February 2012 Archives

Doug LaMalfa – Publicly Advocating for Farm Welfare

CA-01 Race, Doug LaMalfa Comments Off

Feb 282012

Doug LaMalfa has taken $4.7 Million in Farm Subsidies – he helped found an organization that hired a Washington D.C. Lobbying firm to thwart Farm Welfare reform in 2007. Now, Doug LaMalfa is being quoted publicly advocating for Farm Welfare.

This debate is not about the merits of the Williamson Act – rather, it is about LaMalfa, an alleged budget-cutter and fiscal conservative arguing against modifying the Williamson Act in the proposed 2003 budget. The following was printed in the Redding Record-Searchlight:

Our legislators must do more for farmersBy:Doug LaMalfaPublished: June 7, 2003
In your recent editorial you encouraged farmers organizations and other interest groups to bring pressure to bear upon theLegislature in order to protect the critical Williamson Act. I happen to be a farmer and one of the legislators who opposed Gov. Gray Davis’ ill-advised attempt to eliminate the act. The Williamson Act is vital to the future of farming in California and farmers can be assured that many legislators share this position.In early February, I along with 29 fellow legislators wrote a letter to Davis urging him to abandon his plan to eliminate the Williamson Act, which was contained in his January budget proposal. The letter, signed by both Republicans and Democrats alike, highlighted many of the concerns you raised in your editorial. But another point on the issue must beraised.The California farmer faces some of the highest taxes, pays the highest workers’ compensation rates and is subject to the nation’s most onerous environmental regulations. Preserving the Williamson Act is essential for the future of farming in this state and I’m confident that the Assembly will demonstrate its support.What I’m not so confident about is how genuine the Legislature and Davis really are when it comes to promoting and supporting California agriculture….

Rather than fight to deal with environmental laws, he fought to keep the subsidies when the state at the time when the State was $35 Billion in the hole.

Farmers’ tax breaks in dangerCounties oppose Davis’ plan to cut Williamson Act
By:Tim Hearden Record SearchlightPublished: March 22, 2003
Rural counties are mobilizing to protect a 38-year-old program that provides tax breaks for farmers who keep their land in agriculture.The Legislature is expected to soon begin debating Gov. Gray Davis’ proposal to stop reimbursing counties for its contractswith landowners under the 1965 Williamson Act.
The cuts would cost counties about $40 million annually. Shasta County would lose about $250,000 a year, while TehamaCounty would lose as much as $1 million a year, local officials said.Farming advocates fear the cuts could discourage counties from participating in the Williamson Act program and leave farmland vulnerable to urban development…..A budget subcommittee could send the matter to the Assembly floor for debate this week or next week, said David Reade,chief of staff for Assemblyman Doug LaMalfa, R-Richvale.Davis proposed the cuts as part of a plan to balance a state deficit estimated at as much as $34 billion. LaMalfa, a ricefarmer, adamantly op-poses taking money out of the Williamson Act, Reade said….

Why should farmers get treated any differently than any other people when it comes to budget cuts? How does LaMalfa justify this? Where was/is the leadership in fighting the regulations that have emperiled the family farmer?

What’s worse is the dependence on Farm Welfare and the complicity in perpetuating it.

Conservative Republicans of California – born of Fraud, by Fraud to Commit Fraud

CROC, Fraud 4 Responses »

Feb 262012

This weekend was a big victory for Consultants and Moderate Republicans seeking to take over control of the California GOP. We will soon have a laboratory to test if the Moderate vision for the California GOP is a winner. I thought the 2010 election disaster was the answer, but apparently that was not enough abuse for those in charge.

Many who read this blog remember the April 2011 CRA Convention that featured a revelation of rampant fraud that had been allowed under past CRA President Mike Spence. The part that I have never revealed before are my conversations with political consultants (off the record, of course) that told me that they had bought CRA endorsements in past campaigns.

We put a stop to that in April of 2011. Not surprisingly, Mike Spence founded an organization called Conservative Republicans of California… designed to compete with the CRA, but more importantly, appears to be formed to maintain Mike’s commercial enterprise.

The CRC lists amongst its’ leaders those disgraced for being caught defrauding CRA.

The just concluded CRP Convention featured a ton of drama as usual without any solutions as to how the GOP is going to regain lost ground going forward in California. Rather – it was highlighted with the chartering of CRC. The Conservative movement is now divided with one half apparently for sale.

