All posts by joeesha

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EMeg Spends $80 Per Vote in Primary. What Would You Buy for $80?

The OC Register reports today that Meg Whitman spent $90 million in her primary win over Steve Poizner. That works out to $80 per vote.

I think it would have been better if she had just given every voter $80 to buy something on eBay instead of padding the pockets of TV stations and consultants. Just think what that would do for the economy, putting $80 in the pockets of hardworking Americans. I wonder what $80 can buy you on eBay?

Well if your ’77 Ford Fiesta needs a new clutch, you can get a new one.

It’s almost Father’s day, you can get dad that 1958 Ted Williams baseball card he’s always wanted.

And if you need a hot cocktail dress for that eMeg fundraiser…eBay’s got one. But then you’re not crazy enough to donate money to a multi-billionaire are you?

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Sara Wan: The Coast is Under Attack

THE COAST NEEDS YOUR HELP

The Coast is under attack and this time, if the proposal to require the Coastal Commission to pay for all legal services previously supplied by the Attorney General is approved, it will leave the Commission with very limited ability to defend itself in a lawsuit or enforce the Coastal Act.

This is one of the most serious threats to the continued viability of California’s coastal protection program since the attack on the constitutionality of the Commission in the Marine Forest case The commission may be unable to initiate lawsuits to protect public access or other coastal resources.

This also effectively means that the Commission would be unable to deny any applicant or to impose any conditions on any proposal that the applicant opposes, based on whether the Commission could afford the cost of litigation.  It means that coastal protection as we have known it is over.  

Please read the full discussion below and then take action immediately, since this proposal is supported by Jerry Brown’s Office, the Department of Finance, the LAO and the Committee staff.  This proposal is currently being considered in the Budget sub-committee and will be acted on shortly.  

Thanks for your help

Sara Wan (She is a Coastal Commissioner)

PLEASE HELP BY SENDING A FAX OR CALLING ASAP

Please contact Attorney General, Jerry Brown, and Senator Mark DeSaulnier, Chair of Budget Subcommittee 4, and tell them to EXEMPT THE PUBLIC RIGHTS DIVISION OF DOJ, AND SPECIFICALLY THE COASTAL COMMISSION FROM THE PROPOSED INSIDIOUS LEGAL SERVICES FUNDING SHIFT. Tell them that departments, such as the Commission, whose function is to protect the public’s rights, need to be certain they have legal representation to do so.

Senator DeSulnier  : 916-445-2527 (fax); 916-651-4077 (phone)

Attorney General Brown: fax: 916-445-6749;  916-324-5437-phone

SAMPLE LETTER

Senator Mark DeSaulnier

Chair, Senate Budget Subcommittee

Re: DOJ Fund Swap

Dear Senator DeSaulnier:

You have always been one of the Legislature’s strongest champions  of environmental protection and public rights. Today I am writing to express my extreme opposition to the Department of Justice (DOJ) proposal to “bill” departments that protect our coast and environment for litigation that defends our natural resources. The Coastal Commission, State Lands Commission, Water Board and other public agencies that protect the public’s rights to clean beaches, clean water and access to public lands should not have to base their decisions on whether or not these rights deserve to be upheld based on case-by-case budget decisions made by the Department of Finance. Funding these legal costs currently comes from the General Fund and are written into the DOJ budget.  This has worked extremely well for nearly forty years. Why change it now and seriously harm coastal and environmental protection?  

The State Lands and the Coastal Commission do not control who initiates legal challenges to its actions, whether oil companies, developers, or environmentalists.  They do have discretion over legal actions the bring to enforce the law, and penalties and fines it pursues to deter law breakers and seek compensation for lost public resources.  Under threat of possible legal action, the Commission may have to choose whether or not to deny a project or to impose conditions to bring the project into compliance with the Coastal Act.  By shifting legal costs directly to these Commissions, protection of coastal resources will inevitably be sacrificed.  This funding shift will abandon coastal protection to well-healed anti-protection ideologues and deep-pocket developers who would be encouraged to sue more often knowing the Commission will run out of money and consequently elect to save its operations rather than protection of public rights and resources.

