One Teacher Can See the Light

The other day I spoke with a person from North Orange County who felt compelled to share some of their personal philosophy with me on public employee unions, fat pensions, and job security. The person, we’ll call them Jo, gave me some information I would like to share with you.

Jo opted out of the California Teachers Association (CTA) when she was hired by the local school district. She decided it was worth the payroll deduction to opt out rather than feed the union beast. You see, Jo isn’t your typical CTA dues-paying teacher; she is that inspirational teacher who lives to stimulate you minds.

Jo said she couldn’t believe just how bad some teachers really were and how the union protects them from being held accountable. When Jo first earned her teaching credential she was a substitute for several districts. One of those had a teacher who would call in sick at least once a month. Jo would regularly show up to sub only to find that there was no lesson plan or activities planned by the teacher. Jo finally refused to take the calls from this flaky teacher. A couple of years later, Jo read that the flaky teacher who was always being reprimanded was elected as the local teacher’s union president. Fitting, isn’t it?

Jo recounted for me several instances of lazy and incompetent teachers being shuffled around to various assignments and protected by the union rather than being fired. She has told district officials that she earns too much money when considering she has, in her opinion, the best job ever. That’s the spirit of a good teacher who isn’t just simply riding the gravy train of public education.

Jo’s story is a matter of supply and demand. Here is a quality teacher inspiring children everyday to learn and grow while her peers are stagnant and hardly effective as educators. Every time there is an opening for a teacher, the district receives hundred of inquiries, resumes, and applications – for a single opening! The supply of teachers exceeds the demands of the school. When this occurs, the parties must reevaluate their respective values. Teachers should have more to offer (not necessarily advanced degrees) and schools should have less to offer (not necessarily lower salaries). This creates an equitable balance between the two parties so that the school gets the absolute best at a reasonable price. These basic principles are applicable to every job field, including providing professional land surveying services.

The economic disaster taxpayers have stepped in will soon force public employee unions to reconsider their position. The employees do not dictate who runs an agency or how it is run, although they certainly would like us to think they do. We, the People, run agencies by electing officials, who will be held accountable this November.

The apparent ineffectual leadership of our public agencies can be corrected November 2, 2010 by choosing candidates who hold the public’s trust paramount to the interests of the employees. But I have my doubts. There were several candidates who should have been tossed out with the primary election but weren’t. It seems common sense has succumbed to name recognition.

Steven Greenhut's Election Wish and Orange County Taxpayer's Opportunity

In the June 4, 2010 Orange County Register’s Op-Ed Steven Greenhut says that June 8th will likely not bring the much needed reform that California needs.

Greenhut writes, “Love 'em or hate 'em, these initiatives are mostly self-interested deals. They don't offer major reform – and none of them get close to touching the fundamental issues that threaten California today. And none of the candidates offers real hope for taking on the vested interests and changing our state.”

Indeed, the statewide offices, regardless of who occupies them, will have little positive affect on most of us in our daily lives. But all is not lost. Voters need only to look at their local elections to see the winds of reform blowing in. Local elections offer taxpaying voters an opportunity to hold our incumbents accountable for their misdeeds and business-as-usual politics, to say nothing of their fiscal shell games.

Whether you take issue with wasteful spending, abuses of power, or constitutional rights, you can begin reforming your local offices and agencies by making smart choices with your vote. As Tip O’Neil said, “All politics is local.”

June 8th is the beginning of the end of Orange County’s longstanding RINO establishment. November 2nd, 2010 stands to be the nail in the political coffin for those who have reaped constituents with their bad policies. All you have to do is vote.

Voting is the quickest path to reform. Elect only those candidates who are ready, willing, and able to do what’s right in the face of controversy and opposition.

An excellent source for public policy and voter information is Cal Watchdog.

The Bill Hunt Revolution

OC Register Op-Ed

Worth re-reading is the OC Register's editorial on the 4th District race from March 22, 2010 titled "Editorial: Fourth District supervisor race draws six".  Here is a sampling to wet you whistle.

"Two members of the Anaheim City Council, Harry Sidhu and Lorri Galloway, have filed their intentions to run. Mr. Sidhu said he is running to "alleviate some of burdensome regulations in the county" in an effort to help create "more makers and less takers."
Ms. Galloway says in a video on her Web site that she wants to focus on jobs and the economy, though an example she gives as a job generator is high-speed rail, a tax-funded, big-government boondoggle."

