What It’s Like Living in an Avocado Republic
[guest post by JVW]
California, as we famously know, is a one-party state. The last Republican to be elected to statewide office was Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is hardly anyone’s idea of a true blue conservative. The GOP briefly seized control of the State Assembly in the 1994 midterms when the Democrats were crushed nationwide, but treachery from within and without doomed them and the party has never recovered, slipping farther and farther behind the Democrats in nearly each subsequent election.
This has made nearly invincible the Democrats, a party that is largely driven by greedy unionized government workers and corrupt racial/ethnic grievance mongers with the support of gentry liberals, and has inculcated in them both an arrogance stemming from unchecked power and a belief that they can manipulate the system in any way imaginable in order to protect their interests. With lame-duck Governor Jerry Brown no longer interested in trying to impress a modicum of fiscal responsibility upon his colleagues, the California Legislature has embarked upon an orgy of taxing and spending, promising to bring progressive paradise to the shores of the Pacific. The latest manifestation of this never-satiated hunger for tax revenue was an increase in the gas tax and vehicle registration fees, which passed the legislature a few weeks ago and has proven to be unpopular among a Golden State public that desires big government’s beneficence but has no intention of paying for it themselves.
So California Republican activists, seeing an opening, have begun pushing for a recall election election for freshman state senator Josh Newman of Fullerton, a Democrat whose vote in favor of the new taxes helped pass the bill (Democrats have the bare supermajority of 2/3 of the chamber required by California law to pass tax increases). They have begun a campaign of circulating recall petitions, with the object of forcing a special recall election where the ability to turn-out angry voters might just tip the balance and force Newman out. In response, the Democrat leadership in the legislature has conspired to change the law in midstream and slow down the recall process in order to halt momentum and to make it far more likely that any recall election would take place during a general election when Democrats can better turn-out their voting base. Democrats seized upon some alleged misleading flyers distributed by recall supporters which incorrectly suggested that voting for the recall would undo the gas and vehicle tax increases, and feigned outrage at the perfidy in order to justify this extraordinary exercise of raw political muscle. But even some friendly academics are having trouble justifying this move:
[O]ne California elections expert said she found the legislation “dispiriting,” saying that it was written for Democrats’ political gain rather than to address the problem of misleading signature-gathering tactics. Newman’s narrow victory in November secured his party a supermajority in the Legislature.
“If this was truly about trying to get at the systemic problem of false signature gathering, I don’t think the bill would look this way,” said Jessica Levinson, a Loyola Law School professor. “It would be broader — it would apply to all the different ways we gather signatures.
“This,” she added, “seems to be targeted at lengthening the time to get a recall on the ballot, which in this case would help Sen. Newman.”
Ah, California: it was almost Eden until all the progressive snakes showed up peddling government apples.
– JVW
I’m kind of hoping “avocado republic” catches on.
JVW (dadb0c) — 6/20/2017 @ 4:59 pmWatching CA progress to its inevitable federal receivership is going to be like watching a train wreck that takes about a decade. But I’m pretty sure that train is already too far down that wrong track to head it off. My sympathies go to the hearty few who persist in sanity whilst all ’round them are losing their heads.
Beldar (fa637a) — 6/20/2017 @ 5:35 pmAnd I guess: Vive La Résistance Californique!
Beldar (fa637a) — 6/20/2017 @ 5:36 pm(I’ve enjoyed my visits to France to my considerable surprise, but I have no qualms about butchering their language.)
Beldar (fa637a) — 6/20/2017 @ 5:37 pmCalifornia governor, Legislature are now highest paid in nation
happyfeet (28a91b) — 6/20/2017 @ 5:37 pmCalifornia seems to be doing just fine since republicans where largely pushed out of State government. Still need to work on removing them from the Federal government tho.
Spartacvs (2db708) — 6/20/2017 @ 5:39 pmI would not sign a recall petition to recall Newman, and I would vote against it, if I lived in his district.
That said, this change to the rules is *wrong*. First off, it’s massively unfair pool to change the rules in the middle and any such rule change should only apply prospectively for petitions taken out after the rule change rather than applying to petitions currently circulating. Second off, having different rules for validating recall signatures than for validating initiative signatures is unfair pool. Third off, requiring a manual check of all signatures is absurd — it’s time consuming and unnecessary.
