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The April evening meeting was such a success that we are doing it again! Come check it out.
Date: Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Time: 6:00 P.M.
Location: Home of Barbara Cirks,
RSVP: Please call Barbara
John Sullivan will speak and show his the unscripted documentary Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed.
John is a philosopher who explores his ideas through the medium of film. John’s natural curiosity and interest in documentary filmmaking lead him to film school at San Francisco University and then to a partnership at Premise Media.
When his partner Walt Ruloff considered investing in a biotech company, the two set out on a journey of discovery about science and its general attitude toward Intelligent Design. The prejudice and animosity they found among the academic community inspired the film.
“Big Science in this area of biology has lost its way,” says Stein. “Scientists are supposed to be allowed to follow the evidence wherever it may lead, no matter what the implications are. Freedom of inquiry has been greatly compromised, and this is not only anti-American, it’s anti-science. Its anti-the whole concept of learning.”
Expelled uncovers that educators and scientists are being ridiculed, denied tenure and even fired in some cases for the fact that they believe there is evidence of “design” in nature, challenging the idea that life is a result of random chance. The creators of Expelled crossed the globe over a two-year period, interviewing scores of scientists, doctors, philosophers and public leaders. The result is a startling revelation that freedom of thought and freedom of inquiry have been expelled from publicly-funded high schools, universities and research institutions.
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Date: Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Time: 10:00 a.m. Gather and social
10:30 a.m. Business Meeting and program starts promptly – all are invited to attend
12:00 p.m. Luncheon
1:00 p.m. Program
Location: Radisson Hotel in Chatsworth
9777 Topanga Canyon Blvd. Chatsworth
Cost: $22.00 per person
Menu: Beef brochette with rice and chocolate mousse or
Cobb Salad and Chocolate mousse. Let Andria know your choice when you make your reservation
Reservations: Contact Andria Page at 894-1081
by Sunday, June 14, 2007 If you make a reservation and cannot attend, be sure to cancel your reservation; or you will be responsible for the cost.
We will welcome Matt Robbins, who will update us on what is needed to promote our GOP as the next party of choice in the November 2012 election. Matt Robbins is the Political Director of the CRP. He comes to the state party after serving as Regional Coalition Director for the five Mid-Atlantic states and the district of Columbia on McCain Palin 2008.
Prior to that, he was the Director of Training at the Leadership Institute, an educational non-profit which has trained almost 75,000 people since 1979.
Matt has personally trained thousands of political activists nationwide and in several foreign countries on campaign management, communications and party and candidate development.
Matt has proven record as a grassroots leader, legislative assistant and political consultant. He has worked in university administration and education, served as an analyst in the Office of the Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon, and been a successful campaign manager on both state-level and presidential races. Matt is also a founding partner in a grassroots advocacy firm, where headed efforts to clear the Supreme Court
nominations of Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justice Samuel Alito.
After lunch, we will be having a member forum discussion on not only what Matt has outlined but also our own ideas which will be reported to the CaGOP for them to understand the opinions of our club members. They do care.
Bring a bag full of your used books to the meeting for others to take. The club is using this as a fundraiser, charging $1 for hard cover and 50 cents for paperback. Take back home with you any books that remain.
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The Los Angeles County Federation of Republican Women is holding this special meeting and in a closer location. Do plan to attend this daytime meeting. It features THOMAS PAINE (actually someone playing Thomas Paine) at the historic Hollywood Post 43 in Hollywood. Make your reservations with MaryAnne Donat.
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As it has become a tradition, City Councilman Dennis Zine will speak to us again on a summer evening at the home of Cheryl Sullivan.
DATE: Thursday, July 23, 1009
TIME: 6:30 p.m.
REFRESHMENTS will be served – appetizers, wine, soft drinks (you can help by bringing some along)
RSVP: Cheryl Sullivan
A DONATION of $10 per person is requested.
Dennis Zine is in his third term as City Councilman; and he is a police officer, now on reserve. So he is very knowledgeable about what is happening in “City Hall”.
A lot is happening in the City of Los Angeles. There is the money crisis. There is the water crisis. There is the gang crisis. There is the illegal immigration crisis. There is Jamiel’s Law that the City Council shot down. So there is a lot to talk to Dennis about.
Do come with your questions and concerns. This is a give-and-take kind of meeting.
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Red, White & Blue Summertime Barbecue featuring the honorable State Senator George Runner
This is a fundraiser dinner gathering at the home of Penny Chaffin.There will be entertainment and lots of excitement.
DATE: Saturday, August 29, 2009
TIME: 6:00 p.m.
DINNER WILL BE SERVED ABOUT 7:00 P.M.
COST: $50 PER PERSON
Checks made out to CPWHRWF
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We have 70 members and 20 associate members.
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“LET US SUM IT UP FOR EVERYONE”
Let us face it : WE ARE WINNERS !
As a result to the May 19 2009 elections, the Los Angeles County is getting the message to the state legislators, rejecting and defeating propositions 1A-1E, requesting implementation to real fiscal strategies for a better future. The election also brings out Carmen “Nuch” Trutanich as a winner, in his race as City Attorney of Los Angeles, defeating a Villaraigosa-endorsed Democrat, Jack Weiss. And, in addition Tina Park won her race defeating Democrat-incumbent Angela Reddock for the Community College Board of Trustees, Seat # 2. And Prop 8 has been upheld!
