Wednesday, November 30, 2011

McCarthy Statement on House Passage of the Workforce Democracy & Fairness Act

Washington D.C. – House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (CA-22) released the following statement following passage of the Workforce Democracy & Fairness Act (H.R. 2465):
"The House Republican jobs agenda is designed to get people back to work and end Washington’s overregulation of the private sector, which  has created even more uncertainty for America’s job creators and put hiring on hold. The regulatory agenda of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) continues to ignore policies that would best grow our economy and spur job creation. The new election rules proposed by the NLRB will limits the rights of both employees and employers by restricting their ability to make an informed decision during elections. Washington’s focus must be on how best to grow our economy in order to put the fourteen million Americans who are unemployed back to work, not furthering the agenda of a partisan special interest group."

Statement of California Democratic Party Chairman John Burton Thanking Senator Feinstein for Defending Due Process for American Citizens

Senator Feinstein is right to fight for the removal of onerous provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act that would allow the government to imprison American citizens indefinitely and without trial if they are suspected of terrorism.
 
The National Defense Authorization Act, as it currently stands, would not only weaken our nation's ability to fight terrorism by taking interrogation and prosecutorial functions out of the hands of the F.B.I., federal prosecutors, and the federal courts and transferring that authority to the military; it would also overturn one of the basic tenets of American jurisprudence: that all citizens have the right to trial.
 
Senators Feinstein (D-CA) and Leahy (D-VT), the chairs of the Senate Intelligence and Judiciary Committees respectively, both oppose the National Defense Authorization Act as it currently stands, as do the Department of Justice and President Obama. An amendment to the act that would have removed the provisions allowing for indefinite detention of citizens without trial was defeated yesterday and as such, President Obama has promised to veto the bill.
 
California Democrats are proud to have Senator Feinstein leading this fight.

ICYMI: What Are We Paying Obama For? And Can It Get Worse?

