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These are my links for August 18th from 14:07 to 20:57:

• Warren Buffett’s derided wisdom – LA Times Smoking Crack Again – Investors might hang on Warren Buffett's every word when it comes to financial advice, but Republicans are less than enthusiastic about the Oracle of Omaha's opinions on taxation. After the billionaire chairman of investment firm Berkshire Hathaway wrote an op-ed in the New York Times complaining that the mega-rich are undertaxed in comparison to the middle class, conservatives urged him to voluntarily send more of his own money to the Internal Revenue Service and leave others alone. Not only are they willfully missing Buffett's point, they're seemingly oblivious to the fact that in many ways his tax ideas mirror those of Ronald Reagan.

  Hard to believe as it may seem, it has been a quarter of a century since the last comprehensive overhaul of the U.S. tax code. Under the Tax Reform Act of 1986, which was signed by President Reagan, the number of tax brackets was reduced, loopholes were closed, the top tax rate was lowered and capital gains were taxed at the same rate as ordinary income. Yet in the years since, Congress has steadily drilled loopholes back into the code while lowering the tax burden for wealthy people who make money through investments rather than labor. That was the source of Buffett's complaint.

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  But, what did Reagan do in 1981?

  The LA Times Editorial writers either wish to ignore history or simply have been smoking LEFT WING Crack for way too long.

• President 2012: Lawsuit Alleges Rick Santorum’s Website Built With ‘Counterfeit’ Font – The company's complaint calls out Raise Digital for taking fonts from their Fedra font family and modifying them so they could be used on Santorum's website. Designers often use a method available through a technology called Cascading Style Sheets to host a font on their client's web server and provide it to each visitor — but generally, they make sure to get license to use that font on the web first. The complaint, which goes out of its way to say that the Santorum campaign isn't involved, alleges that Raise Digital — or whomever Raise Digital hired to do the design work — didn't have that license.

  Then things get technical: The suit says the font that appeared on Santorum's website was a modified version of one of theirs — tweaked so that it would work on the web — and that the resulting product was "counterfeit."

  I asked Gabe Levine, a San Francisco-based intellectual property lawyer who represents new media companies, if what Typotheque alleges Raise Digital did would be a rookie mistake.

  "I'd say it's pretty rookie, yeah," he said. Later in the conversation, he added, "When one of my competent developer clients uses a font, they make damn well sure they have a right to use it."

  Raise Digital's founder, Justin Hart — who we know from his work for Chuck DeVore's aborted campaign last year to become the Republican nominee for one of California's U.S. Senate seats — declined to comment.

  The suit seeks $2 million in damages.

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  You have to have the rights…..

• Government will stop deporting some illegal immigrants, allow them to work – San Jose Mercury News – RT @politicoroger: WH must figure polls can't go lower:will stop deporting some illegal immigrants, allow them to work"
• WI-Sen Poll Watch: GOP Pick Up in 2012? | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – WI-Sen Poll Watch: GOP Pick Up in 2012? #tcot #catcot
• Flap’s Dentistry Blog: Cows, Running and Enjoying the Sport of Running – Cows, Running and Enjoying the Sport of Running
• Flap’s Links and Comments for August 18th on 09:02 | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Flap’s Links and Comments for August 18th on 09:02 #tcot #catcot

Quite possible in the latest PPP Poll.

The Wisconsin Senate seat being vacated by Herb Kohl is looking like a genuine Republican pick up opportunity, with both Tommy Thompson and Mark Neumann leading all the potential Democratic candidates we tested besides Russ Feingold.

Feingold, who doesn’t seem terribly interested in running, would still be the strongest potential candidate. He has the best favorability rating of anyone we looked at both overall (49/43) and specifically with independents (52/37). He would have the slightest advantage over Thompson, 48-47, and a more healthy one over Neumann at 51-44. Feingold led them by 10 and 12 points respectively when PPP first looked at this race in May so there’s been a good amount of movement toward the Republicans since that time.

Good news for the GOP and if former Senator Feingold does NOT run, this will likely be a gain for the GOP next year.

The entire poll is here.

