Gov. Jerry Brown's Aggressive Prison Parole Agenda Backfires as More Parolees Return

And he's supposed to be "Governor Competence."

At LAT, "As more inmates are released from prison, more parolees return":

Randy Whittenburg was a "commendable" candidate for release from prison.

After 31 years behind bars for his role in a Los Angeles strong-arm robbery that ended in murder, Whittenburg had earned four vocational certificates; completed Bible study, anger management and 12-step programs; and accumulated a file of prison officials' praise. He was married and had detailed plans for success.

Eighteen months after he was paroled in 2011, the 47-year-old was jobless, separated from his wife and riding around L.A. on a bicycle, packing heat. When his girlfriend locked him out, he fired his gun into her apartment, hitting her.

"God gave you a second chance," she whispered to him from her hospital bed the next morning. A recorded phone line in the L.A. County Jail captured her incredulity. "Why would you do something like this?"

That troubling question is increasingly being repeated at parole hearings across California as the number of inmates with life sentences who are granted release skyrockets under Gov. Jerry Brown. Currently nearly 2,000 murderers, hit men and robbers who spent decades locked up and now range from middle-aged to elderly are trying to find their way. Most succeed, but each month a few more fail, returning to the drugs and crime that put them in prison and raising public safety concerns.

California is one of four states in which the governor has final authority over parole decisions. A Times analysis of parole records found that Brown has allowed parole for 1,963 inmates with life sentences — more inmates than four governors released in the 27 years before he was elected.

With the dramatic rise in parole, The Times also found a disturbing increase in revocations. Since 2011, at least 50 inmates with life sentences, including 33 paroled under Brown, returned to prison or jail, accused of drug use, domestic violence, theft, even attempted murder. A Stanford University study found that among 860 inmates with life sentences who were paroled from 1995 to 2010, five returned to prison with new felony charges.

The governor defended his parole decisions and said he is abiding by the law and his own belief in redemption. But both Brown and his appointed parole board director declined to comment on the number of inmates who have returned to prison...

Of course they "declined" to comment.

Democrats make the state less safe, and the idiot "progressive" voters keep returning them to office. Yeah, California's f-ked up like that.

Keep reading.

'The moment each day’s work ended, the entire squad ran wind sprints the width of the field, as orderly as Blue Angel pilots, while the Redskins looked on...'

That quote really struck me.

A great read, at the Washington Post, "Washington Redskins, burning out under magnifying glass."

And the team just lost its finale to Dallas, 44-17.

Weatherman Bill Ayers Tells Bill de Blasio to Be Proud of Supporting Marxist Terrorists

Here's a lovely flashback for you, via Twitter:

"Terrorist Bill Ayers tells Bill deBlasio to be Proud of Supporting Marxists http://t.co/rb0ctoH55I #TCOT pic.twitter.com/jJFr7wUGDv" @KfromLI

— God, Guns, & Freedom (@VitoBagofDonuts) December 23, 2014

RELATED: "Walter James Casper Slams NYPD in Solidarity with Murderous Left-Wing Anti-Cop Vigilantism."

No Frontloading for California in 2015

California will hold its presidential primary elections in June, doing away with the earlier (and separate) primaries for the presidential nominations we've seen in earlier years.

Mark Barabak reports, at the Los Angeles Times, "Feeling left out in the Golden State as presidential campaign heats up."

And that reminds me: It's time to start reading Josh Putnam's blog, Frontloading HQ.

Sunday Cartoons

At Flopping Aces, "Sunday Funnies."




Also at Randy's Roundtable, "Friday Nite Funnies," and Reaganite Republican, "Reaganite's Sunday Funnies."

More at Theo's, "Cartoon Round Up..."

CARTOON CREDIT: Legal Insurrection, "Branco Cartoon – Season’s Beatings."

Cassandra Fairbanks Not 'Plowed Down' on Hollywood Boulevard Last Night: But 'the night is young...'

Cassandra Fairbanks is the notorious "@CassandraRules." The bitch was whining last night about getting "plowed down" by a hit and run driver during the left's anti-cop protest in Hollywood. Too bad she wasn't ground into the pavement, IMO.

