From ExileStreet.com

by Burt Prelutsky | Los Angeles

This is the time of year when the studios send DVDs of their movies to the members of the Screen Actors Guild, the Directors Guild and, in my case, the Writers Guild. It’s not altruism. They’re hoping to garner our votes for the various awards being handed out in the near-future.

In case you haven’t noticed, there is an annual pattern to the release of motion pictures. During the first few months of the year, the studios dump out most of the movies they suspect won’t do very well at the box office and which certainly won’t be competing for Oscars and Golden Globes. During Easter vacation and the summer months, with kids out of school, they start screening animated features and most of the big action movies based on comic books. Once September rolls around, there’s usually a lull until Thanksgiving kicks off the start of the homestretch. Read the rest of this entry »

by K. Lloyd Billingsley | Sacramento

The year certainly boasted some highlights, including the Olympics and a much anticipated national election, but as 2008 winds to a close, the mood is not exactly upbeat in California. The economy has cooled off, and the “Golden State” finds itself staring down the barrel of a two-year deficit of $40 billion, or more. The state needs to thrive again, and there is a way to bring that about.

California stands in need of a boost in economic freedom, the right of individuals to pursue their interests through voluntary exchanges of private property under the rule of law. This freedom forms the foundation of market economies but stands in short supply in California. Our high-tax, high-regulation, high-spending and highly litigious state ranks a dismal 47th out of 50 states, according to the U.S. Economic Freedom Index, 2008 Report. Read the rest of this entry »

by Chuck DeVore | Irvine

In the past 10 years, under both Republican and Democratic governors, legislative Democrats have presided over a doubling of the California budget, from $72 billion in 1998 to $145 billion. This is double the rate of population and inflation growth, and it is unsustainable.

How unsustainable? California may have a $42 billion deficit over the next 18 months, an astonishing 30% of revenue expected just a few months earlier. California may run out of cash by the end of February, causing state financial officials to vote on Wednesday to halt $4 billion in construction spending. A California bond maturing in 30 years yields about 6.89% — 1.8 percentage points more than three months ago. Read the rest of this entry »

by Jon Coupal | Sacramento

When the city of Vallejo filed for bankruptcy earlier this year, it made national news. Among the alleged reasons for this financial debacle was, as usual, Proposition 13. Same urban myth, different city. Recall that Prop 13 was also blamed when Orange County went bankrupt. In spite of the clearly documented evidence of the Orange County Treasurer’s criminal wrongdoing and the fact that he used an astrologer to assist him in making investments of public dollars, in some quarters, it is always Proposition 13’s fault when any government entity runs short of money.

Nor is Proposition 13 culpable in Vallejo’s budget shortfall. During more prosperous times Vallejo promised its employees compensation packages it cannot now afford to pay. And that is just the good news.

Vallejo’s predicament is not unique and it may be just the harbinger of many community bankruptcies to come. Read the rest of this entry »

by J. F. Kelly, Jr. | Coronado

The six-month cease-fire between Gaza-based Hamas and Israel expired on Dec. 19. Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni flew to Cairo to meet with Egyptian leaders and ask them to use their influence with Hamas to keep the cease-fire in effect. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert assured Arab leaders that Israel did not seek a military confrontation.

Hamas answered this plea for peace by launching hundreds of missiles into southern Israel. Israel finally answered as any government that honors its primary responsibility to defend its citizens and their homes from foreign attack must. The ensuing air attacks on Hamas leaders, facilities and tunnels used to smuggle arms from Egypt killed hundreds. Unfortunately, many of the casualties were civilians, a regrettable but inevitable outcome of military action against terrorists who hide among women and children and stash their weapons near public gathering places. Read the rest of this entry »

From ExileStreet.com

by Burt Prelutsky | Los Angeles

Once upon a time, Santa Claus was a very popular figure around this time of year. Edmund Gwenn even won an Oscar for portraying him in a movie. But along the way, it was Scrooge who kept gaining in favor. His role has been played by a galaxy of stars, including Reginald Owen, Albert Finney, Kelsey Grammer, Tim Curry, Walter Matthau, Fredric March, John Carradine, Ralph Richardson, Cyril Ritchard, George C. Scott, Alastair Sim, Patrick Stewart, Jack Palance and Basil Rathbone. I guess the allure of the role is that Ebenezer Scrooge goes to bed a mean and nasty creature, and by morning has undergone a dramatic epiphany and found spiritual redemption.