The Democrats in the Legislature should be ashamed of themselves on this one.
aphrael (3f0569) — 6/20/2017 @ 6:05 pmAnd apple a day keeps the healthcare away.
Dejectedhead (d3cff5) — 6/20/2017 @ 6:15 pmAn* Doh!
Dejectedhead (d3cff5) — 6/20/2017 @ 6:16 pmI would not sign a recall petition to recall Newman, and I would vote against it, if I lived in his district.
I agree with you, aphrael. This sort of thing should be settled at election time, not with a recall. I thought the Gray Davis situation was different because Davis and his campaign actively tried to hide the extent of the budget deficit that the state faced so that he could cruise to reelection without having to make promises to cut spending or raise taxes. If I find out that Newman had promised during his campaign not to raise gas or vehicle taxes and then went back on his word, then I might change my mind. Otherwise, the good folks of Fullerton should understand that this is what happens when you elect a Democrat.
JVW (42615e) — 6/20/2017 @ 6:35 pmI *would* support a referendum to repeal this law, or an initiative constitutional amendment to restore the old rules.
aphrael (3f0569) — 6/20/2017 @ 6:37 pmGas and vehicle taxes of course hit the poor the hardest, since not only does the cost of gas and registration increase for them, but all products that we purchase (food, clothes, etc.) that are transported by trucks will also see cost increases. It will be interesting to see how much longer progressive California holds together its coalition now that they are spreading the misery around. Naturally the Democrats will propose various credits and handouts to try to soften the blow to the poorest, but there is no telling if they will be able to pass them or if they will have the desired effect.
JVW (42615e) — 6/20/2017 @ 6:42 pmSparty assures us that all is well in CA. Yet:
I cannot conceive of any better scheme to loot the public fisc — ultimately, it will be the federal public fisc at least in part, depending on the terms of the inevitable federal receivership — that to pay off your party’s most loyal voting block, government employees, while bankrupting the children of California.
Don’t pee on my leg and tell me it’s raining, Sparty. Lovely weather in CA, and I’m rooting for the hearty few. But its government is bankrupting the state hand over fist, and I mean that in the most literal sense.
Beldar (fa637a) — 6/20/2017 @ 6:44 pmJVW – the Democratic Party is more likely to break into two hostile halves which compete over California political positions than the Republican Party is to regain influence in the state. *Especially* right now, when calling yourself a Republican is going to mean attaching to the Trump brand.
aphrael (3f0569) — 6/20/2017 @ 6:45 pmbtw, NBC is reporting that Handel currently has a 10,000 note lead over Ossoff (51.4/48.6 percent) with just under two thirds of the votes counted.
kishnevi (682c47) — 6/20/2017 @ 6:48 pmIllinois seems disposed to get there ahead of California
kishnevi (682c47) — 6/20/2017 @ 6:50 pmhttp://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/06/20/illinois-careens-into-financial-meltdown-and-not-even-lottery-is-safe.amp.html
As opposed to the blazing excitement of blanc mange that has characterized republican politics for the last decade excet for that Tim fellow innthe state assembly.
narciso (d1f714) — 6/20/2017 @ 6:54 pmhere’s a church in Minot North Dakota i want to go see
happyfeet (28a91b) — 6/20/2017 @ 7:01 pmJVW – the Democratic Party is more likely to break into two hostile halves which compete over California political positions than the Republican Party is to regain influence in the state.
Yeah, but I think that soon enough we’ll see the tension in the Democrats between gentry liberals and lower-income minorities. That’s kind of why I puckishly hope that Tom Steyer is serious about running for governor.
JVW (42615e) — 6/20/2017 @ 7:07 pmThe Antonio Villaraigosa showdown with Newsom or Steyer would be interesting, but I don’t think Villaraigosa has the intellectual acumen or wit to take the fight to either.
