Free Republic

California’s governor and legislative leaders on Wednesday proposed raising $52 billion to fix the state’s roads through a big gasoline tax increase, higher car registration fees and a charge on emission-free vehicles. The 10-year plan would boost gasoline excise taxes for the first time in more than two decades, raising them 12 cents per gallon — a 43 percent increase. The tax would rise automatically with inflation. For the first time, owners of zero emission vehicles would pay a $100 annual fee because they use public roads but don’t pay gasoline taxes that fund highway maintenance. The plan also includes...

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement says it possesses a “limited amount” of 9mm bullets for agents in the field as well as for training purposes, and it is rationing its ammunition based on internal requests until it can award a new contract. [ ] The apparent role poor planning, or another agenda, played in the issue came to light when ICE said it would have run out of 9mm ammo by June 2017 in the absence of a modified contract with its supplier, Vista Outdoor Inc. So, the agency last month approved a $363,307 ceiling increase to contract No. HSCEMS-11-D-00002....

There's probably no relief for California taxpayers in what has become a one-party state run on the premise that the more of other people's money you spend, the faster you will achieve cosmic consciousness. But Trump's Secretary of Transportation has put the brakes on the train wreck to nowhere. And Governor Moonbeam has gone from threatening to launch his own satellites to stop Global Warming to begging for cash.

What happened the $7.5 Billion Water Bond Money that voters approved in 2014? Some are asking that question today after Governor Jerry Brown announced he wants to spend $437 million to deal with California's aging water infrastructure that the Governor says is "maxed out." Exhibit "A' would be crumbling infrastructure at Oroville Dam. So, what about that Water Bond Measure? Back in 2014 California voters approved Proposition 1. The $7.5 billion dollar bond measure passed with 67% of the vote. So far, only about $177 million dollars of that has been spent. According to the Public Policy Institute of California...

In Oregon, seven dams have been deemed unsatisfactory - one in Josephine County, another in Curry County. Oregon Water Resources Department and Josephine County Parks say they know the McMullen Dam in Lake Selmac has problems. They have known for years. "With the parks budget being just over $1 million, the cost of the dam itself is going to come in between {$1 million and $3 million] dollars to improve it," Josephine County Parks manager Sarah Wright said. To get an 'unsatisfactory' result means the dam cannot contain or handle a moderate sized flood. At Lake Selmac, that's rare -...

She partied with Nancy Pelosi, traveled on Air Force one next to President Obama, and cast her superdelegate vote for Hillary Clinton. But today Corrine Brown is in federal court for stealing scholarship money from school children. The disgraced congresswoman must defend against charges that she funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars from a non-profit charity, One Door for Education, into her own pocket. If convicted on all 24 counts, she faces 357 years in prison and $4.8 million in fines. With her former chief of staff expected to testify against her, the question's no longer whether or not she's...

The Oroville Dam — at 770 feet, America’s tallest — is on the verge of failing. And Sacramento, which has been fiddling for decades while Rome burns, is running for cover. This isn’t just any dam; it’s the primary storage facility located on the Feather River for the State Water Project, the state-owned conveyance system that provides drinking water to more than two-thirds of California’s population. If the dam were to fail, it could inundate not only the city of Oroville but numerous other communities downstream, including Yuba City, Marysville and even West Sacramento. At the moment, the emergency spillway...

Fast forward to about the 8:30 mark to hear the germination of the CYA seed that is sure to grow into a mighty oak. Disgraceful.

California Gov. Jerry Brown, appealing to the Trump administration for direct federal assistance on the Oroville Dam’s emergency spillway, said Monday that he remains encouraged that the state and federal government can work constructively.

Richard Pollock at the Daily Caller offers this flashback — one that’s not without irony: Despite today’s outrage over President Donald Trump’s refugee executive order, many liberals in 1975 were part of a chorus of big name Democrats who refused to accept any Vietnamese refugees when millions were trying to escape South Vietnam as it fell to the communists. They even opposed orphans. The chorus was led by Jerry Brown who, then as now, was the governor of California. The “no to refugees” chorus also included George McGovern, the leading Democratic leftist of the day, and Joe Biden who, then...

