Free Republic

The California Assembly just passed a bill widely described in the press as “an end run around the Electoral College.” It now goes to the California Senate, which is likely to agree. There is only one slight problem with this proposal. It is thrice-times unconstitutional. The bill is an “interstate compact,” and has been introduced in the legislatures of most of the largest states, by do-gooders who are clueless about the Constitution and how it works. The theory is that if states possessing “a majority of the votes in the Electoral College” pass similar bills, those states would be committed...

BEXLEY, Ohio, April 24, 2006 – In an effort to ease the burden military families face when a loved one is deployed, the first lady of Ohio, Hope Taft, started the "On the Ohio Homefront" initiative. Ohio First Lady Hope Taft started the "On the Ohio Homefront" initiative to help military families. She discussed the initiative with American Forces Press Service at the Ohio governor's mansion in Bexley, Ohio, April 19. Photo by Steven Donald Smith  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The Internet-based project connects the families of deployed Ohio military personnel with free and discounted services from...

WASHINGTON, April 6, 2006 – Servicemembers seriously injured by improvised explosive devices during duty in the global war on terror are getting a unique opportunity to use their experience to combat and prevent future IED attacks. The Joint IED Defeat Organization here has entered into full partnership with the Operation Warfighter program at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in an initiative to target, recruit and hire servicemembers, including many who have suffered serious injuries from IED attacks. Operation Warfighter is a nationwide program that places wounded servicemembers in positions within the federal government. Thanks to this partnership, these servicemembers can...

Alternative energy researchers are hoping that California voters get a chance to act on their rage against oil companies at the ballot box in November--and alternative energy companies are pointing to the initiative as the boost needed to get the industry off the ground. However, critics of a new initiative effort say the main beneficiaries would be the venture capitalists behind the campaign. The group Californians for Clean Alternative Energy is gathering signatures to place an initiative on the November ballot that would impose a tax on oil production in California. The Clean Alternative Energy Act would place a tax...

Do you remember Chuck Quackenbush? He was the insurance commissioner who lost his job because he used fines that he collected from insurance companies to buy television commercials to promote his political career. It was a huge scandal at the time, and Quackenbush, who was a colleague of mine in the Assembly, left his job in disgrace, having been run out of office by Legislative Democrats for abusing state money. Another boondoggle is brewing, only this time Legislative Democrats are strangely silent. A few years ago, Rob Reiner (“Meathead” from the old television series, “All in the Family”) sponsored an...

For Immediate ReleaseFebruary 25, 2006 President's Radio Address      Audio      THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. On Sunday and Monday, I will meet with America's governors during their annual gathering in Washington, D.C. As a former governor, I appreciate the work of these fine public servants. I look forward to talking with them about the challenges and opportunities facing their states and our nation and discussing how leaders of both parties can work together to solve problems for our citizens. One of the most important issues we will discuss is how to improve health care for the American people, and we have...

A Republican lawyer who works as legal counsel to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has filed an initiative that would raise the minimum wage--but also abolish the eight-hour day for overtime. Thomas Hiltachk filed the "Fair Pay Workplace Flexibility Act of 2006" with the Attorney General on Feb. 10. If it makes it to the ballot and is passed by voters, it would lift the state's minimum wage from the current $6.75 to $7.25 on July 1, 2007, and to $7.75 a year later. The initiative does not include automatic cost-of-living increases known as indexing. The initiative would also codify several rules...

I just recieved a phone call from a polling/survey group. Nice lady, very professional. Said she wasn't selling any thing nor asking for donations and would I answer some questions. She made a statement that the Nov elections were a ways off, but her questions were related to the Nov. voting. She ran off a list of issues facing CA (crime, budget, immigration, taxes, education, etc.) and asked which were most important to me. 1st several questions were mundane. Would I be likely, very likely, not likely to vote in Nov. After a few questions she said there would be...

For Immediate ReleaseOffice of the Press SecretaryFebruary 4, 2006 President's Radio Address      Audio      THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. This week in the State of the Union address, I set forth my American Competitiveness Initiative. This plan will help our Nation to compete with confidence, raise the standard of living for our families, and generate new jobs for our citizens. Generations of risk-takers, inventors, and visionaries have made America the world's most prosperous and innovative nation. Just 25 years ago, most Americans used typewriters instead of computers, rotary phones instead of cell phones, and bank tellers instead of ATMs. Today America...

WASHINGTON - After a series of reports warning of the growing economic threat from China and India, ``competitiveness'' has become the latest catch-word of Silicon Valley's high-tech industry. President Bush elevated the issue for the nation Tuesday, announcing a decadelong ``American Competitiveness Initiative'' that would pour $136 billion into scientific research and the promotion of math and science education. --snip-- High-tech leaders praised the proposal Tuesday night. ``I was heartened by the amount of time he spent talking about competitiveness,'' said Carl Guardino, head of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group. ``To hear him focus on math and science, especially in...