JVW (42615e) — 6/20/2017 @ 7:08 pmGood post, JVW. Yet so depressing to be reminded what a sinkhole we live in. I’m not sure how I feel about the recall. While I see your point, there is so much frustration by voters at the outrageous behavior of legislators, that I think the feeling is, whatever has to be done, will be done. No matter the cost. The problem is, no necessary lessons will be learned. Not really. Come next election, some Dem will promise the moon and sun and stars, and dippy voters will say “yes, yes, yes!” Always happens. (Or, just wait for the next bond issue to show up as a ballot measure… Californians love nothing more than saying yes to those!) Oh, and kudos on coining “Avocado Republic”.
kishnevi,
Interesting about Handel and Ossoff, in light of this post:
Count on California Democrats with deep pockets. They’re willing to help other states become giant welfare states too.
Dana (023079) — 6/20/2017 @ 7:09 pmVillaraigosa likes his chippies he’s a lot like that herman cain feller
happyfeet (28a91b) — 6/20/2017 @ 7:10 pmIllinois seems disposed to get there ahead of California
I’m very pleased that Rauner is holding his ground here. As Margaret Thatcher would say, this is not the time to go wobbly. It may be that the Democrats group together and rout him in 2018, but I think he can go out with his head held high if we continues to fight the destructive status quo in Springfield. I wish him luck.
JVW (42615e) — 6/20/2017 @ 7:10 pmDana, a comment I saw on Facebook reported that for the last few days, the only ads to be seen on TV are ads for this race, and that the ads seem split equally between D and R.
kishnevi (682c47) — 6/20/2017 @ 7:13 pmCount on California Democrats with deep pockets. They’re willing to help other states become giant welfare states too.
All the better to federalize it all and have Washington take on more power. And then Californians will bitch and moan that we don’t get as much back from the feds as we contribute financially. The lack of comprehension is staggering here.
JVW (42615e) — 6/20/2017 @ 7:15 pmI sympathize with conservative Californians who are frustrated with their leaders and their decisions, but you sure live in a beautiful State.
DRJ (15874d) — 6/20/2017 @ 7:18 pmGA election called for Handel.
Dana (023079) — 6/20/2017 @ 7:20 pmI sympathize with conservative Californians who are frustrated with their leaders and their decisions, but you sure live in a beautiful State.
It’s the only thing that keeps a lot of us here, DRJ.
JVW (42615e) — 6/20/2017 @ 7:21 pmGA election called for Handel.
Wouldn’t it be an amazing eff-you to The Resistance if Handel exceeds the margin of victory that the President had in the district seven months ago?
JVW (42615e) — 6/20/2017 @ 7:23 pmSo close, yet so far:
Dana (023079) — 6/20/2017 @ 7:32 pm29
kishnevi (682c47) — 6/20/2017 @ 7:36 pmTrump won G6 by 1.5 percent, so she beat Trump. But Price got a far higher share when he ran.
Disappointing. Handel isn’t a good fit for the district.
Spartacvs (2db708) — 6/20/2017 @ 7:37 pmI guess it proved how money in politics deternines,all. They had steve Schmidt to xosole them, the fellow whose first campaign in kentucky a case study in what not to do.
narciso (d1f714) — 6/20/2017 @ 7:42 pmdisappointing that’s 20 something million the fascists won’t have in their treasury to spend in 2018 🙁
BAKE SALE!
happyfeet (28a91b) — 6/20/2017 @ 7:43 pmCalifornia had counties vote for President Trump, Massachusetts no way. The beauty of California and the fresh food would be hard to leave and I enjoy the people of Cantafordya.
mg (31009b) — 6/20/2017 @ 7:47 pmthis weekend in the small town midwest i had a strawberry rhubarb delight it’s like a “crumble” except with toasted coconut
happyfeet (28a91b) — 6/20/2017 @ 7:48 pm50 million, it’s full of fail, like that mummy project Annabelle Wallis got roped into.
narciso (d1f714) — 6/20/2017 @ 7:49 pmIf republicans had lost it would have been a referendum on patsies Ryan and Mcconnell.
mg (31009b) — 6/20/2017 @ 7:50 pmit’s especially good if you suffer from rhubarb deficiency
happyfeet (28a91b) — 6/20/2017 @ 7:52 pmIs this picture Sacramento or is it Caracas?
