CRA in Dire Straits

Dropping membership, declining relevance, uninspiring candidates running for President, what could possibly be worse?

No, its not the Democrats, it’s the CRA.

Well, here’s the scoop…..

Anointed CRA leader and Texas resident Ted Cruz is in serious peril for his re-election.  The latest poll shows him leading something called a Beto O’Rourke by just 2 points.  President Thomas N Hudson has called for all CRA members to “pull a DNC, and leave the state of California, and re-register in Texas” for the sake of the country.

So, CRA members do what you must do. If Ted were to lose his Senate seat, there is no way he can beat totalitarian (your group’s words not ours) leader Donald J Trump in the 2020 primary.

Say you live with someone—like your parents or whatever—but hear the plea to help Ted. You must answer for the sake of the country. Thankfully Texas has early voting, so you could cast you ballot in the Lone Star State 30 days before the election and be back in time to vote for Gavin Newsom come November. If you happen to be on the fence or think this could be construed as voter fraud, remember, God wills it!  Besides the membership list used by CRA is from last year or the year before so you’ll never be missed. Above all else, God wills it!  Do not let Ted die in vain, answer the call!

Bill Cardoza is a Liberal Part 1 of ???

Bill Cardoza is a member of the CRA. He serves on the Board and has been identified elsewhere on this blog as the “Wookie” with aspirations to be the next CRA President. The vote will happen early next year. Cardoza is not known for consuming vast quantities of adult beverages, but he pals around with Jorge Riley aka “the drunken Jedi.” Riley has problems holding his liquor unless it’s securely stowed in his backpack. He always impresses me as being wasted and often dresses like he is on a 72-hour bender. Both these fellows are nice enough to talk too at a public gathering, but they are deeply flawed and not fit for leadership. Below I lay-out my case for opposing Cardoza’s aspirations to be statewide President of CRA.

Bill Cardoza—photo from SRA website

In high school I was told the word sophomore meant “wise fool” if that’s the case Bill Cardoza must mean “useful idiot” or “loyal follower.”  This guy worked for many years at the Board of Equalization (BOE). If you’re wondering what the heck that means, it’s the state organization that until last July oversaw collecting sales and use taxes and redistributing them to their respective counties, cities etc.  Of all the people, one would think Mr. Cardoza would have in depth knowledge of tax bills/propositions on the ballot, right?  Especially because he worked for BOE and also did time in and around the State Capital, tax policy should be his forte.

Two years ago, the CRA had a regional endorsing convention and among the items we were voting on were two tax measures scheduled to appear on the ballot.  I am going to zero in on these two very troubling votes Mr. Cardoza made.

Measure B
The first, Measure B, a countywide sales tax increase, “allegedly” to fund transportation projects and fix potholes and stuff.  Cardoza decided he was the only man in America that should take the lead in discussing the impact this would have on everyone’s wallet, being he worked for BOE; I respectfully deferred.  He stated Measure B “only rises sales tax by half a cent” (8% to 8.5% in Elk Grove, where I reside).  Note the word, “only” very odd choice for a self-described conservative.

I had had enough, so I blew him up similar to how I would blow up a bathroom stall after eating four chipotle burritos for lunch!  (Sorry for that image.)

I immediately called him out saying “only” as in like we can all afford it?  His response was “transportation projects are needed in this area.”  Typical RINO gibberish; we pay some of the highest sales taxes on a rolling county by county basis already!  When I read a quote from Regional Transit General Manager Henri Li saying it would go towards “well needed raises for my staff”, ummm what?  I thought it was for transportation stuff not salaries?

Henry Li—Regional Transit

When faced with this response “Liberal Bill” looked dumbfounded saying “it’s a transportation tax”.  Obviously shaken, Cardoza retorted “plenty of local electeds are supporting this measure, including Darrell Steinberg” (D-Weak-Kneed Bozo), sounds like a good reason to support this right?

When I said voting against this measure would actually lower our sales taxes by .25% again I was met with faces in utter disbelief. The reality was that the old Measure A was going to run out, hence the urgency to pass this POS.  Boom roasted Bill!

Roasted Bill We serve our Bill flame broiled but never fried

In a rare moment of sobriety, Riley turned to Cardoza and said, “dude really?”  The attempt by Cardoza went down in flames just like his run for CRA President will if I have a say!

