Central Coast Lawmaker Chides Gov for Noxious “Reversal of Position”

Republican Assembly Leader Sam Blakeslee

California State Assembly Republican Leader Sam Blakeslee (R-San Luis Obispo) emailed his Republican colleagues a bristling response to Governor’s Schwarzenegger’s signing of more than 200 bills, many of which were opposed by the GOP caucus.  The bills were a ”shocking reversal of position on the issues about which we care most deeply: taxes, second amendment rights, family values, over-regulation, etc”  See Flash Report for the full story here:

http://www.flashreport.org/blog.php?postID=2009101416433128#SlideFrame_1

Camarillo Acorn Newspaper Profiles Jeff Gorell’s Assembly Chances

http://www.thecamarilloacorn.com/news/2009-07-31/Business/State_Assembly_candidate_enjoys_successful_fundrai.html

2010 Legislative Candidate, Jeff Gorell, Supports Part-Time Legislature .. Again

Candidate for State Assembly in the 37th Assembly District, Jeff Gorell, supports a return to part-time legislature in the State of California.  He has campaigned for the change since 2003 when he first ran for public office.  Here’s a link to a 2003 editorial he composed outlining his support for the issue. http://www.toacorn.com/News/2003/0731/Editorials/008.html

For more on Jeff Gorell’s current Assembly campaign, visit http://www.jeffgorell.org

Jeff Gorell receives pre-primary endorsement from Ventura County Republican Party

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Ventura County Republican Central Committee voted unanimously last night to officially endorse Jeff Gorell’s bid for the 37th State Assembly District in 2010.  The Party joins Senator Strickland, Senator Runner, Assemblywoman Strickland, Assemblyman Smyth, Supervisor Foy, and many other elected local Republicans with the endorsement.

“Jeff Gorell’s strong stance on the issues of importance to the citizens of Ventura County has demonstrated that he is the best candidate to represent the diverse interests of the 37th District”, says Chairman Mike Osborn. “Candidates like Jeff are going to be instrumental in leading the Republican Party at the local level, and preparing our Party for victory in 2010 and beyond.”

Jeff Gorell is a long time supporter of small business and a tireless advocate for greater fiscal responsibility. As a former deputy district attorney, small business owner and war veteran Jeff Gorell understands and is committed to bringing conservative solutions to the issues facing Ventura County residents.

About the VCRCC
The Ventura County Republican Central Committee is comprised of members from across the County, elected every two years.  The Committee meets the 4th Wednesday of each month at its office in Thousand Oaks.  More information on the Party can be found at www.venturagop.org.

PCBT Outlines Upcoming State Assembly Races on Central Coast for 3 Open Seats

The Pacific Coast Business Times outlined the races for California State Assembly along the Central Coast, including 33rd, 35th and 37th Assembly District Races which are all open seats in 2010 due to term limits.

http://pacbiztimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=879&Itemid=1

New candidates include Mike Stoker, Republican in the 35th AD.  (Not the Mike Stoker actor from 1970s “Emergency”).  For more on Mike’s announcement, here’s a profile from the Santa Barbara Independent: http://www.independent.com/news/2009/may/30/stoker-enters-state-assembly-race/

Sen. Abel Maldonado Cuts His Own Pay More than Any Other Legislator

Sen. Abel Maldonado

Here’s an interesting piece in Sac Bee’s Capitol Alert by Jim Sanders on State Senator Abel Maldonado who has, year after year, taken a voluntary pay cut for his state employment, more so than any other state legislator.

http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/capitolalertlatest/022534.html

Jeff Gorell’s Assembly Campaign Lauded in Pacific Coast Business Times

Gorell's Assembly campaign lauded in Pac Biz Times this Week

Jeff Gorell, Candidate for State Assembly, Speaks at Ventura County Anti-Tax Rally on April 15, 2009

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8tSm0vQnmc

VC Supervisor Peter Foy Calls Out Whitman and Poizner on Prop 1A: Says He’ll “Take a Long Hard Look” at Runnning for Gov Against Them

Roberts and Trounstine of CALBUZZ Blog reported the following on our local Republican County Supervisor Peter Foy:

Sup. Peter Foy

Republican Ventura County Supervisor Peter Foy, who has emerged as a leading conservative voice against Prop. 1A, says GOP millionaire wannabe governors Steve Poizner and Meg Whitman aren’t doing nearly enough to kill the May 19 election measure.

“Poizner and Whitman should be doing everything they can, they should be with us and they should be throwing money at it,” Foy told calbuzz.

“It’s going to hurt them in their campaigns,” he added. “We want someone who’s going to do something on this and isn’t squishy.”

Amid blogospheric buzz about the possibility that the Ventura supe might jump into the governor’s race, Foy left the door wide open when we asked him about it.