JoeH (f94276) — 6/20/2017 @ 8:16 pm
California Democrats wrestle with proposal to replace private health insurance with ‘single-payer’ system
JoeH (f94276) — 6/20/2017 @ 8:19 pmHandel voted today and won. Ossoff could not vote today and lost.
mg (31009b) — 6/20/2017 @ 8:20 pm@1. I’m kind of hoping “avocado republic” catches on.
JVW, it’s gotta nice ‘cadence’ to it, written, read or spoken.
I’m still pissed over the grocery bag ban. Such a PITA.
DCSCA (797bc0) — 6/20/2017 @ 8:25 pm22, wrong just wrong, this is the rare case I say a fella like Cain is far more honorable and accomplished man than a fella like the former Villar.
urbanleftbehind (9db048) — 6/20/2017 @ 8:26 pm10 more days to hoard soda down Cook County way.
urbanleftbehind (9db048) — 6/20/2017 @ 8:27 pmyup i had a beverage today
kinda wistfully
a sugared iced coffee one
happyfeet (28a91b) — 6/20/2017 @ 8:33 pmAnyone who seriously watches the CA GOP will see the games and internal warfare typical of a third party. If you look at their website, there is little about the many issues facing CA that the Democrats are failing at solving, or just flatly making worse.
In Los Angeles, which voted 70% for Hillary, there are a number of problems. Let’s see what the Democrat response has been:
Traffic: Terrible and more terrible by the day. It is impossible to drive more than 10 miles to work in less than an hour, and driving home is worse.
Democrat response: 1) Issue 1 million driver’s licenses to illegals. 2) Remove car lanes and replace them with bike lanes. Add “traffic calming” measures to roadways to (I kid you not) slow traffic down. Other lanes are being taken up by dedicated bus lanes, even as the illegals abandon the bus system for cars.
Housing: Increasing density with 5-story apartment complexes being built abutting single family houses.
Democrat response:
1) SB1818 which allows developers to build 5-story apartment buildings on any commercial lot, so long as it is near “transit” (a bus stop) and 10% of the units are earmarked for low-income. Cities MUST issue permits or face damage suits. Doesn’t matter what the city laws say.
2) Making LA a sanctuary city for illegals, as if that had nothing to do with the population pressures.
Those are two examples of things that people in LA hate, that are the result of Democrat policy. And the GOP response? “Come to our convention!”
Kevin M (752a26) — 6/20/2017 @ 8:33 pm5-story apartment complexes being built abutting single family houses.
brooklyn philly queens baltimore boston
it’s not a new thing
happyfeet (28a91b) — 6/20/2017 @ 8:37 pmyou forget though how we did elect arnold schwarzenegger
and he made the maid his baby mama!
that’s
it’s goddamn poetry
happyfeet (28a91b) — 6/20/2017 @ 8:40 pmhttp://legalinsurrection.com/2017/06/democrats-are-incapable-of-learning-from-the-georgia-special-election-loss/
mg (31009b) — 6/20/2017 @ 8:40 pmcnn looking gloom.
Changing the recall rules like this is the kind of thing that gets some people thinking ballots won’t do the job. It’s stupid, besides being crooked.
Kevin M (752a26) — 6/20/2017 @ 8:42 pmit’s not a new thing
It is here. Those places have had atrocious government for years. We’re just entry-level.
Kevin M (752a26) — 6/20/2017 @ 8:43 pmok i’ll give you that
happyfeet (28a91b) — 6/20/2017 @ 8:44 pmhow many speeches does diseased wonder woman stinkypig have to give to make as much money as the cnn fascists lost tonight in G6?
happyfeet (28a91b) — 6/20/2017 @ 8:46 pm@47. Traffic: Terrible and more terrible by the day. It is impossible to drive more than 10 miles to work in less than an hour, and driving home is worse.
No kidding. I’m sure we all have war stories. Commuted between Hollywood and LAX area daily and it took me 55 minutes to go 11 miles each way– always on surface streets– the freeway was forever gridlocked. On round trip counted 70 traffic lights and stop signs on roads so beat up and in need of resurfacing, figured it wasn’t worth buying a new car but just get h/d shocks. And with all the start/stops– went through two sets of brakes within a few years. Never had that wear and tear before. Worst traffic anyplace is in metro Los Angeles.