Though you hopefully have enjoyed your long week-end, with hot dogs and hamburgers by the time my message reaches you, I still would like to share with you a poem written by John McCrae in 1915 as the symbol to the “Memorial Day”:
In Flanders Fields
In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing , fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago we lived, felt down, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders Fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If we break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.
Originally called “Decoration Day”, Memorial Day, officially proclaimed on May 5th 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, is the special day of remembrance to honor those Americans who have fallen in battle, and who have died in our nation’s service protecting the precious liberty and freedom we are privileged to enjoy in this great country.
We honor the men and women of the US military who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our country, and ask that “Blessed be those who mourn, for they shall be comforted”.
As a result to our April 29, 2009 evening meeting, we will continue to have another evening meeting, come June 3rd 2009, Wednesday at 6:00 PM. We will have the film evening presentation with John Sullivan and his film Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed. I encourage all of you to join us, and bring along friends, students, and treat DADS early for the upcoming father’s day.
As Cheryl Sullivan, student Megan Lee and myself went up to Sacramento for the 34th Advocacy workshop May 3-5 2009 and had the greatest 2 days, I am happy to relate to you all, Megan’s unique experiences made available by the Federation, through our club, as she may not be able to meet individual members of the club soon due to her ongoing challenges:
“My name is Megan Lee. I am a senior high school, and will be graduating at the end of May. The day after graduation, I will be leaving for Europe, having saved my own money for 2 years to go on this trip. After my trip I will be headed off to the University of Wyoming, to pursue a Nursing Major and be part of the Air Force RPTC program. I am very excited about all the things that are ahead of me.
“As the student that was sponsored to go to the State Capitol, I wish to thank the club for the opportunity to be a part of the advocacy workshop. It was actually a fluke that was asked to go.
“My parents were going to the showing of John Ziegler’s documentary “Media Malpractice” . I thought the title sounded interesting, and asked my parents if I could tag along. It was there, that MaryAnne asked me if I would like to go to Sacramento.
“It was a great experience for me. I got to meet with several representatives at the capitol building. We got a personal tour of the building by state Senator Toni Strickland. Much was pointed out, that normally is not on an average tour. I also got to meet other students of my age, that had the same conservative views and values. On Monday night, students met with each other, along with 3 representatives, when we then broke into groups and got the opportunity to propose and discuss a new idea for a bill.
“I had a great time, and learned so much! Thank you, to you all again for this incredible opportunity ! “
We wish you best of luck in you future endeavors Megan !
We had a fun and beautiful day on May 14 2009 at the Camulos Ranch in Piru. Thank you Shirley Ames for all your preparation. Please stay tuned for another possible trip, before the end of this year.
On the upcoming list of events, I invite all of you , your friends and family to join us for the July 23 2009 at Cheryl’s home with councilman Dennis Zine.
Come August 29 2009 Saturday, early evening, a special Fundraiser at Penny Chaffin’s home in Encino with honored guest speaker Senator George Runner and other entertainment !
Dear members, associate members, students, guests and friends we are an active, happy and progressive club, thriving for success. We stand for strength, devotion and leadership ! Leadership is about living out your values when it is hard to do so. We were taught about capitalism, about giving, and about what it means to be an American. The true test of our values comes not during season of sunshine, but rather during days of darkness and despair. “Adversity is the first path to truth” (by British poet Lord Byron)
I encourage all of you to join us as many times as you can, become active, communicate, make a difference and bring along someone to join us !
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MaryAnne Donat, Cheryl Sullivan and student Megan Lee had an exciting time in Sacramento on May 3,4 &5th. Following the Board of Directors' Meeting on May 4th, some fifty red jacketed ladies lobbied Republican legislators and senior staff.
The three of us first visited first with Assemblyman Curt Hagman.We then joined another group and went on to see Senator Tony Strickland. He took us onto the floor of the Senate and then over to the Assembly side where we met with Assemblyman
On Monday evening, in the Capitol View room atop the Hyatt Regency, a number of elected officials took the time to say a few words.
NFRW President Shirley Sadler (right) (Ohio) and First Vice President Sue Lynch (Wisconsin) were with us for the entire time. It turns out that Sue Lynch has been nominated for the position of NFRW President for the term of 2010-11. Both are very dynamic ladies!
There were over 200 adults and nearly 150 students in attendance. We were very happy to have a student with us. Megan Lee is a charming young lady who will be going to the University of Wyoming, joining the ROTC program, and plans to become a nurse in the armed services.
A full complement of speakers filled both adult and student two-and-one half-hour break-out sessions.
The adults' speakers were Senate Republican Leader Dennis Hollingsworth, Senator Cogdill, Assembly- men Logue, Cook, Gilmore and Miller, Assemblywomen Conway, Fuller and Strickland, former Assemblyman Doug LaMalfa and CRP Vice Chair Tom Del Beccaro. It is so nice to be able to put faces with the names.
What we heard from our legislators is how hard the job is. They work long hours and with great frustration since their numbers are few. They all said that the only hope for the Republicans is to elect more of them. The need for a larger conservative voice in Sacramento is great!
There was a separate program for the students, and then we all came together for lunch and to hear from Steve Poizner, the California Insurance Commissioner. He is such a dynamic speaker!
