Why Didn't Norby Speak Up On Fullerton's Water Tax? He did.

Back on May 6, 1997 a resident named Tom O'Neill told the City Council that he opposed the practice of transferring money from the Water Fund to the General Fund.  O'Neill said it's deceptive and builds mistrust in elected officials.  Then Mayor Chris Norby noted that the City attorney was reviewing this issue and would report on it at a future meeting.

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Then, in September of 1997, the Water Fund issue rises again as the priorities for Hill Crest Park were being considered.  The Water Fund and Redevelopment Fund were being eyed as the primary funding source.

The City's consultant tried to explain why these funds could be used.  His logic?  If a new waterline and reservoir were to be installed, many of the other park improvements could be logically tied to the water work.

Marie Whaling and Barbara Marr asked questions about the use of Redevelopment Funds and Water Funds for the park.

Mayor Norby explained that Redevelopment Funds were to be used for alleviating blight.  He went on to say that the concerns expressed regarding funding sources are legitimate and that Water Fund monies are for water purposes and expenditures must be related to water and its delivery.

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Assemblymember Chris Norby Speaks

Thursday, February 23

The California Republican Assembly (CRA) of Fullerton is proud to welcome Assemblymember Chris Norby to the Sizzler in Fullerton (1401 N. Harbor Blvd.). 

Assemblymember Norby will be giving an insider's perspective and update on Sacramento.

The public is welcome to attend this FREE meeting. 

Dinner (optional, on your own) is at 6:15PM and Assemblymember Norby will begin speaking at 7PM. 

Please bring your questions about Sacramento, education, redevelopment, his voting record, or anything else on your mind. 

This is a great way to meet your neighbors and civic leaders.

Discussion is encouraged but not required.

Assemblyman Chris Norby's Notes

First LegisLunch Friday

This Friday, my staff and I will hold the first monthly LegisLunch meeting. In a casual setting over lunch, these sessions will provide the public a chance to meet with my staff and me to share issues or concerns.

Time: April 8 (Friday), 12:00-1:00.  Place: Sizzler, 1401 N. Harbor Blvd., Fullerton

These LegisLunches (yes, it's a new word-my spell check is underlining it in red as I type) will be held the 2nd Friday of every month at the Sizzler, right across the street from my district office. All are welcome-the concerned, the curious, the agitated or the just plain friendly!

 

 

No Budget Deal Yet

As of this week, Governor Brown appears to have missed the deadline for a June election on new tax extensions he's sought as part of his budget plan. He may try to seek a simple majority vote for such a measure, or wait for a November election and qualify all of his measures by signature gathering.

Five Republican Senators had been in talks with the Governor over compromises necessary for a comprehensive package which could have included a vote on some tax extensions along with a long list of concurrent reforms. At the top of the list were pension reform and a state spending cap. Unfortunately, some demands were distractions that actually added to state budget woes, such as preserving state subsidies for redevelopment agencies and county fairs.

On the Assembly side, there were casual working groups discussing reforms and counter-proposals, but nothing has reached the level of support of our leadership. Many of my colleagues have gone in opposition to all of Brown's proposals, including his spending cuts. The Republican Assembly Caucus' apparent determination to preserve redevelopment agencies creates an additional $1.7 billion budget hole. 

A rebounding economy and rising employment could give the Governor a little breathing room, but structural reforms must be a part of any revenue package.

 

 

Drought Over

The Governor made it official-what we've known for well over a year through casual observance has been confirmed.

The Drought is Over.

Heavy rainfall and record Sierra snowpack finally ended the water crisis. State and local water officials should rejoice at the news, but like many in government, they often use crises as a wedge for more funding. The public is not likely to support vast new projects during wet years. That's why the Legislature pulled the pork-laden $11 billion water bond off last November's ballot. Too much rain!

California hasn't built a dam since 1979, although the Metropolitan Water District's Diamond Valley reservoir near Hemet has doubled Southern California water storage. Population pressures affect water demand unevenly, as 70% of state water is used by agriculture. An acre of homes uses less water that an acre of strawberries or cotton.

State water officials are still calling for conservation, although our water systems now have more runoff than they can store. Conservation now will simply assure that more runoff reaches the ocean, where it will eventually evaporate into rain and snow which we'll use all over again. Nature's perfect recycling machine!

Water cannot literally be wasted, like oil, coal or other natural resources. Water is not used up, burned up or destroyed when used-it is simply borrowed, then returned. The actual H2O molecules are indestructible, and the amount of earth's water has been unchanged for billions of years. What does change is how nature seasonally distributes it, and this season has been good.

