IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.–Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
Button Gwinnett
Lyman Hall
George WaltonWilliam Hooper
Joseph Hewes
John PennEdward Rutledge
Thomas Heyward, Jr.
Thomas Lynch, Jr.
Arthur MiddletonJohn Hancock
Samuel Chase
William Paca
Thomas Stone
Charles Carroll of CarrolltonGeorge Wythe
Richard Henry Lee
Thomas Jefferson
Benjamin Harrison
Thomas Nelson, Jr.
Francis Lightfoot Lee
Carter BraxtonRobert Morris
Benjamin Rush
Benjamin Franklin
John Morton
George Clymer
James Smith
George Taylor
James Wilson
George RossCaesar Rodney
George Read
Thomas McKeanWilliam Floyd
Philip Livingston
Francis Lewis
Lewis MorrisRichard Stockton
John Witherspoon
Francis Hopkinson
John Hart
Abraham ClarkJosiah Bartlett
William Whipple
Samuel Adams
John Adams
Robert Treat Paine
Elbridge Gerry
Stephen Hopkins
William Ellery
Roger Sherman
Samuel Huntington
William Williams
Oliver WolcottMatthew Thornton
Archive for July, 2013
In Congress, July 4, 1776. The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,
Posted by Newsletter Reprint on July 4, 2013
Posted in National | Tagged: Declaration of Independence | 1 Comment »
Assemblyman Eric Linder presents Fourth of July Resolution
Posted by Allen Wilson on July 3, 2013
Assemblyman Eric Linder (R-Corona) authored and presented HR (House Resolution) 21 commemorating the 237th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
“I am honored to present HR 21,” said Linder, “As the son of an immigrant I have felt truly blessed by all this great country has been able to provide for my family. The decision 237 years ago by the 56 men who signed their name to the Declaration to pledge their life, fortunes, and honor changed the world and the very concept of government. I look forward to celebrating this accomplishment with my family and all Californians.”
Then Assemblyman Linder gave his remarks by introducing HR 21 to the Assembly floor today:
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: Declaration of Independence, Eric Linder, Fourth of July, Freedom, State Assembly | 3 Comments »
Did San Diego Public Officials Conspire With Unions To Enter A Labor Friendly Contract For The San Diego Convention Center Expansion, In Violation Of A Local Proposition? The Secret Email Accounts May Tell The Story.
Posted by Greg Woodard on July 3, 2013
San Diego, our neighbor to the south, has had its share of political intrigue over the years. The most recent iteration is an incestuous mix of Republican, Democrat, union, and big business involving the $520 million expansion of the San Diego Convention Center. In the 1950s, California adopted open government laws to protect the integrity of the political system and guarantee transparency in the political process. These protections have been eroded over the last few years as open government laws have failed to keep up with technology like emails and texts. The cloak of secrecy thrown by San Diego public officials regarding the Convention Center expansion project is the most recent example of an attempt to return California government business to the days of backroom deals negotiated far from the public’s view.
Our story begins in June 2012, when the San Diego voters passed Proposition A, a ballot initiative known as the “Fair and Open Competition in Construction Ordinance.” Prop. A amended the City Municipal Code to prohibit the City from requiring a contractor to enter into a Project Labor Agreement (“PLA”) on City construction projects, except where required by state or federal law, or as a condition of the receipt of state or federal funds. A PLA is a collective bargaining or similar labor agreement, entered into with one or more labor organizations that establishes the terms and conditions of employment on a City construction project. A PLA can often result in higher labor costs for the City when a project could otherwise be negotiated with private, non-unions contractors.
The Convention Center expansion project proposes adding approximately 200,000 – 225,000 square feet of exhibit space, 100,000 square feet of meeting space, and an 80,000 square foot ballroom. In addition, the proposal would add a new hotel, as well as a waterfront park, open space, retail space, and a pedestrian promenade. During 2012, the City sought proposals for a company to act as project manager for the expansion of the Convention Center. In October 2012, the City selected Clark/Hunt as the project manager.
