CAPolitical Review - National Popular Vote is bad for California, bad for the nation

National Popular Vote is bad for California, bad for the nation

Aug 14, 2011 07:32 pm | Shawn Steel

Liberals have long sought to erode the checks-and-balances that guard against centralized government.  But, the current push to scrap the Electoral College by enacting a National Popular Vote (NPV) could be their crowning achievement. Critics warn that once the Electoral College is out of the way, the big government progressives could conceivably engineer election victory ...

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CAPolitical Review - Green energy boondoggle raises costs while killing jobs and birds

Green energy boondoggle raises costs while killing jobs and birds

Aug 09, 2011 09:54 pm | Jon Coupal

You have to wonder if most California politicians simply can’t stand the notion of a thriving economy.  In a move that will have a devastating effect on jobs and on the pocketbooks of regular citizens, Jerry Brown recently signed legislation that will dramatically increase the amount of costly “green” energy California’s citizens will be forced ...

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CA State Revenues Down Over 10 Percent

Aug 09, 2011 02:34 pm | Brian Calle

State Controller John Chiang announced today that there is more bad news for the Golden State: Revenues are down over 10 percent, or $538 million, from projections. Steven E.F. Brown for the San Francisco Business Times wrote the following: State Controller John Chiang said California’s revenue was 10.3 percent, or $538.8 million, below budget projections ...

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Bankrupt California

Aug 09, 2011 01:30 pm | CPR Editor

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CEI Daily - The TSA, California, and Crossing the Street

TSA

The TSA has shut down an exemption for private airport screeners.

Senior Counsel Hans Bader explains what has changed.

"Previously, the Screening Partnership Program allowed airports to replace government screeners with private contractors. 16 airports did so. [...] The TSA’s head said he did not see any 'clear or substantial advantage' to the TSA in allowing additional airports to use private screeners, although he said that the few other airports that already use private screeners will be allowed to continue to do so."

California In 2010, 204 business left California. Policy Analyst Brian McGraw says that California's budgetary problems are to blame. "Their budget deficit is projected to be $19 billion dollars, with annual unfunded pension liabilities potentially reaching $80 billion by 2012, and a law attempting to curb greenhouse gas emissions. This will almost certainly result in reduced state spending but also some form of tax increases, as we’ve seen in Illinois. Given this mess that California has gotten itself into, its not a surprise that companies are fleeing California. Unfortunately, as companies leave the situation only gets worse, and its unlikely that any of these companies have said, 'I’ll be back.'"

Crossing the Street

Three states want to make it illegal to listen to your iPod while you cross the street.

Fellow in Regulatory Studies Ryan Young says the regulations are well-intentioned, but unnecessary, and may even have negative consequences.

"Pedestrian deaths did go slightly up last year. But pedestrian deaths have been trending down for two decades, despite the rise of iPods and smartphones. Turns out that most people have enough common sense to pay more attention to traffic than their phone while crossing the street. Legislating common sense is at best redundant. But in this case, it’s actually harmful. Police departments only have so many resources to go around. All the time and manpower they spend watching people cross the street is time and manpower not spent on more serious crimes. This is a solution without a problem."



CEI - Supreme Court Should Strike Down California's Video Game Law

State Censorship the Wrong Approach To Protecting Children

Washington, D.C., November 1, 2010 – Tomorrow the State of California will battle the video game industry before the U.S. Supreme Court. At issue is a 2005 California law barring the sale of violent video games to minors. California lawmakers maintain that violent video games cause "feelings of aggression" in children. Lower courts have thus far held that the law violates the First Amendment.

 

Earlier this year, the Competitive Enterprise Institute joined several other public interest groups in submitting an amicus brief (pdf) urging the Supreme Court to reject California's unconstitutional statute.