Funny, Cardoza looked very similar to Alexander from Pinocchio aka the boy who turned into a donkey after abandoning his morals, and realizing he was going to work hard labor for the rest of his life!  Interesting symbolism there, Cardoza turning into a donkey…the donkey being the Democrat Party image of choice….hmmmmm.  Just a note: the measure barely lost, failing by only 8,100 votes, nice work Liberal Bill!  Despite his best efforts to stop it, our taxes actually went down, a rare win for the little guy!

Alexander from Pinocchio

Measure M
The second showdown featuring “Liberal Bill” was a local (Elk Grove area mostly) school bond authorization, Measure M.  This was near and dear to the “Chief” because his property tax would rise by at least $75 and likely a lot more if it passed.  Cardoza again filibustered. Seated feet away from him was a candidate running for school board in that same district. This candidate had spent several thousand dollars opposing Measure M and was a fellow delegate to the endorsing convention!  Despite his best efforts, CRA finally had the sense to oppose both Bill’s position and Measure M.

Rumor has it “Liberal Bill” even single handedly killed the issue at the local Republican central committee convincing them not to take a stand on the issue.  When election time came, the measure carried by a large margin thanks to “Liberal Bill” and his buddies.  Lots of hard work by both a candidate and a friend of mine went down the drain do to your lack of basic understanding of how taxes and fees work.  Thanks to Cardoza running the end around, my property taxes went up substantially, so I tell people I had to pay a Bill Cardoza tax hike!

Now, I have heard this character wants to run for CRA President, ummm yeah no.  Bill Cardoza is a liberal, there is no defense to this.  Bill is the worst of the worst, he is a professional chameleon and an obvious Ted Cruz supporting, very confused person who likely hates Trump.  Bill is clueless so I feel badly for beating him up….well not really. Unlike Facebook, we here at Reallyright give our correspondents the freedom to dance on people’s graves and Mr. Cardoza you are next!  By the way are you related to former Congressman Dennis Cardoza?  You both share the same quizzical look!  What are your accomplishments that lead people to believe you would be a good President?  I hear crickets?  By the way I have it in writing from a direct report of yours that you supported both measures passing and did your part to recruit people to vote in favor or take no position.

So, when you see Bill Cardoza ask him:
1.  Why do you think we should pay higher taxes?
2.  Where is your political spine?
3.  When did you get so out of touch with the GOP voter?
Or maybe just tell him he should give lower taxes a try!

Bill Cardoza… out of touch…..dangerous for CRA President!

As the great one Mark Levin would say “HE’s a LIBERAL

 

 

CRA Makes Fox News

The Anti-Trumpers which include the CRA and many in the irrelevant California Republican Party have come to the attention of people at Fox News; well sort of…

Apparently some pundits are bailing on the GOP and embracing the Democrats as a way to stop Trump from reducing government, strengthening our borders, and reshape the Supreme Court. Defending the status quo as it was under weenies like George Bush (either one) is a paramount value for these guys. Sadly, the article never directly mentions the CRA or the confused commentator Glen Beck by name.

Some big-name, anti-Trump conservatives, such as Bill Kristol, argue that it’s better to stay and fight for a better GOP, which they define as veering away from the president’s most controversial policies.

But for others, the Democrats that they’ve spent their lives battling suddenly look like they’re worth dating, if not marrying.

Even as these pundits argue that Trumpism is ruining the GOP, the president is enjoying record-high support among Republicans. Bottom line: They aren’t bringing many voters along with them.

Divorcing Trump: Why some conservatives are now pushing Democrats

It’s amazing what a guy with a spine like Reagan or Trump can do in a world of invertebrate politicians.

Oh, the CRA and CRP are mentioned in the last part of the article “Bottom line: They aren’t bringing many voters along with them.”

CRA Urgent Call to Action!

This communique just in…

PRIVILEGED COMMUNICATION
EYES ONLY
28 JUN 2018

President Hudson wants everyone to know the Board of Directors put out an urgent call for help yesterday due to the dramatic event of a Supreme Court Justice retiring.  The retirement took everyone by surprise, however we must resist the notion Trump could appoint someone not named Ted Cruz!  So we need a swift call to action, every member of CRA, grab your twitter account, or even create a burner account if need be, and tweet relentlessly at the President @Potus & @RealDonaldTrump.  This seems to be the best way of reaching him, you could also call the White House directly.  Tell Donald Trump, no more squishy RINO Neil Gorsuch types, we want a red blooded American whose love for Country supersedes all….Ted Cruz.

