Category: Politics

Criminalizing the Otherwise Lawful

Last Saturday, I was hunting for parts for the Facebook car that my wife purchased for my daughter. It took multiple stops to track down a replacement seat for this vehicle. In the course of my journeys, I encountered something that would make my friends at the Board of Equalization tremble. I wasn’t that surprised but still it seemed worth a mention on my blog.

While I was waiting to get my item pulled from inventory, some Hispanic fellows came into the store to get some parts for their week-end project. The sales guy asked what parts that they needed. The salesman then quoted them some prices. They seemed reluctant to pay that much and then the sales guy said, “No sales tax for cash purchases.”

I know I was told my part would be one hundred dollars plus tax. Then these other guys come into the store and are offered a different deal. I began to ponder this. It seems that this moral dilemma has many aspects to it. Oh, I’m not jealous that they got a different deal than me but it does make you wonder.

Let’s look at this situation:

• First, the State of California already got their pound of flesh from these used cars back when they were new. In effect, to tax these very used parts again is double taxation.  On the face of it, this seems wrong.

• Second, if some guy like me buys these parts, aren’t we keeping them out of the landfill just a little longer? I thought recycling was supposed to be good public policy so why should I be punished with taxing these parts again? To most folks these items are just junk. The axiom, “one man’s junk is another man’s treasure” comes to mind.

• Third, aren’t we expected to give breaks to folks that might be of dubious citizenship? President Obama and Governor Brown sure think so. Their stated policy is don’t ask, don’t check.

• But fourth, shouldn’t we follow the law however unreasonable as long as it doesn’t violate God’s law? Romans 12 anyone?

• Fifth, tyranny is wrong so must we obey stupid laws that turn otherwise law abiding folks into criminals?

To summarize; is the simple statement about cash purchases not paying sales tax really that simple? It seems to be a microcosm of modern life.

As for me, I was just glad that I didn’t need to pay freight on my parts.

GOP Throws Scott Jones Under the Bus

Often a political candidate makes exactly two decisions for his entire campaign; the first is to run for an office and the second is hiring his political consultant.

In the case of Sheriff Scott Jones, after much arm twisting and pleading, Jones agreed to run against Ami Bera in the 7th Congressional District.

The second decision—that of choosing a political consultant—is often a function of the decision making process.

Often candidates recruited by the Party are handed off to one of their loyal consultants. Republican consultants have proven track records of consistently loosing every two years but somehow it is never their fault.

The first thing to know about consultants is that once hired, they treat candidates as their employees. They tell candidates what to say or more importantly not say, where to go, how to dress, etc. Typically, from the date they are hired until after the election, consultants functionally lobotomize their candidates. Candidates fail to realize that the consulting firm is supposed to work for them. Consultants do what makes money for them, not what helps candidates to win.

The other thing consultants do is load balance their schedules. They calculate that half their candidates will not make it past the June election so they plan on loosing half their races. They then go to November hoping to win half that number. So a successful consultant has a seventy-five percent loss record with twenty-five percent victories. The loosing employees in June are the ones assigned to Jones’ campaign in November. Try that level of success in the private sector and see how long you would remain in business.

Since Jones will likely have no credible Republican opponent in June, his consultants have already decided not to do any campaigning until after the summer. It has been a month since he announced his candidacy and there is no one at his consulting firm assigned to his campaign. Posts to his campaign Facebook account and calls to the consultant’s office are all but ignored. As they are able, the consulting firm will respond—typically weeks later. The Jones campaign currently has zero people on the campaign staff. In addition, there are no plans of opening any campaign headquarters in the district. Clearly Jones’ campaign is on the back burner.

But never fear, things are even worse than I just described. Jones’ consulting firm has no clue about him. Jones won every precinct in Elk Grove when he ran against Jim Cooper for County Sheriff but his consultants didn’t know that. Like the Ose campaign before them, the consultants were planning to write-off Elk Grove and cede it to Bera.

Furthermore, the consultants have no clue who the influence makers are in the district. It’s just another job to them. How Jones got to be Sheriff or what base of support he may have from previous campaigns is beyond their ability to even investigate. They have their campaign in a box already figured out.

