Most Read Stories of August

1. Former Democratic Congressional Candidate titles story about OC Assembly Democratic candidates "Not one White Guy in the bunch."
2. Rep. Tom McClintock responds to Phil Liberatore allegation, says he "should know better"
3. Lee McGroarty has Business Entity's Suspended; Loses "rights, powers and privileges to conduct business in California."
4. "Don't Elect Tax Fraud Phil Liberatore" email sent out
5. More on Robert Vaughn

Former Assemblyman Todd Spitzer Fired from D.A.'s Office

Former Assemblyman and OC Supervisor Todd Spitzer has been fired from the District Attorney's Office. He had been employed with the office as an assistant district attorney. Spitzer had been seen as the front runner to replace current DA Tony Rackauckas if he doesn't seek re-election in 2014.

The OC Register has more on the firing and the reasons behind it.

Former Democratic Congressional Candidate titles story about OC Assembly Democratic candidates "Not one White Guy in the bunch."

Now for a "What were they thinking," story from a former Three Corners Congressional candidate.

2008 Democratic Congressional candidate Ron Shepston, who posts on Daily Kos as "CanYouBeAngryAndStillDream," today posted a story titled, "Not One White Guy in the Bunch." He describes three Democratic candidates running for the State Assembly in Orange County who are choices for DFA Grassroots All-Stars 2010. The three are Esiquio Uballe, Melissa Fox and Phu Nguyen.

Shepston never explains the title which leaves the reader wondering what he is trying to communicate. Is he saying it is bad that none of them are white guys? Who knows because he never explains it.

Uballe, who Shepston devotes most of the post to, is challenging Republican Assemblyman Chris Norby. One has to wonder if Uballe will want Shepston's support after this post.

The post has been removed but yahoo has a cached copy which I posted below. As of the time of this post Shepston has not provided an explanation on Daily Kos to the title or why his post was removed. If he does we will post it on our blog.

So, "What was he thinking," when he picked that title?

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Not one white guy in the bunch

by CanYouBeAngryAndStillDream
Tue Aug 24, 2010 at 06:13:48 AM PDT
And I'm loving it.
There's something pretty exciting happening in Orange County, Ca. The top three choices for DFA Grassroots All-Stars 2010 are Esiquio Uballe Ca Assembly District 72, Melissa Fox Ca Assembly District 70 and Phu Nguyen Ca Assembly District 68.

All are great people and all will make us proud as State Representatives. They all have a great shot at winning their districts and helping California end the disastrous two-thirds rule for approving state budgets.

But let me get to the real purpose of this diary.

Follow me below.

As much as I like Melisa and Phu to win their districts I'm supporting Esiquio for DFA All-Star 2010. I've had some great conversations with Melissa and will be asking my friends in the 70th AD to vote for her in Nov. I've met and talked to Phu and think he's a great candidate. I'll be telling my friends in the 68th AD that they should vote for him in Nov

But for DFA All-Stars my vote is going to Esiquio Uballe. Won't you please help us with your Vote for Esiquio for DFA All-Star. His run up to #1 has been quick thanks to the energy of very dedicated volunteers who have been getting the word out.

Dr Uballe is the Associate Dean of Students for Students at Cal State University at Fullerton.

His biography is impressive and shows a person driven to serve. Here's a snippet. I encourage you to read the rest. Dr Uballe is someone we want serving us in Assembly.

Esiquio Ramos Uballe grew up in Austin, Texas, the youngest of eleven children in a family of migrant farm workers. Dr. Uballe was the first in his family to earn a college degree. He has spent his life helping the disadvantaged through his professional and his volunteer efforts. Esiquio has a long history of speaking to parents and children about the importance of higher education.

Why is he running?

I am running to protect California's future. The state and District 72 are held hostage by a minority of Republican legislators who oppose any social safety net and seek to serve corporate interests and those of the anti-immigrant, religious right. I will protect the middle class and workers of the state as well as those most vulnerable. We need to create good, green jobs that restore our economic vitality while providing a living wage with good benefits. We need to restore full affordable access to higher education and good job training.

