Wow -- didn't see this one coming: the recall attempt against Assemblyman Anthony Adams, sparked by his providing the passing vote in the Assembly for the record state tax increase this spring, has failed.

According to the Secretary of State's office, the projected number of valid signatures was 24,579, while the number of valid signatures necessary for qualification is 35,825.

The recall campaign submitted 58,384 signatures. According to the Secretary of State's random sampling, only 24,579 were projected to be valid. Under the Elections Code, if the number of valid signatures is less than 95% of the number necessary for qualification, the recall is considered failed.

Swearengin proposes layoffs, fire station closures    (Fresno Bee)
More than 100 people must be laid off and two fire stations shuttered to help close a nearly $28 million budget gap that threatens the city's financial stability, Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin said Thursday. The plan exacts a huge human toll, but it will likely get much worse in the future, Swearengin said.

Lawsuit crimps reservoir plans    (Stockton Record)
An environmental group that normally stays out of the legal arena filed suit Thursday challenging a Bay Area water district's plans that potentially could raise Pardee Reservoir, northeast of Stockton.
Unlike some conservation organizations, the Amador County-based Foothill Conservancy had filed just one other lawsuit in its 20-year history, and that was more than a decade ago.

Petition to recall SUSD's Morales submitted    (Stockton Record)
SUSD Trustee Jose Morales faces a possible recall election.

Kern's unemployment rises to 14.5 percent    (Bakersfield Californian)
 

Source Document

I was forwarded a document for a recent California Federation of Republican Women's Southern Division meeting.

It is apparent that Steve Poizner and Meg Whitman are on completely different tracks.

In the wake of the discovery that Whitman is an elitist NIMBY and a fringe-left environmentalist (evidenced by her donations to protect the delta smelt)... we have further evidence that her campaign is attempting to veer to the left of Arnold.

Take a look at these quotes from their bios and decide for yourself:

"On September 15,2008 Poizner announced his candidacy for Governor of California. Poizner's campaign is based on strong in-state grassroots suppoer. The election will take place November of 2010. Poizner has worked for government reform, education reform, women's rights, and restoring California's position as a family-friendly, business friendly state."

and Whitman:

"On February 9,2009 Whitman announced her candidacy for Governor of California. Senator John McCain endorsed Meg Whitman for Governor of California. The election will take place November of 2010. Whitman supports Abortion Rights, same-sex civil unions and adoption rights for same-sex couples, but not same-sex marriage. Her views on same sex rights have created controversy related to her political aspirations."

Is it possible that Whitman thinks Republican women are obsessed with Abortion rights? Or is it quite simply that she is reaching out to Maria Schriver Republicans?

Poizner - Government Reform, Education Reform...

Whitman - Abortion Rights, Same Sex (insert issue here)... (Omitted: anti-gun, open borders, taxing the rich, donations to left-wing enviros, her huge fan list, etc etc etc)

I do believe that Republicans for Boxer (Clinton, Kerry, Gore, Obama) will enthusiastically endorse Whitman.

I received this press release this morning from my good friend Brad Dacus over at the Pacific Justice Institute.  They are doing great work here in California.

For Immediate Release: Thursday, November 19, 2009
Contact: President Brad Dacus (916) 857-6900

Sacramento, CA – At a packed school board meeting last night, the San Juan Unified School District reversed course and voted 3-2 not to go forward with a proposal to hide information from parents about student absences for so-called "confidential medical services," such as abortions.

Taxpayer bill for 178 interchange going up after all    (Bakersfield Californian)
A costly contract change -- one that will be paid mostly by taxpayer dollars -- is on tap for the consulting firm overseeing construction of the troubled interchange at Highway 178 and Fairfax Road.

Government roundup: Supervisor seeks dog bite policy review    (Bakersfield Californian)

Seriously?! Doesn't government have anything more important to do? Personal responsibility is needed not more government regulation.

Water board fines grower $405K    (Modesto Bee)
Too much sediment spilled from orchard, regulators say

Stanislaus County retirement system starting to recover from losses    (Modesto Bee)

Idea of prisons leads to lawsuit    (Stockton Record)
Stockton, S.J. County, business group want state to consider local impact
 

Meg Whitman is the Eco-Poster Child candidate for governor. When Arnold ran for governor, people told me that Arnold was to the left of Gray Davis on the environment.

Now, Meg Whitman is the latest "Republican" that has gone of the Left Green end of a cliff.

I have been roundly critical of her Megness on a variety of issues and her reliably liberal stances on them. Since she refuses to debate, we are left to ask, "Who is Meg Whitman?"
 
1. She is a Huge fan of Van Jones - the communist that had to be retired due to his embarrassing behavior and its' reflection on Obama.
 
2. She gave not $100K, but $200K (or was it 100K then 200K?) to the EDF. The Environmental Defense Fund spearheaded the lawsuits against the farmers of the Central Valley in favor of the Delta Smelt. Whitman's donations to them were in 2007 - around the time of their court case and around the time she first Registered Republican.
 
3. This article details the recent discovery of her donation of $1.15 million to a land-grabbing organization in Colorado. They won a court case (again) brought by a bunch of residents of Telluride (where Whitman has a horse ranch) aimed at stopping development.
 
The land owner in the case was stripped of his land and paid $50Million for it. The foundation solicited donations from the NIMBY's in the area to pay the guy after he was stripped of his rights by an activist court.
 
Her Spokesman Tucker Bounds says she gave the money after the court case was settled. For those of you scoring at home - Poizner is getting criticized for actions in 2004 - but now we have Whitman in 2008 giving money to leftist environmental causes.
 
Mr. Bounds. - that makes it worse. Now, Whitman is supporting a land-grabbing organization formed by a bunch of rich people that have theirs and wanted to keep others out. And, now Whitman is trapped in the vice-grip created by her actions vs her words.
 
I'm a huge fan of Steve Poizner. Meg Whitman keeps making it easier.