California tea party Conundrum

As a tea partyer in deep blue California, it may seem that we have limited ability to influence elections. Gerrymandering keeps almost all House, Assembly and State Senate races non-competitive. However, ballot measures and local races still provide an opportunity to make our voices heard and to beat the entrenched labor/big-government establishment. Temple of Mut has provided a public service by previewing the November ballot issues; but I wanted to add a few thoughts on issues and races that matter in San Diego in particular.

Proposition 30. Jerry Brown's "temporary" tax hikes initiative. This is an easy No recommendation from the tea party. But I doubt that the final vote will even be close. Billed as another "for the children" initiative, I think that scam is up. (As satirized in a recent Hitler parody, the voters are wise to the whole "They'll put free hookers and cocaine on our health plan as long as we say it's for the children" line.) The cram down on the high speed rail while the state is going broke isn't going to help this effort. Neither will the report that reveals that the top paid legislative staffers in Sacramento are getting big pay raises. Of course, the bulk of the pay raises are going to the top 1% of the staff, just kidding, I think it is the top 5%. If I were in charge of advertising, I would lead with particular tidbit about legislative staff pay raises in a campaign against the tax hikes. It also helps that another tax measure to increase almost everyone's taxes, Proposition 38 is also on the ballot. Even those making as little as $7,300 will get hit by Prop 38. To be fair about who gets a tax increase, Brown's Proposition 30 also raises everyone's taxes through a sales tax increase.

San Diego Mayor - Carl DeMaio. The SCTRC does not endorse candidates, so this my personal recommendation. With the public employees unions and the California PERBerts challenging Proposition B in court and its attendant the cost savings in court, the city will need a vigorous advocate in the Mayor's office. Even opponents of the measure admit that it will save the taxpayers money. I have no doubt that Bob Filner would seek to gut the legal defense of the measure as well as any implementation. Reforming pensions is vitally important to the long term financial health of the city. Carl DeMaio strongly supported the measure and has been an advocate for the taxpayers in general. He first won my support for his vigorous opposition to Proposition D, in contrast to most other San Diego establishment politicians.

Brian Bilbray for Congress. This stance is also controversial with some of my fellow tea partyers. Despite his appearance at a Repeal Obamacare rally, Bilbray doesn't really light the fires for us tea party types. But I have never before been a single issue voter, but the so called Affordable Care Act has made me one. The ACA is actually an unaffordable sop to lobbyists and special interests that true liberals ought to be opposing, not just those on the right. The 52nd Congressional race is one of the few that matter in California. It is a competitive race. Brian Bilbray has promised to vote for repeal and Scott Peters has endorsed the ACA. How much clearer could our choice be? I am asking tea partyers and libertarians who aren't enthused to get behind Bilbray anyway. I will be donating to him and to Romney and Bilbray on the theory that the ACA will do decades worth of damage to the country if not repealed soon.

DeMaio vs Filner in the Fall

With only 15% of the vote in, I'm calling the mayor's race as DeMaio vs. Filner in the fall. If the polls are to be believed, this works better for DeMaio than a Fletcher match up. However, it means that labor will be providing support for DeMaio's opponent, but I'm not sure the efficacy of organized labor in San Diego after tonight's results.

Proposition B is also winning handily and Walker has won in Wisconsin. I'm a pretty happy camper. Time for some of this (Max take note):


This was the best picture of the bottle, so no crap about the glass.

Pre-Election Outlook for Team Taxpayer

I played high school football and tonight feels like Thursday night before an important Friday game, not the big game, but an important one we need to win. Team taxpayer is favored to win two important contests tomorrow, the Wisconsin governor's recall and Proposition B in San Diego.

The U-T is reporting that Proponents of Proposition B have spent $1.8 million on the measure against $227K by those opposed. That doesn't prove it will win, but it makes me smile nonetheless. A bit of Schadenfreude came from this quote in the Voice of San Diego.

“From a political standpoint, it’s pretty likely that this is going to pass in June," labor leader Michael Zucchet said in April. "And when I say pretty likely, I mean we’re [expletive].”

I don't get the anger. I am a government employee for the federal government. Much of my expected pension benefit comes from a 401 style plan. I'm not in a union. Even if I was, the union couldn't bargain for my pay and benefits, only work place rules. But I have significant protections against unjust firings and am afforded excellent work place accommodations. Why isn't this good enough for state and local workers?

On [to] Wisconsin. Barack Obama is flexing his muscle in support of Democrat Tom Barrett, on Twitter! That's been the extent of the President's campaign to unseat Scott Walker. Meanwhile the truth of how well Walker's reforms appears to have sunk in, as he is a steady favorite, and above 50% in all of the polls. The RCP average is at 6.7% in favor of Walker on the eve of the election. As most political junkies know, Walker's reining in the public employees unions is the reason for this recall. That's what makes the race so important; the taxpayers have to believe that they can put a lid on public employee pay and benefits if state and local government is to ever become affordable again. This is what makes me wonder about the left. Unchecked, employee benefits will destroy government's ability to deliver any of the services the left wants government to deliver, but they don't seem to get math.

In the San Diego mayor's race I feel fairly certain that Carl DeMaio will be in a run off, whether against Filner or Fletcher, I don't know. I have been supporting DeMaio for some time. My regret is that Nathan Fletcher is being vilified in TV ads. I disagree with him on some issues and his decision to leave the GOP, but he seems to be a decent guy with a long history of service. These campaign ads makes me glad I lost an election in junior high and lost any appetite for further campaigning as a candidate. The ads against Carl DeMaio over the police benefits for widows seemed pretty miserable as well.