Mark your calendars for 2010 when the 35th Advocacy Workshop will be held on April 20th. Others in our club should try to attend.
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Our thanks to the club and the people who gave contributions of money to purchase some of the items to include in the packages sent to the troops by Operation Gratitude, and to Pat Hicks who continues to make the purchases and deliveries. We know these things will be much appreciated.
Our club received a letter of thanks from Haven Hills for food, toiletries, paper goods, and clothing which we contributed to that organization assisting battered women. They mentioned the fact that many of those women find it necessary to leave their homes with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Please keep this project in mind when you have occasion to contribute useful items to help these women and their young children.
As usual, some of our club members will continue during the summer to donate time to help with the My Stuff Bags project of assembling new items to be sent to foster care organizations for the thousands of abused and neglected children throughout the country. If you would like to accompany us on our once-a-month visit to the My Stuff Bags headquarters, you may contact Shirley Lee Ames or Cheryl Sullivan. And, incidentally,
Cheryl has been purchasing and donating dozens of new toy animals of every description to this cause in the name of our club for a long time now.
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It never hurts to ask. As people are becoming more concerned about Obama’s spending policies, they might consider switching parties!
While I have nothing set up at the mall this month, you can always individually register voters. You can get the form from me or at your local post office. Have the person fill it out and mail it to the address listed. Just, please, make a copy for me for my records.
Start thinking September. That is when we man a Republican booth at the Los Angeles County Fair. It is a one day commitment. Let me know if you are interested. It is lots of fun, and you get a free ticket to see the fair.
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Memorial Day 2009 Is a Solemn Occasion
By Doug Patton, freelance columnist From GOPUSA.COM May 25, 2009
On Sunday morning of Memorial Day weekend, my family and I gather at a small rural cemetery on a windswept hillside, surrounded by rich Iowa farmland, as the local chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars honors the men buried there who served in all of America's wars, from the War of 1812 to Operation Iraqi Freedom.
An aging VFW honor guard provides a 21-gun salute, followed by a lone bugler playing Taps. Some of the men being honored there were teenagers when they lost their lives in battle.
Whatever their circumstances, they are remembered each Memorial Day at this brief ceremony. Among the names of those who served in World War I is that of my maternal grandfather. He and my grandmother settled there in the 1930s and made the community
Until this year, I had always viewed this special Memorial Day ceremony as a celebration of the lives of ordinary men who rose to the occasion in the worst of times to do extraordinary things. This year, I felt a sense of sadness and resentment for those men, because their country is now led by a man who believes that America is an arrogant nation that needs to apologize to the rest of the world.
From the bloody, mustard gas poisoned battlefields of World War I to the beaches of Normandy, from the freezing cold of Korea to the rice paddies of Vietnam, from the deserts of Iraq to the mountains of Afghanistan, these brave men set aside their own personal hopes, dreams, goals and lives to serve us when we needed them most. They fought for an ideal this PRESIDENT cannot even fathom and about which he apparently cares nothing.
I hear people say, "He's not one of us," almost as if he's a space alien. I know what they mean, and I agree. He is not a loyal, patriotic American, and I am tired of pretending he is anything other than an underprepared, slick-talking Marxist. He is a radical ideologue whose worldview is global and whose loyalties lie somewhere other than with the nation that has given him so much.
When I see the President of the United States travel to Europe and refuse to go to a U.S. military cemetery in France -- even at the invitation of the French president -- I am glad my father did not live to see it. When I see my president stand before crowds of Europeans, all of whom, without the intervention of my country -- twice in one century -- would be speaking German today, I am ashamed for the honor of my father and my grandfather.
May God grant us the endurance and the fortitude to stand against the evil of this president's ideology and agenda, and the wisdom to replace him with the next true patriot who runs for that office.
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These times in which we are now living could be described as interesting to say the least. I would comment that these times go beyond “interesting”—they could be characterized as overwhelming, particularly in the domain of legislative topics. There is an abundance of material about which I could report to you. I also know there is no shortage of intelligent, thoughtful women (and men) who read this newsletter and have excellent ideas as to choice of material. I therefore submit to you the following report on some of the efforts that are presently taking place.
Health Care Reform: 16 different plans have been discussed. Conservatives for Patients’ Rights has a website which presents an in-depth analysis of each of these programs House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has promised a health care bill on the floor by the end of July. We the People have material. available to educate ourselves on this matter and to actively participate in the political process.
Climate Change Legislation: The House Energy and Commerce Committee made some concessions to appease Democrats whose states would be adversely affected by the requirements in the proposed bill, however Republicans are preparing to introduce amendments aimed at the elimination of some of the major provisions and they could benefit from constituent support. Jason Chaffetz, Utah Congressman, introduced legislation that will require utility companies to itemize the impact of the cap and trade taxes. This would enable every utility customer to identify the costs that are being passed on to them. Some studies have shown that utility bills could increase by more than $3000 per year. Telephone calls and letters to our congressmen and senators in support of Jason Chaffetz’s efforts to compel transparency and disclosure of the financial burden to each of us is our responsibility.
Parental Rights: We have long taken for granted our right as parents to determine and decide for our offspring that which we deem to be in the best interest of these our precious children.