By Thomas Del Beccaro, CRP Chairman (as seen in Big Government)
It's simply hard to imagine this passes for a Presidency. At what point does he become simply too much for the senses? Sure we have had some interesting and bad Presidents before - recently in fact. Nixon changed our view of the Presidency for the worse. Carter was beyond ineffectual. Bush 41 broke a huge promise. Clinton wagged his finger while lying - and a bit more than that. But this President is truly something and it's not just the facts that are bad - it's his excuses and manners that make this Presidency so incredibly bad.
Let us count the ways:
A. The Economics.
This list is well known by now - but that doesn't mean it is highlighted by the Media as it would be of a Republican was president.
  1. Unemployment at 9% for a historically long time. According to Obama he inherited this mess and blames President Bush and ATMs. Yes Obama believes automation, like ATMs, is to blame - as if such automations like automobiles (accounting for nearly 20% of our economy) and computers (creating employers like EBAY and Microsoft) are the cause of our unemployment. Beyond that, Obama joked that he was wrong about "shovel ready" projects, created the "Saved" jobs category out of thin air, and claimed that the stimulus bill would prevent unemployment from going above 8%. What's missing, of course, is a plan to lower unemployment - let alone actually lower unemployment.
  2. Gas Prices. They are currently 85% higher than when he took office. He shut down our Gulf oil production for ideological not actual reasons and delayed a Canadian pipeline for political reasons. When Bush 43 saw high gas prices, the Media told him to go his friends in the Middle East to ask them to raise production. Since Obama wanted $5 gasoline all along, he has no plan to lower energy prices and the Media doesn't harp on the issue. Meanwhile the economy is hurt badly because of the higher costs of energy that reduce purchasing power and hurt employers everywhere.
  3. Foreclosure/Home Mortgage Crisis. This is the one part of the economy that actually is in a crisis that is "the worst since the Great Depression" - a phrase Obama is fond of overusing. Obama has continued the policy of bailing out the Banks for foreclosure related losses, encouraged Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac bailouts instead of reforming them and now he has sued the very Banks he bailed out because of their foreclosure practices - and no, there is no plan in sight let alone true relief.
  4. The Deficit. It has quadrupled under Obama. Yet he says inherited it - and rather than change it, spending has actually gone up each of this 3 years. Obama's solution: have other people come up with a plan - he was traveling or on vacation. When it failed, he said he knew it would fail. So Chris Christie rightfully asks: What are we paying Obama for?
B. Foreign Policy.
  1. Missiles. In his first year, Obama scrapped a missile system - thereby telling Poland that years of such work and friendship with the US are not all that important. It also told many others the same thing.
  2. Libya. We are not at war - just facilitating war. What was the national security principle at stake? The Assassination principle? How very Nobel.
  3. Egypt. For years Mubarak was a reliable partner that kept peace with Israel. He was kicked to the curb under Obama and Egypt has descended into chaos.
  4. Israel. I don't quite know how much more you can disrespect an ally. Obama, however, managed to get caught doing what we already suspected - bad mouthing an allied leader. If that doesn't make you wonder what other leaders think he is doing - this combined list should.
  5. U.S. Image Abroad. Remember when Obama said Bush ruined our image abroad? Yet today effigies of Obama are hung or burned across the Middle East and Europe has lost faith. Wouldn't you think of Nobel Peace prize would buy you more credibility than that?
All of which brings us to the Presidential meter. Just how Presidential has he been? I remember when Reagan would never take his jacket off in the Oval Office out of respect. FDR has serious fireside chats. Washington rode on a white horse.
As for Obama:
He just played golf with his friend who was busted in a prostitution sting. How very Presidential. We hear he did so out of loyalty. Nice.
As for his other loyalties, he bought a house from a criminal to be, Tony Rezko. Obama got a great deal to boot. At least is suffering from a foreclosure crisis - and let us not forget that he had a proud terrorist, Bill Ayers, raise money for him.
With friends like that, it kind of makes you miss Bebe Rebozo doesn't it?
Of course, we can't forget the wonderful Reverend Wright - someone he was loyal enough to attend his "church" for 20 years but not loyal enough to really listen to him.
Obama doesn't much listen to the American people either. How else do you push ObamaCare down voters' throats and wind up with 26 states suing and others all but nullifying the legislation?
All of which brings me to the final point:
Obama's Miserable Consensus Building.
While some Presidents are known for courageous and tough stands that pay dividends in the years to come, most all of them are judged, at some level, by whether their coalition of supporters is larger after they take office then before. We have already seen what the World has thought of Obama. We know that, at home, his 2008 coalition is gone and it is not just because of the bad economy.
Obama has been picking fights with the American electorate from day one. The Stimulus Bill cleaved off his Republican support and fostered the Tea Party - which he then vilified on the way to ObamaCare. In between, he tried to legislative enact Cap & Trade, lost and crammed that down America through the EPA. He wanted to "prosecute" 911 enemy combatants in a New York court room and yielded only when even liberal New York said no.
Since then, Obama has engaged in class warfare over taxes in such a way as to only convince Americans he missed economics class.
In the final analysis, of President's seeking re-election, two basic questions are asked:
(1) Is the Country better off? and,
(2) Have you brought the Country closer together?
In fact, Obama has not and, quite frankly, it hasn't been pretty watching it either.
Source: CA GOP

Friday, November 25, 2011

ICYMI: Donnelly - State Wildfire Fee Not Legal

State Wildfire Fee ‘Not Legal’
By Mike Harris
 
Mountain property owners next year can expect to receive a $115 bill from the State of California for fire protection services after the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection last week voted for a higher fee than it had originally approved.
 
Why mountain residents should expect a $115 fee instead of a $150 fee is because the fire board agreed to offer a $35 discount to those property owners currently living in a fire district, such as San Bernardino County Fire, Running Springs Fire or Crest Forest Fire.
 
Mountain communities such as Lake Arrowhead, Crestline and Running Springs are in a State Responsibility Area (SRA).
 
After packing the California Fire Board with four of his own appointees, Gov. Jerry Brown last week was able to get the state board to approve a $150 wildfire fee for rural properties.
 
Brown expects the wildfire fee to provide the state with about $50 million annually, and would apply to around 850,000 properties located in a SRA.
 
The wildfire fee now goes to the state Board of Equalization to determine how the state will bill rural property owners.
 
But the bill mountain property owners receive could go higher than $115.
 
If a property has more than one… (Read more)
 
Source: Mountain News, via Assemblyman Tim Donnely website newsroom. Photo used is in the public domain.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Happy Thanksgivi​ng from Rep. Denham



Dear Friend,
 
As we begin the holiday season this week, I want to take a moment to wish all of you a happy and safe Thanksgiving. Political rhetoric and increasing uncertainty seem to be controlling the media coverage these days, but it’s important that we remember the freedoms we have and the potential of our great nation.  Although we have all been disappointed with the outcomes of the Super Committee, we must continue to work towards bi-partisan, pro-growth policies to get the private sector expanding again and people back to work.
 
