Archive for Update
SEPTEMBER 16, 2009: AB 962 Awaits Schwarzenegger’s Signature
Posted by: | CommentsEarly Saturday morning, A.B. 962 cleared it’s final hurdle. Passing through both houses, it’s now on the Governor’s desk awaiting a signature.
As you read here and here, A.B. 962 is the latest attempt to stifle your Second Amendment rights. It would require every single handgun ammunition purchase be recorded. Your personal information and driver’s license number would be logged and your fingerprint(s) obtained and recorded in a data base for the government and law enforcement. A.B. 962 would also require ALL handgun ammunition be purchased “face to face”. This would put an end to Internet and mail order purchases for California. Portions of the bill requiring each ammunition vendor be licensed by the Department of Justice and the provision to make it illegal to privately “transfer” 50 rounds of ammunition were dropped in an effort to make A.B 962 more palatable. If this bill in made law you can be assured these issues will resurface.
The author of A.B. 962, Assemblymember Kevin DeLeon (D-LA) and the bill’s supporters would like you to believe it’s enactment would combat gang violence and make us safer. Does anyone in their right mind believe gangbangers obtain their bullets from mail order catalogs or from their local gun range? A.B. 962 will only infringe upon the rights of law abiding California gun owners, hurting citizens, not criminals.
Call Governor Schwarzenegger at 916-445-2841, respectfully ask him to veto A.B. 962. This bill could be signed at anytime so don’t delay, call today!
AUGUST 20, 2009: Commission On The 21st Century Economy Workshop
Posted by: | CommentsThe details of the 21st Century Economy Commission’s workshop have finally been announced. As you have read here and here, the commission was created by Governor Schwarzenegger and Speaker Karen Bass to “modernize and stabilize” California’s tax system. The workshop’s will take place as usual, 1 in Northern and 1 in Southern California:
August 26, 2009 at 9AM at the UCSF Mission Bay Conference Center in San Francisco.
August 28th, 2009 at 9AM at UCLA in Los Angeles.
The workshop’s agenda will include panel discussions and public comments. You can find more information as well as the commission’s internal communications and the tax structure options currently being debated on the commission’s State of California website.
August 3, 2009: Tax Commission Having Trouble Seeing Eye To Eye
Posted by: | CommentsLast week we told you about the 21st Century Economy Commission, the 14 member panel charged with overhauling the states tax system. As you know, Governor Schwarzenegger called a legislative special session set for late September for the legislature to act on the commissions final report.
The tricky part is getting the commission to agree on what will make it into the report. The commission is even having trouble reaching a consensus on the topic of “workshops” that will take place for the public on August 26 and 28 in Southern and Northern California. The tax plans being debated include a “new major tax” called the Business Net Receipts tax (BNRT), which is reminiscent of a “value added tax” (VAT), a new carbon tax on fuels, and a flat tax proposal.
The commission does post all of it’s internal communications online which offers insight into their proposals and frequent disagreements. No information has been posted on the planned workshops, we will keep you posted.
JULY 21, 2009: LA City Council Debate Jackson Memorial Bill
Posted by: | CommentsToday at 10AM the LA City Council will meet to hash out who will be footing the bill for the cities resources used for Michael Jackson Memorial at Staples. 5 motions will be brought up during the meeting to resolve the outstanding issues over who will pick up the tab, the taxpayers or AEG/Staples.
Council member Dennis Zine has been outspoken in defense of the taxpayers, even before the memorial took place. Council Member Zine has also called on City Attorney Carmen Trutanich to look into who gave the green light for the expenditure and if the city can take legal action to seek reimbursement.
Los Angeles, with it’s over $530 MILLION dollar deficit can little afford to be the sugar daddy for such privately planned events. The exact total for resources needed at the memorial, the private service at Forest Lawn and the Encino and Holmby Hills homes has yet to be finalized. LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has stated that the memorial cost the city $1.4 MILLION dollars.
The city absolutely had a responsibility to be prepared but the all hands on deck approach of amassing over 3,000 police officers was excessive. During the memorial a SWAT call came in and none were available to respond as they were all at Staples, the Sheriffs Department was deployed instead. The cities planning was inflated due in part to AEG/Staples and the media hyping up the event with rumors of 750,000 people flocking from all over the world to Los Angeles for the event. The city estimates less than a 1,000 showed up without a ticket and reports no incidences or arrests. For Los Angeles it was much ado about nothing. But…there is still the issue of the bill. Oh and don’t forget the little issue of the just under $50,000 spent on box lunches for the over 3,000 police officers that came from Jensen’s Fine Foods in Wrightwood, 80 miles outside of Los Angeles.
The issue of who pays is deeply intrenched in politics. LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and City Council Member Jan Perry both have very close ties to the AEG camp (owner Philip Anschutz/AEG president and CEO Tim Leiweke). AEG has contributed BIG money to Villaraigosa and his city initiatives. AEG in turn has benefitted from hundreds of millions of dollars in bond money, “rebates” and free building permits from the city. As long as AEG, the Mayor and Council Members engage in a tit-for-tat money games, the taxpayers will always be the ones holding the bill.
