Teacher’s Union to California’s Students: UP YOURS

 Andy Sheehy, Eureka Union School District, Rocklin, Teacher's Union  Comments Off on Teacher’s Union to California’s Students: UP YOURS
Jun 302011
 

Thanks to California Voters getting fooled by Labor Unions many times, we have our most recent situation about the Teacher’s Union.

California Voters passed Prop 98 – an onerous spending mandate for Government Schools. (California has slipped from 40th to 49th in the nation since Prop 98 Passed).

Last year – angry voters were tricked by labor unions in to passing Prop 25. In exchange for “Getting the Man”, by not paying legislators when the budget was late – the 2/3 requirement for a state budget was gutted.

So, California Voters are as much to blame as the true evil – the California Teacher’s Association. AB114, a trailer bill tacked onto this year’s majority vote state budget is pure evil.

Because of Prop 98 spending mandates – the CTA patrols the hallways of the state capitol making sure they get every last cent. There is no regard for good government or for what happens to public safety or other services, it is all about them.

The California Teachers Association has long wielded tremendous clout in state budget negotiations. It is a multimillion-dollar player in state political campaigns – and is widely expected to help fund Democratic efforts to raise taxes on the November 2012 ballot.

Another provision in the bill would make the state liable for roughly $2.1 billion in retroactive school funding if voters reject or never get the chance to vote on such a measure.

Part 1 – the CTA is going to try and fool you in to raising your taxes.
According to the Sacramento Bee Articles on the subject – beyond raping the California Taxpayer and the State Budget – the CTA also got their whores in the Capitol to tie up and gag school districts. This bill tells districts that they are forbidden to lay off any teachers in Fiscal Year 2011.
Part 2 – the CTA wants districts to go broke paying their member’s salaries and their benefits.
So Andy Sheehy in the Eureka Union School District is going to get what he wants, to have the district bankrupt itself paying off his donors.
So what Todd Lowell and others warned me about in Rocklin – that the Teacher’s Union refuses to negotiate – is now going to be 1000% worse because their whores in the state legislature have tied Lowell and other’s hands behind their back.
You know what I’ve told the School Board members I know? Impose a contract on the Teacher’s Union and make them all take a 15% pay cut and tell them to thank their union for AB114.
You don’t believe me about the teacher’s union? Take this quote from their friends in the Bee:
As previously reported, it also requires that school districts deal with a potential Mid-year “Trigger” cut by slashing school days and bus transportation rather than Teacher Jobs.
CTA to California: Screw the children, we want to get paid. And since we can write out big, fat checks, no one will get in our way.
Why the hell would anyone want to run for school board?

Lincoln Recall?

 Lincoln City Council, Spencer Short, Tom Cosgrove  Comments Off on Lincoln Recall?
Jun 282011
 

That’s it. That’s the title.

Lincoln is a mess, a huge mess. People are angry. Gabriel Hydrick won a seat on the Lincoln City Council by over 1,000 votes (his total was in the 4,500 range) and liberal Democrat Linda Stackpoole got ousted along with self-described “Moderate” Kent Nakata.

Enter Bob Birdseye. Birdseye and a group of activists have the three incumbents, Tom Cosgrove, Spencer Short and Paul Joiner in their sights. They have launched a Recall Lincoln website and have gotten some ink in the local papers.

The Irony is that when I search Lincoln Recall – I get a bunch of page one links to lawyers and stories about recalled Lincoln Automobiles.

I am wary of some of the players involved in the recall effort – but suffice to say, Spencer Short deserves to be held accountable for his failure to lead. I have talked to Spencer a few times – and I have come to the conclusion that he represents the Republican Party poorly.

Republicans don’t blindly take the recommendations of staff. Republicans don’t float the largest tax increase in Placer County History as a solution to the city’s problems.

I was appalled this weekend when I spoke to someone who attended the state of the City (of Lincoln) address and they learned that that Lincoln will be out of cash in about six months.