Please vote for Dr Esiquio Uballe for DFA All-Star.
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YouTube Channel for Assembly candidate Ray Moors

61st Republican Candidate Ray Moors has a campaign YouTube channel featuring videos including, "What Type of Republican Am I," "Education," and "Taxes."

Moors is challenging Democratic Assemblywoman Norma Torres in the November General Election.

Assemblyman Curt Hagman's Bill Granting Financial Relief For Members Of The Armed Forces Goes To Governor's Desk

From Assemblyman Curt Hagman's Office

Hagman's Bill Granting Financial Relief For Members Of The Armed Forces Goes To Governor's Desk

Assembly Bill 2500 will exclude active duty military personnel from paying late renewal fees for State licenses

Sacramento- Assemblyman Curt Hagman's bill to provide financial relief for active duty military personnel cleared the State Legislature and heads to the Governor's Desk for his signature.

"This is a good and just measure to provide some aid for California military men and women," stated Assemblyman Hagman.

Under California law when a member of the armed forces who is on active duty misses the deadline for renewal on one of their business state licenses, a late fee must be paid. AB 2500 would exempt military personnel on active duty from having to pay such a fee.

"I don't believe we should punish the courageous men and women of the armed forces who put their lives at risk on our behalf everyday. It is unfair to make them pay a fine when they're busy defending our freedoms. I'm happy my colleagues agreed with me and I look forward to the Governor's signature" said Hagman.

Assemblymember Norma Torres hosting Ice Cream Social August 26

61st Assemblymember Norma Torres is hosting a Ice Cream Social at her District Office on Thursday, August 26th. For more information call her District Office at (909) 984-7741.

Thursday, August 26th
4 p.m. - 7 p.m.

District Office
822 N. Euclid Avenue, Suite A, Ontario

Rep. Gary Miller’s Statement on U.S. District Judge’s Decision to Allow Gay Marriages to Resume August 18

From the Office of Rep. Gary Miller.

Washington, Aug 12 -

Today, U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker announced that gay marriages in California are allowed to resume beginning August 18, 2010. This follows last week’s ruling that California’s Proposition 8 is unconstitutional. Following this announcement, Rep. Gary Miller issued the following statement:

“In 2008, a majority of Californians voiced their belief at the polls that marriage is a covenant shared by a man and a woman. Unfortunately, last week Judge Walker inflicted his personal agenda and defied the will of the majority of Californians. His decision undermines the voice of Californians and citizens across the country who have sought to define marriage in their states as the union between one man and one woman.

“Judge Walker’s announcement today that gay marriages are allowed to resume beginning next week is both hasty and uncalled for. This decision could have severe legal implications should the Court of the Appeals overturn the decision. I believe firmly that Judge Walker’s actions should be opposed and the decision should be quickly overturned.”
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32nd Senate Candidate Earl De Vries launches web site

Earl De Vries, Republican candidate in the 32nd State Senate district has a campaign website.

De Vries is challenging Democratic Senator Gloria Negrete McLeod in the November General Election.

Assemblymember Norma Torres Event Saturday in Montclair

Assemblymember Norma Torres is hosting a "Capitol in Your Corner" event August 14 in Montclair. For more information call her District Office at (909) 984-7741.

Saturday, August 14th
1 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Chino Water Basin Conservation District
4594 San Bernardino Street, Montclair

Most Read Stories of July

1. Rep. Tom McClintock responds to Phil Liberatore allegation, says he "should know better"
2. Is Phil Liberatore misleading voters again?
3. Website up for 61st Assembly Republican Candidate Ray Moors
4. Where are the polls that show Phil Liberatore winning?
5. Assemblyman Chris Norby on War in Afghanistan

60th Assembly candidate Gregg Fritchle launches web site

Gregg Fritchle, the Democratic candidate in the 60th Assembly district has launched his campaign web site. Fritchle is challenging Assemblyman Curt Hagman in the November General Election.

Rep. Gary Miller Appears on Fox News

Rep. Gary Miller appeared on Fox News this morning to discuss Arizona's immigration law.