These rights have been slowly threatened over the past years. While schools are not authorized to distribute an aspirin without our written consent, minors are able to obtain birth control assistance without our knowledge. Parents are slowly losing the battle to retain discretion and direction over their own children. The mistakes and poor judgment of the few negatively affect the good judgment of the overwhelming majority of parents. Parentalrights.org is following this trend and reports in detail on the effort currently at work in the UN. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is proposing a Treaty which would protect children’s rights over and above those of the parents. Children would have the ability to choose their own religion while parents would have the authority to give advice only. A child’s “right to be heard” would allow him or her to seek governmental review of every parental decision with which the child disagreed. Another trend of concern is the lack of specific language in our Constitution to protect the rights of parents over those of minor children.. Supreme Court Justice Antonio Scalia believes that parental rights are among the “inalienable rights” of Americans enumerated in the Declaration of Independence, but many Justices are finding it increasingly difficult when it is not explicitly included in the language of the Constitution.
Parentalrights.org proposes a constitutional amendment that places current Supreme Court doctrine protecting parental rights into the explicit language of the U.S.Constitution. Go to the website to learn more.
The National Right to Work Committee has recently printed a Petition that can be signed and mailed to your Congressman and Senators that urges him/her/them to vote against Card Check, forced unionism, repeal of Section 14(b) of the Taft-Hartley Act (which would automatically wipe out all state Right to Work laws, forcing American workers to join and pay dues to a union just to get or keep a job). If you are motivated (and I know you are!), Senator Jim DeMint is the man to contact or you can log on to the National Right to Work website
Update on Proposition 8: State Supreme Court is expected to announce their ruling in June.
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Every school year, I amass an impressive list for summer reading: novels, classics, journals, as well as a stockpile of books on educational research practices and English pedagogy. Always more than I can realistically read in a single season, this collection represents the mythic promise of never-ending summer, abundant with time to relax and recharge. I get through quite a few each summer, but am always disappointed that I'm not able to put a bigger dent in my list. A couple of years ago I had a brilliant idea; I figured out how many books I'd be able to read before I die based on a very "doable" two books per month. I was bewildered to learn that even if I did this for the rest of my life, and lived to the ripe old age of 90, I'd still only be able to read about a thousand books before I die. Now, granted, reading 1,000 books is definitely an accomplishment, and I would be better off for having read them, but all I could think about was all of the books I will never be able to read because there is just not enough time. I want to read Tolstoy, Aeschylus, Hesiod, Homer, Milton, Shakespeare, Plato, Coleridge, Shelley, and Keats. And what about the people of this Century? If I'm not careful, my 1,000 will be all used up reading all of the thinkers of the past, and then where will I be?
For the past seven years, I've been going to college to complete my degree in English and subsequently have completed my Single Subject Teaching Credential. During that time, I've read lots of books. Although I liked most of them, they were required reading. I want to choose the books I read, and hate it when I have to put off reading one thing because something else is on the "must read" list. At any rate, now that I'm so close to having my own high school English classroom, I realize how important it is to instill in my students a love of reading. Reading is the single most important factor in vocabulary development, and is a necessary component to bolstering writing skills. In short, reading makes you smarter.
So, for those of you who wish to juice up your brain power this summer, here's a reading list for you. If you give yourself a goal of one book every two weeks, you could knock off six of these in twelve weeks.
1. Uncle Tom's Cabin Harriet Beecher Stowe
2. Crime and Punishment Fyodor Dostoevsky
3. The Pilgrim's Progress John Bunyan
4. River God Wilbur Smith
5. Pillars of the Earth Ken Follett
6. Paradise Lost John Milton
7. Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck
8. Redeeming Love Francine Rivers
9. Harry Potter (all of them)
10. The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands Dr. Laura Schlessinger
11. Common Sense Thomas Payne
12. John Adams David McCullough
13. All of the Poetry of John Keats
14. Out of the Dust Karen Hesse
15. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Mildred Taylor
16. The Audio Book version of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
17. The Gospel of John
Happy Reading!
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On Billboards, Busted Budgets and Bad Leadership
By Ron Kaye, May 27, 2009
The City Council last week grabbed another $27 million out of the money we pay for electricity and put it into the treasury to help mask years of reckless spending. Today, the council will put its final seal of approval on a budget that is a work of fiction. It won't even stand up 26 seconds into the new fiscal year starting July 1.
By then, the Department of Water and Power will have gotten the green light to impose a variety of massive rate increases even as it absorbs as much staff as it can from other city departments and a long list of costs normally paid by other city departments.
The battle for City Hall has just begun but the opportunities for the public to win some respect and a seat at the table of power are many.
Since the City Council exposed itself as a bunch of know-nothings during the Billy the Elephant debate and its uninformed passage of what became the solar energy ballot Measure B, there have been clear signs that a degree of nervousness has intruded into their lives.
It hasn't stopped them from sneaking what's left in the $100,00 annual slush funds they award themselves into their office accounts in the new year but it has given them pause in moving too swiftly and carelessly on a lot of important measures like the new billboard ordinance that came up on Tuesday.
This is a legislative body (I hesitate to use the phrase deliberative body) that enacted into a law a billboard ordinance so full of holes seven years ago that corporate lawyers have run circles around it. Even when the city won in court, the council and mayor sold out the public interest and opened the door to nearly 1,000 of those truly annoying digital signs.