Ted Cruz—American needs you more than ever

Also call your Senators, Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris and make sure they know that you stand with them in regard to blocking any Trump nominee that isn’t Ted Cruz!  These are trying times for our country and we can leave little to chance.  Also let us all call Ted Cruz as well to make sure he is fully on board, block any nominee that isn’t himself!  Or as we no longer CRA members call it, just continue voting no on everything.

Again this is not a test, this is a stage 5 crisis!

The CRA Killed Itself

As has been chronicled on this blog many times, I left the CRA a while ago. I watched it single handedly devolve into something that I no longer recognized. Barbara Alby (rest in peace) and her minions have destroyed any chance this group has of ever being viable again.  I will lay all this out for you, but the CRA was at one time a growing organization that did have quite a bit of clout within the party and the endorsement was coveted, not an afterthought as it is now.

You see Alby and her minions introduced and elevated “scorched earth tactics.” If you’re not with us you’re against us.  Alby went one step beyond others and put the whole thing in terms of a spiritual battle between the light and darkness.
Think Frank E. Peretti’s This Present Darkness.

Spiritual warfare—CRA style

Alby got into power and then pushed out all of her opponents. This initial purge resulted in the formation of the California Congress of Republicans (CCR). Keep in mind that many of these people did not differ much on policy.  On the whole, it was purely due to the fact that they did not have allegiance to Alby and company.  Over the years, other leaders came and went. The group tried to regain its footing many times but continued to bleed members.

In 2011, you had the infamous Celeste Greig vs Karen England smackdown. Again, the losing side being wiped out of CRA entirely, many with lifetime bans.  During this struggle, the Park Brothers began to take over the group, coalescing power, and just like that, George Park Jr became the defacto leader. Think the Trojan Horse that appeared a gift but was really an unmitigated disaster.  I say Park was the leader because John Briscoe was just a useless puppet very similar to Bill Cardoza.  Once again it was jihad time against their own membership, people were again purged for the soul fact they were not ideologically pure enough.

Then a movement to oust the Parks happened and CRA once again cleansed itself of people who were not worthy. Well not really, the current President was best friends with said Park brothers.  Naturally he shielded them from any criticism. Meanwhile, the rank and file were told Craig Alexander was preparing a large lawsuit to recoup damages. The legal action never happened and Craig hasn’t been seen in years. The Placer County Mafia sticks together and protects their own.

As for as the characters running for next CRA president?  I have no real opinion, but if there was a “none of the above” I’d vote that way.  Also, they have thinned their ranks so badly that no one wants to join the group either. In less than three decades, CRA has lost 99 percent of their membership going from 80,000 to 800. Last I checked, entire counties do not have any active units! Sad!  However, that’s ok because the only members left all think the same on policy and ideologically.

I remember the good old days of having endorsement conventions and crossing swords with people only to go out for a bite to eat or a drink afterwards, but those days are long gone.  The battles now go bone-deep with some friends being lost forever; causalities of a war for purity that no one can win. Some of these battles we fight internally are the equivalent of Jihad. Barbara Alby taught us well in the ways of scorched earth and Jihad.

I remember when getting picked for the endorsement convention used to mean something. All it means now is a meaningless meeting on a Saturday which in most cases involves considering the merits of the only Republican in the race. The endorsement is so worthless that the candidate (whoever he/she may be) doesn’t even bother to show up.  Yet somehow the delegates in attendance turn the meeting into a 3 hour BS fest complete with people needing to get on their soap box; each in turn beating their chest and promising that the good old days of Ronald Reagan could be right around the corner.  This is why some units don’t send anyone at all, because no one wants to go, yet the CRA leadership doesn’t see it that way.  Now the group is filled with nothing but policy wonks and people that want to have fights about Roberts Rules or whether someone is really a Republican or if they are a plant.  No current member of the Board knows how to fix this mess.

Then witness the endorsing of Ted Cruz. I was there when a motion was made to consider Donald Trump.  You could hear the groans. Delegates were horrified that they should even be considering the one person who had a chance to be nominated by the Republican Party. Mind you that Trump had all but secured the nomination when CRA took this vote. CRA was ground zero of the NeverTrumpers.  CRA endorsed Ted on the first ballot with over 80 percent of the vote, which is about how big Trump’s victory was when California voters had their say.

This year, the CRA couldn’t endorse John Cox, they instead chose Travis Allen. Allen finished fourth. 90 percent of Republicans voted for another candidate. CRA endorsed candidates are getting destroyed at the ballet box year after year. This illustrates how out of touch this group is.  In many races, the Green Party guys get more votes than CRA’s candidate. This is why no one wants to join. You have kicked out every sensible, fair-minded person. Occasionally CRA will pick-up a single-issue voter that wants to kill Common Core, repeal the Federal Reserve, call a Constitutional Convention, or enact the State of Jefferson.