OC Register Editorial: Don't blow chance to scuttle redevelopment agencies

(As the debate over dismantling California's powerful and wealthy redevelopment agencies winds down to background noise behind Japan and Libya, the OC Register's editorial staff would like to remind us that redevelopment agencies are still a very real problem.  Here is a portion of yesterday's editorial.)

The vote on Gov. Jerry Brown's plan to end redevelopment agencies was still open Tuesday, so there was still some hope that these noxious local fiefdoms can be shut down, but so far Republican Assembly members had been a major disappointment on the issue. The bill was one-vote shy of the two-thirds majority needed for passage and only Republican, Chris Norby of Fullerton, had voted "aye."

Redevelopment is the epitome of big government at the local level. There are about 400 active agencies statewide, and they routinely abuse eminent domain, run up debt without a public vote and micromanage land-use decisions in cities. Redevelopment agencies were formed in the 1940s to combat blighted urban cores, but they now function mainly to entice developers to build sales-tax-generating big-box stores and auto malls. It's corporate welfare mated with government abuses of power.

Read the rest of the editorial HERE.

Teachers Union Asks for Higher Taxes

It's no great surprise that the California Teachers Association is calling for higher taxes.  Here is an email that they sent to CTA members yesterday urging them to contact their legislators. 

In response to the email, I contacted my legislator, Assemblyman Chris Norby, and asked him to NOT vote for any new taxes, fees, or the extensions of any current taxes or fees. 

CTA needs to give up its stranglehold on the classroom and return to the teachers' lounge. 

________________________________

Urgent Update: Assembly Speaker John Perez announced on Tuesday that he plans for the Assembly to vote on the budget on Wednesday, March 16, beginning at 1PM. Keep contacting lawmakers at their Capitol offices.Your help is needed now to stave off additional devastating cuts to public education and other public services. Get in touch with your state Senator and state Assembly Member at their district offices and urge them to support Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposed budget that would protect public education from more cuts.

Also urge your lawmakers to extend the temporary taxes or put the issue before the voters during a June special election. Lawmakers have a choice between extending the temporary taxes or authorizing billions of dollars more in devastating cuts to public schools and other public services.
Background:To prevent a potential cut of $2 billion or more to our schools, the Legislature must agree to extend the temporary taxes or to place a measure on the June ballot to allow voters to extend them. Either option takes a 2/3 vote of the Legislature to achieve the goal, and it will require at least three Republicans in the state Senate and two in the state Assembly to join with all Democrats to extend the taxes or put the measure on a June special election ballot.
Your efforts can help convince both Democratic and Republican lawmakers to pass the governor’s proposed budget and extend the temporary taxes. The governor’s proposal will help erase the state’s $25 billion budget deficit while protecting schools and other essential services from further cuts. To unsubscribe or change your email preferences, please follow the link below:
http://metrics.mmailhost.com/?r=MTAwMg0KSjQ5NzI5LUNUQS0xLTQ5LQ0KMjEzNzEzDQoxMTAwMDAwMDA3MDkyY2UNCmh0dHA6Ly9jdGEudGhldmFuLnVzL0VtYWlsU3Vic2NyaXB0aW9uLmFzcHg%2fSUQ9N0NCMEE0MTMzMzYyMzcwMS1HNTIyODQ5NzI5OEItRDIwQTQxOTkxNjM2MTg5RTINCnRydWUNCmdyZWdzZWJvdXJuQHlhaG9vLmNvbQ%3d%3d

Key Points:

·         K-12 schools and colleges have already been cut over $20 billion over the last three years--$1,900 per K-12 student.
·         Class sizes are soaring, programs are disappearing and entire school years are shrinking in many school districts.
 ·         More than 30,000 California educators and 10,000 other public school employees have been laid off over the past three years. Another 19,000 received layoff notices this March 15th.
·         The governor’s plan to extend temporary taxes for five years will help prevent further cuts to schools, public safety, health and other vital state programs.
 ·         Without an extension of current revenues, public schools and colleges will lose more than $2.3 billion.  ·         The governor’s balanced budget approach will help protect students and essential services, create jobs, and stabilize the economy. 
Here’s what you can do to help!
Contact your legislators in their Capitol offices by phone and use our CTA legislative portal to contact them, too. Find it at http://metrics.mmailhost.com/?r=MTAwMg0KSjQ5NzI5LUNUQS0xLTQ5LQ0KMjEzNzEzDQoxMTAwMDAwMDA3MDkyY2UNCmh0dHA6Ly93d3cuY2Fwd2l6LmNvbS9uZWEvY2EvaXNzdWVzL2FsZXJ0DQp0cnVlDQpncmVnc2Vib3VybkB5YWhvby5jb20%3d.
Urge your legislators to support the governor’s budget plan and extend the temporary taxes.