A friend described this to me as a “Groundhog Day” campaign. Repeat the same mistakes and expect a different outcome…sounds like insanity to me. Actually, both are true.

Bill Murray from Groundhog Day

Lastly, there is no way that the RNC, RCC, or CRP will give Jones any meaningful financial support in the race. The national Party gets more bang for their buck in other states and has too many seats to defend in this cycle. Taking out an incumbent like Bera in a state like California is too costly to be achieved. The best they can hope for is pinning down some money that Bera would otherwise spend in other districts.

Thus Jones is being thrown under the bus; just more grist for the consulting class to chew-up in 2016 so they will be there in 2018 to do likewise to some other schmuck.

Scott Jones is a good man and deserves better.

Painless DMV Visit

My wife spends too much time on social media. A few weeks ago, she found this car for sale on Facebook. Yeah, not my first choice either but the car was priced to move at $800.

We ended up contacting the owners. The car was drivable and had some cosmetic issues but to did run. After agreeing to buy it, we did have to remind the owners that state law requires the seller to get the vehicle smogged. Not surprisingly, it failed the first time on visual inspection. The owners replaced a hose and then go it to pass the emissions test.

We paid them for the car and then my wife went on the internet to make an appointment at DMV.

Our appointment was for 9:10 AM. When we got there, the line was literally out the door. There were 12 to 18 people just waiting to get into the building. We got in the appointment line—which was much shorter. After waiting a few minutes, we got to the check-in counter and told the lady why we were there. She gave us a form and clipboard and we waited our turn. A few minutes later, my wife and daughter were at the counter doing the paperwork for the title. After paying fees, taxes and registration, my daughter was out $166 on an $800 car and we were leaving to go home. The whole process was over in about twenty minutes.

I know state workers want to spend time with their families on Thanksgiving so considering that they were shorthanded, I thought things went well. Moral of the story, make an appointment; it will lower your frustration level and save time.

Sites Reservoir Talks Surface Again

Before I comment on this news report, I wanted to cite the source and some relevant paragraphs because news reports often get dropped off websites after a short time.

A proposed reservoir project in Western Colusa County would help keep more water in Folsom Lake, according to Rep. Ami Bera.

The Elk Grove Democrat announced on Thursday his support for the Sites Reservoir project. The announcement came as state park rangers took Bera on a tour of the dry bed of Folsom Lake.
http://www.kcra.com/news/rep-bera-says-planned-reservoir-would-help-keep-folsom-full/36418428

Later in the article

Bera joins fellow Democratic Rep. John Garamendi and Republican congressmen Doug LaMalfa and Jeff Denham in supporting Sites.

In a statement to KCRA 3, Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Sacramento, said she believe Sites “could be a piece of the puzzle in solving California’s water crisis, but there are important financing and operational details that are still being finalized and under my consideration.”

My grandfather used to tell me tales of the Sites Reservoir Project back when Ronald Reagan was Governor of California. The land earmarked for this lake included the thirty thousand or so acres owned by my great grandfather. We used to go deer hunting on the property when I was a kid. In fact I killed my first deer at age ten on this very property.

After my great grandfather died, the estate was thoroughly screwed-up by the Bank of America and then the IRS. As a result the family had to liquidate the property. The new owners promptly came in and cut down every single oak tree on the property. It was horrifying to behold thousands of acres denuded by bulldozers and chainsaws. Somehow cutting all the trees was believed to be a benefit to the cattle that the new owners introduced to the property.

Concerning the Sites Project, I find it a real stretch of credibility that any Democrats would claim to support the construction of Sites were we not in a drought; especially since they are the ones that oppose any new water storage anywhere in the state. Clearly the Sierra Club has not gotten to these folks or perhaps they are remaining quiet in hopes that we will forget these quotes by Democrats hoping for re-election.

As a newcomer, I can somewhat excuse Bera for his remarks; however, John Garamendi and Doris Matsui are without excuse; especially Doris. It was her husband Bob that singlehandedly worked to block the Auburn Dam. It was special interest groups in his Sacramento congressional district that coordinated the campaign with Matsui to kill the dam project.

The proposed Sites Project was well known to Matsui, Garamendi, and other elected officials in California. This project was old news in the 1970’s. Oh, yeah. Jerry Brown knew about it before he ever served his first term as governor. If these folks wanted Sites for water storage, it could have happened decades ago.