There was no investigation that the CRC even had the 200 members in 10 counties that the State CRP By-Laws require.

The vote of 371-343 to Charter CRC was also informative. Several who were there told me that it was the Bay-Area Moderates, including Charles Munger and Luis Buhler teaming up with Legislative Staff and political Consultants versus activists. Two people mentioned that Mike was seen yukking it up with one Charles Munger and Luis Buhler at the end of the convention.

I had been told of a meeting of Bay Area Republican delegates where the “deal” was mentioned – as in Mike Spence had opposed CRA with regard to the Nehring Plan for regional caucus endorsements of candidates and he had most recently opposed attempts to reform the corrupted proxy process. So despite Mike Spence’s support for the Conservative platform, the Bay Area Moderates voted to give Mike his group.

The backdrop is that the electeds – sensing a loss of control with the proposed Nehring Plan for regional endorsing caucuses – appointed only staff and consultants with their 2012-2013 appointments, making proxy drills much easier to control. In one case, a member appointed 5 family members – just to maintain control.

What was peculiar to me was CRP Chairman Tom Del Becarro’s role in the process – he was abusive to Tom Hudson and Craig Alexander as they argued against the charter of the CRC. Then on Sunday, he appeared to fight against the effort to charter it from the floor. I am still wondering if the money and electeds behind that group threatened him or made some sort of an offer… my only proof is Tom’s behavior.

In the end, State Senator Joel Anderson and Assemblymember Don Wagner showed up to get even with CRA. To them, like typical electeds, it was all about them and not the health of the Conservative movement. If Conservatives lose majority control of the CRP and the platform is indeed changed in a few years… mark the moment of the chartering of the CRC.

Secondly, take a close look at the pattern of endorsements that come from the CRC. That will also be a true measure of the cash flow.

Despite what many think – this blogger couldn’t care less about the ideological leanings of the players as it relates to all of the CRP drama – it is the ethics and integrity of the matter that matters. The Consultants now have an another organization with a name that they can control, the electeds that are looking to protect their shrinking fiefdom now have another mirror to provide the illusion of control.

The California Republican Assembly will indeed survive and thrive. The stench of the psychotic smear tactics employed by some of Mike Spence’ allies will fade and I believe that in the end, many in the Tea Party will find a home in the CRA – a CRA that no consultant nor elected can control.

Beth Gaines has a Campaign on Her Hands

AD-06 Race, Beth Gaines, Linda M Park Comments Off

Feb 242012

… and an opponent who is loaded for bear.

Beth Gaines has done next to nothing since being elected to the Assembly. People are only now starting to see her or staff since she has drawn an opponent.

For those that remember, it took coordinated independent expenditures and $350,000 dollars raised by her husband Ted Gaines to gain a 726 vote victory.

Now that she has a serious challenger, there is pining for some free media. Introducing bills that will certainly get killed – yet each will cost the taxpayers $20-$25,000 a piece and even more if they survive one committee.

Years after business in Roseville were shut down by ADA lawsuits – Beth Gaines is attempting to grandstand on the issue. Where was Ted Gaines when the original damage was done? Nowhere, Beth? Wasting tax dollars grandstanding.

Both Gaines are now grand-standers – and given that they are controlled by the same person, it stands to reason that they would employ similar political tactics. Taxpayers can not afford the Gaines double-dip, double-grandstand and the double vortex in placer of leadership we all deserve from state-level officeholders.

The voters in AD06 know they have a leadership deficit. A couple that double-dip the taxpayers and do nothing for the district have bred some significant anger amongst the constituents.

Linda M Park has a resume that is verifiable because of the lives she has impacted. Beth Gaines’ resume, when challenged, falls apart.

Beth Gaines has a second major problem – she will be on the ballot at the same time as her husband, Ted Gaines. This is a loser. No amount of spin can change that.

It is time for Beth Gaines to get out in the district outside of controlled environments and debate Linda M Park. She is going to be forced to show the voters why she deserves to be retained – there is no place to hide.

It is also time for Beth Gaines to prove what she says in her “resume” is true, thereby showing people why she was qualified to infest office in the first place – beyond just the last name.

Let’s start the debate there – more to come soon.

