California Republican Party Unveils Draft Party Platform

Below is the Draft Platform.  It falls far short on many of what I feel are key issues.  One issue I will focus on today is the terrible lack of support for the 2nd Amendment. 

The 2nd Amendment is key to protecting all of Civil Rights.  The fact that the Party has placed one sentence in one paragraph says to the country that Republicans are OK with far-reaching gun control laws. 

The Party should take the position of supporting "SHALL-ISSUE" policies and regulations.  Shall-issue means that all citizens shall be issued a permit to carry a concealed weapon unless the citizen is mentally ill or a convicted felon. 

The issues with the CRP Draft Platform are many and nothing is set in stone just yet. 

Draft May 25, 2011

Preamble

A party platform is normally a statement of present positions. This platform is a statement of future action. With this platform the California Republican Party seeks to unite all Californians.

Our Declaration of Independence’s vision for a great nation continues to ring true today and is more important than ever to remember: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

State government has been failing us for years. As it fails, it begins to extinguish the dreams and aspirations of all Californians. For some Californians, this failure threatens their equality... for some their life... for some their liberty... for some their happiness.

This is as unacceptable to us as it was to our Founding Fathers.

We recognize that in recent years, the California Republican Party has not been a viable alternative for many Californians. We want to change this.

We believe we can offer real solutions to bring good paying jobs back to California.

We believe we can offer real solutions to reform our failed state government in Sacramento.

We believe we can offer real solutions to keep our families educated, healthy, and safe.

We believe we can offer real solutions to make sure the California Dream is available for a new generation.

Perhaps most important, we believe Californians have more in common than not. We believe a failed state government hurts all of us - regardless of race, gender, age, political affiliation, or wealth.

With this platform, we hope to clearly convey what Republicans will do in office to ensure the public trust. We want to make state government accountable, effective, and ethical again. Not just for Republicans - for everyone. This platform is our call to all of the people of California: take a few minutes to read what Republicans stand for today.

If you agree with us, let’s stand together to demand the type of government that Californians deserve.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE DRAFT IN ITS ENTIRETY!

California Republican Party Platform

Fullerton CRA Invites You...

Fullerton Republican Assembly Cordially invite you 

to attend our February Dinner meeting!

________________________________________________

Advocates for Faith & Freedom
Robert Tyler

Constitutional Attorney

“California in Chaos: Our Strategy to fight back!”

Date: Thursday, February 17th

Time: Dinner 6:15 pm – 7pm (on your own) - Meeting 7:00 pm -8:30 pm

Location: Sizzler Restaurant 1401 North Harbor Blvd., Harbor/Brea Blvds, Fullerton 92835

Advocates for Faith & Freedom (www.faith-freedom.com) is a 501c3 Legal Defense firm, specializing in the defense of religious freedom, parental & churches rights and other civil liberties. They work diligently without charge to provide their clients with the necessary legal support to affect a positive change in law & culture.

Questions: Please contact Zonya Townsend (714) 525-9441 or zonya3townsend@aol.com

California Assemblyman Chris Norby to speak at Fullerton CRA

This Thursday, Assemblyman Chris Norby will be speaking at the Fullerton Unit of the California Republican Assembly (CRA).  Norby represents several cities in North Orange County's 72nd Assembly District, including his home town of Fullerton. 

The CRA is encouraging all conservative constituents to attend this meeting.

Assemblyman Norby will be presenting "Sacramento: Looking into the great abyss". 

Date

Thursday, January 20^th

Time

Dinner 6:15 pm – 7 pm (on your own)

Meeting 7:00 pm -8:30 pm

Place

Sizzler Restaurant

1401 North Harbor Bl.(Brea Bl.)

Fullerton California 92835

Questions: Please call Zonya Townsend 714 525-9441

The California Republican Party Platform and the City of Fullerton - Part IV

How long can the California Republican Party (CRP) continue to ignore the elephant in the room – the Redevelopment Agencies?

The official CRP platform, which can be found at www.cagop.org/pdf/platform.pdf, outlines several key areas that are in direct conflict with the Fullerton Redevelopment Agency's practice. I have been highlighting these key areas and articulating how they conflict with the Fullerton Redevelopment Agency so that Republicans who have supported Redevelopment Agency efforts will realize the incompatibility between the Party and the Agency.


Today, I'm focusing on the CRP's topic, regarding the property rights. First, let's see what the CRP has to say on the subject.

PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS
We stand for the principle that condemnation and government restriction on private property must only occur for public uses.
One of the purest forms of tyranny is government confiscation of its citizens’ private property. We reject condemnation or government restrictions on property without full compensation for such condemnations or restrictions. We also reject condemnation by governments of private property to be used for non-public uses.

Wow, do I really need to add anything to that? I believe condemnation should be reserved for public rights-of-way. I believe strong-arm tactics like devaluing private property by declaring blight so that the Redevelopment Agency can get a "good deal" circumvents the 4th and 5th Amendments and undermines two of the most important rights we have.

4th “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated…”
5th “…nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.”

Big Changes at the California Republican Assembly - What Does It Mean?

But will the change in leadership at the state level mean changes at the local level? I have not had a very good experience with the CRA, but I still think that there is hope. Most of my bad experience with the CRA is similar to that of other non-profit organizations that have a structure and very little support for membership. Based on comments and email exchanges from blogger Sgt. York (Aaron Park), I think CRA is going to have to endure some significant growing and restructuring pains to overcome the years of hypocritical and completely dead-wrong leadership that I have seen. I hope they get it together quickly and return to their core values to help with the 2012 election.

Shawn Nelson's List of Endorsements Continues to Grow

Today I received news that Shawn Nelson has been endorsed by OC Supervisor Pat Bates.

FULLERTON, CA -- Orange County Supervisor Pat Bates today endorsed Shawn Nelson in his campaign to be elected Supervisor for the Fourth District. Pat Bates is known as one of Orange County's most respected public servants.

"Shawn Nelson will be a strong ally in the work to make government more efficient, transparent, and responsive to the people of Orange County," said Supervisor Bates. "His experience as a strong advocate for taxpayers will serve the constituents of the Fourth District well."


Pat Bates was the founding Mayor of Laguna Niguel and served as a Council Member in that city from 1989 to 1998. Pat was elected to the State Assembly in 1998. After finishing three terms in the legislature, Pat was elected to represent the Fifth District on the Orange County Board of Supervisors. During the past year, Supervisor Bates served as Board Chair and led the County through a time of great economic challenge.


"Shawn shares my values of fiscal responsibility, limited government and individual liberty. I am proud to endorse his candidacy and look forward to working with him on such issues as balancing the County budget, reforming the pension system, and making county government more accountable to the people," said Pat.


"Finally, I am also troubled by the false charges and character assassination already going on against Shawn. I believe voters will reject these tactics, just as they have in the past," Bates concluded.


Shawn Nelson is a strong fiscal conservative who was elected to the Fullerton City Council in November 2002. He served as Mayor in 2004-05 and 2006-07. Nelson is a California native who was raised in Fullerton and he lives in the district with his wife and children. Nelson was named the "Local Elected Official for 2009" by the Orange County Republican Party.


Shawn has received a number of endorsements.  Below is a list of endorsers from the nelsonforsupervisor website.  One name is missing, however, which I have added to the bottom.

U.S. Representative Ed Royce

State Senator Mimi Walters
Assemblyman Chuck DeVore
Assemblyman Curt Hagman
Assemblywoman Diane Harkey
Assemblyman Chris Norby
Family Action PAC
Orange County Supervisor Pat Bates
La Habra City Councilman Tim Shaw
Buena Park City Councilman Fred Smith
Placentia Mayor Joe Aguirre
Placentia City Councilman Scott Nelson
Placentia City Councilman Greg Sowards
Fullerton Mayor Don Bankhead
LaHabra Mayor Tom Beamish
Villa Park City Councilwoman Deborah Pauly
Chairman Emeritus Tom Fuentes, Republican Party of Orange County

Other Supporters
Peter and Suzanne Alexander
Joe and Tamra Araiza
Dave Bailey
Dee Baker
Mike Barth
Andrea Brown
Marty Burbank
Freydel Bushala
Roland and Sarah Chi
Marie Crossen
Bob Curry
Deena David
Bob Francis
James Francis
Laverne Francis
Rae Francis
Norma Frizse
Cassidy Gayner
John and Jennifer Geiger
Todd Goldsmith
Richard and Beverly Gunter
Rob Hallstrom
Doy Henley
Susan Hirzel
Buck Johns
Greg Sebourn

Hutchens Consultant Under Investigation for Corruption

Riverside County DA sends investigators to Northern California political consultant's office

12:02 PM PST on Thursday, March 4, 2010

By JIM MILLER

Sacramento Bureau

Special Section: San Jacinto Corruption Probe

SACRAMENTO - Riverside County district attorney investigators showed up last week at the Northern California offices of a prominent Republican consulting firm and a bookkeeping business linked to a defendant in the campaign-finance prosecution of several Inland political and civic leaders.

