Martha Montelongo along with Ben Boychuk of CA City Journal and John Seiler of CalWatchDog.com. Steven Greenhut, the Editor in Chief at CalWatchDog, may be joining us to discuss his latest posted commentary at CalWatchDog, addressing Gov. Brown's open letter to the CA Voters issued on Monday, Dec 5th, what Brown says and Steve's interpretation of what it says and means to all of us. (Steve is a maybe...but if he doesn't make it we'll generate him so you get his message!)

Oscar Cruz of Families in Schools joins us on the working partnership coalition of parents, teachers and community members working together to transform our public schools such that children learn and excel to their greatest potential--and that means great achievement and no excuses.

Tonight on Gadfly Radio w/ Martha & CalWatchDog's John Seiler, and Special Guest Former CA Senator Gloria Romero on "You Have Choice!"

State Senator and Former State Senate Majority Leader Gloria Romero, is the Director of California's chapter of Democrats for Education Reform. We talk with Romero about the initiative called You Have Choice! What is it? Who is behind it? Who should know about it? Why do we need this program? What's at stake? What is possible?

Tonight on Gadfly Radio w/ Martha & CalWatchDog's John Seiler and Special Guest Marcia Friz of Fix Pensions First. Ben Boychuk of CA City Journal is out ill. It’s election night and we’re about to get a good handle on the challenges at hand for reformers who want to get a handle on the public employee pension crisis eating away at California’s public infrastructure.

on Gadfly Radio, Martha Montelongo along with Ben Boychuk of CA City Journal and John Seiler of CalWatchDog.com and back for an encore, and because this topic spans across so many issues that plague our Country's current sorry state of affairs, we welcome back special guest Anthony Krinsky, the publisher of Anthony Krinsky's Education Blog. We talk with Krinsky on "The Don't Hold Us Back Coalition" pushing hard for real substantive reforms in L.A.U.S.D. and more.

Tonight on Gadfly Radio, Ben Boychuk of CA City Journal joins me as we talk with John Seiler of CalWatchDog.com, with special guest LEAP member, Kyle Kazan, former police officer w/ Torrance P.D. in CA, the sixth-largest department in the county of Los Angeles, CA.  We'll talk about the Drug War and escalation of violence in Mexico, the operations of cartels in CA, the weapons sold by US agents to Mexican cartels, the costs to financially broke CA and our Fed Govt for the War on Drugs.

We'll also talk about Portugal’s 10 year old Drug Policy Program, which had produced compelling and measurable results.   John Seiler has a new article up at CalWatchDog about AB 499, the Merk   Big Pharma bill, with its matching bill in the State Senate, both which have passed, and now sits on the Gov’s desk for signing.  John Seiler calls it anti-parent because it violates parental authority to safeguard one’s own children from school authorities.

Ben Boychuk of CA City Journal joins me as we talk with John Seiler of CalWatchDog.com.  Dave Bailey, businessman & resident of the City of Fullerton, CA, & former police officer with the Los Angeles Port Police Department, joins us to discuss the due process lag in the case of the fatal beating of 38 year old, 135 pound schizophrenic homeless man, Kelly Thomas, at the hands of six Fullerton Police Officers who have since been put on paid leave, but have not been charged for any crime since the beating occurred on July 5th of 2011.  What does the CA Supreme Court in August of 2006, in Copley v. Superior Court have to do with it?

Tonight on Gadfly Radio w/ Martha Montelongo and CalWatchDog's John Hrabe on Redistricting, CA City Journal's Ben Boychuk, with special guest Mark Canbaniss on Kelly Thomas beating/murder and necessary consequences.  

Tonight on Gadfly Radio w/Martha, San Diego City Councilman Carl DeMaio, CalWatchDog's John Seiler, City Journal's Ben Boychuk, on the debt crisis, Public Employee salaries and pension scandal in CA and in San Diego in particular,  Nate Bradley of LEAP on the corruptive nature of CA Asset Forfeiture Laws. Ben and I discuss the Parent Trigger Law, authored and supported by Progressive Democrats, and the conversation among some conservatives who focus on the areas of grave disagreement instead of the opportunity to work in conjunction on the effort to transform the possibility for 100s of 1000s of children to get an education in reading, writing, math and science, and to hold educators accountable for measurable results.

I like Ben Boychuk’s Facebook post after this show: "Just finished up another radio show with Martha Montelongo, John Seiler, and special guest, Chris Norby. You never know what you're going to get on the Gadfly Radio Show. It's seat-of-your-pants, improv, free-form jazz. And it's live!"

Tonight on Gadfly Radio, Assemblyman Chris Norby of Fullerton, CA, John Seiler of CalWatchdog and Ben Boychuk of City Journal join us, and Carlos A. Rodriguez, Immigration Attorney, Libertarian Candidate for Congress in 2010, and California Libertario member online, on Facebook, drops by to share a short bit of what he got at Freedom Fest in Las Vegas two weeks ago.  We see just how lasting the good vibes he picked up have held up with him. 

