Eclipse
On Monday, August 21st, California will experience two major events: the partial solar eclipse and the California Republican Assembly Caucus possibly making a transition to a new leader.
The OC Register provides the basis for the change on page one of its Commentary section. The current leader rationalizes that the Republican Party needs to change and become more “Arnold” like.
The challenger to his position provides a complete understanding of the vote that has created the cause for a coup and her vision for moving the Republican Party in California forward.
After reading both pieces, I would say that the Assemblyman Mayes is wrong. The Republican Party does not need to change, it needs to lead. On “cap and trade,” the Republican Party should have provided a different alternative to taxing those generating carbon emissions. The leadership shown by Mayes was dismal and resembled capitulation more than providing creative solutions in the compromise. Where were the incentives for cleaner and more efficient emission statistics? Why always a stick and not a carrot?
The extended tax is the way to underwrite Gov. Brown’s overly expensive high speed rail infrastructure project, one that will never pencil out and pay for itself. It is government largess and waste at its finest. Addressing “cap and trade” in a Republican fashion would have been a win for everyone, the economy, the job makers, and those who need jobs. Gov. Brown’s approach is a disappointment. In fact, it’s crass. The manipulation of a critical environmental concern as a tactic to find more funding for a boondoggle is outrageous. And to be complicit in this scheme is poor legacy material.
I spent the last week out-of-state. I looked at how communities are situated, how much they’re paying for gas, and how locals are enjoying life. I came away with the sense that the overriding goal of the Democratic Party in California is to drive people out of this state. Addressing the high cost of housing is not a difficult matter, but the Democrats in California have made it one. Addressing the cost of living is not a difficult matter, but the Democrats believe that if they can convince you to migrate to another state, there will be more available housing for those remaining.
I would also say that “cap and trade” is not a policy that should be advocated by just one state, to its detriment. It is an initiative that should be pursued by our entire nation. I did not encounter dirty air on my vacation. As a nation, we get how important the task is of a clean and healthy environment. But, leading a very expensive parade on the backs of taxpaying businesses, only to look back in a few years and see how it has impacted our state’s competitiveness and seeing no one following, will not be the leadership that Californians will be proud of. For just an inkling of what’s ahead, I provided the submission below to the OC Register. Decisions have consequences. Bad decisions have repercussions. And my concerns about changing behaviors continues (see MOORLACH UPDATE — Changing Behaviors).
Assemblyman Mayes has had his chance to lead the Republican Assembly Caucus and all I can do is look at the results. When he assumed the role, there were 28 Republican Assemblymembers, now there are 25. That’s the only measurement I have to look at and now he’ll have 18. He is in no position to chastise anyone about the direction of where the Republican Party is going. It’s time for a leadership eclipse.