The editorial closes out with this:

"The Register's Editorial Board plans to talk more with the candidates for supervisor in the coming weeks, assessing their positions and competence for the nonpartisan job. At the very least, the next supervisor must be a staunch advocate for property rights and opposing eminent domain, for reducing the size of county government, and, most importantly, for hard-nosed pension reform."

For those who missed it, the OC Register said that "At the very least, the next supervisor must be a staunch advocate for property rights and opposing eminent domain, for reducing the size of county government, and, most importantly, for hard-nosed pension reform."  It is clear who that person will be, Shawn Nelson.  He is the only candidate who meets ALL of the Register's requirements.  June 8th is fast approaching and I smell victory!

Harish "Harry" Sidhu's Clueless Response on Pension Benefits

Thanks to Friends For Fullerton's Future for this video which lifts the veil on Sidhu's ignorance when it comes to public employee benefits, a subject which many voters consider to be the single biggest issue facing OC tax payers as the County attempts to avoid a second bankruptcy.  It is amazing that this man was ever voted to serve on the Anaheim City Council.  I hear he is a nice guy, but is nice enough??  How about some clue, a pinhole of light, a glimmer of hope as to what happens at the county-level of government and the challenges the OC Board of Supervisors are currently facing!

Harish "Harry" Sidhu Rally Bumbles Along

This is amazing!  And this guy wants to represent the Orange County's 4th District?  No thanks!

Sidhu's Own Words - "I'm a positive guy."

Exactly two years ago, after trying unsuccessfully to

smear Republican Mimi Walters, Harry Sidhu held a

press conference and shredded the remaining “hit pieces”

he was planning to mail.

Here is what he had to say about his own negative campaign:

"I'm a positive guy."

"Our voters deserve better."

"I'll be focusing only on positive campaigning for

the remaining two weeks left in this race."

"I've pulled and will not mail any printed campaign

material that contains any negative attacks..."

"I will be shredding all those materials

that is here right in front of you today."

"That is the message I will be sending."

"Now it is time to shred."

That was then, this is now...

Shawn Nelson Precinct Walk - Placentia

I've been able to do a few precinct walks and I found them to be lots of fun and full of exercise!  My first time out I thought someone was surely going to slam the door on me but they didn't.  I found many people to be warm and engaging. 

Please take an hour or two out of your day to walk for Shawn Nelson!

OCGOP Central Committee - Allan Bartlett and Shawn Nelson

You may have read a rant or two regarding how I feel about the OCGOP and the lack of ethical leadership and the fact that we need to make some changes. The ONLY way to change a political party, at least on the local level, is to change it from within by electing quality leaders to the central committee. For the non-political types, central committees are the official representative bodies of political parties in a given county. The committee is made up of representatives from each of Orange County’s State Assembly Districts. For example, the 72nd Assembly District, which covers several north OC cities, has 6 representatives on the central committee. Each county may be different depending on how many assembly districts are in the county. Each member is elected by the voters who are registered members of recognized parties in their respective district. From what I have read, if you are registered as DECLINE-TO-STATE or DS, you cannot vote for any party’s central committee candidates. So, the first step to reformation of the Republican Party is to register as a Republican. The second step is to elect to the central committee only those candidates who demonstrate values similar to yours. With that understanding, let’s look at a couple of candidates who are running for the OCGOP (OC Republican Party) central committee. I have met each of these candidates and have seen the way they battle against the old regime which has fostered a culture of corruption.

Allan Bartlett is running for re-election to represent the 70th Assembly District on the central committee. The 70th AD is comprised of Irvine, Newport Beach, Tustin, Lake Forest, and Laguna Woods. You may have read some of Allan’s insightful and thoughtful articles on Red County Blog. The last I heard, Allan had been locked out of the blog by chief editor, Chip Hanlon because Hanlon couldn’t muzzle Allan’s criticism of the blog and OCGOP’s hypocrisy. Allan is respected by those who want lower taxes and smaller government. He is feared by those who are being fed from the government trough of consulting contracts. Allan is willing to stand up and say what we all want to say but are sometimes too concerned with what people might think. I have tremendous respect for Allan because I know he is often alone in his dissent for the old regime’s culture of corruption. Few committee members can hold a candle to Allan Bartlett’s determination to do the right thing even in the face of opposition. If you are registered as a Republican, live in the 70th AD, and you want to see the party return to its traditional platform, vote for Allan Bartlett.