I thought our debt surpassing $15 trillion would put our enormous challenges in focus and serve as a wakeup call for Congress. After only 10 months in office, I must admit I am frustrated by the same issues I was as a small business owner and father of two just less than a year ago in California.  This disappointment is why I ran for office, and I believe my commitment to put forward pro-growth policies is why I was elected.
 
Last week, I voted in support of an amendment that would have balanced our budget, the fundamental task of our government. The amendment would have forced Congress to balance its budget every year – as all California families and businesses are forced to do. Let's be honest, it's a fact of life- you cannot spend more than you earn.   This amendment failed and the Super Committee failed to achieve its goal; but in the coming weeks, I'm hopeful House Leadership will work to close the gap on these unresolved issues by evaluating bipartisan solutions like my bill, the Civilian Property Realignment Act (CPRA).  I introduced the CPRA in March to literally shrink the size of our government and eliminate waste in order to save taxpayer dollars.  While I do not sit on the Super Committee and I am not the President of the United States, I will continue to put forward solutions that can help us achieve our nation's bipartisan goal: put people back to work and get our spending under control.
 
This holiday season, it is especially important to remember with gratitude and look forward with hope.  For all of you at home, enjoy the time with your family this Thanksgiving. I also encourage you keep in mind those who are fighting courageously overseas for our nation. These men and women are sacrificing their time with their families to protect all we are thankful for.
 
Many times the struggles of our service members are forgotten. This Thanksgiving, let's not let this be the case.  Thousands of troops will be returning home before the end of the year, and it is increasingly important that we honor our promise to our veterans and their families.  We must uphold our commitment to ensure a seamless transition to civilian life for all our veterans. This Thanksgiving, I'd like to thank all of our troops overseas for your sacrifice and commitment.
 
Next Tuesday, I will be hosting a tele-town hall to answer any questions you may have about my Civilian Property Realignment Act (CPRA), recent events with the Super Committee and what this means for our economy and job creation. To be added to our VIP list for the call, click here, call my Modesto office, 209.579.548, or call my Fresno office, 559.449.2490.
 
I hope all of you have a Happy Thanksgiving.
 
Sincerely,
 
JEFF DENHAM
United States Representative

Governor Brown Issues Proclamation Declaring Thanksgiving Day

PROCLAMATION BY THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
 
The first Thanksgiving in 1621 was a celebration of the harvest that brought together the Pilgrims of Plymouth Plantation and the Native Americans who helped them adapt to their new environment. Over the years Thanksgiving became an American tradition and one of the first holidays we celebrated as a free and independent nation. In 1789, George Washington proclaimed the first Thanksgiving observance in the newly formed United States of America, writing that “it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor.”
 
Thanksgiving has continued to be one of our most cherished observances, a day to join with family and friends and feast on traditional delicacies from roasted turkey to pumpkin pie, foods that commemorate the joining of the Old World and the New that brought about that First Thanksgiving long ago.
 
It is most fitting that we set aside a special day for gratitude. As Americans, we have every reason to give thanks for the wonderful bounty of our land, the strength of our fellow citizens and our system of government that protects our basic freedoms.
 
NOW THEREFORE I, EDMUND G. BROWN JR., Governor of the State of California, do hereby proclaim November 24, 2011, as Thanksgiving Day.
 
IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this 18th day of November 2011.

CRP Partners with GROW Elect for Latino Media Training

LOS ANGELES — The California Republican Party's relationship with GROW Elect, a political action commitee that was established to recruit, endorse, train, and help fund California Latino Republicans and independents for elected office, took an important step last week as the two organizations presented a day-long media training workshop at Univision's Los Angeles facility.
 
The training, which included a number of Latino elected officials and potential candidates from the Los Angeles area, took place Friday and featured Q&A sessions with CRP Chairman Tom Del Beccaro and former Senate Republican Leader Dennis Hollingsworth. GROW Elect consultants Luis Alvarado and Moises Merino were also on hand for the training.
  
"This is part of keeping our promise to establish a stronger, more consistent Republican presence in the Latino community and to continue our support of GROW Elect and their impressive efforts," said Chairman Del Beccaro. "We're excited to partner with GROW Elect, not just with training but with other resources that will help promote their bottom-up approach to connect with Latino voters throughout California."
 
