DATE: 5/25/10
TO: DEMOCRAT LEADERS IN D.C. AND SACRAMENTO
FROM: JON FLEISCHMAN, CALIFORNIA REPUBLICAN PARTY
RE: KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!
As the saying goes, “adversity creates opportunity.”
Your opportunity as Democrats who are supposed to be in charge, given the fiscal crisis facing California state government, would be to put aside your left-wing, socialistic passions, roll up your sleeves, and deal with the fact that we are going to have to make do with less – a lot less – as has been the case in the private sector, with a contracting economy.
Our opportunity, a Republicans, is to take political advantage of the fact that even with money as tight as it is right now, our nation, and this state are in a vice-hold by liberals who literally have no grasp on reality, and no ability to produce any outcome for our fiscal challenges that don’t include raising taxes – and not by a little, but by billions and billions of dollars. I would never “wish” a fiscal crisis on our state and local governments – but my party stands ready to take your predictable “let’s tax our way out of the situation” approach to press for political gains this November!
As a conservative, I am a bit wary of holding out the welfare hand to Washington, D.C. – money for states from the federal government typically comes with onerous “strings” allowing the national government more say into the matters of state government than ever intended by the crafters of the Constitution. But all of you Democrats, who are “unshackled” with my limited-government philosophy, should be bending over backwards to use federal money (which you control) to help out state government (the legislature of which you control).
Interesting Democrats Obama, Boxer and Feinstein have all turned a deaf ear on requests from their California brethren (as well as the Governor and Republican leaders, for that matter) to give California its “fair share” of federal dollars. A great example would be the federal government’s refusal to pay California the costs of incarcerating criminal aliens. Good grief. Again, a sad policy failure tees up a great political opportunity for “my team” as Barbara Boxer has to campaign for re-election this year on her ability to deliver…nothing!
Working in tandem with Democrats in Washington, D.C., towards a great Republican year are California’s Democrat legislative leaders – Senate President Pro-Tem Darrell Steinberg and Assembly Speaker John Perez. In recent days, both have held press conferences, backed by their liberal cohorts, where they have detailed literally five billion dollars in new or higher taxes – ranging from taxes on income, cars, internet purchases and more. They certainly show disregard for the negative economic impacts of these tax increases on the already difficult economy of the once-Golden state. The good news, politically, is that pushing for these massive tax increases in a recession will put these left-wingers on the wrong side of moderate and decline-to-state voters as we head towards the November elections.
So let’s close this memo by drawing the contrast that will be so artfully presented to voters later this year (thank you, aforementioned Democrats)…
On one side you have Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger who this year, at last, has drawn a line in the sand as he counts the months down to his return to a full-time acting career. Standing with the Governor are Senate Republican Leader Dennis Hollingsworth and Assembly Republican Leader Martin Garrick, both of whom are backed by GOP legislative caucuses all of the members of which, save one, have signed the Americans for Tax Reform “No New Taxes” pledge. They are all singing off of the same song sheet, which is that government has to live within your means, and that you cannot tax your way out of a recession.
On the other side you have Democrats pledging $5 billion in tax increases while simultaneously fighting pension and budget reform at every turn.
This may come as a surprise to Democrats, but the Republican strategy here is not exactly rocket science. The resolve of Republicans is firm, and if necessary, to stand strong as advocates for California taxpayers all of the way until the November elections. The Governor, of course, has additional tools at his disposal which come into play after July 1 – which include furlough days (three, four, five days a month?) and let’s remember that the courts have given the Governor the green light, if necessary, to reduce the salaries of state works to minimum wage! This means very real financial leverage on California’s public employee union members, which will be very impactful.
In case anyone is wondering what is in the “secret memo” that is circulating around the country (it was read in Massachusetts and Hawaii, where Republicans one long-shot races in Democrat “home turf”) – let me read it to you… “If the election is about opposing higher taxes, and getting spending under control, Republicans win.”
That’s it, plain a simple. Democrats, keep up the good work!
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