Let’s now head north to my home district, the 72nd Assembly District. The 72nd AD represents Fullerton, Brea, Placentia, and parts of Anaheim and Orange. You may think it includes Irvine if your name is Ackerman. We have a newcomer to the central committee, Shawn Nelson. If you don’t know who Shawn Nelson is, go open your mail box. He is the officially endorsed Republican Party of California and OC Republican Party candidate for the 4th District County Board of Supervisors. According to the Orange County Employee’s Association, Nelson is criminal defense attorney who represents terrorists and child rapists. Of course, these are lies from the employees union who fears Nelson. For years he has been an outspoken critic of public employee unions and the outrageous pensions they demand. Nelson owns a law firm with as many as a dozen attorneys. So far as I have been able to tell, Shawn Nelson is a tort attorney. He is the guy I would call to go after a client who breaches a contract. I have asked around and NO ONE can give me a case number or criminal defendant’s name which had Shawn Nelson as the defense attorney. Then there is the Harish “Harry” Sidhu attack mailer regarding the Fox Fullerton, an old theater that is a local landmark. Sidhu seems to think that Fullerton voters would be shocked and angry that Nelson voted for the City to give the theater money. The problem is that most Fullerton residents were ok with his vote. In fact many thought the City should have done more by purchasing the Fox and rebuilding it rather than waiting for the current community group to obtain sufficient donations. The bottom line is that Shawn Nelson has pissed off a lot of people because he can’t be controlled by the public employee unions. Recently, Shawn debated various topics with Sidhu, his 4th District opponent. It was immediately clear that Nelson knew far more about County-wide issues than Sidhu. But is Nelson’s knowledge of the County sufficient reason to vote for him to be a county supervisor or even a central committee member? No.

A candidate must posses a philosophy on issues which you can identify with and I believe Shawn Nelson’s philosophy on many issues is similar to mine. I believe property rights are important and should not be unreasonably infringed upon without good cause. I believe that local government can create a business-friendly environment that attracts growth. I believe our local government is important but generally wasteful. I don’t know for a fact that Shawn Nelson would agree with me on these few issues but his voting record and the few brief conversations I have had with him indicate he at least tends to lean in the same direction as I do. Shawn Nelson most certainly will get my vote!

And, if for no other reason, I have yet to see Nelson throw a temper tantrum as a city council member like the majority of his elected peers on Fullerton’s council have done.

Remember, the central committee is the political body which endorses candidates on behalf of the party. They create policy and give the party its direction. There are other candidates running in other districts around Orange County, and probably throughout the state, but these two individuals have the right stuff to bring the OCGOP back to the basics. Try to email all of the candidates and find out what they stand for. Are they just a lot of talk?  Have they demonstrated through their political involvement and actions that they will continue to act in a manner that is consistent with their vocalized beliefs? The ONLY way to change the Republican Party is to elect like-minded conservatives to the central committee like Shawn Nelson and Allan Bartlett.

You can learn more about the OCGOP’s central committee at http://www.ocgop.org/about/committee/.

Junk Mail and Elections

If you live in Fullerton or parts of Orange County's 4th Supervisorial District, then you are probably familiar with some of the wild political ads arriving daily. Some are ridiculous boasts of good deeds and strong support while others are just down right mean. With all of the flack flying, it can be difficult to tell who is good and who is bad. For that matter, depending on your political philosophy, all of the candidates could be great. But the uninformed voter will be lost in a tornado of mud and inflammatory allegations with some being righteous and others just rude.

So who is right? Who is the best candidate and why?

It is easy to see the many messes made by incumbents. They have had time to make decisions, the results of which are evident and measurable. We can review council and board minutes as well as video recordings of the meetings. We can look at departmental expenditures and contracts. We can take public polls to see what voters think of their elected leaders. We can look at votes of confidence to see what employees think of their employers. These are all great tools for us to use in understanding the incumbent. But what about new candidates? How can we learn about someone who has never been elected? The only way to know is to ask them, their coworkers, business partners, supervisors, employees.

In the races I am primarily concerned with this June, I think I know enough about those candidates to know who I would like to see win. Do you? Have you done your homework and understand who is running and what their motivation is? When you get a mailer that quotes a newspaper article, do you look up the actual article to see who wrote it and what the author's motivation may have been? Do you try to research other stories to understand the dynamics involved? Can you trust bloggers, like me, to provide you with accurate information?