“Time and time again, appellate courts have ruled that state laws barring the sale of ‘violent’ video games to minors run afoul of the First Amendment,” said Hans Bader, CEI Senior Attorney. “Hopefully, the U.S. Supreme Court will affirm these lower courts and settle the matter of video game content regulation once and for all. California has not demonstrated that video game violence is a so serious a problem that it overcomes the profoundly chilling effects that California’s law would wreak on video games, a form of protected speech that millions of adult Americans enjoy.”

“Over the last two decades, even as video games have grown ubiquitous among America’s youth, violent crime has declined steadily. While safeguarding children is an important governmental function, mitigating the allegedly harmful effects of video game violence can be accomplished through means far less restrictive than California’s video game law. At a time when parents have access to more information than ever before about video game content—indeed, about all forms of entertainment content—onerous governmental mandates are hardly necessary to educate and empower parents to protect their kids,” stated Bader.

“History has illustrated that the best content ratings systems emerge and evolve in response to market forces,” said Ryan Radia, CEI Associate Director of Technology Studies. “When politicians and regulators meddle with these institutions, parents are deprived of the information they need. While the private, voluntary Entertainment Software Rating Board provides valuable information about video games and empowers parents to decide what’s best for their children, the government’s own regulatory system for radio content provides practically no useful information to parents. Ironically, allowing California’s law to stand will harm the very parents and children it purports to protect.”

“Video games deserve the same level of legal protection as other forms of artistic expression. Critics whose gaming experience consists of simplistic arcade games like Pacman or ultra-violent shooters like Postal argue that video games are devoid of artistic merit. But anybody who has played Bioshock, Myst, Oblivion, or even the maligned Grand Theft Auto series knows better. Increasingly, video games offer poignant criticism of the harsh realities of our society and insightful commentary on human nature—and their artistic depth rivals that offered by less interactive forms of media,” stated Radia.

 

>>For more on government-imposed rating systems in the entertainment industry, see CEI's Issue Analysis, "Politically Determined Ratings and How to Avoid Them."

ALG - Boxer Countrywide Conflict of Interest Revealed as Complaints are Filed with Senate Ethics Committee and Attorney General

"Senator Boxer had no business overseeing the ethics panel against

Dodd and Conrad for their own Countrywide loans when she had multiple

refi's from Countrywide during the same period Dodd and Conrad did.  Boxer

should have recused herself."—ALG President Bill Wilson. 

Calls for New Ethics Investigation Grow as Public Watchdog Uncovers Conflict of Interest

October 26^th, 2010, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government (ALG) President Bill Wilson today urged the Senate Ethics Committee to reexamine sweetheart loans given to Senators Chris Dodd and Kent Conrad by Countrywide in light of three Countrywide loans held by the committee's chair, Senator Barbara Boxer.

"Senator Boxer, who had Countrywide loans of her own, never should have headed the Dodd and Conrad investigations into their own Countrywide dealings.  This is one of the most blatant conflicts of interest in Senate history, and throws the Ethics Committee's investigations of Dodd and Conrad completely into question," Wilson declared. 

"Senator Boxer's loans even came during the same period as Dodd and Conrad's loans, and yet she did not recuse herself," Wilson explained. 

Documents have recently surfaced from the Foundation for Ethics in Public Service, as reported by the Daily Caller, showing Boxer had refinanced mortgages with Countrywide in Marin and Alameda Counties in California from 2000 through 2004, and in Washington, D.C. from 2001 to 2007.  The Marin County refi was paid off in 2006, and the Alameda County refi was paid off in 2005 via a Credit Suisse refi.  Dodd refinanced twice with Countrywide in 2003, and Conrad received his special deal in 2004.

Boxer spokesman Zachary Coile denied any wrongdoing: "Senator Boxer disclosed more information than she was asked to disclose — even though Senate rules do not require any disclosure of a lawmaker's mortgages." Wilson said the issue "goes beyond disclosure."

Wilson responded, "Boxer still doesn't get it.  This is pretty basic stuff.  You don't head an investigation into a company that you're a client of.  Her partial disclosure does not mitigate that inherent conflict of interest."