Throughout 2012, various labor unions and environmental groups filed a series of lawsuits challenging aspects of the Convention Center expansion project. On November 8, 2012, the City entered into a settlement agreement with the unions and environmental groups that resolved all of the outstanding lawsuits. In exchange for the groups’ support of the expansion project, the City agreed to pay $30,000 in legal fees purportedly incurred by the labor plaintiffs in the different lawsuits. At the same time the City was entering the settlement agreement, Clark/Hunt announced that it had signed a PLA with local unions in connection with the expansion project. Also on November 8, 2012, former Republican Mayor Jerry Sanders held a press conference to announce the settlement with several union representatives, including Lorena Gonzalez, then head of the San Diego and Imperial Counties Central Labor Council. Gonzalez is now representing the 80th District in the California Assembly. Gonzalez has previously expressed her opposition to Prop. A.
Public records on file with the San Diego Superior Court show that, beginning in January 2013, a local watchdog group submitted a request to the City under the Public Records Act, the state’s open government law, seeking copies of the PLA as well as other documents related to the expansion project. The City stonewalled the group, and in April 2013, the group filed a lawsuit in San Diego Superior Court. After the lawsuit was filed, the City produced some documents they claimed were responsive to the group’s request. On June 3, 2013, Thomas Zeleny, San Diego’s Chief Deputy City Attorney, sent a letter to the group’s attorney enclosing two emails that Zeleny claimed had recently been brought to his attention as responsive documents. One of those emails, dated September 21, 2012 (included with attachment below), was from Julie Dubick, then Chief of Staff for Mayor Sanders. The email, which appears to be from her San Diego public email address, was sent to Gonzalez at her union email address. The email included an attachment of apparent talking points for the settlement that had been reached between the City and union groups. Included among the points are: (1) the Mayor would schedule a meeting with Marriott (the potential hotel on the expansion project) and support labor’s position; (2) the Mayor would attempt to effect an agreement between the general contractor and labor to effect an agreement “similar to the PetCo Park agreement” (PetCo Park was built with a PLA with unions); (3) the Mayor would appoint a labor-friendly member on the Convention Center Board (which he subsequently did); (4) the unions would dismiss their lawsuits and not further challenge the expansion project; (5) the unions would write a letter to the Coastal Commission supporting the expansion project; and (6) the unions would attend the October 1, 2012 City Council meeting and support the expansion project.
The most interesting part about Dubick’s email is that it simply says, “Here is suggested language. Please confirm receipt to jpdubick@gmail.com. See you at 2pm today.” The gmail account Dubick instructed Gonzalez to send a response to was not her official public email address. That raises an interesting question as to why Dubick would instruct Gonzalez to contact her through her private email account, rather than her public email address. Unfortunately, we do not know if or how Gonzalez responded because the City has not produced any further documents from either Dubick’s public or private email accounts. When asked by the group’s counsel if there was a widespread practice for City employees and elected officials to conduct official City business through private email accounts, Zeleny responded, “for all I know, all of the City business was run through Julie Dubick’s private email account . . . [pause] just joking.”
The irony is that the two September 21, 2012 emails were only discovered by the City Attorney because they were later attached to another email sent through the official City email network. Had the emails not been forwarded as attachments through the official network, they would never have become public even though they clearly reflected the City’s public business. The brevity and tone of the email also suggest prior discussions between Dubick and Gonzalez about the attached talking points.
As a result of the City Attorney’s discovery of the two emails, the City Attorney is investigating whether the PLA for the expansion project violates Prop. A, saying that the emails “raise questions that need further examination.” The group has discovered several other private email accounts that it believes have been used to conduct extensive City business, but the City has not produced any other responsive emails from private accounts to date. The group also has turned over all of the issues discussed in the lawsuit to law enforcement officials.
The City also produced the Mayor’s calendar as part of the group’s Public Records Act request. The calendar indicates that the Mayor had several meetings and phone calls relating to the expansion project in September and October 2012. One meeting was scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on September 21, 2012, the same day Dubick sent the email to Gonzalez. Dubick’s email stated that she would see Gonzalez at 2 p.m. I reached out to Assemblywoman Gonzalez for comment on whether she responded to the email (and if she would provide me a copy of any response), to what account she responded, and whether she attended that meeting or any other meeting regarding the expansion project. Gonzalez’s Chief of Staff, Evan McLaughlin, responded that Gonzalez does not recall responding to the September 21, 2012 e-mail, and finds the storyline of the group’s lawsuit hard to believe. He stated, “[a]s head of the Labor Council, Ms. Gonzalez always attended meetings to advocate for better wages for local workers, but she did not negotiate contracts – that’s the job of individual unions, not the Labor Council. This sounds like another act of desperation by the same handful of anti-worker companies who are doing everything they can to drive down wages for local workers.” McLaughlin did not confirm whether Gonzalez did respond to the email or whether she attended the September 21, 2012 meeting with the Mayor and Dubick.