Unfortunately, much of this is lip service to current conditions and not a genuine concern for California’s future. After all, a politician’s chief job is to get re-elected.

Scott Jones in for 2016 Congressional Race

After months of rumors, it appears that Sacramento County Sheriff, Scott Jones, will be the official Republican challenger to Congressman Ami Bera. Jones will supposedly make this official next week. He was recruited by the NRCC.

My thought is that if NRCC isn’t ready to spend at least five million on the race that Jones shouldn’t bother. Congressional Republicans have lots of first term people that need defending so why get involved in CD-7? Unless they’ve calculated that running Jones will pin down lots of Dem money that can’t be used elsewhere this doesn’t make much sense.

Bera has proved to be a prolific fundraiser and formidable candidate. Plus Republicans have run lousy campaigns against him.

Doug Ose lost last time as soon as he ceded Elk Grove to Bera and chose not to put a headquarters in the south county. This was about March of 2014. The campaign was statistically doomed from that decision forward.

I do think Jones could win but the demographic winds for keeping the seat are not favorable. Too keep the seat, Jones will have to do something no Republican has done in decades, use his office and influence to build the party. I wish Jones all the best in his campaign.

The Curious Case of Karen Davis

Karen Davis was busted for lying to federal investigators. The 2014 Tea Party Congressional candidate was arrested for making death threats against herself. Way to go Republicans. At least she did lose the June 2014 election.

Here is the news story
http://www.kcra.com/news/local-news/news-stockton/former-congressional-candidate-accused-of-sending-threatening-letters-to-herself/

Here is her Tea Party candidate profile
http://teapartycheer.com/bios/west/california/karen-davis-ca-bio/

Here is her indictment
http://www.kcra.com/blob/view/-/36136326/data/60821733/-/i94qxg/-/Criminal-complaint-candidate—threats-102915.pdf

Here are some interesting paragraphs from that document.

Note that LPD is Lodi Police Department

7 (only a portion of this section is quoted.) DAVIS stated that she has been the victim of similar types of activity in the past and didn’t know if the recent letter was related. DAVIS said that she moved to Lodi as a result of past attacks and threats. DAVIS told Officer BRISTOW that the only possible lead she could think of was a family known to her as the “Hunwardsons.” DAVIS believed that the “Hunwardsons” were associated with ROGER STEINER who was convicted of assaulting her and had been released from prison approximately (5) weeks ago.

8. On or about December 24, 2013, I interviewed Sergeant DOUG CHINN at LPD about Threat Letter #1 and his previous contacts with DAVIS. CHINN provided a copy of the police report filed by DAVIS regarding Threat Letter #1. CHINN advised that he was acquainted with DAVIS and had spoken with her on a regular basis during his visits to a Starbucks located at 21 0 N. Ham Lane in Lodi. Approximately 2 to 3 months prior to my interview, DAVIS asked CHINN about obtaining a concealed weapons permit. DAVIS told CHINN that she had been a public official in the past and had previously been assaulted due to her position. DAVIS indicated to CHINN that she was currently running for a Congressional seat and wanted a concealed weapons permit due to the previous threats on her life. CHINN related to DAVIS the process for obtaining a permit.

10. When asked if she contacted the police when she first opened the letter, DAVIS stated “no, they have not been very receptive to me in the past.” DAVIS related that she went to _the LPD In the recent past and attempted to obtain a concealed weapons permit. LPD did not issue the permit. (Remainder of paragraph omitted)

15 During her first term (1990-94) as Stanislaus County Clerk-Recorder, DAVIS reported to law enforcement being the recipient of several verbal and written death threats from individuals associated with the JURIS CHRISTIAN ASSEMBLY (JCA). The JCA was described as an anti-government extremist group opposed to paying income taxes. In or about January 1994, DAVIS reported to law enforcement that she was assaulted by two members of JCA in the garage of her residence. DAVIS told investigators that while she was being assaulted the subjects threatened to kill her if she did not comply with JCA demands regarding tax liens filed with the Stanislaus County Clerk-Recorder’s Office. DAVIS later identified ROGER STEINER from a photographic line up, as one of the two individuals who assaulted her. Ultimately STEINER and eight (8) other individuals associated with the JCA were charged and convicted of racketeering (RICO) charges following a federal jury trial in the Fresno Division of the Eastern District of California. STEINER was sentenced to serve approximately twenty-two (22) years in federal prison.

