Newsletter  -  August 2026

This has been stated before but is worth repeating.

Politics is the process of making collective decisions in a group, society or nation. It encompasses the distribution of power, the management of resources and the resolution of conflicts. At its core, it determines “who gets what, when and how.” 

There is a very important point to consider. The fewer people involved in the distribution of resources, the easier it is for persons who might not have the best motives to get what they want.

Of course, this relates directly to our votes. When a bare majority bother to vote in our elections, those results directly affect how everyone lives. 

So, are you one of those folks who doesn’t vote, has never voted and is just plain fed up with the voting system. You may think your vote doesn’t matter. You may say: what difference does my vote make? It’s a corrupt system. I’ll just stay home and ignore it all. However, not voting is a decision that has repercussions.

Well, let’s take a look at what certain elected politicians have done in California. Remember, the voters are making the choices. Not voting is a choice. There is a result when you don’t vote.

Because of the lop sided vote in California, Democrats have an unbeatable majority in the legislature. Horrible, ridiculous legislation gets passed. Let’s check out some of the latest insanity. Oh, don’t forget. Because of the incredible number of Democrats in the legislature, it only follows that the state bureaucracy is filled with like minded people.

Here’s the latest. The California Energy Commission (CEC) which is full of unelected bureaucrats and chaired by David Hochschild, has approved new rules that will restrict what tires you can buy when it is time to replace them. With a unanimous vote the Commission voted to adopt new rules that will phase out the sale of replacement tires that don’t meet certain energy efficiency standards. 

Chairman Hochschild stated that “this ultimately is about protecting consumers. I see this as sheltering the public from higher costs in the long run.”

Both tire manufacturers and commission staff did agree that this regulation will no longer allow the sale of a significant portion of the tires sold in California. At the center of this is a tire’s rolling resistance, or how much energy a tire uses as it rolls down the street. Lower resistance means a vehicle uses less gas or electricity. New cars come with generally efficient tires. However, consumers typically replace those with higher rolling resistance tires. 

The first phase would begin in 2029 which would allow sale of tires with a maximum rolling resistance level of 9.1 newtons per kilonewton. In phase 2, the standard lowers to 7.2 (N/kN starting in 2033. The CEC claims Californians could save $79 in four months in gas or electricity costs under phase 1 and about $153 in phase 2 within seven months. According to analysis by station KCRA more than 70% of tires will be banned. 

The CEC has claimed the new rules would lead to a price increase of only $6.50 per tire in the second phase. However, personnel with Goodyear stated that the increase would eventually cost several hundred dollars more. 

How about this legislation? AB 2624 has been dubbed the “Stop Nick Shirley Act.” This bill would make it a crime for citizen investigative journalists to expose fraud by posting videos to the internet. Democrat legislators have decided that independent journalists like Nick Shirley who has posted videos that document fraud and abuse in government-funded programs, should be charged as criminals. In fact, the latest version of this bill removes exemptions for journalists under the California Shield Law. This legislation would allow activists and taxpayer-funded organizations to demand the removal of video evidence even if it captures misconduct in plain view. This bill was introduced and sponsored by Assemblywoman Mia Bonta (wife of Rob Bonta, our Attorney General). Governor Newsome did sign the bill.

How about your vote or non-vote for Governor? Xavier Becerra is the current Democrat nominee for California governor. Prior to that he was the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). It appears that HHS provided nearly $80 Million to 14 organizations linked to terrorism and extremism. Even more critical is the statistic that during Becerra’s tenure at HHS a record number of unaccompanied minors crossed the U.S. southern border and entered the jurisdiction of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). Information from internal agency personnel alleged that the leadership prioritized speed and “assembly-line” efficiency over comprehensive safety checks when discharging children to homes in the United States. 

Investigative reporting and congressional inquiries indicate that HHS was unable to reach roughly 85,000 unaccompanied minors by telephone during safety follow-up check-ins after they were released to adult sponsors. Government officials and HHS leaders claim that these children did not vanish from government facilities into thin air. They claim that the agency lost telephone contact or failed to complete mandatory safety callbacks after the children were placed. Critics and congressional committees believe that the lack of verified contact and a loose vetting of sponsors has allowed some of these minors to fall into labor exploitation situations or trafficking situations.