“Spending is out of control . . . and we need leadership in Sacramento on this,” he said. “On the Republican side, where’s Poizner, where’s Whitman, where’s Campbell? If that kind of leadership doesn’t rise up then you bet I will take a long hard look” at running for governor.

Foy’s comments to calbuzz are likely to stoke the unhappiness among red meat movement conservatives with the candidacies of Insurance Commissioner Poizner and former eBay exec Whitman. The two Bay Area moderates are both scampering to the right in an effort to capture the crucial GOP right wing in the 2010 primary.

Foy, who is scheduled to address a big “tea party” rally in Sacramento today, has hooked up with veteran anti-tax crusaders Jon Coupal and Ted Costa as a co-chair of an ad hoc committee to defeat 1A.

While former U.S. Rep. Tom Campbell has come out in favor of Prop. 1A, Poizner and Whitman have both declared they’re against it. But Foy insisted the true measure of their opposition is if either steps up with some cash for TV ads against it.

“Poizner’s done some things, but it’s not enough –- you have to be a leader,” he said in a telephone interview. “I got something, a little mailer from Steve Poizner –- come on, you have to put it on TV.”

Prop. 1A is the linchpin of five measures put on the May 19 special election ballot by Gov. Schwarzenegger and Democratic legislative leaders. Ostensibly intended to create a bigger state reserve fund by imposing restrictions on spending –- a feature which has drawn the ire of liberals –- it would also would extend for two years $16 billion worth of tax increases used to balance the budget in February’s deficit deal.

Asked what he would do as governor to close a deficit estimated to reach at least $12 billion if the ballot measures go down, Foy said, “There’s no question it’s going to be cuts.”

He argued that much of the budget problem came about because state government had hired “50,000 people in the last five or six years.” (According to the official state figures, however, state employment increased 31,352 between 2002-03 and 2007-08)

Foy also said that it would be necessary to impose cuts on public education. “because it’s the biggest numbers” in the budget. He said considerable savings could be found by “getting rid of layers and layers of middle management” and by privatizing services such as janitors, maintenance and cafeteria workers.

Asked what the chances are – on a scale of 1 to 10 — that he’ll run for governor Foy said “5 or 6.” He said he would decide what to do by “the first of summer.”

SB Councilman Das Williams to run Against Susan Jordan in Dem Primary of 35th Assembly Dist.

Williams to run for Assembly

By COLBY FRAZIER — April 2, 2009

Less than a month after organizing an exploratory committee to probe his chances at winning the State Assembly’s 35th District seat, Santa Barbara City Councilmember Das Williams yesterday said he’s decided to officially enter the race.

The 34 year old, who is serving his final term on the city council and will be termed out in 2011, said his political career is at a crossroads: in one direction, he said retirement awaits, and in the other, the State Assembly.

“I’ve searched my heart to see if I can continue serving this community or if I should retire, and the way I can continue serving this community is to run for the assembly,” he said. “I feel I have more to give.”

As it stands, Williams will square off against Democratic colleague and friend, Susan Jordan, who is married to current 35th District Assemblymember Pedro Nava. Nava will be termed out next year.

When Jordan, 57, declared her intent to seek the seat a few months ago, Williams initially said he’d support her campaign.

But in January, after the duo fell on different sides of a controversial offshore oil drilling project, rumors swirled that Williams was considering entering the race.

Those rumors solidified in early February when 1st District County Supervisor Salud Carbajal announced he would “enthusiastically support” Williams if he decided to run.  

Now it’s official, and so far, Williams said he’s received an outpouring of support from the community.

“I got an overwhelming response,” he said. “The people don’t want me to retire in 2011 and want me to continue serving.”

Williams, a teacher at Antioch University who at one time taught middle school in Los Angeles, decried recent cuts to public education, saying he doesn’t feel there are enough people at the state level defending education.

“It’s something that as a teacher I’m really passionate about,” he said.

If he’s elected, Williams also said he’d like to champion alternative energy causes, an arena he’s had success in at the city level.

A longtime environmentalist, women’s rights activist and former business leader who founded the California Coastal Protection Network, Jordan said she feels having two Democrats on the ticket will strengthen the Democratic process.

“Elections are kind of the bedrock of our democracy. It’s the one place where voters really get a chance to see how candidates feel about the issues they care about,” she said. “I don’t feel having another candidate in the race is a negative thing, it’s a positive thing.”

Jordon, who has never been elected to a public office, said she feels her more than three decades of working with the political process has adequately prepared her for a seat in the State Assembly.

“I think being effective in this role is being able to listen to people, being open minded and committing yourself as hard as possible to address the challenges of the day,” she said. “I believe I’m very well equipped to hit the ground running.”

The Republican side of the ticket remains empty. The primary election is still 14 months away. If Williams wins the seat, it will cut his final term on the city council short by a year.