Legislative Summit - Are You Part of the Solution or the Problem? - 03/31/10 02:35 PM
Photos courtesy of Kristin Fuller Local Legislators Hold Summit on Jobs & Regulations, Part 1Local Legislators Hold Summit on Jobs & Regulations, Part 2Local Legislators Hold Summit on Jobs & Regulations, Part 3Just a couple final comments on the recent Legislative Summit that didn't make it to print in my newspaper article. Businessman after businessman told stories about specific impacts to their business from California's over-regulatory climate. A local news paper publisher told how his company could actually hire additional people if they weren't constrained by overtime and break rules. They have people who would prefer to work flex schedules of … (2 comments)

Local Legislators Hold Summit on Jobs & Regulations, Pt 3 - 03/31/10 12:13 PM
Continued from Part 2.


Well, the litany of grievances was constrained to 3 hours but most panelists indicated they could go on for days about the negative shift in California’s business climate over the past decade.
Solutions? Not many. While several referred to the growing anger and activism of business owners, the prevailing majority legislative climate precludes any real progress unless or until people get really fed up. They recommended a cessation of new regulations, at least until we’ve figured out what the current regulations say. They cautioned our Legislators that California doesn’t necessarily have to take the … (0 comments)

Local Legislators Hold Summit on Jobs & Regulations, Pt 2 - 03/31/10 12:12 PM
Legislative Summit - continued from Part 1
L to R: Brian Hawley, Greater Riverside C of C, Roger Ziemer, Southwest California Legislative Council, Mark Knorringa, Riverside County Building Industry
Panelists repeatedly pointed to onerous regulations and taxes as the primary factors impacting businesses in the (formerly) Golden State. It was referred to as the ‘circle of insanity’ where revenues are down so businesses get taxed and regulated more so they leave the state which leads to reduced revenues so businesses get taxed… well, you understand. They cautioned Legislators – “when someone is drowning you throw them a life preserver, not an … (0 comments)

Local Legislators Hold Summit on Jobs & Regulations. Pt 1 - 03/31/10 12:11 PM

L to R: Miller, Emmerson, Jeffries, Nestande, Hollingsworth
66th District Assemblyman Kevin Jeffries recently hosted a Legislative Summit on Jobs and Regulations in California. Held in the Riverside County Supervisors Chambers, the dais included Jeffries, 65th District Assemblyman Bill Emmerson, 64th District Assemblyman Brian Nestande and 71st District Assemblyman Jeff Miller along with Senate Republican Leader Dennis Hollingsworth. 
During the 3 hour meeting, the Legislators listened much more than they talked as they heard from 3 separate panels of local business leaders and nationally recognized relocation consultant Joseph Vranich.
Of the 10 panelists who testified, Southwest County was … (0 comments)

Noise Pollution from Talking Heads - 03/30/10 06:33 PM
Lenn had a post a couple weeks back that got me thinking about talking heads. There's just too many of them. Who needs another one? Unless it's me? Which talking heads do you listen to?
I listen to the 95% who tell me what I want to hear. The other 5% are wrong-headed but I listen to them anyway to see what they’re up to.
Most of the time I just listen to the voices inside my head. They’re the most reliable source of good news – always positive and extremely well informed (not to mention brilliantly complimentary).
You all know … (2 comments)

The Living Last Supper - Opening Tonight in Temecula - 03/29/10 04:29 PM
Tonight at 7:30 the curtains will part at the Old Town Temecula Theater on the Leonardo Da Vinci masterpiece, The Last Supper. It won't be the actual painting, mind you, but a life size portrayal of the momentous event in the life of Christ and the 12 Apostles. Not only is the portrayal life size, it is actually alive in that this is a presentation known as 'The Living Last Supper', a recreation of the original artwork that includes vignettes by each Apostle during the course of the evening about his travels with Jesus. 
Frozen in the moment, each speaker disengages from … (2 comments)

Making Home Affordable - Another, Day Another Lie - 03/22/10 03:13 PM
You all remember the great fanfare wherein President B H Obama introduced the fabulous Making Home Affordable Program (Help for the hardest hit - according to the website)? He said - and I quote, "this program will enable as many as 3 to 4 million home owners to modify the terms of their mortgage" preserving the dream of home ownership. Last May in Washington DC, Housing Secretary Shaun Donovan trumpeted the program before a packed audience of Realtors® during our Legislative Summit Day - the plan 'does a number of things to make sure that 3 to 4 million families can … (5 comments)