Other documents produced by the City prove that, rather than ask that Clark/Hunt provide the City with public documents held by Clark/Hunt for the benefit of the City (as required by the Public Records Act), the City instead sent copies of responsive documents to Clark/Hunt for “review and approval” prior to releasing them to the group. This practice is specifically prohibited by the Public Records Act which prohibits the City from allowing a third-party to control the disclosure of information otherwise subject to disclosure under the Act.
In sum, it does not look good for the City regarding meeting its obligations under the Public Records Act. More troubling is the appearance of a widespread conspiracy by public officials, unions, and the general contractor for the circumventing of Prop. A by agreeing to a PLA in exchange for the unions dropping their legal challenges against the expansion project. This conspiracy may have been aided by undisclosed communications between the Mayor’s staff and union representatives, including Assemblywoman Gonzalez.
Given the recent flap over the state Democrats’ attempt to gut the Public Records Act (Gonzalez initially voted for the gutting of the Act), as well as prior revelations that the former head of the federal EPA created a fake person and used “his” private email account to contact environmental groups and others to avoid requests for public documents similar to the request made by the group here, the City’s less than candid response to the group’s Public Records Act request should give pause to all San Diego residents. In addition, a local public official’s use of private email accounts raises troubling questions of accountability and transparency. The City Attorney himself has admitted to using a private email address to conduct City business. He claims to review those emails and send the ones that relate to City business to his public account and respond through that account. Can we be sure that other local and state officials are as thorough and conscientious as the City Attorney?
Many questions with respect to the documents requested by the group will be answered at the July 12, 2013 hearing on the lawsuit it filed. Other questions will undoubtedly linger for some time after.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: Lorena Gonzalez, PLA, Public Records Act, San Diego, unions | 2 Comments »
Poll Results in CD 45: Spitzer Is The Frontrunner
Posted by Former Blogger Chris Emami on July 2, 2013
This morning Jon Fleischman posted the results of a poll conducted by Lewis Consulting Group, that showed the favorables/unfavorables of some potential candidates along with results of some hypothetical matches. The results were not what I expected to see, with what appears to be a wide open race amongst a few front-runners. I talked to John Lewis this morning after the poll was released and he had this to say, “The goal with this poll was to try and best replicate predicted 2014 turnout. This is clearly a wide open race and results will largely depend on who decides to run.”
You can view the entire poll by clicking CD45-Crosstab-Tables-I.
Lets start by taking a look at the raw numbers for favorables vs unfavorables for each candidate in the running, in order to use a single number to represent favorability, I am taking the percentage that represents favorables and subtracting the percentage that represents unfavorables in order to create a net favorability ranking system. Here are the rankings based 0n this net favorability:
(R) Todd Spitzer +25% (OC Supervisor)
(R) Ed Royce +20% (Congressman)
(D) Sukhee Kang +13% (Former Irvine Mayor)
(R) Mimi Walter +13% (State Senator)
(D) Steve Young +12% (Perennial Dem Candidate)
(R) Gary Miller +10% (Congressman)
(R) Don Wagner +10% (State Assemblyman)
(R) Scott Baugh +8% (Chairman of OCGOP)
(D) Beth Krom +4%
(D) Barack Obama -28% (This was simply his approval rating, I am fairly certain he has no intention of seeking this seat)
The fact that Todd Spitzer had the highest net favorability was not especially surprising to me because a lot of my non-political friends are aware of some of his public safety initiatives that he has worked on. I am most surprised by Steve Young having a 12% net favorability rating, although my instinct states that perhaps some football fans got confused on this one.
This data does not also take into account that some other potential candidates are looming out there, including but not limited to Steven Choi (Current Irvine Mayor), John Moorlach (OC Supervisor), and some of the wealthy private sector individuals that could self-fund a campaign. On the Dem side I hear rumblings of Irvine Councilmember Larry Agran jumping into this race and I would argue that he would be the Democrat most likely to advance to November.
