Yesterday the Assembly passed out some legislation that in some technical manner facilities all of the big-spending in Barack Obama’s infamous "porkulus" package here in California.  It’s not entirely clear to me exactly what the legislation said, and what it did, but my brief summary probably suffices.   That said, I was a bit — underwhelmed — with the statement that the good guys (Republicans) put out in the matter.  I say that because, being in the minority party in Sacramento, rhetoric is our most effective weapon (other than wielding a strong sword on issues requiring a two-thirds vote, something that has been challenging for our party as of late).

Here is the statement that was put out by Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines after the passage of the legislation.

This is closer to what I wish we had put out today…  I especially like "my" version because of the unified message that it carries, in terms of U.S. House Republicans and State House Republicans being on the same page…

REPUBLICANS FACILITATE DISTRIBUTION OF FEDERAL AID
Reemphaize that the President’s "Stimulus" Plan is Bad for America

"The so-called American Recovery And Reinvestment Act of 2009 (as titled by Speaker Pelosi), commonly referred to as the “federal stimulus” bill was terrible public policy.  In this time of economic challenge for most Americans, our country needs stimulation in the form of the lowering of tax rates to stimulate investment, and the reduction of regulations that stifle our economy.  Instead, the Democrats in Washington, D.C., pushed through a bloated spending package that was so partisan that not a single Republican in the House of Representatives voted for it and only three Republicans voted for it in the U.S. Senate.  Frankly, not a single member of our caucus would have voted for it had we been in Congress.  This massive wealth redistribution scheme represents the enactment of a rigid left-wing ideology when more pragmatic solutions to invigorate our economy are what is needed at this time.  Less government spending, not more, and lower taxes.

All of this said, despite our disagreement with the passage of the federal legislation, Assembly Republicans are committed to making sure that massive portion of the federal dollars in the stimulus bill that are being distributed to the states are effectively turned around here in California and used in the most efficient and effective ways possible.

While it certainly is helpful on the short term for our economy to be able to put people to work in jobs created by government spending on infrastructure needs, as Assembly Republicans we understand that the long-term solution to returning to a healthy, vigorous economy will be growth in the wealth-creating private sector, and we stand ready to do what we can to remove the impediments imposed by California state government in that regard – taxes that are too high and regulations that are too burdensome and costly.

I am pleased the Legislature took action today to get these dollars immediately into shovel-ready transportation and water quality projects statewide that will create badly-needed jobs and boost our economy.  Working together to get federal stimulus dollars out the door and into vital infrastructure projects across California is an important priority for Assembly Republicans.  Going forward, I hope we will continue to embrace fiscal responsibility as we decide how to spend federal stimulus dollars, taking great caution to do nothing that would increase future spending or threaten jobs."

Republicans are the minority party in California, and in Washington, D.C.  It is incumbent upon us to use every press release and every press conference to make it very clear that Democrats are wrong and that it is the GOP vision for our state and nation that represent the best course for our future.

This entry was posted on Friday, March 27th, 2009 at 12:00 am and is filed under Blog Posts.