DCSCA (797bc0) — 6/20/2017 @ 8:47 pmNow that Osshoff has lost, the WaPo runs this:
“Jon Ossoff chose civility in Georgia race. It failed. So how do Democrats beat Trump?“
I guess this means that the fabled Democrat civility towards Trump and the GOP may end.
Kevin M (752a26) — 6/20/2017 @ 8:48 pmThat’s bad when Archie Parnell loses by less (% wise) than Jon Ossoff, of course SC repubs end up suffering from Lindsey syndrome to varying degrees.
urbanleftbehind (9db048) — 6/20/2017 @ 8:49 pmdemocrats can readily beat Mr. Trump by doing cnn fake news kathy griffin assassinate on him
but they’ll wait for sweeps
happyfeet (28a91b) — 6/20/2017 @ 8:50 pmIn madurozueka they sent the supreme court after a rogue fatty general
https://amgreatness.com/2017/06/20/robert-mueller-needs-answer-crucial-
narciso (d1f714) — 6/20/2017 @ 8:51 pmquestions-republicans-ask/
#55, Now suppose they took a traffic lane off of La Cienega or La Brea for bikes. Probably not the expressway portions, but who knows?
If you know Playa del Rey, they’re making Pershing, Culver and Jefferson 1 lane below Lincoln. So people can ride bikes.
Kevin M (752a26) — 6/20/2017 @ 8:53 pmYeah that’ll work, what are they smoking in Sacramento?
narciso (d1f714) — 6/20/2017 @ 8:55 pmImagine where the state would be today if Tom McClintock had won.
Dana (023079) — 6/20/2017 @ 8:59 pm61. They do the same ish with “road diets” but so far only in Chicago proper. Lawrence Ave near happy and nk is one big example. The “hipster highway” of Milwaukee Ave is likely for Nike than car by now.
urbanleftbehind (9db048) — 6/20/2017 @ 9:00 pmThey are plotting to take a lane from Stony Island and close off Cornell Drive which will imperil the trip downtown from my ancesdtral corner of the South side.
Cherry Diesel
mg (31009b) — 6/20/2017 @ 9:00 pm“More Bike” instead of “for Nike”.
urbanleftbehind (9db048) — 6/20/2017 @ 9:01 pm“road diets”
A phrase they are now using here. Do they have any idea how condescending they sound?
Kevin M (752a26) — 6/20/2017 @ 9:11 pmApparently California Democrats have developed the ability to influence Georgia voters quite profoundly.
It seems that by contributing $456,296.03 to the Georgia Sixth District Dem nominee Jon Ossoff for his runoff, “$220,532.10 from the Bay Area — versus just $228,474.44 from Georgia” — they helped him drop from 48.1% in the first round of special election voting to 47.9% in the run-off.
This may be the most constructive thing California Democrats accomplish in 2017.
Beldar (fa637a) — 6/20/2017 @ 9:13 pm@60 Augggggggggh… you hade me shudder. Yes, commuted from there… that’s crazy given the volume of traffic that squeezes through there as is– even on weekends it was horrid.
DCSCA (797bc0) — 6/20/2017 @ 9:15 pmCalifornia’s receivership will be the ultimate play-out of “Too Big to Fail.” It’s gonna be ugly.
Beldar (fa637a) — 6/20/2017 @ 9:17 pmI think those figures were only through May 31, btw, so the totals from CA are likely to be vastly larger in the final tallies, especially since he was perceived to have an excellent chance within the last few weeks. I think Dana (#21) & I were quoting from the same ultimate source; thank you, Dana.
Beldar (fa637a) — 6/20/2017 @ 9:19 pmHandel post up.
Dana (023079) — 6/20/2017 @ 9:39 pmCNN reporter just now, regarding the GA special election just as they were cutting away to commercial: “Well, for the Republicans, it’s a win. Depending on how you look at it.”
Generally I look at that question in terms of who got the most votes. It’s a win.
