Free Republic

California voters will decide this fall whether to overturn a recent increase to state gasoline and diesel taxes that has raised billions of dollars for road repairs and other transportation projects. (WHAT ROAD REPAIRS)? Secretary of State Alex Padilla announced Monday that an initiative to repeal the tax hikes, as well as new vehicle registration fees, has qualified for the November ballot. Government officials had set a slow pace on signature verification but, after threatening action over the delay, the signature verification was completed. Thanks to Carl DeMaio Initiative Chairman.

California Democratic Rep. Scott Peters has defeated (homosexual)Republican challenger Carl DeMaio in one of the most competitive House races in the country. The Associated Press called the race Friday night, nearly 72 hours after polls closed in the San Diego-area district. Peters, who trailed DeMaio in early returns, currently leads the Republican by 4,491 votes, 51.2 percent to 48.8 percent.

Just days before Tuesday’s election in the tight race for San Diego’s 52nd Congressional District seat, a second former staffer for Republican candidate Carl DeMaio is accusing him of sexual harassment. Navy veteran Justin Harper, 25, said he began interning with DeMaio’s campaign in February and was hired as a regional political director a month later. His job was to make phone calls and knock on doors to ask voters for their support. Harper said he quit on July 12, two days after an incident involving DeMaio in a restroom at campaign headquarters.

In a Tuesday email to supporters entitled, "Carl DeMaio Wants You to Vote For Him, But He Totally Disrespects Your Vote," the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) has followed through on a promise to "actively oppose" the candidate the GOP establishment has branded a "New Generation Republican." The email endorses voting for the incumbent Democrat, Scott Peters, even though he is "wrong on the issues."

Let's pretend you're a screenwriter assigned to develop a character to run for Congress in California in 2014. You need a compelling story, so you make him an orphan at 13 – wait, even better his dad leaves the family two weeks before his mother died – and then social services splits up his brothers and sisters leaving him alone in the world. Despite those challenges he perseveres, putting himself through a top-tier college and then building and selling two multimillion-dollar companies. Thus financially secure, he decides to dedicate himself to public service and runs for City Council. n his...

Although the Republican Party Platform opposes abortion and homosexual marriage, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), which provides funds to GOP candidates, is providing money to two Republican candidates who are homosexual, and who support gay marriage and abortion. One of the candidates, Carl DeMaio, has also received $15,000 from the political arm of House GOP leaders Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). Rep. Randy Forbes (R-Va.), meanwhile, has spoken out and said that individual House members can contribute directly to candidates, but dues that he and other members pay to the NRCC should not necessarily go...

SAN DIEGO — It’s January 2015, and a newly elected House member from California walks side by side with his male partner to be sworn into office in Washington. The young lawmaker is a supporter of same-sex marriage. He believes the government should keep abortion legal. He considers himself an environmentalist. He's also a Republican. . . Despite his potential of being a maverick if he makes it to Congress, DeMaio is not a fringe candidate. He has early support from the party establishment — the National Republican Congressional Committee, the official party group responsible for electing Republicans to the...

San Diego’s Carl DeMaio puts pension reform center stage—and himself in union crosshairs.In 1978, Howard Jarvis launched the U.S. anti-tax movement in California with Proposition 13, which capped annual increases in property taxes and kept people from being forced from their homes during real-estate bubbles. A generation later, the Golden State could be on the brink of launching another populist movement, one driven by anger over government compensation practices. A key battleground is San Diego. In June, voters will decide on Proposition B, the Comprehensive Pension Reform Initiative. It would end defined-benefit pensions for all new city hires except for...

The Performance Institute 3675 Ruffin Road, Suite 110, San Diego, CA 92123 858-503-6787 • fax 858-503-6753 • www.performanceweb.org www.sandiegobudget.org NEWS RELEASE Institute to Bring Most of Charter Reforms Proposed by City Attorney to June 2006 Vote of the People For Immediate Release CONTACT: Erica Mendelson August 17, 2005 Office: 858-503-6787 or cell: 619-306-1798 mendelson@performanceweb.org SAN DIEGO – Performance Institute President Carl DeMaio has released the following statement in response to a proposal put forward yesterday by City Attorney Mike Aguirre to remedy the city’s financial crisis and end this current state of paralysis: "The Performance Institute praises the City Attorney...

A private memo has just been released that demonstrates the Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Committee intentionally watered down its report on city finances in 2002. This is the clearest evidence to date that the Mayor knew of the city’s financial crisis back in 2002. The memo also makes a troubling reference to concerns over the City’s ball park bonds and credit rating in the context of the Blue Ribbon Report being watered down. The memo is available online at www.sandiegobudget.org so you can read and judge for yourself. Below is our press release; the link to the San Diego City Beat...