Spencer Short had time to prepare the City. Epic Fail.

I can not lump first-term Council-member Paul Joiner in to that category, therefore I can not endorse his recall as it is unfair to hang someone in their first term for the fiscal mismanagement that took a decade or more to unfold.

I am undecided regarding Tom Cosgrove at this time.

There is a specific reason for recalling Spencer Short if you are a Republican.

He also sits on the Placer County Republican Central Committee and instead of trying to save Lincoln from disaster – he is participating in the jihad of the enraged whose goal it is to paralyze the Placer GOP until they can satisfy their desire for revenge. (speaking of divisive)

Short also refused to endorse Tom McClintock after he won the congressional primary. (speaking of divisive)

Short’s 2010 solution to Lincoln’s problems? Put the largest tax increase in any part of Placer County’s History on the ballot.

That’s as Republican as Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Today’s solution? – cut Police and Fire Protection ostensibly to teach the citizens a lesson for not voting to tax themsevles.

We see this crap every May-July from the Democrats in Sacramento.

Roseville and Rocklin have been out ahead of their budget problems and have been able to preserve their services – so Lincoln had examples to follow and did not.

Yes – Bob Birdseye. I agree with you, for some of the same and for some different reasons, recall Spencer Short.

The Pre-Eminence of the CRA – the Reason to Join

 California Republican Assembly  Comments Off on The Pre-Eminence of the CRA – the Reason to Join
Jun 262011
 

I have spoken to several over the years about why they should be a part of the CRA. But for the first time in my 8+ years as a CRA State Officer – I had a club President ask me point-blank, “why should we pay dues to the state, why not be an independent club?”

The CRA is an idea. It is greater than any person, club, group of people or campaign. It will continue despite the imperfections of its’ members – this may be the most important point of all. Because the CRA is an idea – people who participate in the CRA benefit from the below:

Relevance.

The CRA has existed since 1934 with a mission and a charter to endorse Republican Candidates vetted by the 14 principles of the CRA.

The CRA is more relevant than ever in this post Prop 14 world. We exist as the only bona-fide Conservative Republican grassroots organization in California. More importantly, the CRA endorses candidates pre-primary making our endorsement a coveted symbol of Republican credentials.

It is the attempt to control and the participation in the endorsement process that draws all types to the CRA. Political Consultants know that a CRA endorsement plays well in a campaign. Candidates approach the CRA, sometimes years in advance of their runs for office in order to gain the support of the CRA and its’ members.

Community.

The CRA gives member clubs a sense of community. At most CRA conventions, it is like a family reunion. Clubs from all over the state send delegates and visitors to conventions where people meet and debate everything in Republican politics.

Credibility.

As the oldest grassroots organization in the State, the CRA is well-known in insider political circles. Active units carry with them substantial credibility because thousands have walked precincts for years before us. The CRA has made a quantifiable impact for years and that weight of history is behind every legitimate CRA unit.

Impact.

With the Relevance, Community and Credibility that the state CRA represents, local units are empowered to make an impact. You simply do not have that as a local independent club. This is why many independent Republican clubs in the past have re-chartered as CRA units.

Staying Power.

The CRA has been around since 1934. While local independent clubs come and go, CRA units continue for years. Some CRA chapters trace their roots back to the 1950’s in their current territory and by-laws.

Access.

People new to the political process can meet far more elected officials by being a member of the CRA than they ever could in any other venue (save for a Republican Women’s Group).

When a unit is run effectively – the above can make even the smallest CRA unit have a devastating impact on local politics and even at the state/federal level.

It is the above thesis that makes a compelling case for a group of like-minded Republicans to form a CRA unit or to join the existing one in their area.

Jun 222011
 

Rocklin. The city where Councilmembers serve for a generation.

In 1960, my Great-Grandfather was elected to Rocklin City Council – but retired no long after. He beat Roy Ruhkala that year and Roy would run again later and ended up serving for a long time.

