Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Obama Issues ‘Executive Actions’ To Put Solar Panels On Federally Subsidized Housing

U.S. President Barack Obama delivers remarks on clean energy after a tour of a solar power array at Hill Air Force Base, Utah April 3, 2015. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst The Obama administration is issuing a slew of executive orders to boost the solar panel industry, this time by pushing for more solar panels to be used at federally subsidized housing developments.
The White House announced a goal of getting 300 megawatts installed at federally subsidized housing all while providing technical and financial assistance to subsidized housing operators looking to go green. The administration also says it’s leveraged $520 million in “independent commitments from philanthropic and impact investors, states, and cities” to boost solar energy among the low income community.
“The executive actions and private sector commitments that we are announcing today will help continue to scale up solar for all Americans, including those who are renters, lack the startup capital to invest in solar, or do not have adequate information on how to transition to solar energy,” the White House said in a statement.
The move to push solar panel on federally-subsidized housing comes less than one month after Obama unveiled “executive actions” to “make information about energy and climate programs … accessible and more understandable to the public, including to mission-driven investors.” Obama also ordered the IRS to issue guidance on how groups could invest in green energy.
Obama’s latest orders also call for the creation of a “National Community Solar Partnership” to increase solar power access to low-income families that rent their homes or apartments and may not have enough rooftop space for a solar panel array. So-called “solar gardens” are a new way to finance solar panels across the country, but one that could increase costs and bring dubious benefits.
For example, Denver recently contracted with a solar company to have 16 city-operated buildings powered by solar energy from a community solar project. City officials heralded the deal as helping green up Denver, but there’s one caveat — there’s no guarantee solar power will actually come to your home or building.
What happens is that those who buy electricity from community solar projects simply get a credit on their electric bill to show they invested in solar. Yet, no solar panels are hooked up on site, instead power is generated on a solar farm somewhere else and that power is sent onto the grid.
Those looking to invest in solar will get utility credits, but there’s no guarantee that the solar power you finance will ever be used to meet your electrical needs.

Kenyan Leader: If Obama Brings 'Gay Agenda, We Will Tell Him to Shut Up and Go Home'



(CNSNews.com) – When he visits his father’s homeland in Africa later this month, President Obama is expected to run into vocal opposition over his administration’s high-profile promotion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues.
Obama’s trip to Kenya, his first as president, is scheduled to take place four weeks after the White House was bathed in rainbow colors to mark the U.S. Supreme Court ruling declaring that same-sex marriage is a right.

At a small pro-family demonstration at the parliament in Nairobi Monday, organized by the Evangelical Alliance of Kenya, participants called on the American president not to raise the subject during his visit.

“It is important for us as Kenyans to know that the U.S. is not God,” local media quoted evangelical Bishop Mark Kariuki as saying, adding that Obama should not use the visit to “talk about the gay issue.”
Irungu Kangata, a lawmaker in President Uhuru Kenyatta’s The National Alliance (TNA) party, was blunter: “We are telling Mr. Obama when he comes to Kenya this month and he tries to bring the abortion agenda, the gay agenda, we shall tell him to shut up and go home.”
According to The Standard of Nairobi, Kangata said Kenyans would demonstrate against Obama over the issue during his visit.
Kenya’s The Daily Nation quoted several other lawmakers’ views on the matter.
“Anybody who tries to come and preach to this country that they should allow homosexuality, I think he’s totally lost,” said TNA lawmaker Jamleck Kamau.
“And I would also like to add, our son from the U.S., Barack Obama, when he comes here, to simply avoid that topic completely,” added Kamau, “because Kenyans will not be happy with him if he comes to bring the issue of homosexuality in this country.”

Rand Paul Exposes $25,000 Federal Grant for Oscars Museum

Sen. Rand Paul put Hollywood in the spotlight Monday revealing a $25,000 federal grant billing taxpayers for the building of an Oscars museum.