JULY 6, 2009: UPDATE-California Can’t Sell Parks But The Fed Can
Posted by: | CommentsBut wait… there’s more. Here is the response from an official from the FLP program in DC:
“The deed prevents the state from selling the property. The deed includes a reverter clause that should the property no longer be used for parks and recreation, that the federal government at its discretion can take the property back. We consider the return of the property to the federal government to be the last possible option. But if the property were to be returned to the federal government, then the property would be returned to the federal inventory for redisposal, and this means the federal government could sell the property”.
So California, in dire financial straights can’t sell the state parks but the federal government can? Really? Wow.
JULY 3, 2009: UPDATE-State Can NOT sell State Parks
Posted by: | CommentsIn an attempt to dig a little deeper into the state parks dilemma, I contacted the National Park Service’s Pacific West Regional Office. Here is their response: (FLP stands for Federal Lands to Parks Program, the program in which California was conveyed the land from the federal government).
“There are a lot of nuances to this whole thing that aren’t being reported and are not in the letter to the Governor. For example, not all of the acreage in all 6 parks identified as FLP parks came through the FLP program. All 970+ acres at Fort Ord Dunes did, but less than one acre came from FLP at Mt. Diablo. Also, reversion to US Government ownership is not anything that would happen fast – it is a last resort, worst case scenario sort of thing. And reversion does not mean that the National Park Service would end up with it. It would go out of NPS jurisdiction. It would go into the US Government surplus property inventory for redisposal – so there would be no assurance that it would end up as a park again. There is a quick answer to your core question though. No – the state cannot sell the parkland it received through FLP”.
National Park Service-Pacific West Regional Office
Very interesting… In some cases it’s the entire park and in another it’s only an acre. Many have been calling for the sale of the parks so they won’t be seized by the government, it’s not even an option.
JUNE 10, 2009: An Answer With No Answer-Controller Chiang’s Office Responds
Posted by: | CommentsTo follow up on yesterday’s post, here is the response I received from Controller Chiang’s office via email:
The Controller has warned the Governor and the Legislature that the State will be out of cash at the end of July, and is urging them to enact solutions that will provide sufficient cash in the State Treasury to ensure the State meets all of its obligations during the summer and the rest of the new fiscal year. If the Governor and Legislature fail to enact meaningful reforms that provide much-needed fiscal relief, he will be forced to enact a cash-management plan to ensure there are sufficient funds to make all education and debt service payments. That may include delaying other payments. At this point, what fiscal controls the Controller will put in place depends entirely on what action the Legislature and Governor take, and how quickly.
My question was: Is there a scheduled order for the delayed payments or is it across the board? Are all payments delayed or are there only specific payments that may be delayed? “That may include delaying other payments”….which payments???? Does he know or is he flying by the seat of his pants?
This masterfully crafted email says a lot without saying anything at all and it doesn’t answer my question. Chiang in just another Sacramento politician who doesn’t feel the need to answer to his constituents.
JUNE 4, 2009: AB 962 Passes The Assembly
Posted by: | CommentsTo update Monday’s post, A.B. 962 was brought to the Assembly floor yesterday for a vote. It passed and is now off to the Senate.
If this bill passes the Senate, ammunition will become far more expensive and harder to purchase. This only hurts law abiding California citizens who are given their right to keep and bear arms from the United States Constitution. It will do nothing to prevent gang violence.
Be sure and let your Senator know where you stand on bill 962 before it’s to late. You can find your Senator and their contact info here.
MAY 13, 2009: White House “Strings” In Limbo
Posted by: | CommentsStill no word yet on the fate of the BILLIONS of dollars promised to California in the President’s stimulus plan. The administration still hasn’t made a decision on if it will actually rescind $6.8 BILLION dollars in stimulus funds.
Keep in mind that this all came about because the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the United Domestic Workers cried fowl to the President over wage cuts ordered by the Governor in the February budget. The SEIU is among the Presidents most lucrative supporters, donating over $30 MILLION dollars to his election campaign. I guess it’s wise to keep your big spenders happy.
Do I hear conflict of interest?
4/23/2009: Pay Raises…Not So Fast!
Posted by: | CommentsAssembly Leaders have decided, due to public outrage I’m sure, to rescind pay raises for staffers. Those pay hikes sure do complicate things when you’re trying to get voters to pass Props on the May 19th ballot to help “balance” the state budget. This just goes to show when We The Taxpayers speak up, lawmakers listen.
Although the pay raises are currently cancelled, they very well may resurface after the Special Election on May 19th. Contact Speaker Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) and Minority Leader Michael Villines (R-Clovis) and let them know where you stand on the pay raises.
Remember to VOTE NO on May 19th! We’ve given Sacramento enough of our money.