My favorite part of the poll was the hypothetical match-ups that were polled including the following scenarios:
Mimi Walters vs. Gary Miller vs. Beth Krom
Walters 25.0%
Krom 21.3%
Miller 21.0%
This matchup is interesting because Walters is definitely in this race and I have heard from more than a couple of insiders that Gary Miller is strongly considering a move back to Orange County to run for this seat due to the fact that his current seat is one that could very easily go blue in 2016. A 4% gap is not very hard to overcome especially when you consider margin of error of any poll.
Mimi Walters vs. Ed Royce vs. Beth Krom
Royce 25.7%
Krom 22.3%
Walters 20.3%
I am not surprised that Royce is leading in this matchup due to the fact that he is a sitting Congressman who has higher name ID than Gary Miller in Orange County. The surprising part is that Walters is within striking distance of him and could beat him in a head-to-head matchup.
Mimi Walters vs. Todd Spitzer vs. Beth Krom
Spitzer 29.0%
Krom 22.0%
Walters 19.7%
Wow!!!!! This result on its own shows me that Todd Spitzer can have this seat if he wants it.
Mimi Walters vs. Ed Royce vs. Beth Krom
Walters 26.7%
Krom 23.0%
Wagner 15.7%
Don Wagner is my personal favorite of all the candidates considered in this poll but these numbers look to be a steep hill to climb in a hypothetical matchup that includes Walters.
Mimi Walters vs. Steve Young vs. Beth Krom vs. Sukhee Kang
Walters 41.0%
Krom 10.3%
Young 8.7%
Kang 7.3%
These numbers show that a Democrat winning this seat is highly unlikely. I believe that Larry Agran would be able to finish ahead of all of the rest of these folks in CD 45 on the Dem side.
Posted in 45th Congressional District | Tagged: Barack Obama, Beth Krom, CD 45, Don Wagner, Ed Royce, Gary Miller, John Campbell, John Moorlach, Larry Agran, Mimi Walters, Poll Results, Scott Baugh, Steve Young, Steven Choi, Sukhee Kang, Todd Spitzer | 11 Comments »
Downey Mayor Guerra announces candidacy for State Senate
Posted by Allen Wilson on July 2, 2013
Popular Downey Mayor Mario Guerra announces his candidacy for State Senate in the 32nd SD, which is currently being held by embattled Senator Ron Calderon (D-Montebello).
The 32nd SD is located in blue collar working class district in Southeastern portion of Los Angeles County which stretches from Montebello and Hacienda Heights in the north and all the way down the 605 Freeway Corridor and dips into Orange County City of Buena Park.
The other announced candidates are former Assemblymembers Tony Mendoza (D-Norwalk) and Sally Havice (D-Cerritos) who are familiar faces in Sacramento are pretty much recycled pols who have been there and done that.
Mayor Mario Guerra is a formidable candidate who offers fresh ideas and new leadership that Sacramento desperately needs.
OC Political received the Press Release from Mayor Guerra’s candidacy for State Senate:
Guerra pledges to focus on fundamentals, run on his record of accomplishment and bring back character and integrity to Sacramento.
Downey, July 2nd – Today Downey’s Mayor Mario Guerra officially announced his candidacy for the 32nd State Senate District. Between now and the election, Guerra intends to run a dynamic campaign across the district sharing his record of accomplishments as Downey’s Mayor as well as ensuring the public that character and integrity are brought back to Sacramento. Supervisor Knabe announced his endorsement and full support of Mario Guerra’s campaign for Senate as well.
“It’s time we focus on fundamentals: good jobs, safe streets and a great education system for our children.” Mayor Guerra’s business attraction program helped to lure notable companies like Porto’s Bakery, Champion Fiat and Raytheon to Downey in the last several years. “I’ve done it in Downey and am excited to do more great things for families across the District,” stated Mayor Mario A.Guerra.
“Since becoming elected I’ve helped initiate the Character Counts program in Downey with great success. As your State Senator, I’ll work to restore the public’s trust in their state government. Public official’s integrity and ethics must be beyond reproach with no exceptions,” continued Guerra.
Today Supervisor Don Knabe also announced his endorsement of Guerra for Senate. He stated, “Mario Guerra is a long-time area resident, who has dedicated countless hours to serving our local communities as a small business owner, volunteer and as Downey mayor and councilmember. His energy and commitment to programs benefiting our schools, the environment, job creation efforts, the local economy and safe neighborhoods have made our entire region a better place to live, work and play. Mario is trustworthy, well-respected and has a commitment to public service for the right reason – helping those he serves. Please join me in supporting Mayor Guerra for the State Senate, 32nd District!”