John Cox—not good enough for CRA

How would I fix CRA?  Close the door and shut off the lights.

In all seriousness, here are my suggestions but don’t expect them to be listened to or considered.
• I would rename the group and adopt a new logo; the current name and logo are very stale and could use a refresh.
• Stop kicking out members because you don’t believe identically on every issue. Purging 99 percent of the membership is proof you need work in this area.
• Stop having board meetings in seclusion and making people drive all over the State to attend. Conduct business over a conference call or Skype. Open them to the public and add some transparency.
• Keep the meetings, including the regular meetings short and to the point. No more two-hour, long-winded sessions.  You are running off members.  No one cares to hear about your car ride to the board meeting.  Tell us what happened in a short synopsis.
• Restructure the entire board and put the power down at the grassroots level. Allow new units without red tape.  Reward recruitment and grant breaks on dues owed the parent organization.
• Have a strategic plan and stick to it. Stop being wishy washy.
• Move your endorsement calendar up so as to avoid embarrassment.
• Remove rogue, alcoholic board members. This should go without saying, but actually do it.
• Don’t give us rhetoric but no action to match it.
• Do a deep dive on units who have had the same president for over a decade, there is something inherently wrong there.

Respectfully submitted in a spirit of charity,

“X”

Editor Note: Below is list of splinter groups formed as result of being purged from CRA.

California Congress of Republicans founded 1989

Conservative Republicans of California founded 2011

Impact Republicans founded 2015

Follow-up: CRA 2019 Convention

I was contacted by one of the potential candidates for the 2019 CRA President. He was not happy of my characterization of the CRA or the candidate field. At the end of his missive I was told that I am full of bitterness and resentment.

response to yesterday’s blog

Without naming this individual, I would like to respond to his message.

First, I still regard you as a friend whatever you may think. However, my friend, you have a problem. You are obsessed with the CRA. The CRA can’t fix itself let alone the problems facing California. The Republican brand is toxic in California not because they are outnumbered by Democrats but because they have no core values. CRA can’t fix this problem but they helped create it.

Republican leaders learned from the vulnerabilities exploited by Barbara Alby and company back in the late 80’s and early 90’s and have blocked access to the Party apparatus by rank-and-file Party members. Statewide you can thank Charles Munger and Jim Brulte. Locally you can thank Sue Blake, Terry Mast, Duane Dichiara, and the gang in the Sacramento County Central Committee.

If I would be described as bitter and resentful about anything it is this, I let Barbara Alby and her fellow travelers use me—and willingly so much of the time—as a pawn in her grand schemes to take over the California Republican Assembly and later the California Republican Party. The way that she and her posse treated Carl Burton, River City Republicans, and many others who were once involved in CRA is shameful. Doing it in the name of Jesus Christ even more so. Not until I personally experienced this treatment did I begin to question their methods.

Sadly, I’m a slow learner. A few years later, I came back to CRA. By then, the Alby crew had kicked CRA to the curb. In terms of membership, CRA was a shell of its former glory having gone from 80,000 members to about 15,000. I also spent much time in both Yolo and Sacramento County Central Committees. After getting involved in the Sacramento Central Committee, I participated in Support The Platform and was one of the few people to write them a check in their first outing. The next election cycle STP targeted me for removal from the group that I helped to create and fund in the previous cycle. It’s the kind of gratitude I’ve come to expect from the disciples of Alby.

The bottom line is that our people wanted to play power politics in the very same manner as everyone else. They claim that they acted in the name of Christ but the way they treated others proved that they were just being good Pharisees. So, yes, I regret that I was easily duped and treated others in a way that profaned Christ.

While I have come to this conclusion, many that were once in CRA still treat others just like they did back then. Sadly, for many, winning by any means is more important. For them, knowing just how much pressure to put on the scales to win is still very much part of their stock and trade.

As for today’s CRA, the best way I can describe the group is this:

If a person was within the blast radius of a nuclear weapon detonation, all they might see is a flash. They then might seek shelter and try to survive but it’s already too late. You see, the flash exposed them to a lethal dose of radiation. They are dead, it’s just that their body hasn’t caught up with reality and may not for a period of time.

