Gov Arnold Schwarzenegger’s pick to fill the vacant lieutenant governor’s job was unanimously approved on a bipartisan vote by the Senate Rules Committee on February 3.  Sen. Abel Maldonado, a Santa Maria Republican, was approved on a 4 to 0 vote. Sen. Sam Aanestad, a Grass Valley Republican, didn’t vote because he is a candidate for lieutenant governor. 

In light of the current economic emergency, state and federal policy makers may soon be looking towards simple ways to reduce the deficit while garnering public support.  Immigration reform may very well be one of these issues.  If and when politicians revisit these concerns, it will be interesting to see whether the GOP’s current position on immigration reform will change as a result of the Supreme Court’s decision on campaign finance reform.

I recently came across an article in The Atlantic attacking the proliferation of school gardens in California public schools. This particular diatribe compelled me to offer a written response, for it is emblematic of everything that is misguided and destructive about Consumerism as a culture.

According to the Los Angeles Times, President Obama's recently released budget plan will allocate more than $1 billion to California.  Besides going toward healthcare for needy families, funds will also be apportioned to jailing for illegal immigrants convicted of crimes.

In my opinion, climate change is happening. However, the recent spate of well-documented reports of evasions, stonewalling, and sloppy research about global warming has certainly damaged credibility. What was supposed to be impartial science has been shown on at least three occasions to be anything but that.  But, maybe the important thing about renewable energy and cleantech isn’t so much whether climate change is happening, but how it can help us as a country. More on that after these reports of climate change scientists being, ahem, less than objective.

Last week, on his Fox News television show, Glenn Beck hailed former Presidents George Washington and Ronald Reagan as the paragons of conservative ideology and limited, constitutional government.  But, upon further review, perhaps conservatives should take a closer look at these political giants.

California, a Republican bastion?!  Don’t act so shocked, it’s happened before.

It is no secret that California’s budget is an entity whose existence often gets called into question. Given the powerful political incentives to continually send money from the State’s coffers, through legislative session if possible and ballot initiative if necessary, it’s no exaggeration to say that trying to contain spending in California often looks similar to trying to contain water within a sieve.

Driving around Lake Tahoe communities you see snow piled up everywhere.  Ten, twenty foot high mountains of snow that have been pushed off of streets, parking lots and driveways.  Snow is plentiful this season, which has not been the case for the past three winters when disappointing amounts of powder have led to water shortages throughout the state.