Gilliard Blanning and Associates of Rocklin and the KAL Group of Willows have advised dozens of candidates and campaign groups in the Inland area and around the state over the years.

During the 2008 election cycle, the companies worked for a committee involved in the hard-fought Republican primary for Riverside County's 37th Senate District between then-Assemblyman John Benoit and former Assemblyman Russ Bogh.

District attorney investigators spent part of last Thursday at Gilliard Blanning's office.

The same day, members of the district attorney's political corruption unit served a search warrant at the KAL Group, according to government records.

A spokesman for Riverside County District Attorney Rod Pacheco would neither confirm nor deny last week's activities. David Gilliard, a GOP campaign veteran, has not returned several phone calls in recent days. KAL Group owner Kelly Lawler also has not returned requests for comment.

In November, Pacheco's office announced a 155-count indictment alleging that nine people, including four of the five San Jacinto City Council members, conspired to skirt campaign contribution limits and funnel money into the 2006 Assembly candidacy of San Jacinto Councilman Jim Ayres.

Neither Gilliard Blanning nor the KAL Group was part of the indictment. State records show that neither business was involved in the 2006 Assembly primary race at the heart of the November case.

Speculation in political circles has centered on ties between the two firms and Stephen R. Holgate, one of the defendants in the Riverside County case.

In spring 2008, Holgate, an Inland developer and former CHP officer, largely bankrolled a pro-Benoit campaign committee called Conservative Leaders of America, giving it $100,000.

Almost all of the advertising money went through Gilliard Blanning. The KAL Group, the committee's treasurer, was paid about $2,000.

The committee paid for a barrage of TV ads and mailers promoting Benoit or opposing Bogh.

Bogh is a close political ally of Pacheco.

Benoit's consultant in 2008, Jim Nygren, said Wednesday that he has not had any communication with Pacheco's office.

Rocklin police Lt. Lon Milka said officers assisted the Riverside County investigators at a Rocklin address that matches that of Gilliard Blanning and Associates.

A report from the Glenn County Sheriff's Department said two sheriff's officials accompanied the investigators to Lawler's home office in unincorporated Willows.

Staff writers Dug Begley, Duane W. Gang and Rich De Atley contributed to this report.

Gilliard is a partner in campaign consulting firm Gilliard Blanning Wysocki & Associates (GBWA) http://www.gbwasacramento.com/team/

July 2008: Gilliard hired on as manager of Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens' 2010 campaign.


2007-08: GBWA managed the following campaigns in the June 3, 2008 primary:
Duncan D. Hunter, 52nd congressional district
Mimi Walters, 33rd Senate District
Brian Nestande, 64th Assembly District
Jeff Miller, 71st Assembly district


October, 2007: Gilliard is directing the effort to gather signatures toward qualifiying for the ballot the Presidential Election Reform Act initiative. Source: http://www.totalcapitol.com/?news_id=795318&redirect=http://www.sacbee.com/capolitics/story/448235.html

Gillard is an adviser to Rep. Darrell Issa

The Old Guard

I had a meticulously thought out rant about the OCGOP, CRA, and old-school Republicans, a.k.a. “conservatives” but after reading it I decided to cut to the chase. It is time to retire the Old Guard of the Republican Party. They have gone off the reservation and are running amuck with hypocritical values and actions. Between the carpetbagging and the insincere threat against union-backed candidates, I’m done! It’s too depressing. To hell with all of them; may they find bedsores and incontinence at the old folk’s home when we vote them out of office.

Ok, maybe that was a bit too harsh…or maybe not. I hope the next time there is an election you will look very closely at the candidates and vote for someone who has NO endorsements from any of the old regime. Every time we put one of them into office, it comes back to bite us in the ass. Follow the money trail which can sometimes be done via the California Secretary of State’s website or other local and federal agencies.

In a day or two I will be posting a VERY long continuance to my interview with Bill Hunt, 2010 candidate for Orange County Sheriff. Please read every word of it. Not for me but for yourself, your family, Bill Hunt, and everyone else effected by dirty politics. Give your kids and spouse a kiss. Say a prayer. Give your pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. Do these every day and we just might climb out of the hole we have been led to believe is best for us.