At Twitchy, "‘Car plowed us down': #MillionsMarchLA demonstrators burn flag, block traffic [Vine]."

I can't believe these morons think they can block Hollywood Blvd on a Saturday night and not have trouble. Sheeeeesh. The night is young.
— Das Kuffar (@kufr666) December 28, 2014

Heading to Hollywood and Highland momentarily. #MillionsMarchLA pic.twitter.com/rCtH8JL7ui
— Cassandra (@CassandraRules) December 28, 2014

UPDATE: Cassandra took down her pics, but others have reposted them:

She's not radical! She's a sparkly protestor! @BevH111 @idaho_expatriot @CassandraRules @KurtSchlichter pic.twitter.com/AnTSspoGZY

— Stacey Lennox (@ScotsFyre) December 28, 2014

#USCvsNEB — 'Too Close for Comfort': USC Nearly Blows 18-Point Lead to Nebraska in Holiday Bowl

Exciting game. I could definitely do without that ending, though.

From Bill Plaschke, at LAT, "USC gets Holiday Bowl win that's too close for comfort":

It wasn't over until Nelson Agholor knocked down a Hail Mary pass.

On Saturday night in the Holiday Bowl against Nebraska, USC once again made it far too interesting.

As was the case in numerous other games this season, the Trojans were in position to put away an opponent and appeared as if they would not get it done.

But after an 18-point USC lead late in the third quarter had shrunk to three, Agholor batted away the last-second Hail Mary to preserve the Trojans' 45-42 victory at Qualcomm Stadium.

USC finished 9-4 in Steve Sarkisian's first season as head coach.

“We always try to make it exciting,” Sarkisian said, laughing. “We make it entertaining for everybody.”

USC fans might question the entertainment value, especially with memories of a loss to Arizona State on a Hail Mary still fresh nearly three months later.

“That wasn't new to us,” USC senior safety Gerald Bowman said, referring to the Trojans' penchant for late-game dramatics this season, in both wins and losses.

Quarterback Cody Kessler passed for three touchdowns, tailback Javorius Allen rushed for 152 yards and two touchdowns and the Trojans overcame undisciplined play to hold off the Cornhuskers.

Kessler, who said he would return for his final season of eligibility, completed 23 of 39 passes for 321 yards, with one interception. He was named offensive player of the game.

Sarkisian had said before the game that the outcome would not “say who we're going to be next fall.”

But this much is clear: The Trojans need to find ways to close games better...

Keep reading.

Plus, "USC edges Nebraska in knockdown, drag-out, Hail-scary Holiday Bowl."

Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani to Bill de Blasio: 'Apologize to the New York City Police Department'

Major Garrett interviews the former mayor, on CBS Face the Nation.

Both Obama and de Blasio "should lose Al Sharpton":

Commissioner Bill Bratton: NYPD 'Morale is Low'

Major Garrett interviews Bill Bratton, on CBS Face the Nation:

Los Angeles' Minimum Wage Hike Risks Driving Businesses to Nearby Cities

Well, you think?

At LAT, "Would an L.A. minimum wage hike push businesses to nearby cities?":

In less than four years, Tony Yanow has boosted Golden Road Brewing's production nearly sixfold, making beers from the Atwater Village brewery a mainstay in supermarkets across California.

He employs 300 workers in Los Angeles at the brewery and his Mohawk Bend restaurant in Echo Park. As part of a planned expansion, he expects to hire at least 100 more — but most of them may not be in the city.

As lawmakers consider potential minimum wage increases to as high as $15.25 an hour by 2019, Yanow is planning to expand into Orange County and is considering a new project in Glendale.

"I love L.A., but that doesn't mean it's my best bet," he said. "Do you want to go somewhere where you can make money, or do you want to go somewhere where they're stacking the cards against you?"

Los Angeles' minimum wage would apply only within city limits. So the city's unique geography — stretching from the northern reaches of the San Fernando Valley down to the port in San Pedro — provides plenty of options for business owners looking to avoid higher labor costs.

Dozens of municipalities directly border the city, but only two — Santa Monica and West Hollywood — are pondering raising their minimum wages.