Friday Funny - Don't Mess With Old People - 03/19/10 08:22 PM
 
 Tax Audit
 The tax department decides to audit Grandpa, and summons him to appear at their office.  The auditor was not surprised when Grandpa showed up with his attorney.
 The auditor said, 'Well, sir, you have an extravagant lifestyle and no  full-time employment, Which you explain by claiming to win money gambling.  Our department finds that hard to believable.'
 I'm a great gambler, and I can prove it,' says  Grandpa... 'How about a demonstration?'  The auditor thinks for a moment and says, 'Okay. Go ahead.'  Grandpa says, 'I'll bet you a thousand dollars that I can bite my own eye.' The auditor thinks a moment and … (10 comments)

Washington Staffers - What You Need To Know. - 03/17/10 04:00 PM
All Realtors® should be familiar with Senator Johnny Isakson from  Georgia. Sen Isakson has been a Realtor® for 43 years and spent 36 of those years in politics as well. Sen. Isakson has championed many Realtor® causes over the years, has been an outspoken advocate for private property rights and was the leading force in the recent extension and expansion of the First Time Homebuyer Credit.
Senator Isakson's Deputy Chief of Staff, Joan Kirchner, recently provided a synopsis to a Realtor® group on what you're likely to encounter when you visit his office, or the office of any legislator for … (8 comments)

Happy St Patrick's. Hoist a toast along with a few chuckles. - 03/17/10 12:18 PM
 
Paddy and Murphy are working on a building site. Paddy says to Murphy, "I'm gonna have the day off, I'm gonna pretend I'm mad!"   He climbs up the rafters , hangs upside down and shouts "I'M A LIGHT BULB,  I'M A LIGHT BULB!"    Murphy watches in amazement.   The Foreman shouts "Paddy you're mad, go home"    So he leaves the site.   Murphy starts packing his kit up to leave as well.   "Where the hell are you going?" asks the Foreman.   "I can't work in the dark." says Murphy.
         Paddy takes his new … (4 comments)

FPPC Releases $Billion Dollar State PAC Spending - 03/11/10 12:43 PM
If you want to play with the Big Boys, this is the arena they play in. We didn't make the top 15 but pulled in at #16. If you do the math, that $49 contribution from EVERY MEMBER only comes to $4.4 million. We invest just 16% of what the Teachers Union does, 31% of the SEIU, less than half of the Pechanga's. We did edge out the Correctional Workers this year but they already got their big raise a couple years ago. That was money well spent and part of the reason the state budget is in the dumper now. 
… (2 comments)

Upskirt Perv's Are OK in Tom Ammiano's Book. - 03/10/10 06:54 PM
In a week when the bodies of two teenage girls victimized by sexual predators were discovered almost in our backyard, the California Legislature killed a Kevin Jeffries bill that would have required people to register as a sex offender if they are convicted of using a hidden camera or cell phone to take pictures for sexual pleasure.
That same week, 2 local residents were arrested for taking photographs under womens dresses and up a girls skirt at local businesses. Yet even if convicted they would not appear on the roles as sexual predators. Their computers could be full of these … (3 comments)

If Pigs Could Vote...Hmmmm, maybe they do. - 03/10/10 02:45 PM
I ran across this great quote today from American author Orson Scott Card. Short and to the point it sums up exactly what is wrong with our political system today and explains why people are so willing to surrender their freedoms.
"If pigs could vote, the man with the slop bucket would be elected swineherd every time, no matter how much slaughtering he did on the side." That's our problem, Folks, we keep electing the guy with the biggest slop bucket. Even the most ignorant among us knows the system is broken but as long as the guy keeps coming … (11 comments)

Meg Whitman - The Real Deal? - 03/03/10 04:24 PM
This past Monday I had the opportunity to hear Meg Whitman at a small meet & greet. Whitman is one of two Republicans running to be Governor of this great state of California, though why any sane person would do that I'm still not certain. I made the trek with a couple other political hacks and cynics who had similar questions about her sanity, her commitment and her qualifications.
We all came away converts.
First, a few basics. Whitman is richer than God. As the former CEO of eBay, she is a billionaire and she has been spending a bunch of … (9 comments)

CA Legislators Finally Reach Consensus on 1 Item. No f**kin cussin' this week. - 03/01/10 03:33 PM
Never mind our state is f***in' bankrupt, the southern 2/3 of the state is running out of g**damn water, we're chasing jobs to neighboring states at a prodigious rate and people in Mississippi laugh at our education, prison & welfare systems. Our legislature managed to reach consensus on one item last week - a resolution to make the first week in March a 'cuss-free week' in the legislature with encouragement to make it a statewide movement. Yeah, no shit! They've got nothing better to do. 
The Genius who came up with this idea  (Anthony Portantino, D-La Canada/Flintridge) thinks everybody  should behave … (11 comments)