 If they are unwilling to do so, ask them to let the voters decide by putting the issue before the electorate as a June 2011 ballot measure. 
Then close the loop by e-mailing lfeldman@cta.org to let us know: 1) Who did you meet with or reach by phone or e-mail?
2) What was the response?  Will the lawmaker support the governor’s budget?
For more information, contact Legislative Advocate Estelle Lemieux or GR Communications Consultant Len Feldman at 916.325.1500.

Norby Notes 4

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	Norby Notes 4 March, 2011 | Issue 04 http://www.arc.asm.ca.gov/member/72/ Assemblymember.Norby@assembly.ca.gov Five Questions State budget crisis discussions are dominated by the following five questions, whose answers will determine our long-term fiscal future: 1)  Will Governor Brown peel off the four Republican legislators to create a 2/3rds majority for his plan?  To fill the $25 billion budget hole, the Governor proposes about $11 billion in tax extensions and $12.5 billion in spending cuts. Some GOP support may be needed to place his plan on the ballot in a June special election. Specifically, it would take two Republican votes in each house to form a 2/3rds majority (although this may not actually be required-see Question 4). 2)  Will Republican legislators simply oppose Brown, or will we unite behind a plan of our own? There is broad agreement that our plan must include both serious pension and regulatory reform. Unsustainable public pensions are a serious concern, and business owners complain more about the uncertain regulatory environment more than they do about taxes. There is widespread discussion about whether to offer a counter-proposal, or try to merge our reforms with Brown's package without compromising on taxes. 3)  Would Democrats accept any Republican counter-proposals? Would Democrats agree to placing a competing plan on the ballot if it were the only way to secure a place for the Governor's plan? 4)  Without any bi-partisan support, would the Governor seek a simple majority vote to place his plan on the ballot? While Brown wants Republican support, he may not legally need it. While a 2/3rds legislative vote is needed to raise taxes, it might not be needed to place tax extensions on the ballot. 5)  If the Brown Plan makes the ballot, would the voters pass it? The 5-year tax extensions (totaling $55 billion) may be a tough sell in a special election when turnouts are low and voters are disproportionately older and more conservative. If they don't pass, we revert to an all-cuts budget. An all-cuts budget would be balanced with $25 billion in spending reductions-perhaps draconian by today's standard, but would place us at 1998 levels, even adjusted for inflation. I will not be one of the two of my party to cut a side deal with the Governor and provide cover for his tax plan. However, I will not criticize my colleagues looking for real solutions, as I believe my party must. Saying "no" is not enough. I will support counter-proposals that avoid new taxes while imposing necessary economic and government reforms-especially in pensions, regulations, education, prisons, healthcare and welfare. Unlike Congress, the state legislature cannot print money nor borrow endlessly against future generations. We will have a balanced budget. March 9th is the deadline for the legislature to vote to place proposals on the June ballot. Monday Majesty My weekly Monday flight from Orange County to Sacramento was particularly spectacular as the wintery majesty of our Golden State below gives no hint of the paralysis of its government. We rise above Newport Beach with its sandy strand that marks the end of a continent. We curl back over the rocky coast of Catalina, and the docks of San Pedro harbor, whose crowded wharfs welcome the wealth of the world. Below now is LA, its 4 million people criss-crossed with traffic-clogged concrete ribbons. I spot the USC campus (my son Alex is down there) and the Hollywood sign. Far to the east are the three snowy sentinels of Mounts Baldy, San Gorgonio and San Jacinto, all topping 10,000 feet. Resplendent from the recent snow, the rugged San Gabriels and Tehachapis rise abruptly from the suburban valley floors. Off to the east is the Antelope Valley, where a rainbowed rug of wildflowers will soon be responding to our recent rainfall. I see the reservoirs and aqueducts, engineering marvels equalizing the North-South hydrologic imbalance. Now appear the glistening Sierras, whose vast snowmelts will soon fill our lakes, rivers, irrigation channels, bathtubs and garden hoses. Below now is California's agricultural heartland with its grapes, almonds, cotton, melons, citrus and the general cornucopia of the Central Valley. We pass over Bakersfield, Visalia, Fresno, Stockton and finally Sacramento.  The Sierra skyline is topped by Mt. Whitney, and deeply gouged by the Yosemite Valley. Below is the muddy, meandering Sacramento River, snaking through the orchard and rice fields toward the delta. I land for another compressed week in the Capitol. This land is your land. This land is my land. From California to the New York Island.  Budget crises may come and go, but this land will endure. New District Office Grand Opening Thursday, March 10th 4:00-6:00 p.m. 1400 N. Harbor Blvd., Suite 601, Fullerton  Chris' Question Who is the highest paid employee of the State of California? (Answer in the next newsletter) This Issue Five Questions Monday Majesty New District Office Grand Opening Chris' Question DISTRICT OFFICE 1400 N. Harbor Blvd., Suite 601 Fullerton, CA 92835 714-526-7272, 714-526-7278 fax CAPITOL OFFICE P.O. Box 942849 Sacramento, CA 94249 916-319-2072, 916-319-2172 fax © 2011 Assembly Republican Caucus | Disclaimer