A number of recent events could be pointed too as that lethal blast for CRA but whether that was Tom Hudson and Craig Alexander not pursuing the Park Brothers, CRA endorsing Ted Cruz on the first ballot, Celeste Greig saying if you don’t support Jim Brulte as the next CRP Chairman, “there’s the door”, or something else, the point is that CRA is over. It’s time to move on and spend your time doing something more productive.

Fonzie (Henry Winkler) jumps the shark

We’ve had a lot of good times together but with all due respect, you don’t have the financial security and fiscal independence to be CRA President; neither do you have the sales skills to build the group. You can filibuster as well as Tom Hudson but I don’t count that as a gift. Turning a twenty minute business meeting into a two hour marathon is not the way to boost membership. Your home CRA Unit is hovering below the threshold of a healthy unit and some you count as members haven’t written a check to CRA in a few years. Like the statewide group, your home chapter is on life-support. Sorry but why should this formula be replicated on a statewide basis? What you need is not a position in CRA but gainful employment. Take care of your family and then see what you can do to help in the community. Lead through what you do and then people will listen to what you have to say.

CRA talks a lot about “principles” and the old “conscience of the Republican Party” quotation but they are not now; (if they ever really were). If their support of Ted Cruz or Travis Allen is any indication, they are out of touch when it comes to where Republicans are in this state. Their endorsements have never come with any funds but an army of volunteers to get out votes. Dude, those days were gone a few decades ago. If CRA has 800 active members statewide I would be shocked. Your own unit is luck if they get five members to a meeting and you want to be President of the entire statewide organization? Hubris? In our own ways, we are both policy guys and not the ones qualified to lead.

Windmills in the past

It’s time for you to quit tiling a windmills and join the rest of us in the real world. CRA can’t save themselves, the CRP, or California. Do what is in the best interest of your family; find employment with benefits, save for retirement, and take the wife to a nice vacation in a tropical place. In my opinion she’s earned it.

CRA 2019 Convention Preview

Rumor has it that the current President of the California Republican Assembly is ready to step aside and let the group pick a successor. The group has reserved a birthday room at a Chuck E Cheese in Fresno for their 2019 spring gathering. Attendees are reminded to get a convention hat from their local Burger King before arriving. Also bring ten dollars for game tokens. The convention venue features entertainment for the whole family. Pepperoni pizza is included in the registration price but cheese or sausage will be extra.

Chuck E Cheese—where CRA happens next

The highlight of the gathering will be selecting a new President. Like any other presidential race, many folks are rumored to be throwing their hats into the ring. Since the candidates have not publically announced their intentions, we have randomly assigned code names to those known to be testing out the electorate via focus groups. Thus far, the top three are Wookie, Sith Lord, and a drunken Jedi.

The Wookie is a faithful follower and companion to the fearless leader—whoever that may be. He is a certified graduate of Sidekick Academy. Always the bride’s maid and ever attending the wishes of his leadership team, he is often seen but rarely heard at public gatherings. He votes right (i.e. with leadership) and is reliable. He seems bereft of any original ideas but parrots those he serves. This brings into question why after decades in the organization as a faithful sidekick does he now fancy himself the hero that can save CRA? You can’t help but wonder who will be telling him what to do? The John Birch Society members in the group or Tea Party or elected officials or … you get the point. His principles are like water and take the shape of whatever vessel that he invests himself into.

Wookie aspires to go from sidekick to hero

The Sith Lord is immersed in the minutia of policy and tactics, always looking for an advantage. He picks a candidate of principle in every Primary but enthusiastically will denounce them if a competitor makes him a more lucrative offer; especially going into the general election. He will declare his benefactor as more electable and throw his former choice under the bus without skipping a beat. He has a track record of convincing his apprentices to strap on bomb vests on his behalf and detonating in public while he sits back and performs bomb damage assessment on the fly. Using this updated information he is able to plot his next move while others are wondering why the apprentices acted as rashly as they did. Over the years, the pool of potential apprentices has grown shallower so he deploys them less frequently than in years past. The Sith Lord has taken a vow of poverty and has no employer to tie him down so he is able to respond with lightning speed to any situation worthy of his unique talents regardless of which part of California it may occur.

