Tag Archives: Roger Niello

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Budget, California

Roger Niello’s Blackmailing Of SEIU

Roger Niello has found a use for the special election – to deny the SEIU a contract they bargained in good faith with the Governor.  Enough Yacht Party members joined him to delay the deal.

A local Republican on Monday helped defeat an Assembly bill that must be passed to enshrine the new contract the Schwarzenegger administration signed this year with its largest state workers’ union.

Roger Niello, R-Fair Oaks, urged legislators to oppose or abstain from voting on AB 964, saying it was “awfully inappropriate” to vote right now on the agreement with the Service Employees International Union, Local 1000.

Niello said legislators should wait at least until May 19, when Californians vote in a special election on six propositions to shrink the budget gap.

“We should not pre-empt the voters by dealing with this issue today (Monday),” Niello told the Assembly. “It can wait until June or after.”

Of course, voters have no say in government labor contracts; they appear nowhere on the May 19 ballot.  But Andrew McIntosh explains what’s really going on here, something the Sacramento Bee saw fit to put on their website but not in their print edition.

Niello appears to be using Republican clout to offer the governor some leverage – holding out on the contract approval as long as possible so that the SEIU doesn’t mount a major attack-ad campaign on propositions he favors, such as 1A.

That proposition would give the governor new power to unilaterally make mid-year cuts in spending to some programs and extend certain tax increases by two years.

That’s hardly speculative.  Niello voted for the budget and supports the ballot measures that resulted from them.  He knows that SEIU has already dropped $500,000 into defeating Prop. 1A, the long-sought spending cap, and has decided to use the leverage of the contract vote to blackmail SEIU into keeping quiet.  Even Republicans who don’t support the special election have no problem taking time out of their busy day to shit on workers, so they are happy do the Governor’s bidding, hoping that, in the aftermath, they can knuckle the union down for more concessions should the measures fail.  Which would be absurd – the Governor made a deal, which includes major concessions from the union, separate from the passage or failure of any ballot measure.

No surprise, by the way, that the Bee doesn’t go into this level of detail in their print edition – the editorial board basically threatened SEIU in exactly the same way as Niello a week or so ago, arguing that the passage of their contract should be tied to Prop. 1A’s passage.  And they have the audacity to call out the SEIU for duplicity, while rooting on legislative blackmail because SEIU’s parent organization disagrees with the editorial opinion of the Bee on how to best serve the long-term interests of the state.  And this shows in them leaving the underlying reasons for legislative deals out of their news articles.

Budget

The Dire Straits Economic Plan Won’t Work for the State of California

Perhaps I was a bit esoteric there, but the Republicans have literally got Controller John Chiang in a box, with the money flow turning off. He cannot possibly pay tax refunds (which aren’t legally due until May 30) unless he has money to do so. Yet the Yacht Party and the corpse of Howard Jarvis still scream.

A taxpayer group blasted state Controller John Chiang’s decision to hold up income tax refunds this month, saying Monday that putting refunds into taxpayers’ hands would help stimulate the economy.

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Added Assemblyman Roger Niello, R-Fair Oaks (Sacramento County): “This is the ultimate injustice. … This is taxpayers’ money.” (SF Chron 2/3/09)

Yes, wouldn’t it be great if the state had the money to pay its bills.  Wouldn’t it be nice if we hadn’t spent it all on the stupid axeing of the “car tax” so that Arnold has his (then) band of followers in the GOP could crow of a victory over common sense.  Well, folks, the vehicle license fee chicken has come home to roost.  If you want to pay out the tax refunds so promptly, perhaps you could get back to the terrain where 60%+ of the state currently resides.  You know, the land of sanity where people want decent K12 education and are willing to pay for it.

Niello, you may get your chicks for free, but the money’s got to come from somewhere.

Budget, Prisons

Fiddle away, Emperor Niello

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Asm. Roger Niello (R-Sacramento) issued a press release this morning. Nothing new here, really:

“It must also be pointed out that while Democrats say they are against ‘borrowing’ they seem to have no problem simply ‘taking’ money from California’s hardworking families in the form of $9 billion in tax increases.”

Yet the Republicans are perfectly willing to tax our future generations with both borrowing, leasing the lottery (dumb idea) and slashing services which build a better future.  Oh, and they have no problem locking up an entire generation of our “underclass” in order to look ToughOnCrimeTM.

It doesn’t take a talk with Prof. Lakoff to see that the Republicans are framing taxes as merely extortion rather than the payment for a civilized and livable state.  But no amount of framing will change the fact that we have real expenses, expenses of their own creation. If they want to take Incarcerex, they have to be willing to pay for it. But they are not.