The State will be setting aside 48 million dollars to cover attorney’s fees for all agencies currently being served by the AG’s office.  This is about 60% of what has been needed in the past.  To obtain funds the Commission will have to petition for funds and compete with every other agency, including the Department of Corrections, etc.  The Department of Finance (i.e. the Governor) will decide who gets the money while there are still funds left.  This shift, if approved, will also give unprecedented control over the Commission’s enforcement of coastal protection policies and pursuit of Coastal Act violators to the Governor.  Consider the devastating consequences of an anti-coastal protection Governor having such control.

Please reject this proposal and confine any DOJ billing reform to the Department of Corrections, where the real problem exists.

Thank you for your continued efforts to protect our natural heritage.

YOUR NAME HERE

Group (If you speak for a Group)

A MORE COMPLETE EXPLANATION

California’s Coast is again under attack and at grave risk. An insidious budget proposal is pending in budget subcommittees in the Legislature that would, for the first time since voters passed Proposition 20 in 1972 that created California’s remarkably successful coastal protection law, require the Coastal Commission to pay for its legal costs to defend public access rights and protect important coastal resources.  

To avoid forcing the Commission to choose between protecting public rights and resources, and funding for staff and operations the authors of Proposition 20 and the Coastal Act of 1976 intentionally structured these laws to ensure that legal costs are born by the Department of Justice (i.e., the Attorney General).  Funding these legal costs currently comes from the General Fund and are written into the DOJ budget.  This has worked extremely well for nearly forty years. Why change it now and seriously harm coastal protection?  

The Commission does not control who initiates legal challenges to its actions, whether developers, the Pacific Legal Foundation or environmentalists.  It does have discretion over legal actions it brings to enforce the law, and penalties and fines it pursues to deter law breakers and seek compensation for lost public resources.  Under threat of possible legal action, the Commission may have to choose whether or not to deny a project or to impose conditions to bring the project into compliance with the Coastal Act.  By shifting legal costs directly to the Commission with an already underfunded budget, protection of coastal resources will inevitably be sacrificed.  This funding shift will abandon coastal protection to well-healed anti-protection ideologues and deep-pocket developers who would be encouraged to sue more often knowing the Commission will run out of money and consequently elect to save its operations rather than protection of public rights and resources.

The State will be setting aside 48 million dollars to cover attorney’s fees for all agencies currently being served by the AG’s office.  This is about 60% of what has been needed in the past.  To obtain funds the Commission will have to petition for funds and compete with every other agency, including the Department of Corrections, etc.  The Department of Finance (i.e. the Governor) will decide who gets the money while there are still funds left.  This shift, if approved, will also give unprecedented control over the Commission’s enforcement of coastal protection policies and pursuit of Coastal Act violators to the Governor.  Consider the devastating consequences of an anti-coastal protection Governor having such control.

Jerry Brown’s (the Attorney General) budget people support this bad idea.  Whether he personally supports this regressive funding shift is not clear.  The Attorney General’s office has an impressive record of wins defending public rights and coastal resources against land-owners who block public access to the beach, powerful developers and corporations who want to destroy sensitive natural resources to build new shopping centers and subdivisions, oil companies, the military, energy companies, and powerful, politically connected special interests who would build toll roads through state parks. These legal actions are critical to the continued protection of our coast for the benefit of current and future generations.

This ill-advised budget shift proposal is being considered right now by budget sub-committees in Sacramento. It is supported by the Department of Finance (DOF), Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO), AG budget staff, and Committee staff, none of whom understand  the reality of how coastal protection is actually achieved on the ground.  For example, the LAO thinks it’s a good idea for the Commission to get Department of Finance approval before litigation is undertaken!  This removes form the commission the final decision about whether or not coastal resources need protection and places that decision under the jurisdiction of those unfamiliar with the issues.

Please contact Attorney General, Jerry Brown, and Senator Mark DeSaulnier, Chair of Budget Subcommittee 4, and tell them to EXEMPT THE PUBLIC RIGHTS DIVISION OF DOJ, AND SPECIFICALLY THE COASTAL COMMISSION FROM THE PROPOSED INSIDIOUS LEGAL SERVICES FUNDING SHIFT. Tell them that departments, such as the Commission, whose function is to protect the public’s rights need to be certain they have legal representation to do so.

 

Orange County

A Dark Deal in the Night: What’s Happening to the OC Fairgrounds

It was a dark and stormy Sacramento night…

Stormy, in that legislators were trying to reach a deal to pass a budget on a crazy July night. Amidst the mayhem and the deals, shadowy forces were planning a powerful land grab. They wanted the OC Fairgrounds and they were going to get it.