Beldar (fa637a) — 6/20/2017 @ 9:58 pmOh! I ought to have refreshed the page before posting again, Dana, sorry! You’re two steps ahead of me.
Beldar (fa637a) — 6/20/2017 @ 9:59 pmGA election post here.
Dana (023079) — 6/20/2017 @ 10:00 pm“avocado republic” I like it!
I am in favor of the recall, because I think the real issue is the super majority, not the tax. There will be more taxes to come if we are forced to endure one-party rule.
Interesting 1994 article, too. Wonder what Horcher got for his vote…
Patricia (5fc097) — 6/21/2017 @ 8:04 amWhat kind of fruit would this be kiwi
http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2017/06/anatomy_of_a_witch_hunt.html
narciso (d1f714) — 6/21/2017 @ 8:08 amBeldar – i do not understand how any person who objected to the flood of out-of-state money on Proposition 8 could then turn around and donate to an out-of-state Congressional campaign.
[For the record, I’ve donated to an out-of-state campaign once, to a Congressional candidate who was promising to bring about a revolutionary new online openness to the running of his office. He won, he never delivered on that set of principles, and I now consider myself to have allowed a con man to have seduced me away from my principles.]
aphrael (3f0569) — 6/21/2017 @ 8:52 amKevin M, at 47: I don’t see how you can stop the skyrocketing rent cost without increasing the supply of units, which requires increasing density.
Oddly enough, up here in the bay, the progressives are opposed to density increases or supply increases because they believe increasing supply will increase demand *more* than the supply increase.
aphrael (3f0569) — 6/21/2017 @ 8:53 amBecause it’s about power not principle also it would be harder to raise funds in California for the proposition
narciso (d1f714) — 6/21/2017 @ 8:54 am” I now consider myself to have allowed a con man to have seduced me away from my principles.”
– aphrael
Don’t beat yourself up too much. I feel like that pretty much every time I vote.
Leviticus (efada1) — 6/21/2017 @ 9:01 amI am in favor of the recall, because I think the real issue is the super majority, not the tax. There will be more taxes to come if we are forced to endure one-party rule.
That’s a legitimate point. At some point, I can understand that people from moderate or moderate-left districts may want to send a message to de Leon, Atkins, and Brown that we will not stand by while they engage in a tax-and-spend orgy. The recall might be the only way to accomplish this.
JVW (42615e) — 6/21/2017 @ 9:19 amDon’t beat yourself up too much. I feel like that pretty much every time I vote.
Yep, me too.
JVW (42615e) — 6/21/2017 @ 9:19 amOddly enough, up here in the bay, the progressives are opposed to density increases or supply increases because they believe increasing supply will increase demand *more* than the supply increase.
Progressives in my town are also fighting against developing new units. They officially cite issues with traffic and crowded schools for their opposition, but certainly a part of it is good old-fashioned NIMBYism and another part of it is a desire to keep property values high. The irony is that a middle-class family can simply no longer afford to live in my town (unless they cram the family into a small apartment), so what progressives are doing is blocking lower-income folks and ensuring that only the wealthy can move in here.
JVW (42615e) — 6/21/2017 @ 9:23 amI believe that is their point. They don’t want “lower-income folks” living anywhere near them.
Rev.Hoagie® (630eca) — 6/21/2017 @ 10:00 amKevin M (752a26) — 6/20/2017 @ 8:33 pm
Sammy Finkelman (2b1acb) — 6/21/2017 @ 11:29 amEvery 20 years New York State has an automatic vote on the ballot for a constituoonal convention. It always loses (1977, 1997) because nobody’s paying attention and people instinctively vote no.
It’s hard to see how they could make state government any worse, and they might put in an initiative and referendum (if they wanted it to pass) although that proces shas been spoiled in California)
Sammy Finkelman (2b1acb) — 6/21/2017 @ 11:34 amJVW – one of the reasons I haven’t attempted a career in politics is that my views on this issue make me unelectable where I live: the only way to bring the price of housing down is to increase supply commensurate with demand. San Francisco, for example, should replace the entire Sunset with Brooklyn-style six-story buildings (right now they’re mostly two stories).