16 On December 26, 2013, I received an email from DAVIS which contained further information about the possibility that CLARK was responsible for sending the threat letter to her. DAVIS stated in her email that in 1995 her ex-husband DAVID MATHEWS owned an agricultural chemical company in Manteca, CA, called TRI-AG. CLARK was one of the owners. CLARK’s degree was in chemicals and agriculture. Her son, SCOTT MATHEWS worked there at the time and said that CLARK talked a lot about guns. If CLARK didn’t talk so much about bombs, guns and his common law beliefs, DAVIS wouldn’t even think of him with regards to CLARK possibly sending the recent threat letter. DAVIS further stated in her email that during the trial of the 1994 assault, there was a confrontation between her parents, her aunt and uncle and the defendants in a hallway at the court. She stated that it was clear that all of the defendants knew who her family was. DAVIS added that after the trial, she received a lot of mail from STEINER while he was in prison, some of which contained veiled threats. In the email, DAVIS further stated that, “all of us are concerned that Steiner has nothing to lose by bothering my family.” The clear implication of this statement in DAVIS’ email was that STEINER could also have sent Threat Letter #1.

The bottom line is that Davis lied about the 2014 letters and it now cast doubts that her 1994 story of assault was true. Did she send an innocent person to jail? In addition, this crime was done—at least in part—so she could qualify for a concealed weapons permit.

Kevin McCarthy is Next Speaker?

OK first Conservatives are backing him

The Hill: Kevin McCarthy for Speaker? Conservatives May Back Him over Boehner
Kevin McCarthy for speaker, conservatives may back him

Now they want to fire him?

Conservatives push to ‘Fire McCarthy’ before he takes speaker’s gavel
Paul Broun launches bid to fire Kevin McCarthy

OK, like him or not, McCarthy hasn’t changed in the last two weeks so what gives?

Seems to me we are trading an ineffective Speaker for a more effective R.I.N.O.

Lesson: at the end of the day, we still loose.

Frank Look at Republican Platform Changes

This Saturday, August 1st, the Platform Committee of the California Republican Party will be meeting near LAX. The Committee will have an opportunity to change the wording of the Platform and perhaps reshape the Party. Chairman Jim Brulte will preside at the meeting. Will the same folks that embraced the Log Cabin Club show-up in force to build on their recent victory? Some pundits say, “Yes”.

Recently, Steve Frank published an article on the Republican Party Platform and changes that he expects will be made.

Here are a few of his predictions

Marriage and Family: “At the same time the California Republican Party recognizes the right of same-sex couples in California to enter into a State sanctioned marriage that affords them all the civil legal protections the State offers to heterosexual couples”

Right to Life/Abortion: “Most Republicans pro-life and pro-choice believe the difficult decision to have an abortion in the first months of pregnancy is best left as a private personal and family matter.”
Last Remnant In California of Republicanism is GOP Platform Will It Change

The question I asked was, “Does Steve have inside information that ‘the fix’ is in on these changes?”

The Sith Lord says “No”. He says that what happens Saturday will depend on who actually shows up to the meeting.
• He feels that Brulte would like to see the status quo maintained within the Party.
• Many possible changes have been floated by both Liberals and Conservatives but he knows of no consensus on either side for any particular changes.
• With dwindling registration, it’s not a good time to have a platform fight that will likely result in the Conservatives withdrawing from an active role in the Party.

If Frank is right, the Party will likely split over social issues. Brulte may want the Platform unchanged but the myriad of socially agnostic young folks that were the force behind adopting the Log Cabin gang may not be under his control when they sense victory over the old order (Conservative social issues) is within their grasp.

If the Platform proposal on Saturday is a marked departure to the Left, it will likely pass in September. The Liberals have already proved that they have the votes.

What happens Saturday has the potential to shred the Republican Party to the point of extinction in California. Finally, Charlie Munger has victory within reach but to what end?