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Michael Der Manouel, Jr.

Arnold Won the Bond Debate?

My friend Jon Fleischman has opined today that Governor Arnold won the debate on bonds. I beg to differ. It does not take a genius to know the infrastructure needs of the State, if one lives here. Nor does a take a genius to know that we cannot afford any more significant general obligation debt. It simply takes an ability to add and subtract. Nor does it take courage to propose massive borrowing. What was most disappointing about the bond debate is that not enough legislators came forward and told the truth about whether we can run a structural deficit, as we are now, and heap more debt on top of an unbalanced budget. We simply can’t, and in this debate we didn’t make that argument at all.

The people of the State seem to have a better grasp of this than Arnold does. If in fact the Democrats killed this deal they did us all a favor. At some level we need to make a strong case for balancing our budget, not spending more year over year, and applying surplus revenues to projects on a pay as you go basis. This is only a realistic strategy if you tell the truth to the voters over and over… Read More

Jon Fleischman

SD 34: DeVore endorses Lynn Daucher

Orange County Republicans were bracing for the primary battle of all time — with Republican Assemblymembers Van Tran and Lynn Daucher preparing to square off against each other this June, for the honor of representing the Republican Party in the general election in the highly competitive 34th State Senate District.

The contrast was between the more moderate Daucher (pictured to the left), who was actually elected to the legislature with the assistance of non-Republican voters back in 2000, the only election cycle when the ill-fated Open Primary measure was in effect, and the more conservative Van Tran, who cut his teeth back in college as an activist with Young Americans for Freedom.

There were a lot of dynamics at play that lead up to Van Tran’s ultimate decision to seek re-election in the 68th… Read More

Jon Fleischman

My visit with the Saddleback RA

Tonight, along with conservative Mission Viejo Councilman Frank Ury, I spoke to the monthly meeting of the Saddleback Republican Assembly here in Orange County. The SRA is the local chapter of the venerable California Republican Assembly.

It was great to come and speak to this great group of energized conservative activists. I talked to the members about the very important role that the CRA plays as the conscience of the Republican Party. I reminded the members there that the role of the Republican Party isn’t just to elect Republicans to office, but to hold the feet of those GOP officeholders to the fire. Literally, being their conscience.

I recalled back to my term as State President of the CRA from 1995-1997, and the great team we had in place. I remembered the great legislative scorecard we put together (John Stoos stood this up for us back then), which embodies the idea that the relationship between the activists and the candidates last long beyond the election day.

Anyways, we had a fun evening – talking about the latest on the bond plan, goings-on in far-away Ventura County, and the special election for the 35th Senate… Read More

Jon Fleischman

No Bonds in June: Blame the Democrats

There will be no infrastructure bonds on the June ballot. This is a certainty. But what does that mean?

There are a host of articles linked on the main page today where you can read the ‘spin’ out there from over a dozen different political reporters (or in some cases "teams" of political reporters). I will take a few minutes here and put in my ten cents. Let me first talk about the Governor. Arnold Schwarzenegger has certainly won the debate — there is no question from any corner about the need for California to invest in significant infrastructure needs for the state. The Governor laid out a bold plan last January, and has spent months making a case for this. It’s not too hard a case to make when you spend hours on clogged highways, or see the state of disrepair of many of California’s levees.

So why, with the need so great, and a ‘superstar’ Republican Governor making a very passionate and persuasive case to the people of California about a need for strategic infrastructure growth, did the legislature fail to place anything on the June ballot? After… Read More

Jon Fleischman

Today’s Commentary: No Bonds in June: Blame the Democrats

There will be no infrastructure bonds on the June ballot. This is a certainty. But what does that mean?

There are a host of articles linked on the main page today where you can read the ‘spin’ out there from over a dozen different political reporters (or in some cases "teams" of political reporters). I will take a few minutes here and put in my ten cents. Let me first talk about the Governor. Arnold Schwarzenegger has certainly won the debate — there is no question from any corner about the need for California to invest in significant infrastructure needs for the state. The Governor laid out a bold plan last January, and has spent months making a case for this. It’s not too hard a case to make when you spend hours on clogged highways, or see the state of disrepair of many of California’s levees.

So why, with the need so great, and a ‘superstar’ Republican Governor making a very passionate and persuasive case to the people of California about a need for strategic infrastructure growth, did the legislature fail to place anything on the June ballot? After… Read More

Jon Fleischman

Senate Adjourns: Ackermans says “There will be no bonds on the June ballot.”

I just got off of the telephone with Senate Republican Leader Dick Ackerman. Ackerman told me that the State Senate tonight unanimously passed a one billion dollar general fund appropriation (that would likely be drawn over several years) for levee repairs, and then ADJOURNED FOR THE NIGHT. This is significant because tonight is the last night for a bond measure to pass the legislature to make the June Ballot. Apparently there were some negative dynamics taking place between the two Democrat Leaders — Senate President Don Perata and Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez.

In the meantime, on the Assembly side, while the Senate was passing their appropriation, the Assembly did pass two sizable bond measures, one on levee repairs and the other on education facilities. Even though they were still in session when the Senate passed the billion dollars for levee repairs, Speaker Nunez chose not to take it up.

Given the critical need for levee repairs, there will now be a lot of pressure on Nunez to call the Assembly into session and pass that appropriation.

UPDATE: I justRead More

Jon Fleischman

Latest ROLL CALL on Gallegly debacle

Confusion Over Gallegly Persists Local Support May Crumble By David M. Drucker Roll Call Staff March 15, 2006 With Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Calif.) expected to announce that he will run for re-election, it was unclearRead More

Jon Fleischman

Assembly GOPers: How they voted…

For those who are curious, on the Assembly side, I got some intel on how GOPers voted:

On the $19.5 Billion Education Bond: Passed 62 – 14 (54 needed to pass). The 14 "no" votes were all Republicans. They were: Bogh, Cogdill, DeVore, Harmon, Haynes, La Malfa, LaSuer, Maze, Mountjoy, Nakanishi, Spitzer, Strickland, Tran, Walters. There was one Republican who was present and did not vote: Mike Villines, who I am told simply felt he did not have enough information on how the bill would impact his district to cast a vote. Any GOPers not mentioned above voted "aye" on this bond.

For the $4.15 Levee Bond: Passed 67-4 (54 needed to pass). The 4 "no" votes were all Republicans. They were: Harman, Haynes, Mountjoy, Strickland. There were two Republicans who were present and did not vote: LaSuer and Maze. Any GOPers not mentioned above voted "aye" on this bond. I spoke with Assemblyman Chuck DeVore (my legislator) who told me that for him, a key point in gaining his support for the levee bond was that it provided for the ability, via a… Read More