Blog

Good news, bad news for chameleon San Diego politician Nathan Fletcher

A new poll released Sunday has both good news and bad news for San Diego mayoral candidate Nathan Fletcher, the 21st-century Sammy Glick who went from union-scorning Republican to above-it-all noble independent to union-embracing Democrat from March 2012 to May 2013.

Mr. Arena named to Obama’s new climate change council

Katy Grimes November 3, 2013

Through another executive order, President Barack Obama has created a new environmental council that’s sure to expand government’s role in how Americans use their own property and land, water and even energy sources. A prominent California mayor is going to be

Awful failure of CA inspectors points to public-private competence gap

Chris Reed November 3, 2013

A nightmarish story out of the Bay Area offers fresh evidence of the enormous gap in competence between the private and public sectors. This is from the San Francisco Chronicle: “The owner of the Castro Valley care home where residents

Younger Calderon authored movie biz bills

Katy Grimes November 2, 2013

It appears state Sen. Ron Calderon, under investigation by the FBI for allegedly taking bribes, isn’t the only Calderon interested in the movie business. Freshman Assemblyman Ian Calderon, D-Whittier, authored two bills in 2013, AB 344 and AB 533, involving the

UC president’s first speech shows doubts about her were warranted

Chris Reed November 2, 2013

In July, when the University of California Board of Regents announced the selection of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano as the new UC system president, regents could not have been more pleased with themselves. They wanted a high-profile president and

Nathan Fletcher channels Nixon press secretary in disowning his own bogus claim

Chris Reed November 1, 2013

If you’re a candidate whose authenticity is open to question because of extreme, always self-serving shifts in your views, you really, really, really don’t want to be caught in an, er, obvious fib. So one would think that union-bashing Republican

Fracking: California should learn from Britain’s change of course

Chris Reed November 1, 2013

When it comes to green propaganda about hydraulic fracturing, it’s been a dead heat between New York state and Western Europe as to where the alarmists had the most clout. Mostly because of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s dithering and pandering, nothing

Farm workers win right to vote on UFW decertification… sort of

Katy Grimes October 31, 2013

UPDATE: Nov. 1, 2013: Late yesterday Visalia ALRB Regional Director Silas Shawver announced his decision to block the decertification election at Gerawan Farming. The workers have asked twice for an election. Both times Shawver sided with the UFW and against the workers,

The entitlement society Halloween

Katy Grimes October 31, 2013

Perhaps because of my Gaelic Irish and Welsh heritage, I’ve always loved Halloween. Traditions from the old Celtic countries Wales, Brittany, Ireland, Cornwall, and the Isle of Man, influenced today’s Halloween customs. But today’s Halloween is a wee bit different

In reform showdown, who does Obama administration target? Disabled CA students

Chris Reed October 31, 2013

During the budget theater of recent months, the Obama administration’s ruthless determination to make cuts hurt the public was on display over and over again. Cancel a beloved air show that actually makes money? Sure. Deny death benefits to famiiles