The National Endowment for the Arts is sending the federal dollars to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science to help build what the academyclaims as the “world’s premier museum” exploring the history and future of movies.
The Kentucky Republican revealed the spending in his latest “Waste Report,” which he uses to publicly uncover “egregious” instances of excessive government spending.
“$25,000 might be small in the scope of the federal budget or in Hollywood, it is over half what the average worker makes in a year, and equals the full federal tax liability of almost four average Americans,” Paul said in the report.
He questioned why the government would send the chunk of money to the academy given the group’s “abundance of wealth.”
“In addition to scores of Hollywood brass ponying up donations to the museum, the academy is flush with cash; it makes profits of roughly $50 million on the Oscars alone,” Paul said.
The museum, set to open in 2017, will receive the grant to subsidize planning for its exhibits. Paul highlights the museum will include a space shuttle from “2001: A Space Odyssey,” which he said the academy bought for a “cool” $344,000.
“One must wonder, when cries ring out about what constitutes a fair share of taxes for someone to pay, why are any of those tax dollars going to support a museum that does not need it?” Paul said.

Emails: Obama Administration Discussed Prosecuting Nonprofit Orgs

Newly released documents show Department of Justice officials, Internal Revenue Service and Federal Bureau of Investigation officials were discussing prosecuting nonprofit organizations for allegedly engaging in illegal political activity.
An official “DOJ Recap” document obtained by the group Judicial Watch details an Oct. 8, 2010 meeting between DOJ, IRS and FBI officials, including Lois Lerner, where the administration employees discussed “several possible theories to bring criminal charges under FEC law” against groups “posing” as tax exempt nonprofits.
“The section’s attorneys expressed concern that certain section 501(c) organizations are actually political committees ‘posing’ as if they are not subject to FEC law, and therefore may be subject to criminal liability,” reads the memo from IRS Exempt Organizations Tax Law Specialist Siri Buller to top IRS officials.
Lerner, who was forced out of the IRS in 2013 amid a scandal that the IRS was targeting conservative groups, and her top aide Judy Kindell, explained to DOJ and FBI officials that “although we do not believe that organizations which are subject to a civil audit subsequently receive any type of immunity from a criminal investigation, she will refer them to individuals from [Criminal Investigations] who can better answer that question.”
“[Lerner] explained that we are legally required to separate the civil and criminal aspects of any examination and that while we do not have EO law experts in CI, our FIU agents are experienced in coordinating with CI,” according to the memo. “The attorneys asked whether a change in the law is necessary, and whether a three-way partnership among DOJ, the FEC, and the IRS is possible to prevent prohibited activity by these organizations.”
Judicial Watch says another document shows that just prior to the October 2010 meeting the IRS began giving the FBI confidential taxpayer information on nonprofits. The document obtained by Judicial Watch says the IRS gave the FBI some 21 disks with 1.25 million pages of taxpayer records.
“These new documents show that the Obama IRS scandal is also an Obama DOJ and FBI scandal,” Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton said in a statement. “The FBI and Justice Department worked with Lois Lerner and the IRS to concoct some reason to put President Obama’s opponents in jail before his reelection. And this abuse resulted in the FBI’s illegally obtaining confidential taxpayer information. How can the Justice Department and FBI investigate the very scandal in which they are implicated?”

[VIDEO] O'Reilly: Trump Right About Illegal Immigration, San Francisco Officials, Obama Admin Share Blame For Woman's Murder

