Jon Fleischman

Jon is the elected Vice Chairman, South of the California Republican Party.

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Today is actually: 201009021538Today is: 201009021438

FlashReport Weblog on California Politics

 
 

L.A. Times Compares FlashReport to Labor Unions?

 

by Jon Fleischman - Publisher (bio) (email)(print)

 
11-23-2008 11:08 am

The Editorial Board of the Los Angeles Times loves to insult Republicans.  In fact, I would be surprised if there IS a Republican on their Editorial Board.  In a piece in today's Times, where they walk through all of the dysfunction of the budget process, they try to make the case that Democrats won't make cuts because of their labor union bosses (true?) and Republicans won't hike taxes because of ... bloggers.  LOL.

Here is the specific excerpt from their piece:

But GOP lawmakers are continually driven rightward by a select group of bloggers ready to pounce at the slightest hint of softening on taxes, just as Democrats are repeatedly warned by labor not to give an inch on cuts.

I have spend a lot of time with Republican legislators, and I can tell you that while a great many of them have expressed their appreciation at the support that this website and our stable of bloggers has given to them as they continue to be steeled in their resolve to not respond to massive overspending with tax increases, there isn't a one of them who is being "pressured" by blogs like ours.  That implication is insulting - but then, maybe that is the goal of the liberals on the Times Editorial Board.

Now when you look at the labor unions - well, there I can make a much more convincing case that they control many of the Democrats in the legislature.  After all, they spend millions upon millions of dollars in Democrat primaries, playing both King (or Queen) maker, as well as career ender, to many politicians.

Instead of spending their time trying to cheapen the resolve of Senate and Assembly Republicans against taxes by implying that they have been intimidated into their positions by bloggers, how about acknowledging that for many, many years, California government has grown at unsustainable rates, and that it is time to make significant structural changes to bring state government spending down to a level that matches real tax revenues.

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Comments

The LAT and their like cannot visualize Republicans acting on principles so they apply the only model they know which is the labor unions owning the Dem primary. The problem is the model does not work in the Republican party. Republicans do not take orders that violate their core beliefs.

Posted by Bill Leonard at November 23, 2008 5:48pm

"Republicans do not take orders that violate their core beliefs."

Unless it's to bail out Wall Street!

Posted by Sean Loranger at November 24, 2008 7:41am

There are many people who are not paying taxes--so they generally don't seem too concerned about budget matters, the size of government in general. These people generally just look to government for "goodies".

The Republicans need to stand back and take a look at the "big picture". If more people were paying taxes--then maybe more people might have something constructive to say when government wants to increase taxes.

Suppose all of the cards were taken off the table. Suppose that the following tax laws were changed:

--
Overturn Prop.13
Rescind all property tax exemptions
Surcharge on income tax at 15%
Increase income taxes by 5% to 10%
Institute a state parcel tax
Charge detainees in prison for food
Charge detainees for medical care
Assess personal property of prison detainees to defay cost of their detainment
Increase fees on colleges/universities to approach the cost of education
Allow Libraries to charge for books/video/audio is
Place a $75 surcharge on all traffic violations
Place a 5% remittance fee for all money being sent out of the country
Place a 15% fee on real estate transactions
Place a 15% surcharge on all legal fees
Place a Toll on All State Roads
Increase the fees for all state parks
--

With all of these changes in place--wonder what people would say to "more taxes and more spending"?

Posted by wayne martin at November 24, 2008 12:53pm

If the Flash Report is like a union, then can Mr. Fleishman force liberals to pay their "fair share" of the benefits he's helping provide?

Posted by Daniel B. Rego at November 24, 2008 4:45pm

If the Flash Report is like a union, then can Mr. Fleishman force liberals to pay their "fair share" of the benefits he's helping provide?

Posted by Daniel B. Rego at November 24, 2008 4:45pm

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