If you thought this column was about oil, you’re going to be disappointed. Drill is a word that also means a practice or exercise in preparation for the real thing – think fire drill or the endless “drills” conducted on ships to prepare the crew for battle or emergencies. But as it relates to the California Legislature, even this definition is far too charitable.

In Capitol parlance, “drill” is best described as an empty exercise to prove some political point unrelated either to the merits of some legislative act or to the chances that it will actually pass.  Read more >>

This is a warning to all local government officials throughout the state of California: Do not ask for whom the Bell tolls, it tolls for thee.

The scandal surrounding Bell -- a mostly low-income community of 40,000 in Los Angeles County -- where the city manager was taking down an eye-popping salary of almost $800,000 a year and city council members were paid $100,000 annually for part time work that consisted primarily of one meeting per week, has outraged taxpayers, not only in California, but across the nation and throughout the world.  Read more >>

Ken Lay, the former CEO of Enron, loved the idea of a cap-and-trade program for carbon dioxide. Ken Lay, a Greenie? Of course. He was chasing green his whole life. Cap-and-trade, according to the felonious Mr. Lay, would “do more to promote Enron’s business than almost any other regulatory initiative.”  Read more >>

Two recent court decisions raise serious questions about Attorney General Jerry Brown’s ability to be fair and impartial in matters of great importance to all Californians.  Read more >>

Nearly one month into the new fiscal year that began on July 1, there is growing concern that Democrat leaders will attempt an end-run around the Proposition 13 requirement that tax increases must be approved with a two-thirds vote of the Legislature.

The state faces a $19 billion budget deficit, but instead of cutting waste and out-of-control spending, Democrats are looking for schemes to increase taxes with a simple majority vote.  Read more >>