Last Saturday, the members of the Executive Committee of the California Republican Party met at the Sacramento Convention Center and voted overwhelmingly to oppose all of the ballot propositions, 1A-1F, that are on the May Special Election ballot. These measures appear as a result of a budget deal that saw California taxpayers smacked with higher income and sales taxes, as well as higher car taxes and, for those with children, a significant reduction in the child tax credit that taxpaying parents now enjoy. The ballot package rejected by the State GOP includes extending those taxes even longer. In total, if advocates get their way, every family in California will be paying nearly $4,000 on average in higher taxes. And for what? Simply put, the package of measures on the ballot does not solve the structural problems of our state, according to the Legislative Analyst, there will be at least an $8 billion shortfall, even if they fail (and he presumes an increase in revenues from increasing tax rates).
First and foremost, I have read some “spin” that seeks to minimize the CRP’s Executive Committee as a insignificant – such as a statement from Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee “I’ve never met a tax hike I wouldn’t support” Baca who characterizes the ExComm as a “small group of party insiders” – which shows how out of touch the Sheriff is with his own party’s political structure. For the benefit of FR readers, I would like to emphasize that the CRP’s Executive Committee, which is nearly five times the size of our Board of Directors, is made up of representatives of all of the various constituency groups of the party – on it are the Governor and Insurance Commissioner, and all of our nominees for statewide office and U.S. Senate. It includes representatives of the State Senate, State Assembly and U.S. House Republican caucuses. Furthermore, it includes substantial representation from our state’s County Party Chairmen, the leaders of our Republican statewide volunteer organizations, and more. Every living past Chairman of the Party is an ex-officio voting member of ExComm, as well. So, in short, it is unfair to attempt to trivialize or minimize the importance or impact of this key party committee in that way that those who do not like decisions that it has just made have sought to do.
Which is a great transition back to the meeting itself.
**There is more – click the link**
April 22nd, 2009 at 12:00 am
It is too bad that Mike Villines among others seem to be living in an altered reality…they are fighting for something they are against and they don’t even realize what they are doing. Same thing for Allan Zaremberg who writes a great piece decrying the rising unemployment and CA’s horrible business climate… but yet he is pushing for passage of Prop 1A-F– precisely the thing that has contributed to the problem. Duh. It is like the connection is not being made, not all neurons are firing.
April 22nd, 2009 at 12:00 am
How true – obviously not all neurons are firing at the CRP. Else, why would the CRP give Governor Schwarzenegger nearly $700,000 with no strings attached that he can use to promote Prop 1A through 1F and then come out against Prop 1A through 1F. BTW, Jon, how did you vote on giving that nearly $700,000 to Governor Schwarzenegger?
April 22nd, 2009 at 12:00 am
The elephant in the room that day had to be where is the Governor. If it was strange to hear Villines talking pro 1A it had to be “twilight zone music” to know that our fearless leader has been non stop promoting 1A.
April 23rd, 2009 at 12:00 am
Shawn Steel is right. Mike Villines needs to go. He is a joke as any kind of “leader”.