When then-Planning Commission President Jane Usher pushed for a tough ordinance to clean up the mess, the system went to work to scuttle her effort and eventually forced her to resign in disgust.
By then, the public was aroused and the council agreed to a three-month moratorium on implementing the hole-filled ordinance they had passed just six weeks earlier. Then, another three-month moratorium. And on Tuesday, they put off a decision until September.
What was interesting about the two-hour-long parade of people who spoke at public comment was the council's patience in allowing them all a full two minutes. That's because it wasn't just the disgruntled citizenry coming forward. Labor and business were united in their opposition to any effort to clean up the visual blight destroying the human environment of the city.
Jobs and profits are at stake. The economy is bad. This isn't the time to clamp down on illegal billboards or stop their proliferation. If those arguments were made about poisoning the air, land or water, the environmental lobby would have been out in force but since it is only the visual landscape that is threatened, they were nowhere to be found.
My point in raising this is that there is an unease at City Hall these days. The public is aroused and getting organized. City unions are refusing to embrace the idea of "shared sacrifice." Business is hurting. City Hall can't pay its bills and the state is about to take away somewhere between $70 million and $120 million in property taxes.
It all makes for lively politics and turns every issue into a contentious battleground. I keep thinking that someone in the political arena and will step forward and provide real leadership when it's so badly needed. Desperate times have a way of bringing out the best in people, or the worst.
The months ahead will tell us who we really are and whether we care enough about our city to pull together for the greater good or whether we continue to put our narrow self interests ahead of the public interest.
I don't know how it plays out but I do know the future of LA is at stake for years to come.
The Society of Professional Journalists had the former Los Angeles Daily News Editor Ron Kaye as a guest and described him as an “accidental anarchist,” “passionate populist” and “the Patrick Henry of the San Fernando Valley.” Kaye recently launched a blog, RonKayeLA.com, and says he’s “committed to carrying on his crusade for a greater Los Angeles as an ordinary citizen.”
Democracy lives in LA, finally.
Just as the defeat of Measure B in March signaled a groundswell of grassroots support for change, the results of Tuesday's election shows the depth of discontent with our politicians is growing.
The public is fed up and waking up.
The political machine is oblivious even as it creaks and breaks down. It lives off of special interest money and smear politics of consultants like Ace Smith.
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jortiz@sacbee.com
Published: Friday, May. 22, 2009 -
California's prison and parole system will lose about 5 percent of its sworn officers as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's layoff order takes hold over the next four months, according to administration figures released on Friday.
Another 10 agencies, including one that serves veterans and another that collects taxes are also cutting staff, but none as many as the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Last week it sent layoff notices to 3,665 employees - about half of them correctional officers with up to 18 months of service -- as part of Schwarzenegger's plan to eliminate 5,000 state jobs. The law gives notified workers up to 120 days to find other work.
"And there definitely will be more layoffs coming," said Lynelle Jolley, spokeswoman for the Department of Personnel Administration.
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State Senator Tony Strickland Unveils 2009 Energy Bill Package
April 8th, 2009
From The Policy Report, posted by Adam Haverstock
California State Senator Tony Strickland (R-Thousand Oaks) unveiled his 2009 energy bill package, at a press conference in front of Clipper Windpower in Carpinteria. With a model wind turbine as his backdrop, Senator Strickland spoke about his legislation and transitioning California to a renewable, more energy efficient economy.
“Today, California is squeezed between an economic crisis and an energy crisis that requires us to fundamentally rethink how we do business,” said Senator Strickland.
Senator Strickland’s bill package focuses on expanding renewable, clean energy. His legislation would move California away from dirty fossil fuels that are not just bad for the environment, but are a threat to energy security. And for those fossil fuels like diesel that we can’t rid the earth of, Strickland’s bill package encourages people to make those emissions cleaner.
“By focusing on legislation that promotes renewable, clean energy, we promote local businesses. When businesses grow, jobs multiply.”
Key elements of Senator Strickland’s energy legislation includes:
1. SB 463: Renewable Energy Projects: This bill would entitle a person to a one-time tax credit not to exceed $3,000, or equal to 30 percent of all costs for the purchase and installation of a renewable energy resource project.
2. SB 534/SCA 13: Small Wind Turbines & Geothermal Heat Pump Systems: This bill would promote the use of renewable energy by allowing for the construction of a small wind turbine or geothermal heat pump system on private property without costing the property owner additional property taxes for the improvement to the property.
3. SB 551: Transmission Lines: This bill provides the Energy Commission with the exclusive authority to certify electric transmission lines with the goal of reducing the application time for specific projects.
4. SB 462: Manufacturers of Diesel Exhaust Filters: This bill would entitle a person to a $10,000 tax-credit per year for manufacturing technology that is designed and verified by the Air Resource Board to reduce diesel emissions.
5. SB 464: Diesel Particulate Matter Reduction: This bill would entitle a personto a tax credit equal to 5 percent, not exceeding $10,000 of the cost for the purchase of equipment verified in the reduction of particulate emissions from diesel-fueled engines.
6. SB 542: Solar Energy & Energy Efficiency Programs: Senator Strickland has joint-authored SB 542 with Democratic Senator Pat Wiggins. This bill would add apartments, duplexes, and commercial rental properties into the California Solar Initiative and other energy efficiency programs to encourage the use of renewable energy.
