Okay. You’re a State Senator that voted for two horrific budgets in a row, raising the spending baselines to unsustainable levels, in effect creating the fiscal crisis we have in California today. On top of that, you cast the deciding vote to put Proposition 14 on the ballot when you thought you were running Statewide, enabling one of the biggest RINOS in the history of California, Abel Maldenado, to cut HIS budget deal to raise our taxes and further bankrupt California.
Your reward?
An endorsement in one of the most hotly contested Congressional primaries in California, from the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. Yep, you read it. State Senator Jeff Denham is the endorsed candidate of HJTA in the 19th Congressional District primary.
To be sure, taxpayer advocates and Lincoln Club members fell out of their chairs today all over Central California. Nobody on the HJTA board bothered to check with any of us, I guess. We actually vetted all the candidates, did the research, and came up with a dual endorsement of Pombo and Patterson. There were NO, and I mean NO, votes for Jeff Denham for an endorsement. I guess we just pay too much attention to the record and not the rhetoric.
I’ve personally endorsed former Fresno Mayor Jim Patterson for the job, so of course Ive got the added burden of having a horse in this race. I would have never dreamed that the HJTA endorsement would go to anyone with a hand in creating the mess we have in our State today.
Unfortunately, this organization took a step way down with me today. I don’t care about legislative scorecards or all the other BS, okay? We’re teetering on the brink in this State, and one of the dudes that caused all this is running for Congress, and he gets the HJTA endorsement?
I think the brand is watered down quite a bit by this lack of research. 2010 is not a year to be reckless and flippant. The stakes are way, way to high now. I an many, many other conservative leaders in the Central Valley are very, very disappointed. We think we are owed a thoughtful explanation – not some "voting scorecard argument" that ignores the mess we are in today.
May 26th, 2010 at 12:00 am
Or….maybe the people at the HJTA who have worked with Jeff for eight years know his true record….then again Mike I have a horse in this race too…and we are rounding the cornor and heading to the finishline
May 26th, 2010 at 12:00 am
I see that you don’t deny anything I said about his record. Thanks for the confirmation.
May 29th, 2010 at 12:00 am
The politics of politics. Isn’t it just great! All of these organizations are making themselves worthless these days.
June 4th, 2010 at 12:00 am
The HJTA has created it own problems by endorsing a multitude of tax hiking politicians. Instead of being guided by common sense, it’s director continues to allow himself to be manipulated by little political machine bosses instead of staying true to HJTA’s self proclaimed principles.
At one time, the HJTA endorsement really meant something good about a candidate.
Sad, but true, this is no longer the case. If you want your taxes to be raised today, just vote for the HJTA candidate and your dreams will become fulfilled.
While the HJTA premise and principles are important to conservatives, I see them being replaced soon by a more principled and effective organization.
Ask Tom McClintock his thoughts on the HJTA.
Thanks Michael for your article and I can not think of a better title for it other than “HJTA takes ANOTHER Dump.
http://www.kenhunter.com