Randy

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Archives for the ‘California Legislature’ Category

ALERT: California’s big tax-hike showdown looms

Monday, March 7, 2011, 4:26 pm |

The lights are on and the bugs are scattering.

Now we know which Republicans have been meeting with Democrat Governor Jerry Brown on a deal to place Brown’s massive “tax extension” on the June ballot. California’s old-new tax-hiker Governor is looking for just 2 Republicans in the Senate and 2 Republicans in the Assembly to join him and all the tax-and-spend Democrats to accomplish this dirty deed. Today, 5 Republican senators who had met with Brown said they were at a temporary impasse, and Brown said “a few more days” was needed to negotiate a deal.

I have to tell you, in my 17 years of pro-family work in Sacramento, I have consistently seen a handful of Republican sell out year after year and push more oppression on families and hard-working individuals. Remember two years ago? That’s when 6 Republicans joined the Democrats to create a 2/3rds supermajority to impose new taxes on your purchases, your income, and your car, and to significantly reduce the state’s child tax credit for parents. And this, when there are TENS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN ANNUAL WASTE that could and should be eliminated.

TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION

With a vote expected as soon as this Wednesday or Thursday, please drop everything and email and call these 7 at-risk Republican state legislators. Tell them you demand, “No more taxes and fees. Vote NO on placing Jerry Brown’s tax scheme on the ballot!”

If a staffer gives you trouble because you’re not “in our district,” just say “Please give my message to the member (or senator). He is deciding whether to take more money from me and my family!” Also, please forward this alert to your friends via email, Facebook and Twitter to ask them to do their parts. We need a mini-flood of opposition calls and emails in Sacramento, right away.

1. Email a pre-written “no more taxes, fees or borrowing” message to your own state legislators.

2. Email and call in your own message to the 7 at-risk California Republican state legislators:

Assemblyman Bill Berryhill
916-319-2026 phone
916-319-2126 fax
Email form (will only accept email messages from district zip codes, so enter Bill Berryhill’s district office zip code 95207)

Assemblyman Katcho Achadjian
916-319-2033 phone
916-319-2133 fax
Email form (will only accept email messages from district zip codes, so enter Achadjian’s district office zip code 93401)

State Senator Sam Blakeslee
916-651-4015 phone
916-445-8081 fax
Email form (will only accept email messages from district zip codes, so enter Blakeslee’s district office zip code 93401)

State Senator Tom Berryhill
Phone: (916) 651-4014
Fax: (916) 327-3523
Email form (will only accept email messages from district zip codes, so enter Tom Berryhill’s district office zip code 95356)

State Senator Anthony Cannella
916-651-4012 phone
916-445-0773 fax
Email form (will only accept email messages from district zip codes, so enter Cannella’s district office zip code 93901)

State Senator Bill Emmerson
Phone: (916) 651-4037
Fax: (916) 327-2187
Email form (will only accept email messages from district zip codes, so enter Emmerson’s district office zip code 92507)

State Senator Tom Harman
Phone: (916) 651-4035
Fax: (916) 445-9263
Email form (will only accept email messages from district zip codes, so enter Harman’s district office zip code 92626)

What Governor Jerry Brown means for moral Californians

Monday, January 3, 2011, 6:25 pm |

I wanted to be too busy to watch the inauguration. But the hard truth was unavoidable. Democrat Jerry Brown has been sworn in as Governor…for the third time.

Although Brown swore to “support and defend…and…bear true faith and allegiance…to the Constitution of the State of California,” he didn’t mean the written Constitution. Indeed, he joked about his oath. When saying the part about taking “this obligation freely, without any mental reservation,” Brown said, “Really, no mental reservations!”, provoking the crowd to laughter.

It’s obvious to me that Brown sees his official oath as a mere formality, and views himself as the top authority who has done, is doing, and will do what he desires. Remember how Brown refused to defend Prop. 8 on man-woman marriage, despite his sworn duty to defend and represent the statutes and the Constitution of California? Like Arnold Schwarzenegger before him, Jerry Brown believes he is above the law. This is the very definition of tyranny.

What can the moral citizens of California expect for the next four years?

1. More immoral laws are coming: Jerry Brown is expected to sign every bill on his desk that advances the homosexual-bisexual-transsexual agenda and abortion and pornography, that promotes environmental wackiness, that coddles criminals, and that continues pouring obscene amounts of tax dollars into so-called “schools” that war against parents, moral virtues, and real academics.

2. Voters’ complaints can be leveled directly at the Democrats: The bright side is that the light will be shining directly on the Democrats. No longer can anything bad in California state government can be held against liberal Republicans, such as Arnold Schwarzenegger. The cloak has been lifted and the excuses have evaporated. All the public credit or blame will go directly to Brown and the Democrat-dominated Legislature. It’s time for people to connect the dots. The California Legislature has essentially been under the control of the Democrats virtually since 1957 in the state Senate and since 1959 in the state Assembly. In 2011, SaveCalifornia.com will be a strong voice of truth, especially reporting what the big media won’t.

3. Tax and fee hikes will depend on Republicans and voters: Jerry Brown and the Democrats want to raise taxes on just about everything. But they need voter approval to do it. Furthermore, they can’t place taxes and fees on the June ballot without a two-thirds vote of the Legislature, which would require all the Democrats plus two Republican sell-outs in both the state Senate and state Assembly. Please start telling your friends and neighbors to “Vote no on new taxes or fees, families can’t afford big government.”

