Daily Archives: March 17, 2006

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Action: SF Residents Call Nancy Pelosi

( – promoted by jsw)

Democratic Leader Pelosi is behaving in inexplicable ways for someone who wants to lead the Democratic Caucus:

1)  Congresswoman Pelosi is supporting the regulation of blogs (and by extension any form of online activism or reporting) under the campaign finance laws.  No other media outlet is regulated.  It’s astonishing that she would do this, given that blogs are one of the few places that there is a strong pro-Democrat pro-liberal message, and that the blogs have gone to bat for Pelosi over and over again.

2)  Congresswoman Pelosi is criticizing Senator Feingold’s proposal to censure George Bush for breaking the law by wiretapping American citizens without a warrant.  This is an issue which (a) has a tremendous amount of support from the Democratic base, (b) has a plurality of support from the American people in general, and (c) is simply not in her scope of responsibility.

If you live in SF, Nancy Pelosi answers to you.  Call her offices today.  (Try to be nice. The staffer is probably just as frustrated as you are.)

Nancy Pelosi

(415) 556-4862 (SF)
(202) 225-4965 (DC)

California

Dan Walters: Capitol is broken

7 Comments

Well, I find myself agreeing with Dan Walters (it happens occasionally):

If nothing else, the comic opera collapse of the two-month political quest for a plan to improve highways, levees and other strained and deteriorating public facilities should finally convince Californians that their Capitol is a broken institution, endemically incapable of dealing with major policy issues.
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Simply put, California’s dizzyingly dense mélange of ideological, geographic, cultural and economic subgroups interacts with a political structure that, in effect, gives every “stakeholder” a virtual veto power over the product. Under those circumstances, there are only two possible outcomes, both of which are bad. Either the product is a monstrosity that accommodates all demands but collapses of its own weight, or there is stalemate and no product at all.(Sac Bee 3/17/06)

Agreed! The fact that every interest can hold up the governing in our state is ridiculous.  It has lead us to the terrible result that we govern by proposition.  It led Arnold Schwarzenegger to work for Prop 10 for after school programs, it led Rob Reiner to work for Prop 82 for universal preschool.  Where does my finger point? Squarely at Prop 13 and its ilk. 

Now, Dan has a different idea.  He’s not concerned with changing the system, he just thinks that everybody should be good and do what’s right.  Uh…yeah…that’s gonna happen:

If there’s any hope of reviving the Capitol’s relevance, its occupants must have enough guts to keep it simple and to heed Nancy Reagan’s advice on drugs to “just say no” to all ancillary demands, no matter what their source may be.

Well, Dan, I’m not sure if your tongue is planted firmly in cheek, but I think we both know that  legislators and interest groups are not going to stop being self-interested.  What we need is a return of the simple majority to budgetary politics.

Uncategorized

No Bonds in June. November?

(There will be a bond deal eventually – promoted by SFBrianCL)

Gov. Schwarzenegger is guaranteeing victory for some bond deal, any bond deal in November:

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday guaranteed that he and the Legislature will agree on an infrastructure bond package on the ballot in November, despite their failure to work out a plan for the June 6 primary.

Holding his thumb and index finger an inch apart, Schwarzenegger told reporters “we actually came this close” to arriving at an agreement for June, but that in the end, “we fell a little bit short on the whole package.”
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But the governor, with his infrastructure eye looking toward November, added, “I can guarantee you, we will have it done this year.”(AP-Sac Bee 3/16/06)

And why did the June bond deal fail? Well, according to Flash Report (via BetterCA), a GOP mouthpiece, it’s because the Dems insisted on “pork projects” like mass transit and affordable housing.  Let’s see John Fleischman try to live in San Francisco on $28,000 a year and then we’ll see if he feels that affordable housing is a pork project.  The GOP legislative caucua is completely out of touch with the type of infrastructure that we need.  Heck, Even Arnold knows that the bonds should include mass transit and affordable housing!