For a full list of endorsements please visit: http://guerraforsenate.com/endorsements.php
Please visit Mario’s website for more information and updates at www.guerraforsenate.com.
Mayor Guerra has had tremendous successes in Downey. Among them was recently winning Downey the distinguished award as “All-American City,” as well as helping to create over 8,000 new jobs. He was overwhelmingly elected to Downey’s city council in 2006 and re-elected in 2010. Among many other regional efforts, Mayor Guerra serves as President-Elect of the Independent Cities Association, and has served as the Legislative and Budget Chair of California Contract Cities Association, Mario was also awarded the Non-Partisan Elected Official of the Year in 2011.
Mario’s track record extends beyond public service. He is a successful small business owner, having co-founded Scanlon-Guerra-Burke. Today, operating as SGB-NIA, his partner firm is one of the largest insurance brokers in California.
Guerra has been an ordained Deacon in the Catholic church since 2002, and serves as a Deacon in ministry at St. Linus Catholic Church in Norwalk, CA. He also serves as a Stational Deacon at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels as well as the Chaplain of Downey Police.
Mario is a husband of 29 years to his wife, Ann, and a father of five to Mario, Jr., Lynne, Matthew, Haley and Ryan.
Posted in 32nd Senate District, Buena Park, State Senate, Uncategorized | Tagged: 32nd Senate District, Mario Guerra, Ron Calderon, Sally Havice, Tony Mendoza | Leave a Comment »
Arrogancy of Legislative Leaders
Posted by Allen Wilson on July 1, 2013
The San Jose Mercury News article “Steinberg reportedly rebukes Yee over public records stance” asks the question: Did Senate Democrats leaders did a private dress down of Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) for speaking in opposition to the proposed water down of the California Public Records Act?
Senate President Darrell Steinberg says he didn’t dress down Yee.
Senator Yee will not discuss.
The article explains two credible capitol sources says Steinberg was not pleased with Senator Yee speaking with the San Jose Mercury News about the topic.
The article goes on to explain that Democratic leaders felt Yee had hung them out dry in public.
The very telling quote from one of the capitol sources says, “God forbid you vote your conscience, and then tell people why.”
There are credible tales of legislative leaders on both sides of the aisle who use bully tactics on certain members of their own caucus who dare to speak their own mind despite the fact that every Senator and Assemblymember are elected by the people from their respective districts.
The unwritten rule in Sacramento that legislators have no right to “embarrass leader(s) of their own respective caucus”.
The horror!
As we approach the 237th Birthday of our Republic should serve as a reminder why the founders told King George III to fly a kite and the days of going to his court to kiss his ring for his blessings are over.
If every member votes with their own conscience without being excoriated by the Sacramento aristocrats, then perhaps Sacramento would be a civilized place and that every voice is heard as envisioned by our Founders.
We can only hope and pray that arrogance by legislative leaders would be the thing of the past.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: Arrogance, California Public Records Act, Darrell Steinberg, Legislative Leaders., Leland Yee, Power | Leave a Comment »
Santa Ana Public Works Director Raul Godinez flees to El Monte
Posted by Thomas Gordon on July 1, 2013
Santa Ana Public Works Director Raul Godinez decided to flee Santa Ana to become the new City Manager of El Monte for an annual salary of $195,000 beginning July 15.
It’s still unknown how large a gift of Santa Ana taxpayer funds Raul Godinez will receive in lieu of his vacation and illness.
Godinez became director of public works in Santa Ana in 2009. He also previously worked in public works in Oakland under then-Mayor Jerry Brown.
El Monte contracted with executive search firm Bob Murray & Associates who not coincidentally happens to be the same firm retained to recruit Santa Ana’s new City Manager. Raul Godinez had been rumored to be among those seeking Santa Ana’s top spot.
Also unknown is what affect Godinez’s departure will have on Santa Ana’s proposed light rail project, but Godinez did a poor job removing Santa Ana’s graffiti and repairing its potholed streets.
Posted in Santa Ana | Tagged: Blight, El Monte, graffiti, Potholes, Raul Godinez, Santa Ana | 2 Comments »
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