Over the next month, the Governor will be looking at literally hundreds of pieces of legislation that 
have been placed onto his desk. You can be sure, because of the partisan makeup of the legislature (Democrat majorities in both Houses) that none of the legislation achieves lofty goal of reducing the size and scope of state government. On the contrary, the overwhelming amount of legislation on Schwarzenegger’s desk takes away a lot or a little of the liberty and freedom of Californians — whether because it contains a tax or a fee, or because it creates a new government entity, or restricts by fiat the rights of individuals in the Golden State to exercise their own judgment.
As readers of this website know, this year’s FlashReport Legislative Golden Trash Can Award went to Assembly Bill 523, which, if signed, will allow the Trustees of the Coast Community College District (let by former Democrat Congressman-now-College Trustee Jerry Patterson) and termed out Democrat Assemblyman Tom Umberg, to "sell" television station (KOCE), which is currently the
property of the Coast Community College District to a private foundation (made up of a variety of community and very wealthy business leaders) for quite literally, "less than fair market value".
But don’t take my word for it, it is in the actual language of AB 523:
This bill has landed on the Governor’s desk as a gift from the Democrats in the legislature – not one Republican cast an aye vote for it! And why did every Republican in the legislature decide to not vote for this bill?
I think it is fair to say that there are two main reasons:
1) GIFT OF PUBLIC FUNDS. According to the Assembly Republican Floor Analysis of this bill, it essentially constitutes a gift of public funds to this public television station. The Trustees of the College District seem committed to doing anything and everything they can to deprive their local colleges as much as $18,000,000 in extra funds. You see, besides the KOCE Foundation, another bid came in for the station that was put forward by Daystar, a religious-oriented television network, and their offer was much more attractive than the Foundation’s bid (which had all kinds of sweet-heart financing in it). You can click through to the first and second columns I penned on this bill for more details on this for my information.
2) RELIGIOUS BIGOTRY. Now I am not saying that the KOCE Foundation folks have this as a motive – I am convinced most of them are FOR their own public TV station, not AGAINST religious broadcasting. But when we start to look at the motives of the liberal legislators in Sacramento, I unfortunately have heard at least one story now of a Democrat Member of the Legislature who had defamatory things to say about Christian broadcasting. I truly believe that many of the liberal Democrats who support this bill (who are primary from places far from "The OC") do so because they will do anything to stop a Christian broadcasting network from going into Orange County.
This legislation is now on Governor’s Schwarzenegger’s desk — and the FlashReport urges a swift and an immediate VETO of this bill. Right now, state law requires that the school district must sell the station (as surplus property) to the highest cash bidder. The law is written this way for a reason — that is to ensure that the taxpayers are getting their moneys worth when their public assets are sold. In this instance, this Community College District has significant needs for fixing up and maintaining their Community Colleges. The money from selling this asset goes directly towards that need.
FR readers are urged to contact Governor Schwarzenegger and urge the veto of A.B. 523. Let me offer you two ways to do so: You can call the Governor’s legislative team office at (916) 445-4341, or send an e-mail by clicking here. The message? Simple — Governor, we urge you to veto A.B. 523 because it is bad policy for California taxpayers.
In closing, to reiterate, there is a reason why NO REPUBLICAN LEGISLATORS VOTED FOR THIS BILL. It is terrible public policy unless you are a liberal, and it stinks of backroom politics and scheming behind the scenes to transfer ownership of a television station from a public entity to a private foundation with a de facto $18,000,000 public subsidy. Of course, the whole religious bigotry issue comes into play, too.
GOVERNOR, VETO THIS BILL!