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California’s legislature seems to be lagging behind on illegal immigration enforcement, putting politics above public safety. The notion that California is in the stone age in immigration matters is underscored by the recent series of events in Arizona, the Golden State's next door neighbor that faces many of the same problems. Arizona’s citizens were recently rocked by the murder of Robert Krentz, presumably committed by an illegal immigrant connected with the ever-present Mexican drug carte

Republicans and Democrats are beginning to exit the two-party system in significant numbers.  According to USA today, there has been a veritable explosion of voters registering as unaffiliated since 2008, and the trend looks to intensify in 2010 and beyond.  Here are some of the more eye-opening statistics of the review, covering the period between 2008 and the present: 9% increase in independent voters in Colorado 11% increase in independent voters in Florida 13% increase in independent vote

Illegal drug traffickers and alien smugglers from Mexico are never running out of innovative ways to accomplish their goals.  Concerning illegal operations taking place across the border, these individuals are always looking to stay one step ahead of immigration enforcement officials in executing their logistics. In a Washington Examiner report, drug traffickers are now utilizing a new type of deception in their operations, with a cunning twist. This includes them now using cloned versions of

The most heated debate in Sacramento during the past two years hasn’t been budget cuts depriving poor children of health care or awarding billion-dollar tax breaks to corporations.  It hasn’t even been California’s massive multi-billion dollar budget shortfalls. Generating far more public outcry is the mandatory spaying and neutering of cats and dogs. In 2008, unsuccessful spay/neuter legislation logged some 32,000 letters and e-mails either in support or opposition -- many thousands more th

With the California Senate race getting closer and closer to Election Day, and with the candidates still stuck in a philosophical back-and-forth, different candidates are beginning to place their trump cards on the table. The Fiorina Campaign especially, having been dogged by charges of unseriousness in the face of its unconventional campaign ads, and shaky debate performances by its candidate, and now facing an increasingly well-funded opponent in Tom Campbell, has begun taking more and more s

A significant – and often overlooked -- result of what’s been dubbed the Great Recession is that in just over half of the 50 states, the programs that pay unemployment insurance to workers who’ve lost their jobs are insolvent, leading states to borrow more than $39 billion from the federal government to keep writing checks. California, which has the largest unemployment program in the country, has the dubious distinction of leading 34 other states and the Virgin Islands in borrowing:  $8.5 bil

Forty-eight states face or have faced multi-billion dollar budget shortfalls and many are mirroring California, targeting state parks for savings. Supporters of the closures say parks are less essential than paying teachers, providing health care to the poor and continuing to offer other governmental services. Opponents argue that park closures don’t save much money, harm the economies of neighboring communities, and deprive residents of low-cost recreation. Last May, on the heels of a previo

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s quest to convince the federal government to put-up-or-shut-up by paying California an additional $6.9 billion he says the state needs to carry out Washington D.C. imposed mandates is just one high-profile example of states increasingly asserting their rights. The battle over when states rights trump federal government edicts is as old as the constitution, waxing and waning in favor of each camp for nearly 225 years.  But recently, an increasing number of states are

Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) is proposing legislation that would give the Food and Drug Administration sweeping new authority over the dietary supplement industry. If passed into law, The Dietary Supplement Safety Act (DSSA) of 2010 would dramatically drive up supplement costs, allow the FDA unchecked discretion on which supplements to allow on the market and thus severely limit access to existing non-prescription disease remedies. Senator McCain purportedly composed DSSA in response to th

The 550,000 students enrolled at the University of California and the California State University system have been served a steady diet of tuition and fee increases over the past few years.  In part to cope with a $350 million net cut in state support to both systems this year, a 32 percent increase for UC students -- $1,929 -- is scheduled to take effect in September – on the heels of a 9.3 percent increase in 2009. CSU increased tuition 30 percent in 2009. In September, tuition climbs another