CAMP TAQADDUM, Iraq (Jan. 27, 2006) -- More than 25 Marines from different sections within 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward) received their Corporals Course certificates here Jan. 25. At garrison bases, Corporals Course is held over a two week period and comprised of uniform inspections, sword manual, drill, physical training and numerous hours of academic instruction. It is not much different here in Iraq, according to Gunnery Sgt. Thomas E. Clough, 8th Engineer Communications Detachment commander and chief instructor for the Corporals Course. “We do the same things here,” Clough said. “Except here we don’t have the same uniform inspections...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5, 2006 – President Bush today kicked off a new national program designed to increase the number of Americans fluent in Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Hindu, Farsi, and other critical-need languages. "We're going to teach our kids how to speak important languages. We'll welcome teachers here to help teach our kids how to speak languages," Bush said in introducing his National Security Language Initiative at the State Department. Bush addressed university presidents here attending an international educator's conference that's co-sponsored by the State and Education departments. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Education Secretary Margaret Spellings, and Defense Secretary Donald...

Warren Mundine believes it's time for his people to make it on their own. Michael Duffy reports. 'I ACTUALLY find it bizarre to be in this position. I never meant to be here." The speaker is Warren Mundine, and "here" is the position of national prominence he has recently acquired. "All I did," he continues, "was say what I thought." He thinks a lot, but the thought that's brought him a lot of new friends and enemies was his proposal earlier this year that it be made easier for individual Aborigines to own sections of their traditional land. They should...

SACRAMENTO - A proposed ballot measure to create a California border police to enforce immigration laws is dead after its campaign failed to collect enough voter signatures. Supporters had until this Monday to submit 598,105 valid voter signatures to county election offices. By late Friday afternoon, however, campaign officials knew they had fallen significantly short. "It doesn't look like it's going to make it," said consultant Dave Gilliard, who helped engineer the 2003 campaign that ousted former Gov. Gray Davis. Gilliard estimated that the campaign fell short by about 100,000 valid signatures. The initiative stemmed from what Assemblyman Ray Haynes,...

For six months starting in September 2004, Rob Reiner hosted "house parties" every week, sometimes at his Beverly Hills home. The guests did not talk about Hollywood or the actor/director's new movie starring Jennifer Aniston. They talked about politics and public school and the monumental idea of offering each California 4-year-old free preschool for a year. It was an odd group of folks at the table: union officials, business leaders, early childhood experts and sometimes civil rights advocates and attorneys. Instead of spending massive amounts countering criticism during a campaign, Reiner took a novel approach, spending the time to get...

SACRAMENTO – A little more than a week after voters rejected Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's four ballot measures, Legislative Analyst Elizabeth Hill repeated her call to repeal the after-school funding measure that helped launch the governor's political career, Proposition 49. Hill recommended the repeal yesterday during her annual budget forecast, which produced a rosy assessment about overall state finances, including a projected $4 billion increase in the state's current year budget reserve. The projected growth in revenues, according to the Legislative Analyst's Office and the state Department of Finance, will trigger the operation of Proposition 49 in fiscal 2006-07, which begins...

Coloradans have no commonsense. Within one year we reelected a financially incompetent, liberal Ken Salazar, then raised our own taxes and legalized marijuana. What is wrong with my neighbors? Well, they want to smoke pot and pay more taxes. One problem explains the other. Drug abuse is a large cause of liberal thinking. This is proven historically as we look at the ‘60s and ‘70s. Drug abuse and modern liberalism are synonymous. Person becomes rebel. Rebel smokes pot. Pot affects mind, causing liberal thinking. Liberals raise taxes. Its simple! Fortunately state and federal law will ensure that nothing in Denver...

Unlike Prop 63, which increased taxes on the wealthy to pay for mental health or Rob “Meathead” Reiner's initiative that would increase taxes on high income earners to pay for universal preschool; this proposed initiative is labeled exactly what it is …A Wealth Tax! Read More... Craig DeLuz Visit The Home of Uncommon Sense... www.craigdeluz.com

I keep reading that stories that support for the ballot propositions backed by California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is very weak. Even the Washington Times claims two are failing ("in the polls"), as if that finding represented a concensus of polls (Oct. 17, "For Arnold stakes are high"). I had thought I had seen them doing well, so I looked it up on the internet. The most recent poll I could find was done by Survey USA, released October 2nd. Its results: Proposition 73: Physicials must notify a parent of a pregnant minor 48 hours before performing the abortion. Yes, 59%....

BURBANK - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and several state lawmakers kicked off a signature drive Thursday to place an initiative on next year's ballot for what would be the nation's most comprehensive sex-offender punishment and control reform. "We will send a very clear message to all the sexual predators out here, the cowards who want to victimize innocent Californians, that we will stop you, we will catch you and we will punish you," Schwarzenegger said. The measure - called Jessica's Law after a package of similar laws being pursued around the nation following a case in Florida - would require all...