Schwarzenegger said he was pleased that the Assembly approved a $4.15 billion levee bond and a $19 billion worth of schools bonds Wednesday night, and that those votes will serve as a starting point toward a complete package that he suggested will include transportation and affordable housing components and possibly surface water storage.(AP-Sac Bee 3/16/06)

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Action Alert: Stop Arnold and McCain’s March Madne$$

Monday, Sen. McCain is coming to Beverly Hills to raise $2 million for Arnold’s re-election campaign.  They are asking for up to $100,000 per person.  That is illegal under McCain’s own campaign finance reform law.  BCRA (aka McCain-Feingold) makes it illegal for federal officers to solicit large sums for state candidates.  This fundraiser breaks both the sprit and the letter of the law.

Tell Sen. McCain to not attend the fundraiser and stop breaking the law.  Sign a letter to McCain.

Arnold needs McCain to help him reach is goal of $120 million for this race.  McCain needs a Governor Schwarzenegger in office to help him win the Republican nomination for President in 2008.  It is a mutually beneficial relationship and one that they seem willing to break the law over.

McCain has tried to skirt the law by including this clause at the bottom of the invitation.  Click here to see the actual invitation and then click on it to zoom in.

We are honored to have Senator John McCain as our Speaker for this event.  However, the solicitation for funds is being made only by Californians for Schwarzenegger and the California Republican Party.  In accordance with federal law, Senator McCain is not soliciting individual funds beyond federal law.

Our lawyer, who is usually a pretty conservative guy, believes that even with this language, McCain’s presence is illegal.  We are sending a letter to the Senator requesting that he heed his own words about state parties being a conduit for soft-money and not attend the fundraiser.

Join us and send a letter to McCain.

Here is what we are sending:

March 16, 2006

Senator John McCain
241 Russell Senate Office Building
United States Senate
Washington DC, 20510

Dear Senator McCain,

    The Alliance for a Better California, a coalition of firefighters, nurses, teachers, police officers, and everyday citizens, is writing to urge you not to join Governor Schwarzenegger at his upcoming Beverly Hills campaign event.  If this event proceeds as scheduled, you will violate federal campaign finance laws, specifically McCain-Feingold – a law you fought vigorously to get passed.  More importantly, Governor Schwarzenegger’s record setting fundraising speaks for itself; designed to reward high dollar contributors with access and influence, a practice you have fought tirelessly to prevent with the passage of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform law.    

As you well know, federal officers cannot solicit sums of: $100,000, $50,000, $25,000, and $10,000 on behalf of state candidates without violating federal law.  Indeed, an event such as the one planned on behalf of the Governor is precisely the type of fundraising prohibited under McCain-Feingold.    

Both the policy and spirit behind the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform Act is to prevent large soft-money contributions which inevitably seek to buy access and gain improper influence.  As you have said, “It’s time for the parties to stop being a conduit for soft money and unregulated and undisclosed money, and it’s time to be a party of the people again.”   Therefore, we urge you to not abandon the very reform you sought by campaigning for Governor Schwarzenegger as he seeks to achieve unprecedented soft money contributions in his bid for re-election.  

Senator, we urge you to heed your own call when you say, “Soft money is really what’s harming American politics as we know it.”  By withdrawing your participation in the Governor’s upcoming event you will send both the Governor and all Californians the clear message that you remain committed to eliminating the corruption and improper influence that soft money contributions foster.  On this issue you have historically been a reformer, having garnered tremendous bipartisan support to restore confidence and trust back into our political system.  We ask you only to continue the work that you have already begun.  

Very Truly Yours,

The Alliance for a Better California

We have alerted the press and hopefully we will get some good coverage out of this.  The California Democratic Party has already filed a FEC complaint.    Unfortunately, it did not get much attention because the Republicans filed a baseless complaint against Angelides in retaliation.  The Foundation for Taxpayers and Consumers Rights also sent a letter with a similar request to the Senator today.  Let’s get some buzz going people and see if we can shine a light McCain.

In conjunction with the letter we are holding a rally in front of the Beverly Hilton on Monday.  We are expecting a couple hundred people to attend and would love to have you there. Join us out front at 4:30!

Monday, March 20th
Outside “The Beverly Hilton”
Whittier and Santa Monica
Beverly Hills, CA

This all part of Arnold’s whirlwind fundraising tour in March that has him flying all over the country to raise funds for his re-election.  It is time to speak up and tell him to start doing his job.  Help the teacher, nurses, cops and firefighters hold him accountable for his failure to lead.

For more on this fundraiser, read my previous blog posts on Arnold’s fundraising over at BetterCA.com.