(Cross-posted at Trash Dirty Gary)

“When your seat is so safe that you’re not concerned about perception, you become too wedded to Washington and you lose touch with your constituency, and you lose touch with your real purpose.”

Want to guess who said that? Believe it or not, that was Karen Hanretty, a Republican strategist and former California Republican Party spokeswoman. And she was talking to the AP (via
The Guardian [UK]) about the lovely Republican Congresscritters like John Doolittle and Gary Miller who
have been caught up in some naughty behavior lately. So what’s happening? Are even Republicans starting to desert these crooked cons?

Follow me after the flip for more…

So what’s happening? Are the Republicans finally waking up and smelling the strychnine? Is the culture of corruption finally too much for them?

The ethics cloud is discouraging the party faithful who’ve already watched the GOP shrink to minority status in California. And they add to the dilemmas of Republican strategists aiming to retake Congress next year following election losses blamed partly on GOP ethics problems.

“There is a sort of feeling among Republican activists who work hard to elect Republicans of, ‘What the heck is going on here?”’ said Los Angeles GOP analyst Allan Hoffenblum.

So I guess they’re finally asking the questions that we’ve been asking all along. What the heck is going on here?

Why has Gary Miller been mixing his personal real estate business with his duty as a member of Congress to serve his constituents? Why has he put the desires of a developer in Upland over the needs of the people in his own district? And why the heck did he lie about “eminent domain” regarding that Monrovia land deal?

But of course, Gary Miller isn’t the only crooked GOPer here. We also have Jerry Lewis. And John Doolittle. And Ken Calvert. Well, you get the picture. Thanks to all the sleazebags in Congress, California Republicans are in crisis mode.

No wonder why they’re such a liability. Even Mr. FlashReport has to admit it:

But their problems make them less valuable allies for Republican presidential candidates looking to compete in California’s primary, newly advanced to February. And the ethics clouds discourage a GOP base already chafing at moderate Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s constant compromises with Democrats.

“This is presenting a huge distraction from the debate over ideas that really needs to happen in terms of who’s going to control Congress,” said Jon Fleischman, a GOP activist in Orange County. “It creates a degree of cynicism that is certainly real.”

Well, I wouldn’t consider it a distraction, Mr. Fleischman. If anything, it shows the true colors of these so-called “conservatives”. They’re more interested in conserving and expanding their personal wealth and power than they are in serving the voters in their districts. That actually plays a huge part in the debate of ideas. It just so happens that all of their “ideas” are just business deals that benefit themselves and are a rip-off to the people they’re supposed to serve.

No wonder why even Republicans are starting to have enough of these crooks.

( – promoted by atdleft)

(Cross-posted at Trash Dirty Gary, Southern California’s resource for revealing Gary Miller’s true record of disservice to his constituents… AND a place for action in restoring honor and integrity to the 42nd Congressional District.)

What is it about Gary Miller doing all these troublesome land deals? The San Bernardino Sun has now unearthed yet another troublesome deal involving land, money, and sweet favors:

The Lewis Group of Companies has built thousands of homes and dozens of shopping centers, office buildings and industrial parks from the San Gabriel Valley to the High Desert.

But the Upland-based company has helped shape more than the region’s physical landscape: It’s emerged as both a major philanthropic force and a significant political player as well.

Over the years, Lewis has given millions to charitable causes and – in the past six years alone – nearly $2.3 million to political campaigns.

In recent months, it’s the politics that have made headlines, focusing on the company’s long and close relationship with Rep. Gary Miller, R-Brea, who also represents Diamond Bar, Chino and Chino Hills.

Oh, great! Here we go again! Developers are buying off Gary Miller, so what else is new? Well, get a load of what I’m about to tell you after the flip…

Again, The San Bernardino Sun:

Of all the company’s political connections, its relationship with Miller – who declined to be interviewed for this story – has come under particular scrutiny over the past year.

The relationship dates back more than 30 years, to when Miller was a young developer. In recent years, he and Lewis have connected on a number of business deals:

The company entered into a business partnership with Miller in July 2004, with the congressman investing between $1 million and $5 million in a Lewis-owned, 70-acre housing and retail development in Diamond Bar that had just been approved by the City Council.

That same year, Lewis officials sold Miller several parcels in Fontana and Rancho Cucamonga, allowing him to shield millions in profits from an earlier land sale from potential capital-gains taxes. The company loaned him $7.5 million for the sale.

Meanwhile, the company’s top executives have donated $22,150 to the congressman’s campaigns since 1999. (In that time, Miller has received a total of more than $2.3 million in contributions from individuals and political committees.)

Wow! It looks like Lewis did Gary Miller quite a few huge favors. So why did they do these favors for Miller? Why would Lewis loan Gary Miller money to buy Lewis land, all so that Miller could avoid paying capital-gains taxes?

Oh, wait! I see the reason now. Gary Miller soon returned the favor.

In August 2005, Miller secured $1.2 million in federal funding for improvements to Grand Avenue, a major artery through Diamond Bar that passes in front of the development he co-owned with Lewis. Miller sold his stake in the development in October 2005.

In the same legislation, he secured $6.8 million to help extend Pine Avenue to Highway 71 in Chino. City leaders touted the project as an important transportation link to The Preserve, a major Lewis master-planned community.

Miller also pushed for a provision to close Rialto Municipal Airport, which cleared the way for the Lewis Group to purchase the site. It has plans with a business partner, Hillwood Development Corp., to develop Rialto Renaissance, a planned community of housing, shopping and recreation.

Doesn’t this just get sickening? I mean, the more I get to know Miller, the more I see why he’s been named as one of the twenty most corrupt members of Congress. He’s not in Congress to serve us the voters and us the taxpayers. He’s there to engage in a type of legislative racketeering operation, and he’s only there to line his own pockets at our expense.

Now yes, a member of Congress is supposed to work to bring home funds for one’s own district. Yes, a member of Congress is supposed to fight for the best interest of one’s constituents. However, neither of these is what Gary Miller is doing. No, he’s only (mis)using his position of power to enrich himself on the taxpayer’s dime. He’s selling his votes to the highest bidder. And this helps no one in the district save for a certain Gary Miller.