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