And the wages of this continual cycle of prison and recidivism have come home to our general fund.  This is a big deal. Well, at least big enough to get on A3 of the Wall Street Journal (Reg req’d).

A federally appointed receiver assigned to fix the prison health-care system in California says he will force the state to come up with $2.5 billion to begin improvements — just as legislators are confronting a budget shortfall of over $15 billion this fiscal year.

State legislators have failed to approve funds to comply with a federal-court order that California fix its prison hospitals. The federal receiver, J. Clark Kelso, said in an interview that he expects to file a motion in federal court as soon as the first week of August for an order to receive the funds. “Fiscally, the state is near bankrupt. So do I want to take this money and cause chaos and pandemonium? No,” says Mr. Kelso. “But I have a court order here, and I must move forward.”

The Republicans are making up lots of excuses why they blocked the passage of a bill that would have provided resources for this new construction (mostly through bonds). It’s too expensive, more than you’d pay for a new hospital in Fresno, the plans aren’t just so, whatever.  I’d point out that Fresno doesn’t require maximum security on its hospitals and that we can’t just keep pulling the sheets over our head. The bill is due, and the debt collector has a direct line to our bank account.

So, the GOP has no more time.  Either get something done along the lines that the majority demands, or wait for the federal courts to do so on their own.  Our budget in disarray. If Common Cause and their friends were truly concerned about building a working majority in order to govern, they would redirect their resources from pie-in-the-sky redistricting measures which would have little effect and get to work on the 2/3 rules.

So, Asm. Niello, how much longer must we wait until we begin to fight the fire?

Uncategorized

Doolittle Replacements or Covering Our A$$es in CA-04

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(Well worth thinking about. The Republicans already are… P.S. Vote for Charlie! – promoted by juls)

(cross-posted from Daily Kos)

With the impending implosion of John Doolittle, it has occurred to me that it might be good to start paying attention to likely Doolittle replacements.  At the very least, Doolittle will face a tough primary fight in 2008 (connections to the Placer County Republican Central Committee have confirmed that they are searching for another candidate).  Of course, Doolittle may also be booted from office or forced to resign before then, in which case we will have a special election.

Below is a list of possible Republican candidates, with a quick paragraph for each one.  We should be working to find out more about these people and also make sure we are aware of any other possible candidates not listed here.  It is crucial that we make sure that Charlie Brown wins this seat in 2008 (or sooner).

Also, there are possible Democratic spoilers in the event of a special election.  People to definitely keep an eye on.

If I left anyone out, please let me know.  I am not as familiar with El Dorado County politics, so I am sure I am missing at least a couple of credible contenders.  I’ll update this as needed based on the comments.

*Possible Republican Candidates*

Sam Aanestad – State Senator for the 4th SD, which overlaps some of the 4th CD.  He was elected to the State Assembly in 1998 and then to the State Senate in 2002.  He is a UCLA trained Oral Surgeon.  I am not sure of his place of residence (and thus his eligibility to run in the 4th CD).

Dave Cox – State Senator for the 1st SD, which overlaps with much of the 4th CD.  He was elected to the State Senate in 2004, having previously served for 6 years in the State Assembly. 

Ted Gaines – State Assemblyman for the 4th Assembly District.  The 4th AD overlaps with much of the most populated areas of the 4th Congressional District.  Doolittle and Gaines were very close during the 2006 election and even held a joint victory party.  Though a Doolittle protégé, he is well liked and has not been around long enough for anyone to dig up any real dirt on him.  He smashed his opponent (Rob Haswell) in the 2006 election by almost 2-1.  (This of course means that MANY voters voted for Charlie Brown and Ted Gaines on the same ballot.)  He is high on the list of possible Doolittle successors. 

Jim Holmes – Placer County Supervisor (District 3).  A respected and well-liked local Republican.  He was extremely supportive of Mike Holmes’ primary challenge to Doolittle and thus gains the same benefit of already having distanced himself from the Doolittle corruption.  Brother of Mike Holmes.

Mike Holmes – Former Mayor of Auburn, current Auburn City Councilman, and the only Republican to challenge Doolittle in the 2006 Republican primary.  Having already distanced himself from Doolittle as a “principled” Republican, he is essentially immune to criticism for “just another corrupt Republican.”  He did not, however, ever endorse Charlie Brown in the general election.  Brother of Jim Holmes.

Bruce Kranz – Placer County Supervisor (District 5) and Doolittle crony.  Kranz has been Doolittle’s man from day one.  Kranz is probably one of the best (for Democrats) candidates that could jump in the race.  He is fully involved in the Doolittle machine.  He is probably the biggest proponent of the Auburn Dam (after Doolittle of course).  He served as the supervisor for the Auburn State Recreation Area for a number of years, actively working to inundate it under millions of gallons of water.  Should not be difficult to dig up enough dirt on Kranz to bury him in an election against Brown.