Sometimes you just have to ask the candidates about subjects that you think are important and see what they have to say. I have done that with Bill Hunt who is an outstanding man and truly a fearless leader, the likes of which Orange County has never seen. I have asked Hieu "Hugh" Nguyen, candidate for Clerk-Recorder, what he planned to do when he wins the race. Hugh made it clear that he is a leader and a mentor. He wants to lead by example, not intimidation. I have had a few brief conversations with Shawn Nelson, who is a current Fullerton councilman and candidate for OC Supervisor. Despite being an attorney, Shawn is able to speak clearly and concisely to anyone. Ask him why he did or didn’t vote on an issue and he will likely give you a good education on the topic. And if you want to know where he stands on a given subject, just ask. I haven’t looked too deep into the other county offices and the candidates who are running for them but I will do some homework and see if I can’t find a gem in the pile.

I have tried contacting several other candidates, but none would return my emails or phone calls. Two of those were incumbents who were too busy wasting our tax-dollars to talk to me. I suppose I'm just a small fish in a big pond. But this small fish has found out some disturbing things about the current OC establishment, some of which I cannot prove without blowing the names of my multiple sources who still need their government jobs. Without getting into the name calling and HE said SHE said, I will just say that OC needs to elect some fresh blood to public offices like Bill Hunt, Shawn Nelson, and Hugh Nguyen. The others in the race, in my opinion, just aren't worth my vote. Don't take my word for it, go do your homework and learn who these people are that want your vote. Try to understand what they want. Most importantly, ask what motivates a candidate to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a job that pays $100K-$200K per year? Clearly, none of them are running for the salaries (but maybe a second pension)after spending so much of their own money (or is it their own money?). Is it ego? Is it power or prestige? Ask them and they just might tell you. They may give you the old "sense of civic duty" line or they may give you their vision for what they believe to be a better future. What exactly that better future will be will likely depend on your political philosophy.

Tonight: Hieu "Hugh" Nguyen on The OC Show with Cameron Jackson

Tune in tonight and listen to the OC Show with Cameron Jackson on 88.9FM! 

Hieu "Hugh" Nguyen

A few days ago I decided to email Hieu "Hugh" Nguyen some questions about his plans for the for the Orange Couty Clerk-Recorder's Office.  

1. What is the first order of business, should you win the election?

Response:
I will complete a management audit within the first 90 days to review the organizations structure, authorized positions, workload statistics, systems performance, customer service, communications with Title/Mortgage Industry, fee schedule and operations of Clerk, Recorder and Vital Records functions. This will be the basis of preparing a long-term plan supported by short-term deliverables. I want to improve services to customers, improve department morale and productivity and reduce operating costs. This effort will be coordinated with the Board of Supervisors and CEO and Human Resources Department.

2. What are the top three issues facing the Clerk-Recorder's Office in the coming years?

Response:
a. Review the mission and operating strategy for the Vital Records Program.
b. Correcting personnel and contracting problems created by the current administration.
c. Improving services and communications to the public and title/mortgage industry who rely on the Clerk and Recorder Offices’ services.

3. What new/improved technology do you hope to implement?

Response:
I want to continue to implement technology that improves productivity of staff and protects the security of public records. I will review the disaster recovery plan and insure the security plan and back up plans are in force and provide adequate business continuity protection. The use of Interest based services and off-site digital storage should be explored to enhance the security and capabilities of the department and reduce costs.

4. Elections must be tough on the family. Can you tell me how supportive has your family been and in what way?

Response:
My wife and two children have been extremely understanding and supportive of my campaign. We have run a grass roots campaign so for the past year I have been attending community meetings and discussing my candidacy with political leadership in Orange County. I have maintained my employment as Chief Deputy Clerk of the Board during this process. This has required my nights, days off, vacation and weekend to be devoted to the campaign. I am very grateful for my family’s participation in the campaign and understanding of my time commitment to winning the Clerk-Recorder election.

5. Recently, Tom Daly has been criticized for his expenditures. FFFF has reported extensively on the fact that Daly convinced the Board of Supervisors to OK the purchase of a building in disrepair for $2.1million that Daly hired the relatives of political contributors, and that Daly has handed out tens of thousands in no-bid contracts to questionable consultants. As Clerk-Recorder, will you attempt to rite these numerous wrongs, and if so, how?