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Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee has been chosen as the new California State Assembly Minority Leader. He is from the San Luis Obispo area and is considered conservative to moderate. He says, “We will reform this State. We will balance the budget.”
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Sonia Sotomayor has been nominated for Supreme Court Justice.
The Huffington Post says, she is “A Puerto Rican woman with 16 years of court experience who currently sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit, Sotomayor is a graduate of Yale Law and served as an editor of the Yale Law Review. Administration officials note that Sotomayor would bring more judicial experience to the Supreme Court than any justice confirmed in the past 70 years.”
Rush Limbaugh says that we should oppose her – she is too radical. Four times the decisions she has written have been overturned by the Supreme Court on consistutional grounds.
And there is a 2005 video of Sotomayor, speaking with potential law clerks, saying that a “court of appeals is where policy is made.”
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May 22, 2009
Congressman Henry Waxman's Energy and Commerce Committee initiated hearings on HR 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009. Cap-and-trade is being peddled as sound, environmentally friendly energy policy. In actuality, it has little to do with the environment and instead is a means to deprive you of income, control your behavior and repress your liberties.
Just What Is Cap-And-Trade?
Essentially, cap-and-trade is being deceptively peddled as a system to encourage businesses to engage in "environmentally responsible activities."
Under cap-and-trade, the government would issue "pollution credits." Once allocated (as the government sees fit) those who use less than their government-imposed allocation of pollution credits can sell them to those who have exceeded their government-imposed allocation of pollution credits.
Peter Ferrara, the director of budget and entitlement policy at the Institute for Policy Innovation, writing for The American Spectator explains cap-and-trade this way:
"Under this policy, every business involving CO2 emissions will have to buy permits from the government for the amount of such emissions, which will be sold in open auctions, where the permit price will be bid up. But the government will limit the number of these permits, and consequently the maximum amount of CO2 emissions allowed. Indeed, over time the government will clamp down on the amount of CO2 emissions allowed by the permits, with the emissions to be reduced by 80 percent by 2050."
And how will cap-and-trade policies change your standard of living for the worse: Ferrara explains:
"These increased costs are effectively a new tax on the American people, even though Obama promised in his campaign that there would be no tax increase for the bottom 95 percent of income earners."
Of course, in the strictest sense, cap-and-trade is not solely a "tax." It's something much worse Under cap-and-trade, no one in the government reaches directly into your pocket. Instead, our government, which is already taking de-facto control of the banking and automotive industry, will have yet another tool in its arsenal to effectively take control of every other company or sector of industry that produces CO2... and that's just about everybody.
Contact your legislators. Demand that they REJECT HR 2454 and all other cap-and-trade schemes now.
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By Michael Steele, Chairman, Republican National Committee
From GOP.com May 15, 2009
If Obama and his liberal Democrat cohorts get their way, you and your family will be paying an additional $260 a month in energy taxes thanks to the Democrats' outrageous Cap & Trade legislation. That's $260 a month that you and your family should be allowed to spend, save or invest anyway you see fit.
Republicans are committed to protecting the environment and cutting back greenhouse gas emissions -- but not by punishing businesses and families with the giant tax increases that the Democrat plan would impose -- especially in the midst of a recession.
Even Democrat Congressman John Dingell, the former Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, said, "Cap and trade is a tax, and it's a great big one."
John Dingell isn't the only Democrat who recognizes that cap and trade is a tax. President Obama acknowledged on the campaign trail last year that energy prices would rise dramatically under a cap and trade program when he said:
"You know, when I was asked earlier about the issue of coal, uh, you know, under my plan of a cap and trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket. Even regardless of what I say about whether coal is good or bad. Because I'm capping greenhouse gases, coal power plants, you know, natural gas, you name it -- whatever the plants were, whatever the industry was, uh, they would have to retrofit their operations. That will cost money. They will pass that money on to consumers."
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We can cover more people by making the current insurance tax subsidy more fair.
By GRACE-MARIE TURNER and JOSEPH R. ANTOSWall Street Journal, May 20, 2009
Republican congressional leaders are finally offering a clear alternative to the health-reform plans being developed by the White House and Democrats in Congress. The goals and the rhetoric of both sides are remarkably similar: cover the uninsured, allow people to keep the coverage they have, provide more choices of affordable health insurance, and rein in health costs. But their policy prescriptions are remarkably different.
Democrats are uniting around proposals to vastly expand federal regulation of health insurance, require everyone to have coverage, and compel employers to provide federally prescribed insurance or pay a new tax. A new Medicare-like insurance plan is still being debated, but even if it doesn't make the cut, Congress could regulate its way to a government-dominated market.
Four Republicans in Congress -- Sens. Tom Coburn (Oklahoma) and Richard Burr (North Carolina) and Reps. Paul Ryan (Wisconsin) and Devin Nunes (California) -- will today introduce a bill that moves away from federal centralization. Aptly called the Patients' Choice Act, it provides a path to universal coverage by redirecting current subsidies for health insurance to individuals. It also provides a new safety net that guarantees access to insurance for those with pre-existing conditions.
The nexus of their plan is redirecting the $300 billion annual tax subsidy for employment-based health insurance to individuals in the form of refundable, advanceable tax credits. Families would get $5,700 a year and individuals $2,300 to buy insurance and invest in Health Savings Accounts.
