. Cal. Gov. Code § 3206, CA GOVT § 3206

In other words, this appears to be a violation of the California Government Code by Hannah Beth Jackson and the firefighter. This photo can be found at her political web site.

This is not the first time that Hannah Beth has been involved in a law violation. While an Assembly member she passed legislation that allowed a private group to get away with over charging the State. More about that in a few days.

The question now is how soon will she take down the photo? How soon will the proper authorities open up an investigation?

Will she fire her web master for this violation? Frankly Speaking, she needs to speak up and take action.

Tomorrow we will look at the effort to create a 1500 bed criminal facility in Camarillo by the prison czar, Clark Kelso. This is the man who refused to attend or send a representative to a town hall forum organized by Assemblywoman Audra Strickland to discuss his plans.

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Steve Frank, a 20 year resident of Simi Valley. Also, since 1960 I have been actively involved in politics and policy.

I started my political activities by walking precincts for Richard Nixon in 1960. I co-created, with Bob Dornan, the POW/MIA bracelet and worked seven years, full time, on behalf of these men.

I led the battle to stop Wal Mart from going in where a regional mall was to go, won that battle and now Simi Valley has both a great Town Center and a Wal Mart.

I am a partisan Republican but my principles are both conservative and libertarian.

We need to cut the state budget and taxes, not increase them. Making prisoners comfortable, unlike Democrats, is not on my agenda. Law breakers need to be punished, not given benefits, Day Labor Centers or sympathy. It demeans honest people that come to our country.

Currently I am a political consultant, and if I report or note anything about an issue involving a client, I will give it full disclosure.

As we go along this journey, I will incorporate my daily life and activities into this blog. My observations will be based on my principles as well as the many people I meet during the week around the State. I do a fair number of radio talk show interviews, last week I was on radio in Santa Maria on the Andy Caldwell show and in Monterey on the Mark Carbonaro show. Each was a discussion of the State budget.

The purpose of this blog will be to discuss politics and policy that affects Ventura County. I have other blogs that discuss state and nation issues.

I believe that the new technology creates interaction. Newspapers and TV news shows are one way, a lecture--telling you what you what to know. Blogs and the Internet allow you to interact, to discussion, agree and disagree.

All I ask is that discussions be civil and respectful, no foul language or name calling.

Feel free to ask me any question about policy and politics, any predictions about elections or legislation.

We will be starting with a discussion later today about a candidate for office that does not believe following the law is needed. I will show a law this candidate has violated and maybe will get an honest government employee in trouble.

Then, tomorrow I will discuss how a court appointed czar is about to steal $7 billion from California taxpayers, violate numerous State and federal laws, all with your money.

This will be fun. Welcome aboard Frankly Speaking.

Steve Frank