Response:
I plan to review the mission of the Vital Records program and source of long-term funding of facilities and operations. I will conduct this review with the assistance of the CEO, Real Estate & Facilities Department. I will report the results to the Board of Supervisors in public meetings and request policy direction. Based I want I have read, I believe the purchase of the vacant office building for over $2.0 million was not a good decision and it is not feasible or cost effective to renovate it into a Vitals Records facility at a cost of $5 to $7 million. I also believe the scope of the collection needs to be limited to public records of historical significance.


Tom Daly has awarded a number of consultant contracts to friends and political associates during his term. He has structured these “Sole-Source” agreements to be under $50,000 thereby avoiding the requirement to obtain Board of supervisors’ approval. He has also split contract scope of work into phases to stay under the limit. He has also awarded contracts for work retroactively for work completed and has paid for services that were never delivered or of little value. This practice will STOP 100% under my administration. I plan to run the department in a fiscally conservation manner and follow the correct contracting and personnel procedures to accomplish the work of the office. The funds derived from user fees needs to fund the services and systems used and should not be diverted to pet projects and work for friends as has been the current practice.

6. How will you win back the public's trust in the Clerk-Recorder's Office?

Response:
I will consistent plan, organize, direct and control the operations of the Clerk-Recorder in a manner that respects we are there to provide a service and the expenses are public funds that must be spent efficiently. My communications plan will be the primary means to assure the public that they can trust the office is being run with their best interest driving decisions. This will include:


a. I will start a public education program and personally spend time speaking to community groups.


b. I will institute a suggestion program or ideas from the public and staff. I will also establish a working relationship with each OC City Clerk and City Council to determine how we can work closely to provide improved services to the City and their residents.


c. I also will conduct quarterly workshops with the mortgage, real estate, title insurance and legal professional in Orange County who depend on the services of the Clerk-Recorder to discuss legislation and service improvement initiates.


d. I will actively participate in the State Association of County Clerk-Recorders to share best practice information and review legislation that impacts our office.

7. What is your greatest revelation or lesson learned while participating in this race?

Response:
The time and expense required to run for a County Wide Office and reach the voters is greater than I anticipated. The expense of running a campaign, filing candidate statements, creating a web site, create campaign materials and holding fund raising events has been challenging. The greatest lesson I have learned is to believe in yourself and don’t be afraid to ask for help from others who believe in good government and the need for a change in leadership in the Clerk-Recorder’s Office. Insiders in government know of the mismanagement by Tom Daly and his lack of work ethics. It is difficult to get this information out to the general public because there is inadequate government watchdog capability within County government and government coverage by the press is lacking due to cutbacks in resources.

8. Currently, Records of Survey maps are filed by the County Surveyor on behalf of land surveyors and property owners in order to bring land surveys into the public domain. Historically, these maps have been filed away for safe keeping pursuant to state law; however, there is no connection between the maps and the lots/parcels they depict. This disconnect has lead to uninformed members of the public purchasing land without being fully aware of encumbrances and title issues. Do you support adding these survey maps to the property grantor/grantee index so that when a title company issues a policy, they can include relevant Records of Survey maps? If so, can you explain what the time-line might be?


Response:
I generally believe the more information we can provide in our public record on land ownership and outstanding liens and encumbrances the better we are serving the public. The imaging, storage and retrieval of survey maps should be reviewed for potential linkage to lot and parcel identification. I want to consult with other County Clerk-Recorders, Assessors and Surveyor officials to gain an understanding of the implications. I will examine the issue carefully to understand the security and cost issues before I take a position on this initiative.

9. Former Sheriff Mike Carona retaliated against OC Sheriff Lt. Bill Hunt after Hunt ran against him in the contentious 2006 election. If you were to loose the election, is Tom Daly in a position to penalize you for running against him, much like Carona did to Hunt?


Response:
Tom Daly is not in a position to penalize me for running for office. I don’t work for Tom Daly. We have continued to maintain a business relationship even though we disagree about issue on how to manage the Clerk-Recorder’s Office. I expect this will continue.

I also have no intentions of retaliated against anyone who did not support my election if I am elected. I will serve the office in an honest and ethical manner and follow County rules and protocols. People on staff will be judged on the performance and contribution to the efficiency of the office.