Sometime during that dark night, a deal was made, and language was inserted to budget bill AB4X22  that would allow the state to sell the Orange County Fairgounds, a public resource in the middle of Costa Mesa that actually makes money. It was said that the money from the sale would help the state balance the budget.

Most legislators had little knowledge of the deal and the public had no chance to cry foul. The bill passed on July 23rd and signed by the Governor on July 28th.  Only former OC Supervisor Jim Silva (AD-67) voted against the sale.

Turns out that the shadowy group was led by Fair Board members and their consultants, who wanted to form a private foundation to buy the Fair so they could operate it without public oversight and for their own profit.

This past week, OC Legislators have learned more about the deal, and discovered that all was not right. At the same time they were receiving hundreds of letters, calls, and faxes opposing the sale and met with a group of OC community leaders.

Now, one by one, they’ve come around and most of them are opposing the sale.

Governor Schwarzenegger appears to be the only one whose still in favor of the sale, and sources say it could be because he’s not getting the information and hasn’t seen the hundreds of letters and faxes his office has received opposing the sale.

MORE AFTER THE JUMP

The tide started to turn after OC Assemblymembers Jose Solorio and Van Tran held a public forum on the sale in Orange County in November. What they found was a community united in opposition to the sale.

Solorio sent a scathing letter to the governor in December, saying, “the process for carrying out the sale has been tainted by misinformation, misrepresentation, conflicts of interests, questionable legal and ethical activities, and that a potential constitutional barrier regarding the sale of the property exists.”

Solorio and Tran also introduced AB 1590 to stop the sale, which is now supported by Assemblymembers Diane Harkey, Jim Silva, Jeff Miller and State Senators Tom Harmon, Lou Correa and Mark Wyland.

The Attorney General’s office also took unprecendented action in December, cutting their ties to the OC Fair Board, which they normally represent.  In a letter to Kristina Dodge, Fair Board Chair, the Attorney general cited conflict of interest by the Fair Board in forming a private foundation to purchase the fairgrounds.

The only one still not getting it is the governor. Costa Mesa councilmembers met with the gorvernor and urged him to stop the sale,  but he was undeterred by their pleas. Councilwoman Katrina Foley expressed concerns with the governor over a loss of jobs, and losses to small businesses that operate at the fairgrounds.

Costa Mesa and nearly two dozen other Orange County cities have passed resolutions urging the governor to stop the sale.

But the sale is on for now. What happens next?

Bids were submitted for the sale on the Jan. 8th deadline. Bidders may include Orange County, a private foundation of Fair Board members as well as developers. Bids are scheduled to be opened on Jan 14th at the fairgrounds. After reviewing  the bids, there will be an auction. The department of General Services will then forward the bids and analysis to Schwarzenegger who will make the final decision, which some believe could come as early as Jan. 21st.

So opposition continues on two tracks: Solorio’s bill gets its first hearing on Tuesday. And there’s still time to change the governor’s mind. You can write, call or fax the governor asking him to STOP THE SALE of the OC Fairgrounds.

Governor’s Office: Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger State Capitol Building Sacramento, CA 95814. Phone: 916-445-2841. Fax: 916-558-3160

The dirty deal needs to be stopped.

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Eric Bradley Signs On to CDP Reforms, Chiang Endorses Bradley for CDP Controller

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Cross posted at OC Progressive.

Fixing the State Democratic Party is high on the list of many Democratic activists who were outraged when the State Party gave former Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez $4 million and then turned around and gave State Senate Leader Don Perata $250,000 for legal fees related to an FBI corruption investigation.

Now Democratic State Party Controller Eric Bradley, who is running for re-election, Assemblyman Hector De La Torre and CDP vice-chair Alex Rooker have taken a stand, and want to prevent questionable expenditures from the CDP. They are sponsoring a resolution that says, in part:

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the California Democratic Party supports common sense reforms that will bring greater trust and confidence in its ability to raise funds for campaign activities; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the California Democratic Party should approve reforms that prevent money transfers to termed-out officeholders or their affiliated political committees, and that Party monies and resources should be used only on party building activities and direct campaign support for candidates or ballot measures in each campaign cycle.

They’ve created a website, www.LetsFixCDP.com and are asking delegates to sign up and support the resolution.

