‘SHAREHOLDER PROTECTION?’
uin newsWhile the battle rages on over Proposition 75, the "Paycheck Protection" measure, union leaders are quietly circulating petitions for their version of payback, which they call "Shareholder Protection." Today in Capitol Weekly, I have a column on this subject. It begins like this:
funding paradigm (especially at the state legislative level), fair districts will not necessarily be competitive districts-Republicans are significantly outspent by the majority party.
No, it is the major loss of political resources by public employee unions that would rock the foundations of the status-quo in Sacramento.
Most political insiders, let alone members of the public, are unaware that while everyone is totally engaged in this battle over whether public employee union members should have to affirmative designate donations to their union’s political activities, union leaders are quietly getting ready for some payback via a measure they are dubbing, "Shareholder Protection."
Read the entire column here.
BRULE AND DAVIS: Bruins and Beyond…
A couple of days ago, the UCLA Daily Bruin newspaper reported that infamously recalled Governor Gray Davis and retired State Senator Republican Leader Jim Brulte would be co-teaching a class together as "Distinguished Scholor Fellows" at the School of Public Affairs. I will resist a cheap shot at Davis for being given this title (or did I just take one?). You can read about this in the Daily Bruin here. Today, it is reported in the Riverside Press Enterprise (here) that these two are off to be the featured
speakers at a conference in Washington, D.C. Who would have thought, before the recall, that these two former leaders of state government would be teaming up as a new ‘dynamic duo’?? Not me!
TALES OF THE TASTELESS – Keith Richman e-mail…
Yesterday, Bill Simon dropped out the race for State Treasurer. It is has been talked about that the challenges of raising a developmentally challenged teenager have really been time consuming for Bill
and his wife, and thus the tough personal decision to forgo a tough campaign season…
Enter Keith Richman….and his broadcast email. I found it kind of tasteless, all things considered. But I reprint the relevant part here… Kind of a "I’m better than you, I waited ’til my kids were older… neener neener" piece. Oh well, read for yourself… WHAT HE SAID:
"Bill Simon has sent a letter to his supporters withdrawing from the state Treasurer race for personal reasons to spend irreplaceable time with his four teenage children.
As a father who waited until his two daughters went off to college before running for political office, I certainly understand his well-considered decision.
This news benefits my campaign and reemphasizes the importance of nominating a fiscally conservative Republican with the mainstream values needed to beat Bill Lockyer in next year’s General Election.
How about this.. WHAT HE COULD HAVE SAID:
Bill is an accomplished businessman and a proud father. He held up the GOP banner for us as our nominee for Governor in 2002, and I was proud to support him over then-Governor Gray Davis.
His departure from the race will certainly change the dynamic, and I will be working hard to convince those who were supporting Bill that I share his vision of better times for the Golden State…"
REDISTRICTING AND THE CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION…
I have just one question for our GOP friends in the Congressional Delegation who are opposing Proposition 77, or sitting quietly on the sidelines. If this measure is going to be so bad for the GOP, then why are Democrats working so hard to kill it??? Makes you wonder…
Pelosi Allies Aim to Kill Remap Reform
October 27, 2005
Congressional Democrats have raised millions of dollars in an effort to kill California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s (R) bid to overhaul his state’s redistricting process in time for the 2006 midterms.
California is normally a donor state when it comes to funding political campaigns. But the desire of leading Democrats to defeat Schwarzenegger’s redistricting proposal — Proposition 77, which is on a Nov. 8 special election ballot — has seen a reversal of fortune, with millions of dollars pouring into the state.
At the direction of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), and with help from other key Democrats, the national Democratic fundraising network has been tapped, thus far, for approximately $7.2 million. This money has flowed to “No on 77,” one of a handful of committees raising cash and campaigning against the measure.
The whole article is here (though Roll Call is a subscription-based publication, so unless you have a password, you are out of luck!).
Have a great day,
Jon