Bill Evers, Ben Boychuk, John Seiler, Mike Shaner, and Craig Duey all join Martha on the program.  I talk with Bill, Ben and John about the perilous state of Charter Schools in CA and the bills moving through the legislature that will bury Charter Schools if they are passed and are then signed into law by Governor Brown.    Martha has some technical issues with her connection so she drops off for a while while Ben Boychuk takes the helm and interviews Craig Huey on his unreal special election race for the 36th District.  Will have Mike Shaner back in a week or two when we’re able to get him back on the program.  

CA State Senator Doug LaMalfa is on a short break from a late session in the legislative chamber where the Senate's vote on the budget is likely this evening. The Senator joins Gadfly Radio with Martha Montelongo, CalWatchDog's John Seiler and Claremont Institute's and CA City Journal's Ben Boychuk.  We talk about the budget, what's in it, what's not, and what's happy thought about it, what's realistic, what's
likely and what is possible.   

We talk about CA's Ag industry (Ben has some fascinating facts and figures to powerfully establish the significance of this industry for Californians and the rest of the country), and how this industry is under decimating assault from environmental groups and the government agencies that are implementing policy mandates stipulated in law
AB 32.  

Finally, we cut to the brouhaha going on in San Francisco over a measure that qualified for the ballot, that if passed, would ban circumcision on anyone under 18 years of age.  The Senator had to leave us at this point.
It was a fast hour and we ran out of time. 

Tonight on Gadfly Radio: Martha Montelongo w/CalWatchDog's John Seiler discusses ALEC-Laffer's new State Economic Competitiveness Index report ranking California 47th on economic outlook and 46th for economic performance, and Richard Rider on more CA Breaking Bad News!    We talk about Controller John A Chiang’s decision to enforce prop 25.   Talk about Prop 13 and talk to split roll it so that businesses are no longer under its limits for tax increases.  Latino “leaders have been working hard for Frank McCourt in support of his keeping the Dodgers because he’s been so good to the Latino Community.  He built the kids a baseball field at a local park in L.A.   Why aren’t the same leaders raising hell to end redevelopment, which displaces a high number of Latino families?   Why don’t they rally to support school choice and the Parent Trigger?  Many Latin Americans are listening to music with lyrics that declare all big government, left or right is corrupt.  They want to be free.  For freedom lovers, they are low hanging fruit.  

My favorite Politician (which is weird to say, because people who know me would be surprised I even had one), Assemblyman Chris Norby,  was on the show with us tonight.  He’s my favorite because he really does get and legislate by the principles of limited government, fiscal responsibility and accountability, and he minds the fundamental role of private property, and people’s ability to engage as freely as possible in free enterprise.  He’s just as focused and determined in his role as Assemblyman as he has been in his former roles as a teacher, a City Councilman, and an O.C. Supervisor.  We talk about the budget, Redevelopment, Pot Growers and common sense, sound laws and sentences, and public employee pension reform.  
Matt Rexroad, political consultant with a formidable grassroots political pedigree and an expert on Redistricting, discusses the new CA political district maps, what they mean, the issues and possible challenges and changes before they become final. John Seiler of CalWatchDog is on with us the whole show! 

Chris Norby, one of my favorite politicians, and I don’t many favorites... less than a hand full, was supposed to join us on the show, but he was diverted.  But Jack Dean of Pension Tsunami was on hand to talk about CA Public Employee Pension battles, costs, policy and the politics.   We discussed statewide efforts for reform, local efforts, and even discussed other states such as New Jersey and Massachusetts.  Jack has been a Paul Revere of modern days and his message is now resonating with a significant portion of voters and engaged activists.  It was delightful to speak with him, and he was so generous to join me after the long hard day of work he’d had in Mass, taking care of a demolition project for his long retired mom.  Chris will join me next Tuesday!

Adam Summers of Reason.org authored two important studies we look at tonight on the California Public Employee Pension Crisis. One called How to Fix California's Public Pension Crisis:  How the state's public pension system broke and how to fix it and the other on Comparing Private Sector and Government Worker Salaries: Public sector offers ironclad job security and greater pension benefits.  Adam is alone with me.  No other hosts, guests or callers.  He’s got to explain this to me, and to you, the listener.  

It is a really tough topic to take on with honesty about its complexity, and it’s so vital that everyone get it, to a deep enough level that they can distinguish and not be fooled or manipulated into voting against their best interests, personal prosperity and financial solvency.  The most complex thing about it is how entwined with are with the abundance of public employee union members who are in our lives, social networks and communities.   That is what makes this issue so difficult.   It’s so clearly a moral and ethical conflict.  