Eric Bradley was also endorsed by State Controller John Chiang, in a letter I received in the mail today. Here’s what he says about Eric:

“I know better than anyone how difficult the job of Controller can be. That’s why I respect the job Eric is doing and endorse him for re-election. The job of Controller isn’t just about counting money. It is about coordinating the the fundraising and financial efforts of our party, and marshalling them to elect Democrats.”

And now, here’s what I have to say about Eric Bradley. Eric has extensive fundraising experience throughout the state, in the big counties where it counts. He is a progressive and he has come out firmly for reform within the party.

More than that, Eric was with us here in Orange County, when Debbie Cook ran for Congress. Much of her territory was in Long Beach, in Los Angeles County. Eric’s Long Beach roots and connections helped her campaign tremendously there and were a factor in a Democrat winning the Long Beach portion of the 46th District for the first time. Eric was there offering support every step of the way. He’s a true grassroots leader.

I’m supporting Eric Bradley for re-election as Democratic Party Controller.

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New Orange County Progressive Blog Launches

A new progressive blog launched today aiming to provide news and commentary about Orange County from a progressive viewpoint. OC Progressive can be found at www.ocprogressive.com.

One of the first issues the blog tackles is the county’s toll roads. The first in a six-part series by Ayer, “Orange County’s Failed Toll Road Experiment,” takes a look at the toll road system in the wake of the defeat of the proposed Foothill Toll Road and the possible bankruptcy of the San Joaquin Hills (73) Toll Road.

“We don’t want to just comment on news stories as many blogs do, we want to do some substantive reporting on local issues and government policy,” said Gus Ayer, a former Fountain Valley city councilman. “There’s a lot of unreported information in the documents produced by local governments like the toll road agencies.”

Ayer and Joe Shaw, a Huntington Beach Public Works Commissioner, began planning the blog when they were both working for former Huntington Beach Mayor Debbie Cook’s congressionalrun. Ayer was a senior strategist and Shaw served as communications director.  They are joined by Heather Pritchard, a frequent diarist at the progressive Daily Kos blog. In the future, OC Progressive will feature articles from local and national progressive writers and leaders.

“Besides news, another of our aims is to provide a forum for bringing progressive change to Orange County and our local governments,” Shaw said. “We hope to stimulate dialogue and create opportunities for identifying promising future progressive leaders for Orange County.” Shaw’s first post, “What’s a Progressive Agenda for Local Government Look Like?” is the first of a series that will lay out a blueprint for making progressive change locally.

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CA-46 Debate: Rohrabacher V. Cook On Gay Marriage

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Rohrabacher:

“It’s a wonderful thing when you find the person you love, but that does not mean that you change the legal structure in this country,” Rohrabacher said. “I don’t think we should change the definition of marriage in our country to make a small number of people in our country feel comfortable.”

Cook:

“I support full marriage equality,” Cook said, noting the concerns of her gay friends. “You really have to walk in someone’s shoes who’s being discriminated against…Nobody wants to be civil unionized.”

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CA-46 Debate: Debbie V. Dana

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If you’re in Orange County Tuesday morning, please come to the one and only debate between Debbie Cook and Dana Rohrabacher. (The Green candidate and the Libertarian candidate will also be there.)

With momentum going her way, Debbie Cook needs you to come and cheer her on. Also to bring your questions! The eight questions the candidates will answer will come from audience members.

Here are the details:

Tuesday,

October 21, 11:15 am – 1:15 pm

Orange Coast College

2701 Fairview Road

Costa Mesa, CA 92628  

Robert B Moore Theatre  

Call for more information: 714-432-5796.

Dana Rohrabacher refused to debate earlier before the absentee ballots went out. He refused a debate offer from Ner-Tamid synagogue in Rancho Palos Verdes. He also refused to appear on Inside OC on KOCE TV alongside Mayor Cook.

So this one’s it.  

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Debbie Cook (CA-46) Honored With “Truth To Power” Award at Sacramento Energy Conference

Democratic Nominee for Congress Debbie Cook (CA-46) was honored today with the Roscoe Bartlett “Speaking Truth To Power” Award at the ASPO-USA Conference in Sacramento.

Randy Udall, an ASPO-USA (Association for the Study of Peak Oil) board member, announced the award at the conference on Tuesday afternoon, citing Cook’s willingness to talk frankly about energy issues.