Business owners also worry about losing customers if they raise prices to cover higher costs. Why not just buy that cheaper car wash, hamburger or piece of clothing in a neighboring city? While minimum wage advocates argue that higher pay for workers would translate into more spending, opponents worry the economic boost would migrate across the L.A. border.

Neighboring cities such as Burbank have a history of making aggressive plays to attract new businesses.

"There's at least 40 jurisdictions that'll be happy to pick our pocket," said Ruben Gonzalez, senior vice president at the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce. "Everywhere in the city, you can point to people who can move down the road and serve the same clientele."

Los Angeles' geography differs widely from that of other cities that have passed minimum wage increases, such as Seattle and San Francisco, which have more uniform borders and compact city centers. That means there has been little if any research that would apply to the wage hike being considered in Los Angeles.

"We really don't know what we're dealing with," said Christopher Thornberg, an expert on the California economy who is the founding partner of Beacon Economics. "This is a very aggressive hike they're talking about, in the context of a very convoluted geographic area."

The economics Einsteins of Los Angeles. Driving businesses and jobs outside the city limits.

You gotta hand it to the progs. They're really committed to their ideas, no matter how disastrous.

Keep reading.

Civics Education Making a Comeback

Well, it's about time.

As it is, we're teaching America's dumbest generation.

At the Wall Street Journal, "Civics Instruction Moves Up in Class: More States Mandate Tests on the Subject Amid a Movement for Use of Citizenship Exam":

After years on the back burner of the nation’s educational agenda, civics is making a comeback, with a number of states mandating new classes or assessments and a burgeoning national push for high-school seniors to pass the exam required of new citizens.

For the first time this past school year, a civics exam in Florida counted toward students’ grades, following a mandated class and exam instated the year before, while students in Tennessee started facing a required test two years ago. The Massachusetts Board of Higher Education mandated that the subject be a key component for learning at the state’s colleges and universities starting this school year. Both California and Illinois have statewide task forces and local projects aimed at embedding civics in schools.

“We’re seeing more rumblings of states and local districts recognizing the need for civic engagement, especially for youth,” said Paul Baumann, director of the National Center for Learning and Civic Engagement at the Education Commission of the States, a nonprofit.

Recent national reports show students could use a lesson in civics, which generally studies the role of citizens in public issues and covers such topics as how to dissect current events or apply the Constitution to modern issues. About two-thirds of students tested below proficient on the civics portion of the National Assessment of Educational Progress in both 2006 and 2010. Only 10 states require a social-studies test to graduate from high school, according to the Education Commission of the States.

Recent federal policies, such as No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top, linked money to tests on math and reading, and concerns about a shortcoming in job skills has pressured leaders to focus more on science, technology, engineering and math.

A Center on Education Policy study found in 2007 that about 45% of elementary schools reported cutting time for other subjects to focus on math and reading. And only about one in three elementary teachers reported covering civics subjects on a regular basis, according to federal survey data taken in 2006 and 2010.

Proponents say enhancing civics instruction could help reverse low voter turnout—about one in five adults ages 18 to 29 voted in the 2014 midterms, according to researchers at Tufts University’s Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service—and address mounting frustration with dysfunction in Washington. They also say it can help increase engagement by minorities and the poor, who typically receive less civics education than more affluent and white students.

“There’s a stronger sense from people now that we must do something in order to be functional as a nation and at the community level,” said Meira Levinson, an associate professor of education at Harvard University who has studied civic-empowerment issues.

Meanwhile, coalitions in seven states have launched a growing movement to require students to pass the U.S. citizenship exam before they can graduate. By the end of next year, proponents aim to introduce and pass legislation in 12 to 15 states.

“So little has been done over so many years now, let’s make sure we take that one solid first step,” said Sam Stone, political director for the Civics Education Initiative, an affiliate of the Joe Foss Institute, a nonpartisan nonprofit based in Scottsdale, Ariz.

But some backers of more civics study doubt the value of the 100-question citizenship exam, arguing it is more about rote memorization than learning how to be a better citizen...

Keep reading.

Holiday Saturday Rule 5

Here's a little a break from anti-cop vigilante blogging.

At the Superficial, "Hot Anais Zanotti Bikini Photos: Miami," and "Kat Torres Has The Holiday Spirit and Other News."