Roger Niello – State Assemblyman for 5th AD.  His district does not overlap a great deal with the 4th CD, but he could run anyway.  He lives in Fair Oaks, which is just outside the district, so he would have to make a move (to just down the road really) to run.  Not too likely, but something to watch for.

Pauline Roccucci – Candidate for Placer County Supervisor in 2006 (against “Rocky” Rockholm) and former Mayor of Roseville.  Most Democrats voted for Rocucci both in the initial election, and in the November run-off against Rockholm.  Rockholm easily won.  As a very moderate (even liberal) Republican, she could siphon off votes from Brown if she runs.  Rumored to be a RINO.  Pauline is a registered nurse and the wife of Richard Rocucci.

Richard Roccucci – Roseville City Councilman.  Like Pauline, rumored to be a RINO.  He seems content to stay in his seat on the Council, but is someone to watch out for just in case.  Husband of Pauline Rocucci.

F. C. “Rocky” Rockholm – Placer County Supervisor (District 1) and a former Roseville City Councilman.  A relatively likable guy, Rockholm is not considered the sharpest tool in the shed and his general appearance is more “Blue Collar” than Congressional.  He is, however, a long time figure in Placer County politics and well liked among Republicans.  He is a Mormon, and thus, gains the same benefit Doolittle had of overwhelming support from the large LDS population in the district.

Jerry Simmons – Trustee from Area 4 for Sierra College.  His existence on the Board of Trustees is itself an example of the rampant corruption and cronyism that Doolittle has instilled in politics in Placer County.  By funneling money (hundreds of thousands of dollars) into this race, Doolittle ensured that his preferred candidate (Simmons) won.  A recall effort to get rid of Simmons (and Trustee Aaron Klein) in 2006 failed to do so.

Tom Sullivan – Sacramento Radio and Television personality, and close friend of Rush Limbaugh.  Sullivan hosts the most popular Sacramento radio show (The Tom Sullivan Show).  He strongly defended Doolittle throughout the 2006 election and took every opportunity he could to smear Charlie Brown.  He occasionally sits in for Rush Limbaugh when Limbaugh is out.  As a resident of Granite Bay, he lives within the district and could be potentially very dangerous as a candidate.  The key will be to demonstrate his pattern of defending Doolittle even when it was obvious that Doolittle was a crook.  He will energize the Republican base and really turn out the vote.

Kirk Uhler – Placer County Supervisor (District 4) and resident of Granite Bay.  Uhler was appointed to the seat vacated by Ted Gaines by the four sitting supervisors.  Previously served as a Supervisor from 1993 – 1996.  Not much name recognition, but in a race like this a no name Republican may be good for the Republicans since he’s hard to tie to Doolittle in any significant way.

Robert “Bob” Weygandt – Placer County Supervisor (District 2).  Weygandt has been on the Board of Supervisors for more than a decade.  He is VERY well liked and respected.  He does not seem to be tied in with the Doolittle Machine.  He would be one of the best candidates the Republicans could have.

*Possible Democratic Spoilers*

Bill Santucci – An obvious DINO, he was a “founding” member of “Democrats for Doolittle” in the 2006 election.  He was on the Placer County Board of Supervisors (1st District) until 2006 and served as the Board Chair for 2006.  He may be encouraged to jump into the race to steal votes for Brown in order to help Republicans maintain the seat.

Lisa Rea – Candidate for Congress in the 2006 Democratic Primary.  Virtually came out of nowhere and entered the race.  Claimed to have been a longtime member of the Lincoln Democratic Club, but few (if any) had ever heard of her.  As the most liberal candidate, she garnered a decent amount of activist support.  Anyone who knows the district knows that Lisa could NEVER win here.  Her supporters tried to stop the CDP endorsement of Charlie Brown after it had been given.  She refused to ever endorse Charlie Brown in the general election.

*Third Party Candidates*

I don’t think a Green will run (no Green ran in 2006).  Also, many of the Greens were active and important supporters of Charlie Brown in 2006.  They recognized the importance of sticking with the Dems in this race and I think they will again.  As for the Libertarians…

Dan Warren – Warren ran in 2006 and pulled in 5% of the vote, which I believe was about double the percent of registered Libertarians.  Clearly a number of people were unhappy with Doolittle, but didn’t want to vote for a Democrat.  I’m not sure if it would be possible to convince Dan to not run, but it would probably be helpful if it could be done.