“We honored her for her courage, for speaking honestly about energy realities and for promoting an energy program that makes sense,” said Udall, who is the director of the Community Office for Resource Efficiency (CORE), a nonprofit organization in Colorado that promotes energy efficiency and renewable energy.

Cook, the mayor of Huntington Beach, is a nationally recognized leader on energy, and also a board member of ASPO-USA. She was instrumental in bringing the conference to California for the first time. The conference ends Tuesday evening.

The award was named in honor of Republican Representative Roscoe Bartlett (MD-6), who leads the effort in Congress for an energy policy based on the challenges of peak oil.

For more about Debbie Cook and energy, watch this interview with Talking Points Memo:

Or visit her website at http://www.debbiecookforcongre…

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ASPO Conference, Sacramento: “The revolution will not be LEED certified.”

That one liner pretty much sums up the sentiment at the 2008 ASPO-USA Conference in Sacramento.

ASPO, for those who don’t know, is the Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas. Once on the fringes, Peak Oil has shed much of its tin-foil-hat reputation, as T. Boone Pickens and Shell Oil have jumped on the bandwagon, and as world events, rising oil prices and the panic at the pump have focused more attention on the world’s growing energy crisis.

Peak Oil simply: there is a finite amount of oil in the ground and our capacity to produce it has peaked, leaving us with a declining supply of oil, while world demand becomes greater.

Still there are many who don’t acknowledge the reality of Peak Oil and what it means for our society and the world. Politicians fear the discussion because it means being visionary and most of them cannot see beyond the next election. Neither Presidential candidates’ energy plans address growing supply shortages.

That’s part of the reason why Huntington Beach Mayor Debbie Cook is one of the best candidates Democrats have for Congress anywhere. She is willing to say what many won’t and she’s willing to lead where others fear to tread. Cook, the Democratic nominee for Congress(CA-46) is playing a leading role at the ASPO-USA conference, which began yesterday in Sacramento.

Cook, a member of the ASPO board of directors, was instrumental in bringing the annual conference to California for the first time, which brings together scientists, educators, and policy makers from around the world to plan for future energy constraints.

“Energy affects every aspect of our lives:  food production, transportation, land use patterns, and our economy.  Governments at all levels haven’t done enough to plan for an energy constrained world,” said Cook. “This conference is a chance to hear current energy data and trends from experts in government, industry, and research.”

From the beginning of her campaign, Cook has acknowledged that we must reduce our consumption to deal with the coming energy shocks as oil becomes less available.

On the first day of the conference on Sunday, speaker after speaker drove home the point that in the coming years, our country will face a crisis of monumental proportions. And that we are doing virtually nothing to deal with it.

Fortunately, people are starting to listen. A few local and state governments are beginning to plan for future energy constraints. But tons more work must be done.

ASPO-USA co-founder Dick Lawrence, who uttered the phrase “The revolution will not be LEED certified,” was making the point that our attempts at green building initiatives are only a small part of the massive preparation and changes we’ll need to face the future without oil.

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Debbie Cook Asks Rohrabacher For Three Town Hall Debates

Huntington Beach, CA – Debbie Cook has formally asked Congressman Dana Rohrabacher to join her in at least three town-hall style debates throughout the 46th distict.

“The voters in our district should have meaningful opportunities to hear our very different goals and visions for the 46th district,” said Cook. “The Congressman has been willing to debate in previous elections, I hope he will agree to join me in a series of forums that will present our positions directly to the voters.”

The Cook campaign has asked for three debates located across the district, two in Orange County and one in Los Angeles County.

“There are two very different media markets in this district, so along with Orange County, it’s important to schedule at least one town hall debate in Los Angeles County, possibly in Long Beach or the Palos Verdes Peninsula.” said Kevin Thurman, Cook’s campaign manager.

Thurman said he is waiting for an official response from the Rohrabacher campaign. Thurman sent a certified letter to Rhonda Rohrabacher, the Congressman’s wife and campaign manager, early this week.

Cook, the Democratic nominee and mayor of Huntington Beach, is challenging incumbent Dana Rohrabacher. She has devoted much of her adult life and her legal career to environmental protection and energy policy.  She considers reducing America’s dependence on fossil fuels an environmental and national security imperative.

The 46th Congressional District covers a two-county area bounded by Costa Mesa on the south and the Palos Verdes Peninsula on the north. For more information about the campaign, please visit www.debbiecookforcongress.com.