Peter Hill and George Magnusen have served a long time. They are retiring, as is Brett Storey.

If you thought 8 people running for two seats was chaos last time – see what happens with three seats open.

I have my favorites – but that’s another post for another time way in the future.

Sierra College:

Elaine Rowen – the wife of recalled former CA Supreme Cruz Reynoso finally resigned after 18 months of not representing anyone, let alone Rocklin and Granite Bay. Not to make light of her life-threatening accident, but why wait 18 months, leaving a vacancy?

That being said, there appear to be three main suitors: Debbi Nason, a well-connected volunteer who retired to this area, Robin Trimble President of the Rocklin Chamber of Commerce and Bill Halldin, a local PR Guy and Placer GOP Central Committee Member.

I have no further comment at this time… other than I can’t wait to see what the trustees do. I’ve made a few calls and have only spoken to Aaron Klein.

Elaine Rowen was on the Sierra College Board in the first place because of the group, “Save Sierra College”. This was a group that dedicated itself to re-asserting a liberal majority on the Sierra College Board. After Bill Martin used his position on the local Grand Jury to get himself elected to the Sierra College Board – he teamed up with the group to attempt the recall of Aaron Klein and Jerry Simmons.

It failed. But Simmons retired, leaving the seat open. That’s when the Save Sierra College people helped get Elaine Rowen elected.

One of the proponents of the Recall, a “Republican” named Alan Cuenca is now involved in trying to recall three more Republicans from local office. Cuenca has now taken aim at 5 local Republican electeds.

The irony is that recall attempt against the Lincoln City Council has a bizarre sidenote. Spencer Short is part of the loud, vocal minority (although he is not loud himself) that attempts to shut down every Cent Com meeting. Members of the Lincoln Tea Party have convniced themsevles that the Placer GOP Cent Com is the center of corruption in Placer.

Spencer Short votes with their allies on the Cent Com and they are trying to recall him from Lincoln City Council. Nice.

Todd Lowell from the Rocklin School Board replied to an email I sent him apparently happy about the Western Sierra Collegate Academy getting their own building. He thought it was great that they would have their own identity… Lowell is a rumored Rocklin City Council candidate, but is likely staying put. However, it looks like Left-wing Democrat Camille Maben is going to retire. (Maben worked for Delaine Eastin – a sworn enemy of Charter Schools)

Rocklin 2012 will be chaos as usual. Lincoln will be chaos for 20 years. Sierra College Board will likely resolve itself with little or no drama.

Rick Perry to Announce Soon?

 Mitt Romney, Rick Perry  Comments Off on Rick Perry to Announce Soon?
Jun 152011
 

My wife is from Alaska – so I know who she’s supporting ;-).

My concern about Sarah Palin is that she got destroyed by the Bush-McCain squishes in 2008 and that drumbeat has been constant ever since. It is a theme in politics to repeate fallacious and absurd charges obesessively against people you want to destroy – kind of like what is happening on the Placer GOP Cent Com.

Difference – no one cares about the Placer GOP Cent Com (save a few) and everyone cares about their next President.

So – while I feel that Palin has been a victim of the MSM + the Bush-McCain squishes, perception is reality.

Which is why Rick Perry is such a good candidate – the smears will start with the campaign and without a 3 year head start – and Perry is everything Palin is idealogically.

I don’t normally blog on National Politics – but I felt compelled to join Assemblyman Dan Logue in his quest to Draft Rick Perry as I am not happy with the current field of GOP Candidates.

I also hear that Perry is picking up some huge endorsements as this blogger is not the only one fed up with the Whitman-Romney squish machine in California.

George and I got our character assassinated and basically were made to be the bad guys because we went to the wall to prevent Romney from being able to buy the CRA again – so it warms my heart to realize that nationally, there is a groundswell against Romney in the GOP Presidential Primary.