Previously, Boxer had only disclosed the existence of two of the Countrywide loans to reporters in 2008.  Wilson questioned why the third loan was kept a secret, saying, "The head of the Senate Ethics Committee should be above reproach.  It certainly raises questions."

The Foundation for Ethics in Public Service has now filed formal complaints with both the Senate Ethics Committee and Attorney General Eric Holder for this particular failure of Boxer to disclose the Alameda County refi for her son Doug's home.  "It's been 8 years where it should have been disclosed, and she did not," said Leslie Merritt, Executive Director of the Foundation.

"As head of the Senate Select Committee on Ethics, she should have listed everything," Merritt added.

"Boxer's committee concluded that both Senators Dodd and Conrad 'should have exercised more vigilance' to avoid the appearance of impropriety when she herself did not meet that basic standard.  She did not recuse herself from overseeing these investigations because of her own Countrywide loans when she should have," Wilson said.

Wilson called on the Senate Ethics Committee, which exonerated Dodd and Conrad of any wrongdoing, to redo their inquiries.  Both Senators were accused of accepting gifts from Countrywide via the so-called "Friends of Angelo" program.  The committee found "no credible evidence" that either Senator had "knowingly accepted a gift."

However, Dodd had admitted that he knew he was in the VIP program in February 2009.  And according to sworn testimony by former Countrywide employee Robert Feinberg to Congress, both Senators Dodd and Conrad were aware they were in the program.  As reported by the Wall Street Journal, Dodd "got the red-carpet treatment because of his central role in regulating the financial industry," according to Feinberg. 

The Journal report continues, "Countrywide was for years the biggest single customer of Fannie Mae, the giant government-sponsored mortgage securitizer that has since gone into federal conservatorship. Much of Countrywide's business was built around its ability to sell loans to Fannie, and [former Countrywide CEO Angelo] Mozilo helped push Fannie to accept dodgier and dodgier paper. Mr. Dodd in turn supported this goal by pressing Fannie to do more for 'affordable' housing."

"Boxer's commission completely botched this investigation.  She said Dodd and Conrad didn't know they were getting special treatment.  It is crystal clear they did know," Wilson said. Dodd reportedly saved $75,000 because of the preferential treatment, and did not seek reelection in 2010 because of his involvement with Countrywide. 

Also included in the "Friends of Angelo" program were former Fannie Mae CEO's Franklin Raines and Jim Johnson.

Wilson said Countrywide's bankruptcy would not have been possible without support from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.   GSE purchases of mortgages from Countrywide gave it the ability to originate some $789 billion of so-called "Best Practices" mortgages that helped to fulfill the Government Sponsored Enterprises' "affordable housing goals," according to research by former chief credit officer of Fannie Mae, Edward Pinto.

Those "affordable housing goals" helped to facilitate both companies' downfalls, according Pinto's research. Both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were placed in conservatorship in 2008 by Congress, and have received as much as $145 billion in taxpayer assistance.

"Dodd and Conrad's placement into the 'Friends of Angelo' VIP program, when Countrywide was doing some $789 billion worth of business with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac at the behest of congressionally-mandated 'affordable housing goals', were obviously gifts.  The Senate kept the easy money flowing from the GSEs to Countrywide, and Countrywide reciprocated to key senators with favorable treatment," Wilson explained.

"Senator Boxer had no business overseeing the ethics panel against Dodd and Conrad for their own Countrywide loans when she had multiple refi's from Countrywide during the same period Dodd and Conrad did.  Boxer should have recused herself," Wilson concluded.

Attachments:

Senator Boxer's Alameda County Property, 2002, at http://washingtonalert.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/BoxerAlamedaCountyProperty.pdf    

Complaint to Senate Ethics Committee, October 25^th, 2010, Foundation for Ethics in Public Service.

Complaint to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, October 25^th, 2010, Foundation for Ethics in Public Service.