GEORGE PLESCIA BECOMES LEADER
Yesterday, with little fanfare, Assembly George Plescia of San Diego County became the new Leader of Assembly Republicans.  We’ll be focusing more on Plescia and the challenges ahead of him in the coming weeks.  But we want to give FR friend Plescia a hearty congratulations as he assumes his new responsibilities and bigger digs.

Not that he has asked for it, but over the next few weeks, we’ll be offering Plescia some advice in various policy and political matters, starting today with Infrastructure Funding:
 
Assembly Republicans demonstrated that, unified, they could stand in-between legislative Democrats and irresponsible borrowing.  As "Big 5" talks continue on the issue of infrastructure investment (i.e…. a massive borrowing package), the ‘deal makers’ should still be:

• Infrastructure means infrastructure.  Not a "Christmas Tree" package where Democrats borrow from future generations to buy affordable housing and soccer fields.  We are talking roads, water, and other basic needs of the state.
• CEQA and other needed reforms must be included.  The costs associated with California’s over-regulation mean that a lot more money would need to be spent than California’s can afford.  These regulations hurt business, and hurt the taxpayer.
• A spending cap must be agreed to, even if it is just a commitment.  Understanding that future bond measures can include language to raise a cap, in principle, any measure that comes out should include a 5% or 6% cap in borrowing for the state.
• Most important of all — pay as you go!  Assembly Republicans are right on when they say that California would not be in this bind now if past legislatures and Governors had been allocating a significant percentage of general fund revenues for infrastructure investment.  The problem may now be big enough to warrant some borrowing, but not without a go-forward commitment to infrastructure from general fund revenues.

Approving a borrowing scheme that doesn’t include these important points is irresponsible and poor public policy.  Plescia will have his hands full, though.  The Democrats have a voracious appetite for spending, and the Governor seems intent on producing a plan for the ballot that does not include all of these points.  Hold tight – the people of California are depending on you!

Don’t let negotiators ever forget that it takes a lot to bring a caucus of conservatives to the table to talk about massive borrowing.  Remind them that our ideal would be to trim wasteful spending from the general fund, and completely fund all of our infrastrucure needs with current dollars.  That is our starting point.
 
Do you have some advice for Plescia?  You add your own comments, or email me (anonymously if you choose).
 
SHERIFF MIKE CARONA
I would like to say how pleased I was last night when the Orange County Republican Party endorsed my boss, Sheriff Mike Carona, for a third term as Sheriff last night.  The vote was overwhelming – by over 2/3rds!  I have to say that Irvine Councilwoman Christina Shea, former Sheriff’s Department Investigator Stan Interrante, former OC GOP staffer Kathy Tavoularis and Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (who batted cleanup) all did a great job speaking up for Sheriff Carona.
 
The "Hero of the Night" award goes to Chad Morgan, who is Assemblyman Van Tran’s alternate on the committee.  Morgan, despite having the flu and a high fever, let his nearly 9-months pregnant wife, Daisy, drive him down to the meeting.  Despite clearly being dazes and confused, Morgan stood tall for the Sheriff.  Surprising?  Nope – Chad is a former Chairman of California Young Americans for Freedom.  So we already knew he was a hero!
 
The endorsement is important because the Sheriff has the resources to communicate the GOP’s official support to Republican voters around our very conservative county.  It also means that the Sheriff’s campaign can now work with the county party, with access to its apparatus, staff, and resources such as mailing and e-mail lists.
 
I’ve worked professionally for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department for the past five years in media relations, but have known Carona for nearly 15 years.  He is a great person, a fine Republican and I think that the County GOP made a great call.  As I see it, the Sheriff is on track for a big victory this June!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 18th, 2006 at 12:00 am and is filed under Blog Posts.