Charlie Schaupp Suspends Campaign – Endorses Kim Vann

CA-03 Race, Charlie Schaupp, Kim Dolbow-Vann, Rick Tubbs 19 Responses »

Feb 232012

This is old news. That’s ok because my spin on it is not.

First off – the incredible article from the Marysville Appeal-Democrat.

The quotes are a consultant’s dream – if you’re Dan Sharp or Kim Vann:

“I’m first and foremost a Marine, and a Marine puts country first,” Schaupp said. “In this case, it’s time for Charlie Schaupp to step aside and do what’s best for the country.”

“She’s proven to me she’s trustworthy and knows what she’s doing,” said Schaupp

“It’s clear to me Vann is the one who should represent the party.”

Charlie Schaupp ended Rick Tubbs’ hopes of getting anywhere past 5% of the vote.

Tubbs had arrogantly thought that he could muscle everyone out of the race and position himself as the conservative alternative. Tubbs has two problems (other than a cronic lack of money) his wife and himself.

Having seen Tubbs in action, he is a used car salesman who has little if any substance to what he talks about. (EDIT – sentence deleted)

Kim Vann deserves better and the GOP deserves better than to see a targeted Congressional Race be subjected to the bizarre sideshow of the Tubbs campaign.

Do I think Rick Tubbs will suspend his campaign for the good of the GOP? I doubt it.

However, as reported back to me by people who were there… Rick Tubbs looked flabbergasted that Charlie endorsed Kim Vann. The most flabbergasted person will be John Garamendi in November when he realizes that he is out of office for the first time in 30+ years.

One of the most telling things I heard about was when Charlie confronted Garamendi. Garamendi could not regain his composure the rest of the morning – it is amazing what happens to career politicians when they are forced back in to the real world.

Kim Vann is going to kick John Garamendi’s butt – and with a Marine’s Size-12 helping him off the side.

P.S. I deleted a disparaging comment about Kristy Tubbs – she is not the candidate, Rick is and as such, I should have left her out of it.

Doug LaMalfa – Rice Welfare King / Founder of a Rice Welfare Organization

CA-01 Race, Doug LaMalfa, Pete Stiglich, Sam Aanestad 2 Responses »

Feb 222012

It looks like Doug LaMalfa is in trouble.

The Redding Record-Searchlight is the largest paper in the CD01 district and they LIT Doug LaMalfa on Fire over the Rice Welfare issue.

$300k last year alone! $300K!!!

I am sitting here finishing my dinner – L&L Hawiian BBQ which consists of Chicken, Polynesian BBQ Sauce and, you guessed it, taxpayer subsidized rice!

$4.7Million? Really? And all LaMalfa had to say for himself was – “You shouldn’t talk about a farmer with your mouth full…”

Doug LaMalfa – you shouldn’t talk about Welfare Reform or fiscal conservatism with your pockets full! (OF OUR MONEY!)

Quoting today’s Op-Ed:

But we will say this about LaMalfa. He’s one of those conservatives whose rhetoric has hit an increasingly bitter anti-government note of late. He recently touted his congressional candidacy on the Republican website FlashReport in part by saying, “I see it as my job to stand between the bureaucrat thugs and the people.” Are those the same “thugs” who send his family business six-figure subsidies each year?

Now, that will leave a mark.

But – it gets better, Doug LaMalfa has invested considerable time in supporting his Farm Welfare. He helped found an organization that is all about Farm Welfare:

LaMalfa served as a founding member of the California Rice Commission (Butte County). As a founding member, he helped start an organization that lobbies for rice subsidies, more friendly trucking regulation and cheaper power for rice growers.

The California Rice Commission had retained a Washington lobbying firm, Lesher and Russell, to make its case against such reductions for the 2007 federal farm bill that included rice subsidies.

Whoops.

Doug LaMalfa has some explaining to do. Big Time… but wait, there’s more… much more.

For example – the California Rice Commission applauded liberal Democrat Doris Matsui for protecting their welfare payments in the 2007 Farm bill.

Whoops.

We are now swimming in it. Quoting the Record-Searchlight again:

But a combination of pandering to the base about small government while paying the farm’s bills thanks to FDR’s legacy? Yeah, some folks might think that smells like fertilizer.

Oooooh. LaMalfa is a fraud.

Older Entries