a running commentary by our trusted california contributors...

[For National Issues Blogging at theOneRepublic's Blog tOR Blog]

[5/31/05 Monday]

[Ken Masugi - Local Liberty Blog - Claremont Institute] 12:01 am [link]
California Assembly Bookburning Bill 756 The California Assembly would ban K-12 "instructional materials" of more than 200 pages (Jim Sanders, Sacbee). (There is already a textbook weight limiting provision.) "AB 756 was approved by a vote of 42-28, with most Republicans opposing the measure." The bill would exclude The Federalist Papers, the Bible, the Lincoln-Douglas debates, innumerable classic novels, just for starters. What next? Vocabulary limits? Pictures/page required ratios? The teachers protesting the Governor now have more deserving targets. Assembly member Jackie Goldberg is its sponsor.
Text, legislative history; it's now in the Senate.

Following the Sacbee report, other reports on this bill have referred to its "textbook" restrictions in length, while the bill's text refers more broadly to "instructional materials." Thus, books of American political or historical documents, short stories, poems, or memoirs more than 200 pages in length would be forbidden. The number of books that could not be purchased by the California public schools would be rather impressive: Frederick Douglass's Autobiography, virtually any classic novel one can think of, and any book by Winston Churchill and any other great history.

The dog that didn't bark:

No position on AB 756 has been taken by Jack O'Connell, state superintendent of public instruction, or by education groups ranging from the California Teachers Association to the California School Boards Association.

Yet another act of statesmanship by Jack O'Connell. This cowardice certainly justifies the Governor's branding of him as one of Sacramento's "three stooges." See also Dan Walters' criticism here.

Brian Janiskee and I have written a book on California politics which is intended for use as a university-level textbook. It is 174 pp. long, so advanced high school courses might still adopt it, under the Goldberg regime. Unfortunately, our book bears an endorsement from National Review, which will put it on the Verboten list. Our other book on California, a collection of articles on the constitutional history and current politics of the State, approaches 400 pages, so it would be out. [visit Local Liberty Blog]

[5/27/05 Friday]

[Frank Pastore - radio talk show host]12:35 am [link]
Carl's Jr: Be Careful what you wish for From Monday’s Los Angeles Times,

Claudia Caplan, chief marketing officer for Mendelsohn Zein Advertising in Los Angeles, said the agency designed the commercial to play off Hilton's notoriety and grab the attention of Carl's Jr.'s target demographic of 18-to-34-year-old men.

“Look, we're never going to have McDonald's advertising budget or Burger King's budget," Caplan said. "Whatever we do has to have an effect that is multiplied over several platforms. It needs to be more than just a television commercial.”

OK. That makes my decision easy.

I’m male, but I’m not 18-34, so I guess Carls Jr. doesn’t want my money.

Nor the money of my wife, my daughter, my church, and all my friends and neighbors.

I’ll be sure to let my radio audience know as well. Thanks.

By the way, Mendelsohn, you guys did the mechanical bull commercial for Carls Jr. too. Do you do anything other than porn? [go to Pastore's Blog]

[5/26/05 Thursday]

[Eric Hogue - radio talk show host KTKZ - Sacramento] 12:05 am [link]
Raise Conflicts with 'Living Within Your Means' I believe it is a mistake for any Republican legislator to embrace the raises being offered by the  Citizens Compensation Commission. It creates a major contradiction with the current budget impasse, as well as the "Live Within Your Means" initiative that has been placed on the ballot for the 'possible' November election.

Today I started a 'roll call' of the Republican leadership in the "Belly of the Beast", asking who is going to accept the raise and who is going to turn the raise down for the time being. As it stands right now, I've only found ONE Republican legislator who has said no to the 12% pay raise.

Congratulations to State Senator Jeff Denham of (R - Merced), this morning on my show he openly declined the raise at this time.

To clarify, I'm not against the election officials getting a raise, but not at this time - not until we have a balanced (determined) budget and a reliable revenue program. The GOP members should hold a press conference and decline the increase, relate it to the 'people of the state', and the current budget...and make an example out of the Democrats and their hungry union minions.

A reminder,   Governor Schwarzenegger does NOT take a salary - he works for free!

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger criticized the raises Wednesday, blaming lawmakers for the state's budget shortfalls.

"They have spent all of that money and they went and created a $22 billion debt," he told a California Chamber of Commerce breakfast audience. "And they continue to spend more than we have. And they have chased businesses out of the state and jobs out of the state. They took the economy right down into the toilet and almost made the state go into bankruptcy."

