PAY-AS-YOU-GO: GREAT IDEA!
Today, at 11am, Assembly Republicans will release the details on a new "pay-as-you-go" i
nfrastructure proposal, which is summarized today in the lead piece on the FlashReport – and exclusive column from Assembly Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (pictured to the right). This plan, which McCarthy’s staff says has been blessed by Jon Coupal of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, represents a major effort by legislative Republicans to fund infrastructure projects in each budget, rather than relying exclusively on a ‘max out the state credit card’ approach to borrowing as much as possible. This proposal just makes the dynamic in the Capitol that much more confusing. The Governor has proposed and aggressive borrowing plan, the lynchpin of while is a massive $68,000,000,000.00 ($68 billion) general obligation bond package to go to voters. Some Democrats (unbelievably) has said this isn’t enough. Even more Democrats have taken issue with the Governor’s ‘spending priorities’ with this money, and are racing to try to ensure funding for the pet programs. With Republicans staking out a position on the Governor right, arguing for less borrowing and more pay-as-you-go, and Democrats on his left, the Governor will have his hands full. All of this decreases the likelihood that anything will come before the voters before the November election. This might make political sense, as Democrat leaders would, in theory, be anxious to deny the Governor of a potential ‘win’ by passing an infrastructure package in June…
EVEN CROOKS HAVE FRIENDS
Jack Ambramoff didn’t just get off of the bus, and instantly become a renowned lobbyist. In Ambramoff, you have someone who has been toiling and working hard for GOP and conservative causes going back to his college days (he was actually the National Chairman of the College Republicans). Thus it is notable but hardly newsworthy that a microscopic analysis of his friends will find that many of them are….Republicans! I really object to the latest media frenzy, seeking to expose every possible friendship that anyone had with Abramoff, and make it sound nefarious. 
NEWSFLASH: Some people do stupid things, some do criminal things. We are all part of the human race. I am not making excuses for Abramoff – I wouldn’t. His moral compass is screwed up, and he will pay the price for his ethical and legal lapses. But why make news out of people’s personal relationships? The case and point example today is an article from The Hill (this is the ‘competition’ to Roll Call in the Beltway) in which they point out that Abramoff, among others, co-hosted a baby shower for Congressman Dana Rohrabacher(pictured left) and his wife, Rhonda, in advance of their having triplets. BIG DEAL. I don’t remember seeing this kind of scrutiny on the social friends of Michael Milken? Yeah, I think it was work a "look see" from the paper, to make sure this wasn’t some sort of inappropriate gift. But when they found out it was a baby-shower like all other baby-showers, that should have ended the story.
I have to run – I’ll post more on the weblog later.
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Jon
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