Posted on 10/17/2006 3:41:21 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
If we have lost anything in this country, it is our sense of what is important in a political election.
Recently, in California’s election race, Oakland Mayor [and former Governor], Jerry Brown, called Chuck Poochigian an extremist because State Senator Poochigian believes in the Constitution.
Mayor Brown is a very smart and experienced politician. Obviously, he thought his accusation would get him votes. That is very frightening. An electorate that doesn’t soundly reject any politician who advocates ignoring the Constitution, expanding government power, and diminishing freedom is in serious trouble. In so many ways, California is in serious trouble.
Quite frankly, there are just too few voters whose decision on issues and politicians are driven by protection of the fundamental American value of freedom.
Of course, a lot of politicians invoke that value in political discussions to justify their political positions. Unfortunately, in California, fewer and fewer politicians believe that they need to use their defense of freedom as a reason to vote for them. Like Brown, they just invoke some obscure fear as a reason for government expansion. The people then vote for him over someone, like Senator Poochigian, who will actually defend freedom and the Constitution.
There are bigger things to fear. Like an all powerful government.
In the last week, Secretary of State records revealed that the League of California Cities gave over $2.5 million to oppose Proposition 90. When the contributions from the California State Association of Counties ($400,000) and the California Redevelopment Association ($300,000) are added to the totals, the contributions to the No on 90 campaign from government supported organizations totals over $3.2 million. In addition, the list of donors includes a laundry list of private organizations who make money off of big government, either as government vendors (such as lawyers, trash collectors, and street improvement contractors) or beneficiaries of the use of government powers (such as the developers who use eminent domain to take your property so they can pay less money for their development projects).
Almost $5 million has been collected by the opposition.
The question is: how did they get that money? How are the League, CSAC, and the CRA able to raise $3.2 million to contribute to a political campaign, when they a consortium of local government entities? They say the money is “nonpublic” funds, but how can that be? Are there private individuals whose favorite charities are lobbying organizations for government? Or, are these just our taxes, laundered through some complicated scheme, into the campaign? Are those private organizations who are contributing to oppose property rights in California getting preferential treatment from these governments for helping to protect the power of these governments? Or are they being forced to pay the money under threat of being denied some government permit to do business? The whole thing stinks.
The former Soviet Union used to have elections, complete with campaigns. The people were told they were free because they had a Constitution and elections, but the courts ignored the Constitution and the government hijacked the elections. If anyone had the audacity to challenge the existing power structure, they were first vilified, and then jailed.
In California today, our courts routinely ignore our constitutionally guaranteed rights, such as property rights. And government uses our own tax dollars to vilify anyone who deigns to challenge the inappropriate assertion of government power, like those who support Proposition 90
Why should freedom be the overriding value in our political choices? Unless we vigilantly defend and preserve freedom, evil things like government trying to hijack elections, will continue to occur. The campaign against Proposition 90 has exposed this evil. The only question is whether we will heed the warnings, or succumb to an all powerful government.
CSAC is the parent association of a ton of other special interest, taxpayer funded non-profit associatons, many of which work behind the scenes (oh yeah, they get feedback from "stakeholders" which are primarily other government agencies, payroll associations, etc., looking to expand funding for upcoming fiscal years) to expand their funding. This of course is done "for the public interest" which I translate to "for the spineless socialist bureaucrats." But CSAC also has a special separate, private aspect (that I don't know much about) where they raise money. CSACs employees do not pay into Social Security but instead enjoy a San Bernardino County retirement program.
Ray Haynes - Freedom BUMP!
YES on Proposition 90!
http://www.90yes.com/
We shall overcome.
Why doesn't this thread get more play?
I hate to see it sink off the sidebar so I bumped it for further play. I hope others will do it too.
The real question in my mind is: Is it legal for cities to be spending money on political campaigns, albeit in this case, with a middle man to launder the money???
How Jerry Brown could seriously be considered a viable candidate for Attorney General is beyond me. This guy is as anti-law and order as they come. Murderers get more sympathy out of him than the victims do. Governor moonbeam is unfit to hold any public office, let alone one associated with the criminal justice system.
As for public funds going to fund campaign issues, I think that's probably the tip of the iceberg.
Look at how far left our schools and universities have gone. Public funds? The far left agenda for pre-K through 12 is just as soiled, and paid for by public funds. The land conservencies get public fund grants to purchase as much land as they can, so John and Jane Doe can't. Now the scheme is so sordid that these conservancies are doing their damndest to make sure family land is not handed down to the heirs. No it should become part of a land trust before hand and be awarded to another socialist land grabber org. upon the death of the owner. I'll bet the ones in favor of this would be appauled if a church were to be the benefactor instead.
Perhaps what stinks about all this more than anything else, is that people who are supposed to be conservatives don't raise a whimper of an objection to all this. Of course I'm speaking of our elected officials.
The Santa Monica Land Conservency now manages (rules) the land clear up to La Cresenta, California. For those who don't know, that just east of Pasadena above Glendale. The inland movement of the Santa Monica Land Conservency should find it in Palm Springs in another ten to twenty years. Frankly, I object.
The price of housing is going up at an incredible rate in Southern California. Part of the reason is that the region is becoming land locked. With all the land grabs by these conservency groups, there's little left for developers anymore. Course we could commute from Barstow...
It is very frustrating to watch this nation go down.
No, I think there's a legal distinction. To deny individual citizens to make campaign contributions is of course illegal. To deny them to hire an agent to do it is also legal. So the case for banning public employee union contributions is weaker than the case for banning public employee unions in the first place.
Cities on the other hand are neither citizens nor agents for hire.
CSAC is the California State Association of Counties (County governments.)
California freepers, take action, take to the streets and spread the word on what this man is.
Attorney General Moonbeam?
How can an organization of governmental agencies have non-public funds?
And with moonbeam as AG, no prosecution will ever occur.
Excellent questions. A neutral journalist could win a Pulitzer Prize for answering them.
Incredible as it may seem, Brown is a moderate Democrat, in comparison to the loony-left, aka Boxer, Murtha, Pelosi, etc.
Assemblyman Haynes’ office can be reached at (951) 699-1113 in Temecula, California
or in the Capitol in Sacramento at (916) 319-2066
To subscribe to this Memorandum by e-mail, please send a request to:
Assemblymember.haynes@assembly.ca.gov
I thought we had ridden California from Brown Rot. Guess not. Vote for Poochigian for AG!
No, Jerry is no moderate, he is simply more subtile (and far more intelligent) than his co-horts.
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