"Yes, they deserve a raise! That's fair!" he said, drawing laughs from the crowd. "Under any normal circumstances, they would be fighting to keep their jobs, and keep their salaries."

I'll be offering additional names of those who are NOT going to accept the increase, return for updates. My goal is not to embarrass any Republican, but to highlight those who have refused the 'easy increase' for the sake of the state and the direction of the party. [Hogue Blog - email: onair@ktkz.com]

[5/25/05 Wednesday]

[Eric Hogue - radio talk show host KTKZ - Sacramento] 12:02 am [link]
Sacramento's Eric Hogue is a racist... I'm walking off a family meal at Border's Books Saturday night, as my two girls are looking for Star Wars books and Tammy is collecting class assignment material for her students, I decided to look in the "New Books Section". There, I stumbled upon a 'new' book referencing Arnold Schwarzenegger and the recall.

As I turned the pages - I read my name - and I discovered that I was a racist, and that the recall was fueled by racism!

It's the most recent book about the "Davis Recall", and my family won't let it go that I've been called a "racist" by the author, Gary Indiana. It made for a fun weekend. 

The book is entitled, "Schwarzenegger Syndrome, Politics and Celebrity in the Age of Contempt" by Gary Indiana, a very liberal cultural commentator.

On pages 72-73, Indiana target's the talk hosts who propelled the recall of 2003, and in so doing mentions the correct scenario of the 'birth of the recall' with Ted Costa on 1380 KTKZ - the fourth book to do such in the past two years.

Indiana writes...

The state's budget deficit was a standard theme, its amount invariably inflated from the "out-year problem" of $8 billion left out of that year's balanced budget to $38 billion. Meanwhile, the average family home had appreciated by $100,000 in 2003. Unemployment was well short of the national average.

Pro-recall radio hosts - an overwhelming majority - fueled this manufactured anger of the well-off with specter of illegal immigrants obtaining driver's license and the reality of a 2 percent increase in vehicles registration fees mandated by legislation passed by Gray Davis' predecessor, Republican Pete Wilson.

The racist tone of Sacramento's Eric Hogue and San Diego's Roger Hedgecock was unmistakable, and only slightly more rabid than that of dozens of other radio drones..."

Isn't it interesting that Indiana re-creates the recall as a racist movement against immigrants and a myopic outrage over the vehicle registration fees.

Historical facts tell you that immigration was NOT a player within the recall's birth, Davis signed the legislation (SB60) allowing illegals to gain driver's license to save his hide from sinking support - Davis thought the law would build his liberal voting base, and grow turnout in the face of a certain election defeat.

The vehicle registration fees (VLF) were hiked by Davis to cover his "mismanagement" of the 'dot-com' boom, then spending bust administration and budget...not to mention the energy crisis the state was experiencing during the summers of 2002 and 2003.

Nothing like a radical liberal to re-create history, attempting to label the "Recall of Gray Davis" nothing but a 'racist ploy' fueled by talk radio.

Many people have asked me to write a book about the recall, reading trash like this has me in the frame of mind to do so...stay tuned, I may publish my blog pages from the journey - anyone know a cheap publisher?

Footnote: This is the third book on the recall to mention"News Talk 1380 KTKZ" and the Hogue Show as the origin/conception of the recall... [Hogue Blog - email: onair@ktkz.com]

[5/24/05 Tuesday]

[Ken Masugi - Local Liberty Blog - Claremont Institute] 12:05 am [link]
Skelton on the Border Patrol: What's Going On? When a stalwart defender of Sacramento insider ways such as George Skelton finds acceptable assemblyman Ray Haynes’ California Border Patrol initiative proposal, something is up. This is the establishment’s attempt to co-opt an idea that could send it tumbling, just as the illegal immigration issue might do nationally. But if this idea appears to be gaining such acceptability, why doesn’t the legislative branch simply enact it into law? Once legislators record votes, citizens can assess their acceptability for future service. Direct democracy has, on balance, favored conservative policies. But by excluding these issues (typically regarded as “hot-button”) from the legislature, these successes have not produced more conservative legislators in Sacramento. That is the underlying, principled difficulty with initiative politics—forget the financing issues, and so on. Forcing votes on controversial issues that legislators must live with could have more of a realigning effect than reapportionment. Initiatives allow legislators to escape responsibility and ultimately accountability to the voters. [visit Local Liberty Blog]

[5/23/05 Monday]

[Ken Masugi - Local Liberty Blog - Claremont Institute] 12:01 am [link]
Perestroika on the LAT Editorial Page? The LAT editorial page announces “the first of an occasional series in which members of the editorial board voice their disagreement with the official position of the newspaper.” Patterico covers the content of this particular editorial, which dissents from the paper’s official position of opposing all filibusters. This innovation, together with changes on the editorial staff (LA Observed), should produce more interesting editorials. Having the opportunity to dissent should produce some sharper edges all around.