Sith Lord stepping from shadows to assert control

The drunken Jedi is a grizzled military veteran with the charm and charism to disarm the unwary that he meets on his way. He is capable of making a great first impression and has beguiled many of the CRA Board and perhaps a few of their daughters. Think of spiders entrapping the unwary in their webs. His past is shady and seems purposely obscured. His political tactics are awkward and poorly thought out. He often acts without reason and causes harm by the rash things that he says or does. He has defacto control of much of the information that once made George and Aaron Park the real powerbrokers of CRA.  Foolishly, the Board has repeated history by putting him in sole control of their Facebook page, website, and membership lists. As a result, the drunken Jedi is the most formidable opponent of the three in the sense that no one else can campaign aggressively against his weaknesses without risking that he burns the place to the ground on his way out. Were he sober and on an upward career path, he would be an asset to the group but in his present state, he seemingly has no reason to grow-up.

Drunken Jedi stumbling forward to lead rag-tag band

Truthfully, in the heyday of CRA, all three of these guys would have been red shirts of Star Trek fame, good for one episode and an honorable mention in the credits to mark their passing. However, these are the waning days of the organization and these guys are at least willing to step up and try to prolong the organization. Each man has some ability but I don’t have confidence that any has the skillset necessary to stop the decline of CRA.

Next year, if you happen to be in Fresno one Saturday in March, drop by the birthday room at Chuck E Cheese and you might get to see how this tale unfolds. Unless this convention turns into Second Amendment Saturday, I doubt the results will even be in your local paper.

The CRA Decides to Leave CA

It was a rough week for the CRA. The Blogfather and myself have beaten them up so badly regarding their worthless endorsement process.  With Theodore Cruz announcing he won’t challenge Trump in the 2020 primary there is nothing left for this group to do.  As a sidebar tedcruz2020.com is now a worthless domain name that CRA bought.

That being said we have live footage of the CRA leaving the state…..

More horrific footage can be seen here

Disclaimer: any resemblance to Dr. Who’s Tardis and the vehicle shown in this video is coincidental. Author does not mean to imply that CRA can travel thru time and space. Rumors that Ted Cruz was the sole occupant and in the midst of changing into his super suit in an attempt to save CRA at the time said object entered orbit are unsubstantiated. No small animals were harmed in the filming of this incident.

As you can see the CRA left in 2 different but distinct ways.  First, they departed this state by spraying a fine mist of odious liquid on the common-sense folk.  The second attempt at leaving resulting in an outright dumping on the unsuspecting masses.

Please Ling Ling Chang run for governor in 4 years and put this group out of its misery.  This group has literally nothing to cling to anymore.

Til next time,

X

PS cranking out content on a Sunday!  Respect the hustle.  Take a report CRA
#metoo
#Jenniferanniston
#mygirlattheburritobar

CRA’s Great White Hope

As X and I have painstakingly documented on this blog, both the State of California and the California Republican Assembly (a.k.a. CRA) are in a death spiral.   In the unlikely event that the State hits bottom before the CRA, what should the last vestiges of this once great organization do for our state? Clearly, since voters overwhelmingly rejected Travis Allen as their savior (9.55 % of the vote), traditional methods are not working. CRA’s endorsements are more ineffective than campaign phone calls and going door-to-door on precinct walks. Who will deliver us from the wrath to come? (Garvin Newsom)

Most of us instinctively know that the economy of California will be crushed by the burden placed on the people and economic engine of this once prosperous place. We are transforming ourselves into a third world banana republic. No middleclass will remain; only the very rich and very poor. We will be a veritable warzone of crime, chaos, and tyranny.

Gavin Newson waiting to crush California’s economy

No state has ever filed bankruptcy but under Jerry Brown, we are on the short list of those likely to do so. With Garvin, we should rise to the top of that list very rapidly. Who will clean-up the mess that will be created by eight years of Newsom? If the Trump-Pence Administration is running the country, Democrats won’t be successful getting a bail-out from the Great White Father in Washington. (Sorry, just trying to relate to Elizabeth Warren supporters in the audience.) CRA secretly hopes Newsom & company screw things up so bad that voters will be begging them for relief. Clearly such drastic times will need drastic measures. What will happen when California becomes financially insolvent? What is CRA’s solution?

First, we here at ReallyRight feel your pain. We’ve been warning you for years that this is coming. However, instead of just a sarcastic “told you so”, we would like to offer a humble solution and message of hope for our friends at CRA.

If Democrats turn California into a warzone then it will need reconstruction, right?  Well twice before our great nation needed reconstruction, once after the Civil War and once after the Great Depression.

Looking back, we can see how screwed-up that FDR and the New Deal left the country so this Democrat model of more big government is clearly not what California needs. We are turning into the Soviet Union just fine without another push in that direction.