Video of his appearance can be found here.

Most Read Stories: July 12-25

1. Rep. Tom McClintock responds to Phil Liberatore allegation, says he "should know better"
2. Cost per vote in 42nd, Liberatore spent more than triple what Rep. Miller did.
3. Assemblyman Chris Norby on War in Afghanistan
4. Website up for 61st Assembly Republican Candidate Ray Moors
5. Is Phil Liberatore misleading voters again?

Assemblyman Curt Hagman: Time For Democrats To Work With Republicans On Responsible No-Tax Budget

From Assemblyman Curt Hagman:


Three weeks have passed since the beginning of the 2010-11 fiscal year to pass a state budget. Yet California is still without one and people are right to ask what on earth is going on in Sacramento.

Months before the budget deadline, my Republican colleagues and I called on Democrats to work with us. We posted 100-day countdown calendars on our office doors as a reminder that the deadline was fast approaching and urged them to work with us so we would have a solution in time.

Unfortunately, the Democrat leadership rebuffed our hand of cooperation. They instead said that they would rather delay the budget process until Republicans agree to raise your taxes and reject spending reductions.

Some political observers even said that the delay could be a ploy to convince Californians that the two-thirds requirement to pass a budget was the main cause of the delay. One liberal Democrat went so far to say that his party should allow the state to reach a more desperate situation when kids go back to school in August to get Republicans to sign off on higher taxes.

In the meantime, I have been meeting with constituents and stakeholders to listen to their budget concerns. We discussed ways we can address those concerns in a difficult economy and conveyed their suggestions to my colleagues. Yet we have seen no real action from Democrats, other than press conferences to pound home the theme that the state "needs more revenue "(code for higher taxes) to protect government spending and welfare programs we cannot afford.
Even more telling, we have not seen a unified and detailed budget proposal from Senate and Assembly Democrats that can be vetted. All they have put forward is a "statement of principles" that reaffirms their commitment to big government. A statement of principles is not a serious budget that will close a $19.1 billion deficit.

As a result, without a balanced budget in place California state government spends $52 million more each day than it receives in revenues.

In contrast, my Republican colleagues and I have made it clear that we support the Governor's budget blueprint he released in May. It is a detailed plan that addresses the deficit without higher taxes.

Republicans have always been willing to work with Democrats to craft a bipartisan budget that protects taxpayers and funds essential services such as schools without raising taxes. We know that tough choices will need to be made to reduce spending, which is why we have asked Democrats for months to work with us.

Yet the Democrat leadership shows no signs of urgency and refuses to budge, hoping that weeks of delay will work to their advantage. We must get down to work on the budget now, so we can get California back on track. It is long overdue for Democrats to work with Republicans on passing a responsible no-tax budget that will move our state forward. A delay may serve the interests of a few liberal politicians and interest groups, but it hurts the state as a whole.

Passing a balanced budget is one of the most important - if not the most important - duty of a legislator. We are elected to make tough choices and I stand ready to do my part to craft a responsible, no-tax budget as soon as possible.

Cost per vote in 42nd, Liberatore spent more than triple what Rep. Miller did.

Candidates in the 42nd recently had to file their financial reports with the FEC, which show how much money was raised and spent leading up to the June promary election. Now that the vote totals have been finalized with the Secretary of State's office we can see how much Rep. Gary Miller and Phil Liberatore spent per vote. For this I added the amount spent since January 1 divided by the total votes.

Miller: $328,966.80 spent, 32,669 votes= $10.07
Liberatore: $794,537 spent, 25,181 votes =$31.55

So Liberatore spent more than triple what Miller did per vote and more than double overall. Wow.

San Gabriel Valley Business Journal on Bob and Mei Mei Huff

The San Gabriel Valley Business Journal has a profile on State Senator Bob Huff and his wife Mei Mei.

It starts,

One of the San Gabriel Valley’s most powerful political couples is State Senator Bob and Mei Mei Huff. The “House of Huff” represents the culmination of luck, tenacity and a lot of hard work. Together, they have influenced education, transportation and environmental policies which potentially spur economic growth for the whole state. Their story is why they are this Business Journal’s first San Gabriel Valley Decision Makers.

