Jeff Stone is a Riverside County Supervisor and Candidate for Senate in the 36th District, where Dennis Hollingsworth is termed out..

REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP NEEDED TO STOP ABEL MALDONADO Supervisor Jeff Stone Confirming Abel Maldonado, Governor Schwarzenegger’s unfortunate choice for Lieutenant Governor, would be a disaster for California taxpayers and an affront to the traditional conservative values that are the foundation of the Republican Party. Since… Read More

I am told that a vote is scheduled in the State Senate and Assembly this morning on whether to confirm Republican-In-Name-Only Abel Maldonado to be California’s next Lieutenant Governor. I’ve written so much about this issue on this blog that I am not going to go into all of it over again, I will just reemphasize the key points…

Maldonado doesn’t deserve the support of Republicans because…

he wants to destroy our party (Prop. 14). he broke his own voluntary pledge not to raise new taxes. his loyalty to the GOP Caucus is non-existent, never playing team ball but preferring to leverage himself as a "swing vote" on just about any issue. his votes will make it almost impossible for you to defend yours for him.

And, the most important reasons why Republicans should reject Maldonado…

a vote for Maldonado is an affirmation of the politics and policies of Arnold Schwarzenegger. a vote for Maldonado is indefensible to the very grassroots people, like in the Tea Party, that we are trying to unify behind Republicans. This vote will set back efforts to bring … Read More

After several attempts to get the votes to get the votes to confirm Maldonado, all of which failed — the first motion to confirm failed. Astonishingly EVERY Republican voted for him, except Chuck DeVore who laid off, and Danny Gilmore who is apparently home in his district, ill (but who is now driving up to the Capitol to vote FOR the confirmation).

Republicans made a request to reconsider (reserving the right to bring it up for another vote). Democrats counted with a motion, which passed, to bring up the reconsideration vote immediately. This caused the Republicans to call a Caucus to discuss the matter.

As far as I am concerned, Republicans should be saying, behind close doors, "This is perfect! We don’t like or want Maldonado, but we’ve shown our GOP solidarity — and we don’t have to have Maldonado as Lt. Governor. In fact, the Democrats now look like the partisans."

Republicans should just lay down at this point, let the Democrats defeat the motion for reconsideration, and everything can let Maldonado that this is his "thank you" for blackmailing the legislature last year to put his… Read More

I found myself on the campaign website of Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher today (yes, your websites do get visited by those of us in the blogging world). Fletcher gets an A+ for his site — others should pay heed. Anyways, I found this great news story on his site, and thought I would share it…

… Read More

Earlier this week we all read the headline that our state government spent well over $75 million dollars in 2009 on cars, furniture and conferences.

I had a chance to ask why yesterday during a hearing of the Assembly Committee on Government Accountability and Administrative Review.

Today, I’m still waiting to get good answers to why we’re paying $7,000 for each employee cubicle, why we retire cars in the state fleet after they accumulate 120,000 miles, and why California spends $2 million each year paying for employees to go to conferences at hotels and convention centers when the state owns facilities that can accommodate those needs.

In the face of California’s taxpayers – our working families and small businesses – who are being stretched more than ever and making do with less, hiring new employees and making these sorts of purchases is unconscionable. But it’s the status quo in Sacramento. Only here, do people justify spending $7,000 on one workspace because it’s a cubicle–gee a whole desk with walls. That makes sense. … Read More

Just got this sent over from the CRA — a letter they just faxed around to all California legislators:

February 9, 2010 Re: Opposition to the Confirmation of Senator Maldonado Dear Senator/Assemblyman: The California Republican Assembly is strongly OPPOSED to the confirmation of Senator Abel Maldonado for the position of Lieutenant Governor of California. On behalf of the California Republican Assembly, the California Republican Party, and all the citizens of… Read More

Republican State Senator Abel Maldonado’s appointment by the Governor to the position of Lt. Governor has now been approved by the Senate Rules committee and "forwarded without recommendation" by the appropriate Assembly committee. Votes on the Senate and Assembly floors could occur any time now up to about February 22. If the houses do not act, Maldo will be confirmed.

The press seems to think that Maldo will be approved by the Senate but will have a rougher time in the Assembly, which could reject the nomination. If Maldo is rejected, what will happen?

The San Francisco Chronicle’s Matier and Ross column today has an insight on what will happen: they say that the Governor may very well appoint former Assembly Speaker Robert Hertzberg to the position, and the Legislature will need to go through the whole process again. Because the Maldo nomination will be at its end before filing for statewide office closes in early March, Hertzberg would be well-situated to open a political committee to run for the office as well.

Hertzberg was… Read More

Over two-thirds of Republican State Senators have officially come out against Proposition 14, the measure authored by their colleague, Abel Maldonado, that would have the effect of limiting voter choice, and ultimately lead to higher taxes in California.

Attached to this blog post is a copy of the letter signed by Senate Republican Leader Dennis Hollingsworth, Senate Republican Leader-Elect Bob Dutton, and nine other Senate Republicans including Sam Aanestad, Roy Ashburn, Jeff Denham, Tom Harman, Bob Huff, George Runner, Tony Strickland, Mimi Walters and Mark Wyland,

It is significant to note that this list of Senators opposing Prop. 14 includes some who were forced to vote to place Proposition 14 on the ballot as part of the legislative "blackmail" (our description for it, not one given to us by anyone else) of last February.… Read More