The job of being a legislative caucus leader is to represents the interests of their caucus members. There is no doubt that overwhelmingly Senate and Assembly Republicans oppose these proposed, outrageous taxes. So why aren't the leaders doing their job, and going back to the Governor and Democrats and saying this plan doesn't work? And if they aren't doing that, are the Republicans who elected them to leadership holding them accountable? When individual legislators fold on a bad plan, it's on them. When legislative leaders do it, everyone who put them into their leadership spots are equally responsible. At least to my way of thinking.… Read More

I’ve already posted information regarding Sacramento Supervisor Roberta MacGlashan’s effort to eliminate the $2.4 million Sacramento County spends providing free, non-emergency healthcare to citizens of other countries. Now, the issue caught the ear of the local radio powerhouse Armstrong & Getty program…here’s a clip…

This issue is growing with tight budgets across the state – and ten other counties currently fund similar programs providing free healthcare, above and beyond emergency and public health, to citizens of other countries.… Read More

The massive Obama “porkulus” bill just passed the House. Not one Republican voted for it. Wish I could say that every Senate GOPer would do the same…… Read More

Tackling the issue of responding to a plan to "rescue" California with massive tax increases in a reasoned commentary, co written by myself and fellow State GOP Board Members Keith Carlson and Steve Baric has been time consuming. We’ll have that up soon, and the main up page closer to 9am.… Read More

The following commentary is co-authored by Steve Baric, Keith Carlson, Tony Krvaric Paul Bruno, Shawn Steel, Doug Boyd and Jon Fleischman, the Secretary, Treasurer, Budget Committee Chairman, Vice Chairman, Central Coast, Vice Chairman, Los Angeles, National Committeeman and Vice Chairman, South of the California Republican Party respectively.

To say that we were disheartened upon news that the GOP’s primary negotiators in seeking a solution for the massive over-spending induced state budget shortfall, Senate Republican Leader Dave Cogdill and Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines, had reached a “deal” as a product of the secret back-room “Big 5” process, and had come back to present plans to their respective legislative caucuses that contain roughly $14 billion in new taxes on Californians would be an understatement. It was almost a surreal experience – because the plan that was laid out was so much worse than any one of us could have imagined – and because the plan, from our understanding of it, is… Read More

The education lobby continues to work parents into a frenzy over the state budget. Today, my kids’ school sent out an email asking us all to call the offices of the "Big 5" to voice our concerns over a proposed "spending cap." The message they are asking parents to send is this:

"Hard Caps on spending will devastate our education system and be a deterrent to our economic recovery. Dollars toward education are an investment in California’s future, not an expense." If the CTA and the rest of the education lobby were truly responsible, they’d educate parents about what the real tradeoffs are in the state budget. They’d tell parents how the staggering cost of health care and retirement for teachers and state workers are contributing to the state’s budget crisis. They’d also tell them that Legislature’s spending spree for the past 10 years has now caught up with us. So instead of a silly message about a spending cap hurting the economic recovery, they’d be… Read More

The following commentary is co-authored by Steve Baric, Keith Carlson, Tony Krvaric Paul Bruno, Shawn Steel, Doug Boyd and Jon Fleischman, the Secretary, Treasurer, Budget Committee Chairman, Vice Chairman, Central Coast, Vice Chairman, Los Angeles, National Committeeman and Vice Chairman, South of the California Republican Party respectively.

To say that we were disheartened upon news that the GOP’s primary negotiators in seeking a solution for the massive over-spending induced state budget shortfall, Senate Republican Leader Dave Cogdill and Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines, had reached a “deal” as a product of the secret back-room “Big 5” process, and had come back to present plans to their respective legislative caucuses that contain roughly $14 billion in new taxes on Californians would be an understatement. It was almost a surreal experience – because the plan that was laid out was so much worse than any one of us could have imagined – and because the plan, from our understanding of… Read More

Despite the fact that this is the second day that I have requested a briefing on this budget "deal" from Senate Republican Leader Dave Cogdill and/or Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines, the silence is deafening.

It is unfortunate because I am all ears — and as I wrote with a bunch of fellow leaders of the State Republican Party, we would like to gain some perspective from our two legislative leaders, whom we hold in high regard.

In the absence of any more information — I continue to judge this "deal" based on the information available through main stream media sources.

So let me just say what I am thinking and what I have heard from literally every GOP leader, donor and activist to whom I have spoken or heard from via e-mail — this plan is terrible for California and extremely injurious to the Republican Party’s ability to win elections next year.

Over in the Capitol Weekly, there is a headline about Republicans winning "concessions" on what I will call relative minor policy… Read More