To best summarize the Huffs, you have to go to the matriarch, Mei Mei Huff herself. “We are put on this earth for a reason. I believe that Bob’s gifts make him suited for public service,” Mei Mei says, “and I am here to make sure he succeeds.” It is through this mindset we have seen the Huffs rise to become one of the San Gabriel Valley decision makers.

To continue reading you can find the article here.

Assemblyman Curt Hagman: Finally Recognized, The 2nd Amendment

From the Office of Assemblyman Curt Hagman

###

Californians who legally own firearms can be encouraged by last month's U.S. Supreme Court's ruling. In a landmark decision, the Court found that the constitutional right to bear arms applies not just to the federal government, but to state and local governments as well. In other words, owning a gun in the home for self defense is now officially recognized as a fundamental American right that cannot be violated by overzealous politicians on any level of government.

This is a remarkable defense of our Second Amendment right. This specific issue came about because Chicago instituted a misguided city-wide ban on handguns, which was intended to clamp down on deadly gun violence. Instead of just targeting thugs, it restricted law-abiding residents from owning guns to protect themselves in their own homes. Thankfully the Supreme Court saw it correctly, acknowledging that "Self defense is a basic right, recognized by many legal systems from ancient times to the present day," as Justice Samuel Alito wrote in the majority opinion. The Court's ruling recognizes the original intent of the Second Amendment which provides that: "...the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

However, this victory is only a first step, as it is still unclear where the decision will lead for the future of our current gun laws and those that could be enacted in the future. Indeed, Justice Alito wrote that the ruling "does not imperil every law regulating firearms." In the years going forward there will be significant battles over the true meaning of this ruling, and the numerous complex rules and regulations governing firearms. Particularly in California, the ruling gives Second Amendment supporters a powerful argument to challenge dubious proposals that hurt lawful gun owners. We now need to work on challenging the most restrictive laws that are already in place. While no one can predict the long-term consequences of the Court's ruling, there is a good chance it will lead to future victories over restrictions on Second Amendment rights and force lawmakers to think twice before passing more burdensome laws.

Government has a critical responsibility to help ensure the safety of our families, but it needs do act in ways that respect our rights as a free people. We can keep our communities safe by improving enforcement of existing laws that target criminals who use guns. Taking guns away from the "bad guys" and putting them behind bars will make California safer, without targeting law-abiding citizens.

With the Supreme Court's reaffirmation at the judicial level, I hope we can now move beyond debating attempts to undermine the Second Amendment in the Legislature. It is time for lawmakers to stop undermining lawful gun owners with more restrictive measures and to start working on issues that matter most to hardworking Californians, such as job creation.
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Assemblymember Norma Torres Event this Saturday in Chino

Assemblymember Norma Torres is hosting a "Capitol in Your Corner" event this Saturday in Chino. For more information call her District Office at (909) 984-7741.

Saturday, July 17th
1 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Preserve Community Center
15850 Main Street, Chino

Candidate for State Office but no Campaign Web Site

With the primary election over and the General Election less than four months until the election there are two candidates who appear not to have campaign web sites. Campaign sites can be one of the most important tools for a candidate to communicate with voters about what they stand for and believe in.

I have not been able to find sites for Earl De Vries and Gregg Fritchle. De Vries is the Republican nominee in the 32nd State Senate district, challenging Sen. Gloria Negrete McLeod. Fritchle is the Democratic nominee in the 60th Assembly District, challenging Assemblyman Curt Hagman.

If they put up a web site just let us know and we will mention it on our blog.

Most Read Stories: June 28- July 11

1. Rep. Tom McClintock responds to Phil Liberatore allegation, says he "should know better"
2. Assemblyman Chris Norby on War in Afghanistan
3. Is Phil Liberatore misleading voters again?
4. Where are the polls that show Phil Liberatore winning?
5. Website up for 61st Assembly Republican Candidate Ray Moors