Free Republic

The core of the governor’s socialized medicine proposal is a mandate that every Californian MUST carry health insurance and that every insurance company MUST cover anyone who applies, regardless of pre-existing medical conditions. It’s called “guaranteed issue,” and it sounds too good to be true. That’s because it is. But if you are guaranteed health insurance AFTER you get sick, why would you pay for it when you are healthy? The governor’s advocates say that’s not a problem, since everybody will be required to carry health insurance, thus spreading the risk. Wait a minute. We already have a law that...

According to news reports yesterday, behind closed doors the Department of Finance is privately admitting to a $14 billion shortfall between this and the budget year. Assuming that this shortfall occurs AFTER blowing through the $4 billion reserve, that makes the actual operating deficit $18 billion. (If that’s a surprise, read my blog of November 15th). The good news is that the state’s cash position slightly improved in November. According to the Controller’s monthly report, actual revenue growth has increased 2.3 percent for the first five months of the fiscal year compared to one year ago. (Last month year-to-date growth...

SACRAMENTO, (AP) -- The impasse over the state's long-overdue budget turned heated Wednesday when the Democratic leader of the Assembly said Republicans would lose the gains they had previously negotiated if they fail to end the stalemate quickly. "Political hostage-taking is not the way to do business, and we can't reward it," said Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, recently returned from a European vacation. . . .

The Senate did not meet again today, and that’s a big mistake. We are running a very real risk of another Gray-Davis-sized fiscal crisis next year and for exactly the same reason: the governor increased spending much too fast, the economy is now cooling, and the level of spending cannot be sustained. We have to take decisive action now to avert far more difficult choices in the immediate future. The proper parliamentary process is to put forth a clean senate bill that can be amended – and then to allow individual amendments to be presented – one after another –...

Last night after the GOP debates, California 52nd district Congressman Duncan Hunter was hosted by 19th District state Senator Tom McClintock. Senator McClintock hosted a phone conference with California Republic members by invitation only. I was lucky enough to hear about it because I'm on the good Senator's mailing list. Senator McClintock mixed his own commentary in with interview-style questions for Congressman Hunter, as well as soliciting questions from specific California family callers during the conference. An outline of the plan is as follows: Call every United States Senator's office and briefly express opposition to the bill. They're counting the...

Like you, I have been watching the disastrous turn to the Left that is now taking place in Sacramento – and like you, I don’t intend to sit idly by. Spending is growing faster and the deficit is growing bigger than under Gray Davis. The Governor who promised to “cut up the credit cards” has doubled our debt burden in just three years. And 72 hours after he took the oath of office, the Governor who promised never to raise taxes proposed the second biggest tax increase in California’s history to provide free health insurance to illegal aliens. I have...