U.S. Rep. Issa Announces Retirement At Last Moment, U.S. Rep. Kiley files as an NPP? And Jon’s Weekend Reading Recommendations! Articles, Charts, Videos & More…

I am perusing the web all week, and I write about some of the things I find. But I there is so much great stuff that I do not write about, but I collect for this Saturday column. Enjoy.

This Saturday feature, which is a labor of love for me, is packed with amazing content. It’s very popular. For those of you who subscribe ($70/year, $7/month), this column is a thank you for your support of my independent work. There are a couple of items above the paywall worth reading/watching. But that is the tip of the iceberg. SO MUCH more under the paywall.

THANK YOU for being part of this project and for putting a spotlight on California politics!

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U.S. Rep. Issa Opts Not To Seek Re-Election, U.S. Rep. Kiley files as an NPP…

Before we get to my reading recommendations (there are a bunch), there are a couple of breaking stories from yesterday worth sharing. The first of which is that Congressman Darrell Issa, with dramatic flair, announced at the end of the filing period that he is not running for the newly drawn, blue-tilted 48th Congressional seat, and is retiring from Congress. He’s endorsed San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond for that race instead. The second interesting story is that while Congressman Kevin Kiley had announced recently that he was running for the blue-tilting 6th Congressional seat, today he announced he was running as an independent, not as a Republican. He goes into the why of it, from his point of view, here. I’m sure I will have more to say about these things, but it’s my day off (ha)!

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Reading/Watching Recommendations!

TWO COMPLIMENTARY CURATED LINKS FOR ALL READERS:

SACRAMENTO WANTS TO HIDE INFORMATION ABOUT THE BULLET TRAIN

In a column for the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, HJTA President Jon Coupal warns that Sacramento lawmakers are advancing legislation that could shield records related to California’s troubled high-speed rail project from public view. Coupal argues that the proposal would weaken transparency by allowing the project’s inspector general to withhold documents in response to public records requests, limiting taxpayers’ ability to scrutinize a project already plagued by delays and escalating costs.

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WHY THE BILLIONAIRE TAX IS A STUPID IDEA

In the California Post, Bruce Bialosky argues that California’s proposed billionaire wealth tax is economically misguided and politically shortsighted. He contends the state already relies heavily on a small group of high-income taxpayers for revenue and warns that targeting them further risks accelerating capital flight, shrinking the tax base, and undermining economic growth in a state already struggling with fiscal volatility.

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BONUS READ: I mostly write on politics, but here is my second column on Major League Baseball that ran last week in the California Post.

TOTAL WHIFF: ANGELS OWNER DOESN’T CARE ABOUT WINNING

I criticize Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno after remarks suggesting winning isn’t necessarily the top priority for fans. Fleischman argues the comments reflect years of mismanagement and complacency that have left the franchise stuck in mediocrity despite having generational talents like Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, and contends Angels fans deserve an owner focused squarely on building a championship-caliber team.

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Want More?

OK, this column is like an iceberg. You can see 10% of it above the water line. Below the paywall is SO MUCH MORE. I curate a BUNCH of articles, a great chart, a great video, a great long-form story, and much more. And what did Jacqueline Kennedy do on this date in 1962 that had never been done by a First Lady?

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