What’s Jon Reading (and Watching) This Week…
As I peruse the internet, and I find things of interest, I save them to share with you on this regular Saturday column!
Thank You!
What Have I Been Reading?
Will O’Neill Lays Out Gavin Newsom After the Ersatz President Has Trouble Confronting The Realities Of His Own Decisions
Will O’Neill, the Chairman of the Republican Party of Orange County, and a former two time Mayor of Newport Beach (including during COVID, pens a column in the Orange County Register that really exposes the “alternate reality” that Newsom wants to present on his own record. It’s worth a read.
Dan Walter’s: State Budget Financial Shenanigans
Over at CalMatters the Esteemed Dan Walters, who has been writing about state budgets and finance (amongst so many other things) for decades, offers a sobering dose of truth about how the Governor and legislative Democrats have used gimmicks to “paper over” the state’s $20 billion budget deficit.
Rules For Thee, But Not For Me
At the same time that liberal State Legislators are advancing legislation to prohibit law enforcement officers from hiding their faces (to prevent being doxxed), the legislature is looking to create more privacy rights… for themselves. Cannot make it up.
Debra Saunders: Republicans WANT Newsom as the Democratic Nominee in 2028
My friend Debra Saunders spent a big chunk of her life as the most consistent, reliable voice for liberty and freedom on the opinion pages of the San Francisco Chronicle. Then she ditched crazy-town for crazier town, doing a stint with the Las Vegas Review Journal (in all seriousness, she got to do time as their White House correspondent!. Anyways, she had a great column in the LVRJ this week on why maybe YOU would want Newsom up against the eventual GOP nominee for President.
Memory Lane With Ronald Reagan — When Cleaning Out Old Stuff!
My good friend, former Congressman John Campbell, writes an insightful blog called Look Through The Chaos. This week he published an entry about how his wife was cleaning out things in her recently-passed mom’s house, and came across a xeroxed copy of the graduation speech that then-Governor Ronald Reagan delivered at Marlborough College Prep, over fifty years ago. John’s write up on the speech is wonderful, and he provides a link to the whole thing. If you check this out, I would tap the subscribe button - he’s worth having in your inbox.
Charter Schools Are Growing In Popularity In California - Of Course
It is no surprise that charter schools are on the uptick in California, according to this article in EdSource. Of course, because charter schools allow for innovation and a better learning environment than many public schools. Which is why this year the California Teachers Association is pushing awful legislation intended to decimate charter schools as an option. Blech!
Pension Reform Toolkit - Unless You Live in Public Employee Union-Controlled California
Saw this piece on the Reason Magazine website with model legislation to implement defined contribution benefits for public workers. Of course this idea makes too much sense. Every paycheck an employee gets a contribution into their very own retirement account. When there is enough in there for an employee to retire with the standard of living they want, they can retire. And then that’s it. No more relationship between government and worker. The public employee unions do not like this because they want taxpayers on the hook for a set amount of retirement pay, regardless of how markets and retirement investments perform. It’s a horrible system for the taxpayers.
PRI Takes A Good At How Good (Or Bad) State Legislatures Are At Reviewing Regulations…
James Broughel and Mitchel Scacchi over at the Pacific Research Institute have compiled a report that shows which states have processes in place for legitimate legislative oversight of the regulatory state - in their state. Needless to say California scored a clean ZERO. I found it interesting reading (in a geeky kind of way).
Trump 15-0 With SCOTUS Emergency Applications Since April
Not a bad record for the President, I should say. This piece actually runs through all 15 decisions, and I thought it insightful.
https://www.newsweek.com/full-list-supreme-court-rules-donald-trump-15-times-row-2100190
Local Journalism Is Fading Fast
Wither have gone the local journalists?
What have I been watching
A TEN MINUTE VIDEO - Adam Carolla: Newsom the Sociopath!
In last week’s Saturday column I featured a segment from the Adam Carolla show about the utter lack of progress in rebuilding in Pacific Palisades. Well here is another segment worth watching. Gavin Newsom: Sociopath!
A 43 MINUTE VIDEO — Dave Rubin with Co-Host Riley Gaines/The Ruben Report
If you have the time, this is a great watch. Rubin is a pro - but it’s Riley who steals the show her. Her excoriation of Gavin Newsom is nothing short of brilliant.
UNO - For Money??
Yep, you can now go to a casino and play your favorite kids’ game — for money. LOL.
Can you afford to hop on a Cruise Ship - indefinitely?
We are recently back from 11 days and 10 nights on the Norwegian Viva, where we tooled around Greek Islands and parts of Turkey. It was great! But… do to it forever? Well, here’s what it costs.
Happy 70th Disneyland!
Finally, Thursday was the official 70th Anniversary of the opening of Disneyland! As an annual pass holding family (we can see, and hear, the DL fireworks every night at 9:30pm from our back yard!), it seems appropriate to share links to commemorate the occasion .
Here are a bunch of memories from opening day!
And here is a video of Ronald Reagan talking about the opening (he was hired to cover it - back when we just an actor, and before launching his political career!)…
And finally, just in time for the anniversary they have been a brand new animatronic figure of Walt Disney in what has been the Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln attraction on Main Street. Now you get to hear from Abe and Walt. The Los Angeles Times writes about it, and here’s a photo!
With that, I hope you are having a great weekend!
Jon