With secession threats looming, the state of California is reportedly studying ways to suspend financial transfers to Washington after the Trump administration threatened to withhold federal money from sanctuary cities. With California counties among the Top 10 who stand to lose tax-payer funding for providing sanctuary to illegal immigrants... KPIX5 reports that officials are looking for money that flows through Sacramento to the federal government that could be used to offset the potential loss of billions of dollars’ worth of federal funds if President Trump makes good on his threat to punish cities and states that don’t cooperate with federal...

A former aide to Baltimore’s mayor has been charged with making illegal contributions to the mayor’s campaign, prompting officials on Monday to cancel his planned swearing-in ceremony for a vacant seat in the Maryland House of Delegates. Gary Brown Jr., a Democrat who was a legislative aide to new Mayor Catherine Pugh when she was still a state senator, has been charged with six counts of election law violations, State Prosecutor Emmet Davitt announced. Brown had recently been nominated to the House vacancy. Prosecutors allege that Brown, who worked on Pugh’s campaign, deposited $18,000 in cash between Jan. 13, 2016...

President-elect Donald J. Trump has packed his cabinet with nominees who dispute the science of global warming. He has signaled he will withdraw the United States from the Paris climate agreement. He has belittled the notion of global warming and attacked policies intended to combat it. But California — a state that has for 50 years been a leader in environmental advocacy — is about to step unto the breach. In a show of defiance, Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, and legislative leaders said they would work directly with other nations and states to defend and strengthen what were already...

Foreign governments concerned about climate change may soon be spending more time dealing with Sacramento than Washington. President-elect Donald J. Trump has packed his cabinet with nominees who dispute the science of global warming. He has signaled he will withdraw the United States from the Paris climate agreement. He has belittled the notion of global warming and attacked policies intended to combat it. But California — a state that has for 50 years been a leader in environmental advocacy — is about to step unto the breach. In a show of defiance, Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, and legislative leaders...

Apparently Trump's recent letter to the Energy Department, which included very pointed questions about climate change research, and/or his appointment of former Texas Governor Rick Perry to lead that department going forward (a department that Perry proposed shutting down back in 2012 for those who may have forgotten), "triggered" California's head snowflake, Governor Jerry Brown, into an epic climate change rant before a gathering of scientists at the American Geophysical Union's national conference in San Francisco. Vowing to defy Trump's efforts to undermine the "progress" made by California on climate change regulations, Brown promised that his state is "ready to...

Famed Cleveland Browns running back Jim Brown speaks to CNN after meeting with President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday. JIM BROWN: We're not bourgeoisie, we're not above the people. But I feel in love with him because he really talks about helping African-America, black people, and that's why I'm here.

"Calling" Teddy Brown and His Dance Band on Broadcast 130 (1927)

In issuing its annual survey of state finances, the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office has affirmed the wisdom of Gov. Jerry Brown’s push for Proposition 2, the 2014 ballot measure that amended the California Constitution to create a sizable rainy-day fund and set aside money when revenue is free-flowing for use when it dries up. The LAO estimates that if California’s economy continues its modest growth and new spending commitments are not made, the state will end the 2017-18 fiscal year with $11.5 billion in total reserves. Of that amount, $8.7 billion can be used only for future budget emergencies. The...

The Republicans have 8 seats, Dems have 23 seats, and the 2 Dem-leaning Independents are in this Class. With 44 seats in the other 2 classes for the GOP and Pence as VP this means the Dem's have to pick off 3 seats to get the majority. Utah Hatch, Texas Cruz, Nebraska Fischer, Mississippi Wicker, and Wyoming Barrasso are about as close as possible to being done-deals that their seats stay GOP in 2018. Picking off Corker in Tennessee would be super hard to do. Flake in Arizona could be vulnerable depending on fallout with immigration enforcement. About the only...

Many years ago, while participating in an Operation Rescue sit-in at an abortion clinic near Washington, D.C., I was struck by the make-up of the pro-abortion protesters. They were largely a mix of atheists, Satanists and gays, and they proudly identified as such. What a coalition! I remember asking myself, “Why would homosexuals be so adamant about this — adamant enough to show up early in the morning to protest our event — when, for the most part, it’s not relevant to their lives, since they’re not having babies?” To this day, colleagues of mine who share the gospel outside...