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AB 1198, The first good thing to come from Sacramento in a long time

The first good thing to come from Sacramento in a long time.  That’s the way I describe Assemblyman Norby’s new bill, AB 1198.

AB 1198 would repeal the requirement that the department determine the existing and projected need for housing for each region, as specified, and other specified provisions relating to the assessment or allocation of regional housing need.

In short AB 1198 takes the MANDATE out of housing needs, the fuel of housing authorities and redevelopment agencies.  If enacted, AB 1198 would take the wind out of the sails of these shadow agencies that have been bleeding taxpayers for decades. 

Fullerton recently approved the formation of the Fullerton Housing Authority to address the housing mandate and waste more money upsetting the free-market of land development.

Not to be mistaken, I think more can and should be done to help the homeless in Fullerton, but housing authorities won’t fix that problem. 

AB 1198 will crush much of the reason the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) exists. 

I commend Assemblyman Chris Norby on his newly introduced legislation and stand ready to help him move it forward any way I can.

You can track California legislation, including AB 1198 HERE. 

CRA: 2010 CRA Scorecard Rates State Legislators

Only 5 Legislators Receive 100% Ratings; 55 Get Zeros

The annual Legislative Scorecard published by the California Republican Assembly is out and only five of 120 legislators serving in Sacramento received perfect 100% ratings – a dramatic decrease from 2009 when thirteen received perfect scores.

“It’s disappointing that only five legislators would stand firm on conservative positions,” said CRA President Celeste Greig. “But we congratulate the Assembly Members and Senators who received perfect scores. They continue to demonstrate their commitment to Republican principles and should be thanked.”

Specifically, President Greig noted that Assemblyman Chuck DeVore was the only member of the Assembly with a perfect score, while Senators Sam Aanestad, Dave Cogdill, Jeff Denham and Mimi Walters all received perfect scores in the Senate. CRA’s scorecard is derived from votes cast on diverse bills ranging from increased fees on lobster fishermen to punishing employers by criminalizing wage disputes.

CRA Parliamentarian Tom Hudson, who compiled the scorecard, noted that there were elements that made this year’s scorecard difficult.

“The confirmation of Abel Maldonado as Lieutenant Governor was a very complicated vote for Republicans,” Hudson noted. “CRA was right to oppose the confirmation of tax-raising Senator Maldonado, who had a terrible record in the Legislature. However, many Republican legislators were motivated to get him out of the State Senate so that he could be replaced with a better Senator.” As a result, the vote for Maldonado does not carry as much negative weight as other bad votes in this year’s scorecard, he added.

The scorecard also focuses on other bills which may not seem important on the surface, but clearly demonstrate the divisions within the Democrat and Republican caucuses.

The total number of zeros on this year’s scorecard decreased for the second year in a row from 56 to 55.

“Democrats seem to be feeling the pressure from their constituents,” added Greig. “While they are still very partisan, they’re votes are changing very slightly.”

The highest scoring Democrat on the CRA scorecard was Senator Lou Correa who received a 35%. On the Assembly side, Assemblywoman Alyson Huber was the highest scoring Democrat with a paltry 24%.

“As usual, the highest scoring Democrats rank far lower than the lowest ranking Republicans,” said Greig.

Of the 120 legislators, the lowest scoring Republican was Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher, who received a score of 63%, with Senator Tom Harman the lowest scorer in the Senate at 81%. Most notable is that seven Republican Assembly Members had lower scores than Harman.  (Senators Emmerson and Blakeslee were not scored this year because of the complicated circumstances surrounding their special elections to the Senate. However, both would have scored well below Senator Harman’s 81%.)

The Assembly overall voted far more liberal than the Senate. The Average score for the Assembly was 1.96% for Democrats and 80.68% for Republicans, while in the Senate it was 5.18% for Democrats and 92.02% for Republicans.