Richard Rider, Chairman of San Diego Tax Fighters, joined Steve Greenhut, John Seiler and me, to share some positive developments in the realm of public policy.  Steve talked about some of the highlights of what others called a debate last week in O.C.  It was Steve vs Orange County's Nick Berardino, general manager of the Orange County Employees Association, a government union, in what Steve calls a floor mopping--him doing the mopping! We had a lot of fun while discussing the dismal state of CA’s business climate, for small business and the middle class, and the politics and policy that have major impact, and we highlighted a new emerging leader, and some policy victories as a hint of what is possible if only...  One caller  took a few of our panel on a contemplation of his dream if only the north of CA separated from the south... Too short a time for so much to talk about, but it was fun and lively and... We’ll pick it up next week, same time, same place.  Hope you enjoy the podcast! 

Adam Kokesh, former U.S. Marine, radio talk show host, and U.S. Congressional candidate,  joins Martha and John Seiler to talk about his new show, Adam vs The Man on RT America on the Air, Monday through Friday, 7 PM ET.  It was such a lively discussion that the hosts ended up talking with Adam the entire program, after he joined the program a few minutes late.   They all discussed aspects of his philosophy, his transformation, his intention, convictions, and current events that have fueled his growth in audience and the growth of like minded influential scholars and activists through out the country, all connecting, discussing, debating and growing in size of followers thanks to the powerful medium of the web. 

Before Adam showed up, John and Martha were discussing a few of John’s recent posts at CalWatchDog.com, regarding  the consistently steady and increasing number of businesses that are leaving California and going to other states where they can afford to be in business and they take precious jobs with them.

Lydia Grant joined John Seiler and Martha to discuss the Jeremy Marks case and the Parent Trigger.  Covered news about the latest on the on going and worsening CA budget crisis, the options, the strategies of different factions.  Also touched on CalWatchDog.com’s comprehensive coverage on the issues including public employee pensions and the budget crisis, the chance to retire Redevelopment. 

Martha talks about Congreso Latino 2011, and what she found to be the most talked about issue, SB 1070 and like bills cropping up around the country.   Steve and John think it’s just the Left fanning flames to divert Latino voters’ attention away from examining policy issues Dems support, which cause and perpetuate unemployment.  

All three discuss the latest on the CA Budget crisis and the failure thus far of the Gov to get to put continuing the current temporary tax increases which were passed in 2009 for two years and will expire in July, on the ballot for a vote before they expire, so that the public doesn’t notice the difference in their net pay before and after the tax increases expire and then, after a November election, are reinstated, if the voters vote yes to passing then “new taxes.”

John responds to a caller’s question:  What’s Gov. Brown’s next move after he said he’s done negotiating with Republicans on the budget?

Steve and John of CalWatchDog joined Martha and they talked about how the CA GOP looks like they might go down in history as saving Eminent Domain for Private gain in the spirit of the KELO v New London Decision, and if they do, they will do irreparable damage to their already battered standing with the people of CA.   On this decision they can’t even claim to be better than the Democrats who are beholden to the Public Employee Unions.  They’re betraying the taxpayer, the property owner, and the principles of limited government and they’ve secured strength for the opposite of the principles they profess to stand for. 

We talked about the CA GOP Convention that just passed this past weekend, and the words spoken by the new CA State GOP Chairman, Tom Del Beccaro.   And we agreed, their problem is not a message problem, it’s an integrity problem.   We hold them accountable because they are not who they profess to be.

We remembered Doug McNea, a life time principled activist for taxpayers, property owners, parents for their children’s education, for liberty in all ways, a gentle spirit and a great loss. 

Had some great callers and we had fun. 

Our maiden voyage.   Technically a bit rocky, but a lot of fun.  Definition of a Gadfly--Why are we Gadfly Radio?  We’re an irritant to the politicians and policy makers who hold and often abuse the public trust.  We call them out incessantly.  Friend Jack Dean of Pension Tusnami popped in by surprise, via telephone.   On the program we discussed:  Japan’s earthquake and tsunami, the impact of the nuclear disaster on California’s nuclear energy policy.  In California many people’s hysteria over radiation poisoning from Japan’s nuclear reactor disasters.  Governor Jerry Brown’s proposed budget plan, and how regardless of what happens with the tax increase he hopes will be put to the voters in June, and that voters will approve, will fix nothing.  It’s at best, a stop-gap measure.  The City of Costa Mesa in  O.C., is talking about some real reform, laying off 40 percent of their public employee workforce.   The Parent Trigger Law looks like it’s going to be kept in tact and permanently adopted.  (I’m not so sure, but the parents from Compton, L.A. and Sunland, who have made two daunting all night treks up to Sacramento on buses, to speak before the State Board of Education have had an impact.)