10. Do you support the new satellite Clerk-Recorder locations in Fullerton and Laguna Hills?

Response:
I support the initiatives to make services more accessible to the public through technology and providing services in partnership with other County Departments and local government agencies. The expansion of services to satellite offices required long term lease of facilities, tenant improvement, utilities, maintenance and out-stationed staff. I need to review the workload statistics and measurements of cost effectiveness compared to centralized services, use of technology and shared facilities. Over the long term I believe we can expand on services through Integrated Voice Response Systems, web based services and shared services with other government agencies to make services available to the public in a more cost effective manner than operating satellite facilities with low volume usage. I need more facts before I can make any decision about the two existing facilities future.

Sincerely,
Hugh Nguyen
http://www.hugh4clerkrecorder.com/

Arpaio is making some phone calls

Sheriff Joe Arpaio makes a phone call...

High-Speed Disaster "Choo choo has new boss"

Mark Landsbaum wrote up a short piece on HSR's new chief.  It's kind of like hiring Henry Ford to build a freeway...

"Remember the disastrous high-speed train? The choo choo has a new boss at $375,000 a year

The high-speed rail boondoggle just gets uglier and uglier. The state rail authority has announced hiring Roelof vanArk, president of a French rail car manufacturing company, as chief executive. His paycheck?

$375,000 a year."

Read more by clicking here.

Bill Hunt - June 8 Primary

USCCA ENDORSES BILL HUNT

Gun Rights Roundup
by Uli Gebhard

USCCA Armed American Report ISSUE 195

NOTE: The USCCA would like to wish Mr. Bill Hunt the best of luck in his run for Sheriff of Orange County, California. He has our fullest endorsement!

Orange County, CA had to deal with an appointed Sheriff for almost two y ears. Her experience stems from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department – one of the most CCW-restrictive agencies in the nation. Barely in office Sandra Hutchens went on a reckless mission to revoke, restrict and deny renewal on hundreds of legitimately issued concealed carry permits.

Cameron Jackson - OC's Best Kept Secret

Don't forget to tune into Cameron Jackson tonight!

The OC Show with Cameron Jackson

Fridays 5 pm to 6 pm on KUCI 88.9 FM http://www.kuci.org/

Don't forget: Get out the OCGOP vote!

The path from Cite and Release to Federal Detention Centers in Orange County

From the OC Register: Dan Walters - High-speed train way off track

By DAN WALTERS

Sacramento Bee columnist
dwalters@sacbee.com
 
"California's high-speed rail project leaders tell us it's on track and that the state's residents can confidently look forward to a future of super fast bullet trains whisking them from one end of the state to the other at airline-like speeds.

However, the state auditor's office is saying officially what outside analysts already had concluded – the bullet train isn't ready to roll, lacking the tens of billions of dollars in federal and private financing the project will require.

California voters have approved a $9.95 billion bond issue, but it's supposed to pay for no more than 50 percent of construction costs. With total estimates running beyond $40 billion, the bond would be good only for a quarter at most.

The High-Speed Rail Authority is hoping for a big wad of federal funds – about half the total – but so far has received just a fraction, with no commitments for any more.

However, the biggest unknown, as state auditor Elaine Howe points out in a report issued Thursday, is whether private investors would be willing to commit at least $10 billion.

The enabling legislation says the bullet train will not have any state operating subsidies, but the authority's own documents say that private investors need "revenue guarantees" to protect their investments. That raises the specter of operating subsidies, as another recent report by the Legislature's budget analyst also points out.

"To plan adequately for private investment, the authority should further specify the potential cost of revenue guarantees and who would pay for them," the auditor's report recommends.

An indication that something's amiss is found in the defensive reaction of Curt Pringle, the authority's chairman, to the auditor's report, calling its title "inflammatory" and "overly aggressive" and promising that the questions will be answered as the business plan is revised.

There is a fundamental conflict between voters being told that if they approved the bonds the bullet train would be self-supporting, without operating subsidies, and the apparent requirement for "revenue guarantees," which probably could come only from tapping a state budget that's already awash in red ink and/or imposing some new special tax.

The auditor's report, coming just weeks after the legislative analyst's report and a critique by the Senate Transportation Committee staff, indicates that specific route planning, now under way throughout the state, should be placed on hold until the financial kinks are worked out – if, indeed, they can be.

The danger – and perhaps the hope of bullet train advocates – is that the authority will make so many commitments that the state will be politically compelled to pony up more money for construction and operation, regardless of financial viability.

Big public projects often become financial sinkholes via that process."