These are my links for August 18th from 09:02 to 14:06:

• Los Angeles to quit hiring Standard & Poor’s to rate investments – Los Angeles, which recently saw its $7-billion investment portfolio downgraded by Standard & Poor's, has decided to no longer hire the rating company to rate the soundness of the city's investments.

  "We have really lost faith in S&P's judgment," Interim Treasurer Steve Ongele said.

  After its downgrade of U.S. debt last week, S&P cut its rating of L.A.'s general investment pool to AA from AAA. It also downgraded dozens of other municipalities with large investments in U.S. Treasury notes.

  One of them, Northern California's San Mateo County, has decided not to renew its contract with S&P. Florida's Manatee County has also dropped its contract with the company, according to news reports.

  Speaking before the City Council's Budget and Finance Committee meeting Monday, Ongele said Los Angeles should be proud for cutting ties with S&P.

  "The market crash that came with the real estate debacle, it happened because folks like S&P rated AAA corporations that were not worth much of anything, corporations that are no longer there today," Ongele said. "The fact that we have the courage to do this, the fact that we are the first city, I think that's a big bragging right."

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  Shooting the messenger

• California GOP, wooing candidates and money, will hold 2012 straw poll at September state convention – Hoping to attract GOP presidential candidates — and fire up its activist grassroots — the California Republican Party is taking a cue from Iowa and planning a high profile straw poll of the 2012 presidential hopefuls at its big September statewide convention in Los Angeles.

  The straw poll will be a marquee event at the convention expected to attract more than 1,000 delegates and party activists when it convenes Sept. 16-18 at the JW Marriott at LA Live, state party chair Tom Del Beccaro told us today.

  Already, Tea Party darling and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, the winner of the recent Ames straw poll in Iowa, is scheduled to be the opening keynote speaker on Friday night — a move that will clearly pump up party faithful expected to jam the event.

  But Del Beccaro has been in touch with the other leading Republican candidates, and predicted Bachmann won't have the hall to herself when it comes to wooing backers, volunteers and donors in the Golden State, which is also the nation's biggest political ATM.

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  Read it all.

  But, I think I will take a pass that weekend.

  Does anyone really think that the candidates besides Bachmann will want to dump tens of thousands of dollars to compete in very blue California?

  Well, maybe and if maybe then I will attend.

• Democrats cheer more lenient Obama rules on illegal immigrants – Democrats in both chambers are cheering Thursday after the Obama administration unveiled more lenient rules surrounding the deportation of illegal immigrants.

  The changes – announced by the Department of Homeland Security – will allow many non-violent illegal immigrants to remain in the country and apply for work permits. Instead of blanket deportations, agency officials will perform a case-by-case reviews, weeding out violent criminals and other high priority cases while closing the books on those considered no threat.

  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said the change “will help prioritize our limited enforcement resources to focus on serious felons, gang members and individuals who are a national security threat rather than college students and veterans who have risked their lives for our country.”

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  Color me cynical but Obama needs the Hispanic vote desperately since he has delivered virtually nothing to that community.

  Now, the Obama Administration is thwarting the will of the Congress AND the people.

• Dilbert August 18, 2011 – Back to the Future | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Dilbert August 18, 2011 – Back to the Future #tcot #catcot
• foursquare – Blogging away (@ Home)
• Untitled (http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/aug/17/westlake-village-man-announces-plans-to-run-for/?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed) – Westlake Village man announces plans to run for new 26th Congressional District » Ventura County Star:

  …

• Flap’s California Morning Collection: August 18, 2011 | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Flap’s California Morning Collection: August 18, 2011 #tcot #catcot
• President 2012: The GOP Sends Obama’s Getaway Postcards from Martha’s Vineyard | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – President 2012: The GOP Sends Obama’s Getaway Postcards from Martha’s Vineyard #tcot #catcot
• Another Billionaire Offers the Country Unsolicited Political Advice | Broadside Books – RT @michaelpleahy: My new article: "Another Billionaire Offers Unsolicited Political Advice" @broadsidebooks #tcot
• Capitol Alert: Assembly GOP requests immediate release of spending records – Good Luck with that! RT @CapitolAlert: Assembly GOP requests immediate release of spending records
• Flap’s Links and Comments for August 18th on 08:57 | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Flap’s Links and Comments for August 18th on 08:57 #tcot #catcot

A morning collection of links and comments about my home, California.