FDR gave us the Raw Deal of socialism

But the post-Civil War era was started as a reconstruction effort by Republicans lead by Abe Lincoln. Clearly CRA can draw inspiration from a guy like Honest Abe. However, reconstruction did have its drawbacks, ask any Southerner. So how can CRA stay true to their principles while avoiding the pitfalls of Southern Reconstruction?

Honest Abe will inspire CRA to greatness

When California files bankruptcy, a Federal Court will appoint a Receiver to oversee the financial health of the State. Think of this as a czar of fiscally responsible spending and a check against the excesses of the Legislature. A Federally appointed overseer with this amount of power must be a guy who can balance several things, namely he must respect the Constitution, know the inner workings of government, and protect us from the Trump-Pence Administration.

Perceiving both the peril and opportunity that California Reconstruction will offer the CRA, clearly only one man is qualified for the job. CRA needs a proven leader that can stand-up to the Washington establishment while knowing the legacy of misfortune created by Reconstruction wrongly done. This man also has intimate knowledge of the workings of California because half of those fleeing the tyranny of California are moving to his State. Ladies and gentleman, I humbly suggest that CRA draft Senator Ted Cruz to lead California thru Reconstruction and to a new era of prosperity. With so many undocumented refugees from California in his midst, Ted won’t even have to resign as the Senator from Texas to save us.

Ted Cruz—American needs you more than ever

Think about it. Cruz is the perfect guy and he doesn’t even have to move here to do the Receiver job. Look at the precedents that already exist in our state. California no longer requires that you be a citizen of the country to vote or have a driver’s license. You no longer must be a resident of the state to have the privilege of collect taxes for our state (thanks Amazon). You no longer have to be a California resident to buy a car meeting our fuel emissions standards. You no longer have to live in our state to be the police chief (thanks Elk Grove) I could go on but you get the point. California is a state of mind not a geographical place.

Given all the above, what can prevent Ted from saving us? The candidate that the voters rejected will be the cornerstone of our recovery. Friends in CRA you now have a reason to hang tough, your renaissance is coming. When the time comes, Ted will vindicate your trust in him. Eighty percent of you trust him implicitly, it’s just taking the rest of us time to get up to speed on this reality.

CRA Scorecard for June 2018: Epic Failure

As you might recall (no pun intended), the week prior to the June election Secretary of State Alex Padilla reported that:

Republicans are now just a quarter of registered voters in California, with both Democrats and independents outnumbering the party that once dominated politics in the Golden State.

The percentage of voters registered as Republicans has been falling steadily over the past two decades, from 38.5 percent in 1998 to 25.1 percent in the latest figures.

Republican Party Drops to 3rd Place in Latest California Registration Numbers

I decided to take a look at the CRA endorsement list for the June election and see how they did. It doesn’t seem fair that MR. X seems to frequently whack this organization and I don’t. I looked at the statewide races of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Controller, Treasurer, Attorney General, Insurance Commissioner, Superintendent of Public Instruction, and US Senate. (These are in the order used by the Secretary of State website and not the CRA endorsement list.)

Of these nine offices, CRA failed to endorse in the following races: Controller, Insurance Commissioner, and, Superintendent of Public Instruction. Thus CRA ceded one third of the races.  Of these three, the Controller race has a registered Republican that made it to November with no help from CRA; recovering Republican Steve Poizner came in first for Insurance Commissioner; and Superintendent of Public Instruction did not indicate party on the ballot so I don’t know who they were. The implications of this inaction is that we must conclude that CRA doesn’t care about California.

Look at what each of these offices do.

Controller
First, Betty Yee is arguably the worst incumbent on the ballot. Yes, even worse that Garvin Newsom. Her track record is terrible and in my opinion, she is the worst Controller that California has seen in decades.

The backbone of California’s financial records system is a UNIX based program called CalSTARS that was implemented last time Jerry Brown was Governor back in 1983. Yeah, this is the program that caused the Y2K crisis in California. Millions were spent to pay retired state employees to return to work to patch this P.O.S. so it could handle four digit years.

For many documents that her office processes, SCO has a backlog to 2015.

Under her leadership—or lack thereof—the Controller’s Office is slower and less efficient in a state that thinks it is the technology leader of the world. Can you say Irony? Oh, her Agency still uses tractor-feed paper and dot-matrix printers to give documents to various departments because they aren’t available in digital formats.