At Popaholic, "Daily Addictions – Christmas Edition."

Also, at Egotastic!, "India Reynolds Turkey Roasting, It’s the Next Big Thing, Err, Things, Err Just Look."

More at Pirate's Cove, "If All You See……is a field (far away from your home) that would be perfect for solar panels, you might just be a Warmist."

At 90 Miles From Tyranny, "Morning Mistress."

From Dana Pico, "Rule 5 Blogging: NYPD."

More at Soylent, "Bath Night Shower Scene."

Knuckledragging, "Your Good Morning Girl."

Also at Ode's, "E-Bay Scam Warning ~OR~ Rule 5 Woodsterman Style."

Here's Drunken Stepfather, "VICTORIA JUSTICE IN COSMO OF THE DAY."

From Gator Doug, "THE DALEYBABE LYNDSEY FONSECA."

At GCeleb, "Alyssa Arce Bares Her Necessities" (via Linkiest).

Still more, from London's Daily Mail, "She's doing it again! Chelsea Handler posts yet ANOTHER topless snap to Instagram during holiday ski trip: Campaigning against Instagram censorship."

From Proof Positive, "Happy Boxing Day!"

At Theo's, "Bedtime Totty..."

The Hostages, "No time to motivate y’all, gotta get back on the clock. So babe fitness pictures. Merry Christmas."

Check Goodstuff's, "GOODSTUFFs BLOGGING MAGAZINE (170th Issue): Lily Cole."

Finally, at Egotastic!, "Rosie Jones for the Happiest of Holidays."

Backlash Against the Left's Deadly Anti-Cop Protest Movement

The left doesn't care about basic decency. They'll kill more cops as soon as they have the chance.

At the New York Times, "After Killing of Police Officers, Protest Movement Is at a Crossroads."

#HandsUpDontShoot #ShutDown5thAve #WinterOfResistance #every28hours #JailKillerCops #NoJusticeNoPeace pic.twitter.com/xBOiUJrCyB

— ANSWER Coalition (@answercoalition) December 23, 2014

Bwahaha!! 'Proud Savage' Mona Eltahawy to Pay Restitution in AFDI Vandalism Case

Freakin' far-left scumbag Mona Eltahawy loses to Pamela Geller.

It's too sweet, lol.

At Atlas Shrugs, "Pamela Geller, Breitbart: ‘Proud Savage’ Mona Eltahawy Has to Pay Restitution In AFDI Ad Vandalism Case."

Joshua Williams, 'Peaceful' Ferguson Protester, Arrested for Setting Fire to QuikTrip in Berkeley, Missouri

Once again, leftist actions speak louder than words.

Leftists are liars.

At the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Protester who advocates peace charged with setting fire at Berkeley QT":

One of the most frequently quoted and photographed Ferguson protesters was charged Saturday with setting fire to a Berkeley convenience store earlier this week.

St. Louis County police arrested Joshua Williams, 19, of St. Louis, on Friday after several local media outlets and store surveillance captured images of him trying to set a pile of wood on fire outside the QuikTrip on North Hanley Road early Wednesday.

Williams confessed to setting fires at the store in a videotaped interview, according to court documents.

Police say Williams entered the QuikTrip shortly after looters shattered its glass doors during protests of the death of Antonio Martin, 18, who a police officer had shot earlier at the Mobil on the Run store across the street. Surveillance footage from the Mobil store shows Martin point what police say is a gun at a Berkeley officer before the officer fatally shoots him.

Williams can be seen in videos both inside and outside the looted QuikTrip, authorities said.

On Friday night and Saturday morning, a small group gathered at the St. Louis County Justice Center to protest Williams' arrest. Some were in disbelief over his reported confession and said the video images are not clear enough...

Yes, "disbelief."

I'm sure MLK is rolling over in his grave.

JetBlue Bomb Threats

JetBlue flies out of Long Beach Airport, just blocks from my college.

At the Long Beach Press-Telegram, "JetBlue aircraft inspected at Long Beach Airport following Twitter threat."

And at Gateway Pundit, "Bomb Threat Tweeted to Jet Blue After Offer to Send Police to NYPD Officers’ Funeral."