Westlake Village man announces plans to run for new 26th Congressional District

David Cruz Thayne, a former professional tennis player from Westlake Village, on Wednesday became the second Democrat to announce plans to run in the newly drawn 26th Congressional District, which covers most of Ventura County.

Thayne, 40, is a tennis coach and the producer of two tennis-themed documentary films. He joins Moorpark City Councilman David Pollock as the only announced candidates in a district that is expected to attract considerable national attention. It is home to no incumbent and the partisan leanings of its voters are such that the candidates in last fall’s governor’s race were separated by only 1 percentage point.

The district includes all of Ventura County except for most of the city of Simi Valley and a small slice of the city of Ventura. The city of Westlake Village is the only area of Los Angeles County in the district.

It is likely the district in which incumbent Rep. Elton Gallegly, R-Simi Valley, will run if he chooses to seek re-election. Although his home is a few blocks outside the district boundary, Gallegly has represented much of the area for the last two decades.

The incumbent congressman has made no announcement about his plans for 2012.

California governor not interested in Prop 13 reforms

Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday turned down a challenge from the mayor of Los Angeles to reform Proposition 13, saying he would prefer to focus his attention on bringing financial stability to California.

Brown was responding to comments by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who called on the governor and state lawmakers to think big in solving California’s ongoing fiscal problems. The mayor suggested the Prop 13 property tax cap be lifted for businesses and left in place for homeowners.

Prop 13, however, is seen as untouchable by many politicians in the state because it is so popular with the electorate.

During a speech Tuesday before the Sacramento Press Club, Villaraigosa urged the governor to convene a commission on tax reform and estimated that gradually lifting the Prop 13 cap for businesses could raise between $2.1 billion and $8 billion a year money the state could invest in education and lower property taxes for homeowners.

Brown rejected the idea after making a luncheon address at Maddy Institute in Fresno.

“I’m not planning to join (Villaraigosa), but I certainly welcome the debate,” Brown said. “I will focus my attention on ensuring financial stability and making the state more efficient.”

Brown did not offer specifics beyond saying he plans to support a ballot initiative next year for new revenue. He also said jobs would come by generating confidence that California is on stable footing.

One way he might do that is through infrastructure investment.

Republicans take first step toward overturning new Senate districts

A group of Republicans has taken the first step toward putting a referendum on the ballot that they hope will lead to the overturning of new Senate districts drawn by a state panel.

Republican attorney Charles Bell asked the state attorney general in writing to prepare the title and summary of the referendum so that a petition drive can begin to qualify the measure for the ballot. The campaign needs to collect more than 504,000 signatures in 90 days.

“The belief is that at least a number of the districts were not drawn in accordance with the [federal] Voting Rights Act and some provisions of the state Constitution concerning compactness and avoiding county splits,” said Bell, who is an attorney for the California Republican Party and the new campaign committee Fairness and Accountability in Redistricting.

Bell said Wednesday he submitted the request on behalf of the campaign committee, which includes Orange County businesswoman Julie Vandermost. The referendum drive is being supported by the state party as well as the Senate Republican Caucus.

Common Cause blasts referendum targeting new Senate districts

The head of California Common Cause said Wednesday that a Republican-backed referendum drive to overturn new Senate districts is the work of “partisan insiders” and is attacking a plan that reflects the will of voters who approved an independent redistricting process.

“This referendum is motivated by pure party politics, funded by incumbents who did not get the safe districts that they wanted,” said Kathay Feng, executive director of California Common Cause.

Her organization was one of several that supported a 2008 ballot measure that created the 14-member Citizens Redistricting Commission, taking the job of redrawing legislative districts away from lawmakers.

A referendum drive supported by the California Republican Party and Senate Republican Caucus has filed papers required before groups can begin collecting signatures to put the new districts before the voters.

Enjoy your morning!