Low-income Americans would get a supplemental debit card of up to $5,000 to help them purchase insurance and pay out-of-pocket costs. They would have an incentive to spend wisely since up to one-fourth of any unspent money in the accounts could be rolled over to the next year. The combination of the refundable tax credit and debit card gives lower-income Americans a way out of the Medicaid ghetto so they can have the dignity of private insurance.
The great majority of Americans with job-based health insurance would see little more than a bookkeeping change with the Patients' Choice plan. But implicit in the policy is the acknowledgment that our system of tying health insurance to the workplace is not working for upwards of 45 million uninsured Americans.
That's a pivotal point in the fight over reform: Will the next health-reform bill lock in a system of job-based health insurance or allow more individual choice and portability to fit a 21st century work force?
Democrats are fretting over how to pay for their plans, which early estimates peg at $1.5 trillion or more over 10 years. Economists at a recent Senate Finance Committee roundtable unanimously supported limiting the virtually invisible $300 billion tax subsidy that workers receive when they get health insurance through their employers. Even Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D., Mont.) said he feels like Willie Sutton: Congress must look at redirecting at least some of this huge subsidy because "that's where the money is."
This is the same proposal John McCain was criticized for during the 2008 presidential campaign. Television ads by the Obama campaign pounded him for "taxing your health insurance."
Employers worry that their contributions toward their workers' health insurance premiums no longer would be recognized as legitimate business expenses. The Republican alternative doesn't touch that. Whether companies offer their workers compensation in the form of health insurance or cash wages, they still can deduct the full cost.
While many Americans are fed up with private insurance, opinion polls consistently show a majority think government-controlled health care would be worse. There are problems in the private insurance market, and the Republican plan takes steps that can help.
States could provide one-stop insurance shopping through new Health Care Exchanges rather than giving the federal government control, as most Democratic plans would do. And it frees up Medicaid money and provides added resources to the states to target additional help to those with disabilities and low incomes. It also calls for auto-enrollment to expand insurance coverage: People will have many options and opportunities to select insurance, but if they don't make an active choice they can be automatically enrolled in private policies financed by the tax credit.
Who will control the system? Doctors and patients, or politicians and regulators? That's the crux of this year's health-care debate. The Republican proposal makes the choice clear.
Ms. Turner is president of the Galen Institute. Mr. Antos is a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.
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NFRW NEWS RELEASE, WEEK OF May 25,
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – On a day when both President Barack Obama and former Vice President Dick Cheney spoke on national security, Cheney did the better job of explaining what our nation did during the Bush administration to remain safe, and what the U.S. must continue to do to forestall terrorist attacks.
Cheney's speech to the American Enterprise Institute was not intended to be a response to Obama's speech. The Cheney speech was scheduled several weeks ago. Cheney even deferred to the president, delaying his speech until President Obama's speech was finished. However, coming in the same news cycle as questions regarding Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's claims that the CIA lied to her about waterboarding, and a day after Congress refused Obama's intention to close Guantanamo, both speeches have indeed brought national security back into the spotlight.
“Once again, it should be obvious to Americans that Democrats cannot be trusted with national security,” said Shirley Sadler, president of the National Federation of Republican Women (NFRW). “For years, the party of Harry Truman has abandoned our nation's interests by being weak on defense and soft with our enemies.”
President Sadler echoes the sentiments of members of the NFRW, one of the largest women's political organizations in the country. The NFRW works to elect Republicans to office, educate the public, and train women to work for the cause of good government.
“Even a majority of Democrat senators realizes that Americans do not want these hardened terrorists sent to American soil,” Sadler declared. The Senate voted 90-6 to withhold funding to close Guantanamo. Moreover, the wording of the resolution prevents funds intended for other purposes to be used for such a purpose. Republican Members of Congress joined with many Democrats to demand a plan from the president as to how to accomplish the closing of the Cuban detention facility.
Many Republicans in Congress also have pointed out that Speaker Pelosi's claim that the CIA lied to Congress needs to be fully investigated. “If Pelosi is accusing the CIA of committing the federal crime of lying to Congress, then she needs to exhibit proof. If she doesn't have it, then the declarations of others – like former Congressman Porter Goss – stating that the CIA told the House Intelligence Committee of all the interrogation techniques they used stands as truth,” Sadler added.
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Dear Mr(s). Sullivan:
Thank you for writing to me about federal spending. I appreciate the time you took to write, and I welcome this opportunity to respond.
Like you, I am very concerned about the increasing debt and federal deficit. However, in this time of economic uncertainty, the Federal government can provide the funds for basic services to create or sustain jobs. Many economists believe that with the severe economic distress in the private sector, government must lead the way in providing assistance to lift us from the current economic crisis and lay the foundation for future prosperity. I do believe that federal funding for these programs must be effective, efficient and transparent.
President Obama signed H.R. 1105, the fiscal year 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act, into law on March 12, 2009, which combined the nine appropriations bills that Congress did not pass in 2008. This omnibus appropriations bill works in tandem with the economic recovery package to address the country's immediate needs, and invests in future economic prosperity. Without the funds included in this Omnibus bill, the federal government would be unable to cover the operating costs of critical agencies like the Army Corps of Engineers, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Justice Department, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Again, thank you for writing. For your information, a complete public database of all of the programs and projects funded by the Omnibus bill is available online at: http://appropriations.house.gov/FY2009_consolidated.shtml.
