Columns
Back to homepageWatching The Schlackman
NOV. 22, 2010 Contrary to popular belief, spending a couple hours in a hearing room listening to 20 political consultants, analysts and bureaucrats talk about something called “The Political Reform Act” isn’t my favorite way to spend afternoon. But, truth
Read MoreGroping Toward Tyranny
NOV. 22, 2010 The Transportation Security Administration knows with 100 percent certainty that John Tyner, the 31-year-old Oceanside man who refused to submit to one of those embarrassing body scans or be searched by TSA groin-grabbers during his recent attempt
Read MoreObscuring Truth About Prop. 23's Backers
NOV. 18, 2010 In the Sacramento Bee Sunday Nov. 14, there were five different stories about climate change, including stories about the recently defeated Proposition 23, California’s global warming law (AB32), which Prop. 23 sought to suspend until the state’s
Read MoreFPPC Not Totally Wed To Gift Bans
NOV. 15, 2010 The traditional start of the Christmas shopping season is just around the corner, so I guess it makes sense that the state Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) has decided to redo some of its gift-related regulations. Unfortunately,
Read MoreBigger Not Better With Government
NOV. 15, 2010 As government costs soar, and revenue remains low because of the poor economy, some politicians and academics are trotting out an old idea that promises to increase efficiency and save money. It’s called municipal consolidation. In their
Read MoreUnion Candidate Quiz Ignored Ed Issues
NOV. 15, 2010 I used to think school boards were about schools, and the kids they are charged with educating. At one time this was the case. But today, the majority of school board positions appear to be union labor
Read MoreState GOP Now Irrelevant
NOV. 8 Republicans have been amused by President Barack Obama’s thick-headed response to the Democratic Party’s electoral defeat. Despite near-historic gains for the GOP in the House of Representatives and significant GOP gains in the Senate and statehouses, Obama refused
Read MoreUnlikely Activists Against Rail
NOV. 5, 2010 Elizabeth Alexis and Nadia Naik were lost. Their arms wrapped around folders and laptop computers, they were trying to find Room 447 in the state Capitol. That particular room is in the “old” wing of the Capitol,
Read MoreIs California Ungovernable?
NOV. 3, 2010 I jokingly referred earlier in the week to Meg Whitman’s campaign as the worst campaign ever. Now I’m not joking. And while I am sure it’s not the worst ever, it was really bad. Running against former
Read More25: Scariest Prop On The Ballot
NOV. 1, 2010 While the rest of the nation is about to enjoy a much-needed corrective to President Barack Obama’s big-government fright fest, Californians can expect election results that range from disappointing to depressing. Perhaps it’s fitting that Election Day
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