I could go on but the thing that should really frost not only CRA but all Californians is that Betty Yee and Fiona Ma—the Treasurer candidate—are personally responsible for the disinformation campaign that dismantled the Board of Equalization last year. Since CRA’s current President, Tom Hudson, worked for BOE, I would think it a slam-dunk that CRA had a candidate they could support to “take-out” Yee but no dice. Like everything else under Hudson’s leadership, all you get from CRA is crickets.

You would think that Hudson, Sue Blake, George Runner and the other so-call Republican stalwarts would stand-up for themselves and their livelihoods even if they won’t stand-up for the taxpayers that they claim to represent at BOE. Democrats threw the token black guy (one of their own) under the bus and all you got was crickets.

Insurance Commissioner
CRA claims they hate Obamacare. We all know that Obamacare was a stopgap solution on the socialist road to single payer healthcare. So did CRA run or endorse anybody that is running for Insurance Commissioner? Heck No! Once again, their rhetoric and their actions don’t agree.

CRA has had many opportunities to change their endorsement process to conform to the “Jungle Primary” system that we have in California. They have refused to face the reality that not every race will have a Republican in it. At my last CRA convention (you know the one where they overwhelmingly endorsed Lyin’ Ted), I brought the issue before the convention and they killed it at the earliest opportunity.

In his Republican days, Poizner was a CRA endorsed candidate but in a race with no Republican, CRA didn’t have the guts to go with him when he clearly is the best guy on the ballot.

Superintendent of Public Instruction
At my last CRA Convention, much energy was spent bashing Common Core but again CRA has no dog in the hunt for this job; somehow I don’t think it’s because they figured-out that in California, Common Core is here to stay.

Secretary of State and Attorney General
CRA did actually hit two winners in the statewide offices. For Secretary of State, Mark P. Meuser, came in second. For Attorney General, Steven C Bailey also came in second. If the June results are any indicator, both Republicans will face the slaughter in November.

Sadly, this brings us to the third act of the CRA train wreck. CRA had four big misses in the endorsement department. Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Treasurer, and US Senate.

Before I get into the details, I know some will try to nitpick what I’m about to say so in the interest of full disclosure, the numbers used below are from the Secretary of State’s website on June 12, 2018.

Governor
At Convention, CRA spent much time debating the pool of potential candidates and threw their weight behind Travis Allen. Meanwhile, their arch enemy, Donald J Trump, threw his support to John Cox. From the votes tallied thus far, Cox received 25.8 percent of the votes cast while CRA’s all-star candidate received 9.55 percent. Trump’s guy got about three times the number of votes.  Oh, Allen came in fourth place  in the race while Trump’s guy will be on the ballot in November. Since the jungle primary was implemented, this is the first time a Republican gubernatorial candidate has made it to November.  For that we have Donald Trump to thank not CRA.

Lieutenant Governor
CRA fared even worse in their choice for governor in waiting. Their choice was David Hernandez. Hernandez received 6.1 percent of the vote. Out of four republicans on the ballot, CRA’s anointed came in fourth. My prolife Facebook friends said to go with Cole Harris who ended up being the top Republican vote getter. Sadly, Harris was beat by two Dems so he won’t be going to November. Oh, CRA’s guy came in seventh place.

Treasurer
CRA had a chance to go after Fiona Ma with their choice of a Treasurer candidate. They picked Jack Guerrero. Jack apparently didn’t know jack and came in third place. He was bested by Ma and Republican Greg Conlon.

US Senate
From a Conservative Republican point of view, if any candidate on the ballot embodies the opposite of what is good, right, and Constitutional it is Dianne Feinstein. Surely CRA had a guy to go after the ancient Senator from San Francisco. Charged with this task at their Spring Convention was the noble Tom Palzer. In a field of 32 candidates, surely the CRA endorsement would be decisive in propelling a solid Republican to the head of the pack. 11 of the candidates were Republicans. Among Republicans, Palzer placed a solid fifth place thanks to CRA. Sadly, he came in seventh place overall with 3.09 percent of the statewide total.

Conclusion
CRA is a lost and irrelevant organization. In my mind, their “jump the shark moment” was the endorsement of Ted Cruz. Their vote of over eighty percent endorsing Ted Cruz on the first ballot proves that they are out of touch with rank-and-file Republicans. They are bleeding membership and still have many paper clubs in their midst. Tom Hudson was supposed to be a caretaker President to heal the organization and provide stability and integrity. Instead, he is the undertaker President leading the group into the wilderness to atrophy and die. They should either pull the plug on the organization or hand it over to Johnnie Morgan and his group in LA. Either way, the current leadership needs to walk away now.

CRA—a dumpster fire waiting to be extinguished