It appears as though most of the former editorial writers are going back into news or into features. [visit Local Liberty Blog]

[5/20/05 Friday]

[Bill Leonard, contributor, Member CA Board of Equalization] 12:03 am [link]
Public Relations Evolution Last week I mentioned Assemblyman Ray Haynes’ proposal to create the California Border Police. As the measure begins receiving media attention and public scrutiny, I have been fascinated about the opposition’s reaction. Previous attempts to combat-- indeed, even discuss-- illegal immigration have resulted in outraged reactions and calls of racism. Yet, no one called Assemblyman Haynes any bad names last week, which is a good thing. Instead, the usually angry opposition raised questions of constitutionality and expressed caution over the fiscal impact of creating a new state agency in a calm manner. Those who support illegal immigration are figuring out that the public does not buy the charge that someone is a racist because they are concerned about the impacts of illegal immigration. That should be an area of concern for those of us who would like to reclaim our borders. The PR battle will be different this time. It is hard to believe that the liberals would back down from this confrontation even with the public on the side of Ray Haynes. [Leonard Letter]

[5/19/05 Thursday]

[Ken Masugi - Local Liberty Blog - Claremont Institute] 12:01 am [link]
LA Times' Martinez Tergiversates I happened to catch LA Times Editorial Page Editor Antonio Martinez’s recent radio interview, which he rehashed in his column yesterday, “We’re Partners in This Crime.” A caller asked him, as Martinez repeatedly ducked, whether illegal immigrants are criminals. His retake is an interesting one: He blamed Vicente Fox, President Bush, and, principally, employers, in wanting “to address the other half of the equation.” It is as though he questioned his own correct (but politically incorrect) instincts on the issue. But this attempt to absolve illegals of their guilt by making us all guilty is a formula for inaction.

It may horrify him, but Martinez appears to be moving to the camp of Victor Davis Hanson. But Hanson argues for aggressive measures, involving a dramatic change of cultural attitude and tough law enforcement. Will Martinez follow him there? [visit Local Liberty Blog]

[5/18/05 Wednesday]

[Hugh Hewitt - senior columnist] 12:03 am [link]
The LA Election: Here's what I sent the Los Angeles Times "Blogging The Mayor's Election" blog in mid-afternoon, and again at 7:30. Finally posted at 8:54 pm.  Which tells you all you need to know about the Los Angeles Times' ability to be nimble and adaptive:

"The three reasons I am pleased Antonio will win:

Listeners to my radio show know I have been plugging Antonio since the primary, and plugged him during the primary along with Bernard Parks. I plugged Antonio four years ago as well. My conservative pals are shocked. Here's the quick summary of reasons.

First, he's a good man --a genuinely nice guy who will do his best to do good by the city and all its various constituents. Good stuff in a mayor. He's wrong on most policy matters, but so is Hahn. So are all Democrats for that matter. At least Antonio is a pleasure to be around even as he's mucking up the details of public policy. And if a "very bad thing" happened in Los Angeles like it did in New York, he'd walk towards the scene, like Rudy did on 9/11.  Heart matters in politics, and Antonio has a lot of it.

Second, the world's entertainment center deserves an exuberant, charismatic  salesman at the top, not a deputy director for information systems at the Department of Transportation. Jimmy Hahn's a nice guy with the energy of most flashlights left in drawers years ago. I was calling him Jimmy Yawn on Life & Times  a half dozen years ago. Lack of charisma isn't a character defect, but it is also not a qualification to generate convention business and industry relocation.

Finally, 2010. Antonio wins this year and he's bound to win in 2009, and promptly set off to become governor of the great state we live in. We'll beat him like a bongo drum, of course, because he is an off the left edge of the moon liberal who would makes Phil Burton look like a rock-ribbed fiscal conservative.  So we get a GOP governor to succeed Arnold. (No, there isn't a Democrat in the state who can or will beat Arnold, only consultants whispering dreams in Steve Wesley ears are saying anything else.)

Full disclosure. I was sort of an Antonio appointee. Curt Pringle put me on the California Arts Council a decade ago during his overnight stay in the Speaker's office, and when my term expired, Antonio didn't reappoint me, but