But time has taken its toll on his story, which first saw the light of day in 1843. These days, Scrooge strikes us as nothing more than a slightly eccentric old codger. His constant refrain of “Bah! Humbug!” suggests he’s just a little bit cranky, sort of like the loveable old grouch who lives down the block and grouses every year about firecrackers on the 4th of July and trick-or-treaters on Halloween. Read the rest of this entry »

by J. F. Kelly, Jr. | Coronado
In lieu of offering the usual new year resolutions for the political classes which they seldom keep, I thought I’d try a different approach this year. Herewith are some thoughts on hope and change, prominent themes in President-elect Barrack Obama’s successful campaign to win the privilege and responsibility of leading America through the four difficult years ahead. Since he was a little vague about exactly what he had in mind in the way of hope and change, I’ll presume to offer my own hoped-for changes.

Most Americans believe that change is needed but differ over what the changes should be and how they should be accomplished. Hope alone is not enough. If we didn’t have hope that things would get better, then there wouldn’t be much motivation to go on. Americans are famously optimistic but that optimism has been sorely tried by events of the past year, specifically the collapse of the economy and credit markets and by widespread revelations of fraud and corruption in business and politics. Read the rest of this entry »

by Jon Coupal | Sacramento

In perhaps one of the most brazen political moves in California history, Democrat leadership last week unveiled a budget proposal that would shred the California Constitution by raising billions of new taxes without the required two-thirds vote.

The tax hikes in the proposal would include a 2.5% surcharge on anyone paying personal income tax, an additional three quarters of one percent sales tax, an oil severance tax and replacement of current taxes on gas with even higher “fees.”

We have no idea who is providing legal advice to the Democrats, but they should have been informed before launching this silly proposal that, not only would a lawsuit be inevitable, the challenge would also succeed in preventing the taxes from ever being imposed. Read the rest of this entry »

From ExileStreet.com

by Burt Prelutsky | Los Angeles

If I had a bigger ego, I could easily imagine that liberals say and do the things they say and do simply to perplex or annoy me. But I know I shouldn’t take it personally. All sane and sensible people are equally dismayed.

For instance, Rep. Charlie Rangel, chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, has been accused of failing to report income on a rental house he owns in a Dominican Republic resort, used one of his four rent-control New York apartments for campaign activities, mailed letters on official congressional stationery soliciting funds for an educational center to be named after himself, and used government property to store his Mercedes. Read the rest of this entry »

by Amy Kaleita | San Francisco

In response to an April, 2007, Supreme Court ruling that greenhouse gases are air pollutants under the Clean Air Act, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently ended the public comment period on “proposed rulemaking” for regulating greenhouse gases. Buried within the proposal is a controversial measure for regulating methane from agricultural and livestock operations. While EPA bosses claim they do not intend to implement a “cow tax,” dairy and livestock producers are understandably nervous.

Methane is a greenhouse gas, and thus could be among the emissions regulated by the EPA. While the largest sources of methane emissions in the United States are landfills and natural gas systems, the EPA estimates that 21 percent of methane emissions are from “livestock enteric fermentation.” This somewhat euphemistic phrase refers to the natural digestive process of ruminant animals like cows, sheep, and goats, which produces methane as a by-product exhaled by the animal. Production of other types of livestock – pigs, for example – also generates methane through the breakdown of manure products. Read the rest of this entry »