Please know that I appreciate your concerns about federal spending. I hope you will continue to write to me on matters of importance to you. If you have any further questions or comments, please feel free to contact me Washington, D.C. office at (202) 224-3841, or on the Internet at http://feinstein.senate.gov. Best Regards.
Sincerely yours,
Dianne Feinstein, United States Senator
Further information about my position on issues of concern to California and the Nation are available at my website http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/.
You can also receive electronic e-mail updates by subscribing to my e-mail list at http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ENewsletterSignup.Signup.
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Obama's Immigration Chief Validates E-Verify & Suggests Stronger Future
By Roy Beck, Thursday, May 14, 2009, 7:32 PM
Janet Napolitano has raised hopes for better immigration enforcement many times in her career and then disappointed those cheering her on, but I want to believe my eyes/ears that she signaled a major commitment to E-Verify this week. It appears the Obama Administration is finally starting to separate itself from the most extreme open-borders elements of the Democratic Party. Napolitano's testimony before Congress was most significant -- and encouraging.
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UNITED STATES PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA
The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington D.C. 20500
(202) 456-1414 Comments at (202) 456-1111 fax at (202 456-2461
www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
GOVERNOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (213) 897-0322
State Capitol, Sacramento, CA 95814 fax (213) .897-0319
governor@governor.gov
U.S. SENATORS
Diane Feinstein (D) (310) 914-7300
11111 Santa Monica Blvd #915, Los Angeles, CA 90025
331Hart Senate Office Building, Washington D.C. 20510 202) 224-3841
www.Feinstein.senate.gov
Barbara Boxer (D) (213) 894-5000
312 N, Spring St., Ste 1748, Los Angeles, CA 90012 fax (213) 894-5012
112 Hart Senate Office Bldg, Washington D.C. 20514 (202) 224-3553
www.boxer.senate.gov
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS
27th Brad Sherman (D) (818)501-9200
5000Van Nuys Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
sherman.personal@mail.house.gov
28thHoward Berman(D) (818) 891-0543
10200 Sepulveda Blvd., #300, Mission Hills, CA 91345
Howard.Berman@mail.house.gov
30th Henry Waxman (D)………………………………………...(818) 878-7400
8436 W. Third St. #600, Los Angeles, CA 90048
www.house.gov/waxman/
CALIFORNIA STATE SENATE
17th George Runner (R) …………………….……………………..….(661) 729-6232
848 W. Lancaster Blvd., Lancaster, CA 93534
19th Tony Strickland (R) (805 494-8808
223 E Thousand Oaks Blvd., Ste 400, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360
State Capitol Room 3070, Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 445-8873
20th Alex Padilla (D) (818) 901-5588
6150 Van Nuys Blvd., 400, Van Nuys, CA 91401
23rd Fran Pavley (D) (310) 441-9084
10951 W. Pico Blvd. #202, Los Angeles, CA 90064
State Capitol, Room 4032, Sacramento, CA 95814. (916) 445-1353
CALIFORNIA STATE ASSEMBLY
37th Audra Strickland (R)…………….………………………………..(805) 230-9167
2659 Townsgate Road, #236, Westlake Village, CA 91361
38th Cameron Smyth (R) (661) 286-1565
23734 Valencia Blvd., #303, Santa Cclarita,CA 91355 State Capitol, Room 4153, Sacramento, CA 95814 …..916) 319-2038
40 Bob Blumenfield (D) (818) 904-3840
6150 Van Nuys Blvd., #300, Van Nuys, Ca 91401
State Capitol, Room 6011, Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 319-2040
41st Julia Brownley (D) (818) 596-4141
6355 Topanga Canyon Blvd., Ste. 205, Woodland Hills, CA 91367
State Capitol, room 5144, Sacramento, CA 94249 (916) 319-2041
LOS ANGELES COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Central Office, 500 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, CA 90012
3rdZev Yaroslavsky(D) (818) 880-9416
26500 W. Agoura R., Calabasas, CA 91302
5th Michael D. Antonovich ( R )…………….………………………. (818) 993-5170
…………21943 Plummer Street, Chatsworth, CA 91311
fifthdistrict@lacbos.org
LOS ANGELES CITY COUNCIL
City Hall, 200 N. Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
3rdDennis Zine(R) (818) 756-8848
19040 Vanowen St., Reseda, CA 91335
counvilmember.zine@lacity.org
12thGreig Smith (R) (818) 886-5210
18917 Nordhoff St., #18, Northridge, CA 91324
councilmember.smith@lacity.org
LOS ANGELES CITY MAYOR
Antonio Villaraigosa (D) (818) 778-4990
City Hall, 200 N. Spring Street,, Room 303, Los Angeles, CA 90012
City Hall, 14410 Sylvan Street, Van Nuys, CA 91411
Juneor@lacity.org
CALIFORNIA REPUBLICAN PARTY
1903 w. Magnolia Blvd. Burbank, CA 91506 (818) 841-5210
alternate phone (714) 893-8004
LOS ANGELES COUNTY FEDERATION OF REPUBLICAN WOMEN (LACFRW)
NANCYY EISENHART, PRESIDENT………………….(818) 389-0423
P.O. BOX 8995, CALABASAS, CA 91372-8995
nwrepublicanwoman@yahoo.com
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