Yeah, we don’t have the infrastructure for it, so we’ll have to dramatically increase the number of train lines and bus lines in the city to serve this population, but unless we do something like this, we’re going to remain a playground for the rich and the favored poor who managed to snag a rent controlled apartment. Far better to build the housing to meet the demand and then figure out how to handle the population crush.
aphrael (e0cdc9) — 6/21/2017 @ 12:56 pmI think so. We can’t wait until the next election. In all fairness, if the GOP had a supermajority, they would wreck the state too, but the Dems are the satraps now.
Patricia (5fc097) — 6/21/2017 @ 2:24 pm@ aphrael (#77), who wrote:
Oh, I’m not objecting to making out-of-state contributions in general, and like you, I’ve done that (and intend to continue doing so) myself when I thought it would get me good strategic bang for my buck. It’s funny how many out-of-state mailing lists I’ve gotten myself on that way.
My point is simply that the practice has, and ought have, risks of blowback — risks which only exist because of disclosure rules in the campaign finance laws, which are working exactly as intended without limiting anyone’s speech or political expression. It took a very extreme situation, a record-breaking one in fact, for the blowback to become a significant factor in the final results, but that indeed seemed to happen yesterday in GA6.
Beldar (fa637a) — 6/21/2017 @ 2:34 pmThey make that rule because they know in kind contribution, through the press would offset paid media.
narciso (d1f714) — 6/21/2017 @ 2:43 pmAnd in typical progressive fashion, they are, however, more than willing to send them to live in other people’s neighborhoods.
Dana (023079) — 6/21/2017 @ 2:44 pmBut consider what happened when Mccain took up public funding Obama averred.
narciso (d1f714) — 6/21/2017 @ 2:44 pm@ Patricia,
Thanks for saying this, Patricia. It makes sense, and due to the super majority, anyone not on the hard left is hosed. For a long time to come. I guess the recall could be a starting point. The fact that Democrats are fighting it, demonstrates that they are concerned. And that’s a good thing.
Dana (023079) — 6/21/2017 @ 2:45 pm@47. Lucked out, KM; for the 11 years spent in LA my hooch in Playa was rent-controlled so it was a dream given it’s location to access the city, the beach and the aerodrome. And surprisingly quiet too, thanks to mandated retrofitted of windows in residential structures close to LAX.
DCSCA (797bc0) — 6/21/2017 @ 2:54 pmBack at the ranch:
narciso (d1f714) — 6/21/2017 @ 3:18 pmhttps://mobile.twitter.com/FoxNews/status/877639963839406080
Kevin M, at 47: I don’t see how you can stop the skyrocketing rent cost without increasing the supply of units, which requires increasing density.
I agree. Increasing density also improves traffic as people here move as close to work as they can, and 90% of their driving is their commute.
But, there’s development, and there’s development. If you look at the linked pictures in #47, you’ll see why people get upset. Building 5-story apartments right on top of SFR mocks zoning rules, especially when the city’s zoning and height laws are overridden by the state.
There are other nearby areas that are thoroughly commercial where literally thousands (maybe 10s of 1000s) of apartments have gone up without (much) opposition. The one I posted is about 200 units on half an acre, with insufficient parking (the lie is that residents will use public transit).
Kevin M (752a26) — 6/21/2017 @ 3:28 pmThanks for saying this, Patricia. It makes sense, and due to the super majority, anyone not on the hard left is hosed. For a long time to come. I guess the recall could be a starting point. The fact that Democrats are fighting it, demonstrates that they are concerned. And that’s a good thing.
It’s a bare super-majority. They had it in 2012, lost it in 2014, and got it back in 2016 due to Trump’s I-cannot-begin-to-describe unpopularity in the urban part of the state.
Part of the reason was the new redistricting commission, which was stacked with ringers and a few airheads, and decided to use the old, VERY BAD gerrymander as their starting point. Then they got fed a steady diet of bogus “neighborhood groups” all singing the same song about how the lines ought to be drawn. The GOP stood by with its collective thump up its ass until it was far too late. In the end it was a worse gerrymander than before. They gained several seats in both sides of the legislature immediately.
Kevin M (752a26) — 6/21/2017 @ 3:35 pm