The CRP and GROW Elect will offer a number of media training workshops for Latino Republicans across the state, with two more sessions planned for Sacramento and Fresno before the end of the year.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

CRP Statement Commending Today's California Supreme Court Decision to Defend the Initiative Process

SACRAMENTO – California Republican Party Chairman Tom Del Beccaro today issued the following statement in regards to the California Supreme Court decision to protect the initiative process:
 
"Keeping our voters engaged is good for the process and affirming the fundamental rights of everyday citizens to defend public initiatives is good for democracy. We commend the state Supreme Court on its ruling and celebrate the successful defense of our unique opportunity to affect change in the public forum."

Source: CA GOP

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

DAVID DREIER ENDORSED BY EVERY DISTRICT NEWSPAPER

SAN GABRIEL VALLEY EXAMINER–
 
“Congressman Dreier has been a constant voice for economic growth through lower taxes for small businesses and families alike.”
 
PASADENA STAR-NEWS–
 
“His constituent service is exemplary.”
 
SAN GABRIEL VALLEY TRIBUNE–
 
“His knowledge of the way government works runs deep and wide.”
 
INLAND VALLEY DAILY BULLETIN–
 
“We credit Dreier for his annual push to increase the federal repayment to California cities and counties for their costs of jailing illegal immigrants who have committed crimes.”
 
SAN MARINO TRIBUNE–
 
“Dreier has been a steadfast and consistent conservative.”

Monday, November 14, 2011

Congressman Denham: Do You Support A Balanced Budget Amendment?


Dear Friend,
 
This week, for the first time in sixteen years, the House of Representatives will vote on a Balanced Budget Amendment. California families balance their budgets every day, and I believe it is past time for Washington to do the same. A Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution is a responsible solution to control government spending and end our nation's spending-driven debt crisis.
 
Let me know if you support a balanced budget amendment on my website today (denham.house.gov) and LIKE my Facebook page to see the results of the poll this week.
 
I voiced my opinion about the Balanced Budget Amendment on AmericaSpeakingOut.com. I encourage you to participate as well and have your voice heard.
 
Sincerely,
 
JEFF DENHAM
United States Representative

Governor Brown Announces 80th Annual Capitol Christmas Tree Lighting on December 7th

SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the 80th Annual Capitol Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony will be held on Wednesday, December 7th on the West Steps of the State Capitol.
 
This year's tree is a 40-foot tall white fir tree donated by the U.S. Forest Service’s Institute of Forest Genetics in Camino, El Dorado County. It will be placed on the west lawn of the Capitol.
 
The tree will be decorated with 900 hand-crafted ornaments created by children and adults with developmental disabilities who receive services and support from the state’s development centers and 21 nonprofit regional centers. It will be illuminated by 10,000 ultra-low wattage LED lights.
 
When: Wednesday, December 7, 2011 at 4:45 p.m.
Where: State Capitol, West Steps, Sacramento, California, 95814
 
**Note: This event is open to the public and credentialed media. Attendees are encouraged to donate non-perishable food items to benefit the California Emergency Foodlink. This event will be webcast on the Governor’s website: www.gov.ca.gov.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

It's The Vision Thing, Jerry Brown

By Thomas Del Beccaro, CRP Chairman (as seen in Flash Report)
 
Nearly a year after his election, Jerry Brown’s second try at Governor is just about as inspiring as a 2 AM rerun. Simply stated, his governorship lacks a vision. Brown has not challenged Californians to achieve anything nor has he empowered them to succeed on their own. Brown's sole purpose appears to be nothing more than to demand that Californians bail out Sacramento. The years to come are likely to be no different.
 
There are political leaders that set a clear agenda, challenge their constituents to reach new heights and then empower them to succeed. On the other hand, there are managers of government that lack a vision and seek only minor adjustments to the status quo. Surely, Jerry Brown is among the latter.
 
At the time he took office, California suffered among the nation's worst unemployment and Californians had lost over 1/4th of the nation’s home equity. Central Valley farming remains in a depression and inter-city schools are among the nation's worst.
 
In response, Brown has declared no over-arching goals let alone help Californians to take command of their future. Brown remains Sacramento-centric. His only focus appears to be the state budget and his only response is more laws.
 
There is no grand plan, urgent or otherwise, to restore jobs in this state. For instance, despite a full legislative session, Brown offers… (Read more)

Source: CA GOP