4. There is a great need to fall back and regroup and repair our culture’s foundations: How did California get itself in this situation? Government is a symptom of the People’s values and what they believe and worship. Consider that the forces of evil have targeted young people for decades. They have successfully captured and damaged children’s hearts, minds, bodies, and souls in the daytime (through Godless, government-run schools) and in the afternoon and evening (through the Godless entertainment media). And most parents are untrained to raise virtuous children because most pastors won’t teach them how. Is it any surprise that sexual immorality and drug abuse are sky high among young people? It is high time for true Christians and all those who believe in moral virtues to give time, talent, and money toward teaching the practical benefits of God’s standards to the next generation. It’s like we need to take the Book of Proverbs mainstream to young people under 30, within and outside our immediate families. Society’s foundations are cracked and broken. With your help, SaveCalifornia.com will work to repair it with God’s beneficial glue and mortar.

5. Support SaveCalifornia.com’s campaign to reach young people: For quite some time it has been on my heart to teach moral truth to young people, to help them overcome the lies they believe. In 2011, SaveCalifornia.com will reach out to the next generation like never before. Young people are our future, and our future leaders too. They desperately need direction, inspiration, and purpose. They need to grasp and apply Judeo-Christian values in their own lives and in the public square. With your help, SaveCalifornia.com will connect with the under-30 crowd. We’ll activate them through creative technology, targeted ads, community projects, on-the-street activism, and more. It’s very exciting and very needful. So what do you say? Support our vision to reach the next generation. Please participate and invest in the future. Visit SaveCalifornia.com today and click “Donate” to give your tax-deductible gift. Thank you for standing with us as we stand strong for moral virtues for the common good. See my 2-1/2 minute video message and read about our 2011 strategy. Thank you.

Boldly in Christ’s grace and truth,

Randy Thomasson
Founder and President
SaveCalifornia.com

No people will tamely surrender their Liberties, nor can any be easily subdued, when knowledge is diffused and Virtue is preserved. On the Contrary, when People are universally ignorant, and debauched in their Manners, they will sink under their own weight without the Aid of foreign Invaders.
Samuel Adams, “Father of the American Revolution,” 1722-1803

Fair districts means better representatives

Monday, November 22, 2010, 3:44 pm |

If you believe in fairness and impartiality — and oppose theft and man-worship — as God Himself does, you’ll be happy about California’s new redistricting commission.

Polls consistently show that California voters correctly agree that the Democrat-run California Legislature is corrupt. But, at election time, most voters go into denial and keep electing these same Democrat legislators.

Nevertheless, the voters’ anti-corruption sentiment resulted in the passage of Prop. 11 in 2008 and Prop. 20 this November to remove from the self-interested Legislature the power to draw state legislative and congressional districts. That’s a good thing!

The first 8 commissioners for the new Citizens Redistricting Commission were chosen on Nov. 18. Six more will be selected by Dec. 31. This working commission is a bold step of reform with standards that are likely to end a number of “safe seats” in California, mostly for Democrats, in both the Legislature and in Congress. 

You can see the problem by looking at unnatural, gerrymandered districts like this and this. The Democrats who control the California Legislature have largely been in control of drawing boundaries for state Assembly, state Senate, and Congress for the last 40 years. They created safe seats for incumbents by stuffing Democrat voters into certain districts. Then in 2001, when Republican legislators made a deal to create safe seats for themselves, the problem got worse.

Now the 14-member Citizens Redistricting Commission will focus on a solution that has more standards, more accountability, a clear vision, and much less corruption. Consider that:

1. Before, legislative districts were drawn by self-interested, self-worshipping state legislators who would directly benefit from the outcome. Now, the district lines will be drawn by people who have not worked for, are not related to, and are not big donors to state legislators, in the last 10 years.

2. Before, legislative districts were created by the Legislature and Governor. Now, the district lines won’t be approved unless nine commissioners agree, including three Democrats, three Republicans, and three from neither party.

3. Before, there were no standards for drawing districts. Now, the standards in the California Constitution require that new districts shall “be geographically contiguous,” shall respect the “geographic integrity” of cities, counties, neighborhoods and communities, shall “encourage geographical compactness such that nearby areas of population are not bypassed for more distant population,” etc. Read more

4. Before, there was no accountability. Now, we have standards written into the California Constitution. And if the commission doesn’t abide by them, there’s an expedited complaint process to the California Supreme Court to enforce these standards. The state high court was good on this issue back in 1991 and is expected to be much better than the Legislature as a final arbiter.

So, be glad. California is in a civil war with liberal candidates mostly winning but liberal ballot measures mostly losing. Most Californians are against higher taxes and fees and in favor of fair legislative districts.

The bottom line: If it performs according to its purpose and rules, the Citizens Redistricting Commission probably means fewer “safe seats” for Democrats. This voter-created, powerful commission is what thieving, self-worshipping politicians hate. That’s why friends of the Democrat state legislators put Prop. 27 on the November ballot to eliminate the Citizens Redistricting Commission and restore power for redrawing all districts to the self-interested California Legislature. Fortunately, Prop. 27 lost and the goal of fair districts won. Therefore, in 2012, there may be more competitive districts open for good candidates who have renewed hope and opportunity to win and serve for God and family.