Also at Truth Revolt, "JetBlue Receives Bomb Threats, Faces Boycotts After Giving Cops Free Flights to Attend NYPD Funerals."

Just more leftist hatred. It's everywhere.

Stop Lying About the Police

From Rich Lowry, at National Review:

We have heard a lot lately about tensions between the police and the communities that they serve, and the urgent need to reduce them. Here’s an easy first step: Stop lying about the cops.

The “national conversation” about race and policing we’ve been having ever since Michael Brown was shot by Officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Mo., last summer has been based on lies. The lie that Officer Wilson shot Brown while he had his hands up and was pleading “Don’t shoot.” The lie that New York City policemen targeted Eric Garner for a violent arrest because he was black. The lie, peddled especially by the progressive prince of New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio, that the police are racist.

These are the lies that fuel hatred for the police, because if the police routinely execute black men in cold blood and serve a thoroughly racist system, they deserve to be hated. They should be the subject of nightly protests. They should be showered with obloquy. They should be harried by Attorney General Eric Holder. They should be considered a stain on the national conscience to be extricated at all costs.

This is the line of reasoning that leads to protesters chanting: “What do we want? Dead cops. When do we want them? Now.”

His rote praise of the police notwithstanding, especially now that he is under so much political pressure after the murders of Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu, Mayor de Blasio is deeply invested in this smear. It is why he has made career anti-police agitator Al Sharpton practically deputy police commissioner. It is why he considers the police a clear and present danger to his biracial son, Dante. It is why he said the tragic death of Eric Garner in police custody was the product of “centuries of racism.”

The logic of the de Blasio view tends toward the conclusion that the police are unbelievably insidious: They recruit people of all races to go into dangerous neighborhoods on the pretense of protecting innocent people there, when in reality the mission is to harass black kids and, should the opportunity arise, kill them. If this were true, it would make the police as a class not just racists, but sociopaths...

Keep reading.

The communist left's whole program is based on lies. Deceit, subterfuge, and lies.

PREVIOUSLY: "St. Louis County Police Video Shows Antonio Martin Raising His Hand, Pointing Weapon at Officer Before Fatal Shooting."

Also, Bernard Kerik, "War Is Being Waged on Our Homeland — By the Radical Left!", and Heather Mac Donald, "The Big Lie of the Anti-Cop Left Turns Lethal."

St. Louis County Police Video Shows Antonio Martin Raising His Hand, Pointing Weapon at Officer Before Fatal Shooting

Anti-cop vigilantes were out to protest on Christmas Eve in Berkeley, Missouri.

But again, the left's protests are based on lies and anti-cop propaganda and vigilantism.

Here's video showing the suspect Martin pointing his gun at the officer: "Antonio Martin Video ZOOMED in 1080p Antonio Martin Surveillance Video. Berkeley Police Shooting."

And here's the same video that was circulated on social media, which was cropped to show only "moments before" the shooting: "St Louis shooting: CCTV shows moments before Antonio Martin's death."

Also, check the report of the incident at the Wall Street Journal, from Wednesday, "Shooting Death of Black Man by White Officer Spurs Protests in St. Louis Suburb: Authorities Release Video of Incident Near Ferguson, Mo."

Remember, leftists hate the truth. The truth demolishes leftist propaganda. It destroy leftist lies.

FLASHBACK: See Bernard Kerik, "War Is Being Waged on Our Homeland — By the Radical Left!", and Heather Mac Donald, "The Big Lie of the Anti-Cop Left Turns Lethal."

New Year, New You at Amazon

More shopping, Shop Amazon - New Year, New You Event.

The Left's Anti-Cop Vigilantes Failing to Win Hearts-and-Minds

They're f-king communists.

At Nice Deb, "Anti-Police Protesters Failing to Win Hearts and Minds — But Give It Time…"



And at Power Line, "COMMUNISTS ARE BEHIND THE ANTI-POLICE PROTESTS IN NEW YORK."

Well, not just in New York, but yeah, communists: "RACISM IS THE DISEASE, REVOLUTION IS THE CURE!"

PREVIOUSLY: "Walter James Casper Slams NYPD in Solidarity with Murderous Left-Wing Anti-Cop Vigilantism."