Bill O'Reilly: The vilification of Donald Trump over illegal immigration. That is the subject of this evening's "Talking Points Memo".
Does the truth hurt? Or did Mr. Trump unfairly malign Mexico and millions of Mexican illegal aliens. "Talking Points" will now answer those question.
The primary mistake Donald Trump made in his campaign kickoff speech was speaking too generally about the border problem. Most Mexicans who sneak into the U.S.A., or overstay their legal visitation status do so because they are economically deprived. They are largely undereducated folks trying to feed their families. Also, the vast majority of illegal aliens do not -- do not commit crimes while on American soil, apart from their immigration offenses.
But there are very big problems stemming from Mexican illegal immigration and the stats tell the truth. As we all know, Mexico is the major supplier of illegal drugs into the U.S.A. The drug cartels down there have corrupted the police and many politicians. They are brutal thugs who commit mass murder, torture, and generally shame their nation.
ISIS has nothing on these drug cartels. They are both savage enterprises. The government of Mexico not capable of defeating the drug lords and the government down there rejects direct American intervention. U.S. drug agents, for example, are not allowed to carry firearms in Mexico, thereby putting themselves at great risk assisting Mexican authorities. For decades Mexico City has allowed organized crime to brutalize its own people and Americans as well. Some of the drug organizations have branched out now into people smuggling. Charging money to get desperate migrants across the border. In the process many, perhaps most, migrant women are sexually molested.
And that was the rape situation Donald Trump mentioned. But it's not ordinary Mexicans doing the raping, it's the gangsters. And Trump should have made that clear. The truth is there's little supervision on the Mexican side of the border. Cities like Juarez and Nuevo Laredo literally run by the drug cartels. Border security in Mexico nonexistent and has been for decades. That situation is not going to improve.
So, Trump is correct in saying that only a massive wall will stop the chaos and even then drugs and people will get through although not to the extent they do now. Washington knows all this but has turned away from securing the border ever since President Reagan promised to do that after he signed an immigration amnesty in 1986.
Mr. Reagan did not keep his promise. And every single president since has failed to secure the southern border -- every one.
Now, what about the immigrants themselves? 59 percent of Mexican residents and illegal aliens have less than a high school education. Only 4 percent have a college degree. 68 percent are poor or near poor. 57 percent receive means tested welfare of some kind paid for by the American taxpayer. 56 percent do not have health insurance, many of those receiving Obamacare subsidies.
So Trump's analysis is correct. The majority of Mexicans coming from the U.S.A. are not achievers in the economic sense. To be fair, that was the case with the Irish, Italian, and European immigration waves of the past. Hard working people coming here to try to improve themselves.
But, here is the dangerous part now. According to government statistics, 71 percent of non-American citizens in federal prisons are from Mexico, Columbian nationals second just 4 percent. Mexican criminals represent a whopping 16 percent of all convicts serving time in federal penitentiaries. That's a huge burden on the American taxpayer and a dangerous situation for we, the people.
Like 32-year-old Kate Steinle. Last Wednesday, Kate was walking with her father in San Francisco enjoying the evening when she was shot dead on the street for absolutely no reason at all. Police say 45-year-old Francisco Lopez Sanchez an illegal alien from Mexico murdered Kate. Apparently Sanchez has seven felony convictions, has been deported five times. Yet, he is still walking around the streets of San Francisco, this guy.
That's because Mayor Ed Lee and the 11 members of the San Francisco city supervisors refuse to cooperate with the federal government on criminal aliens. The feds asked the city of San Francisco to keep Sanchez in custody. The city refused. Miss Steinle paid for that irresponsible and unconstitutional decision with her life.
San Francisco is a sanctuary city and proud of it. And violent crimes committed by criminal aliens have happened there before. City authorities refuse to say how many because they know it's a huge scandal, a black mark on the history of San Francisco -- the most tolerant of cities.
The family of Kate Steinle asking for calm, not vengeance. But "Talking Points" is not as charitable.
In 1996, president bill Clinton signed the Illegal Immigration Reform and Responsibility Act which stipulated that local and state authorities were to cooperate with the feds in apprehending illegal aliens, especially criminals.
In 2007, then Mayor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order stating that as a sanctuary city San Francisco would not, would not cooperate with federal authorities on illegal immigration matters and would protect even criminal aliens. The feds did nothing.
In 2010, the Obama administration open lid -- openly said it would not punish cities that refused to obey the 1996 immigration law.
So here's the deal. Here's the deal. The mayor and city supervisors of San Francisco are directly responsible for the murder of Kate Steinle and the Obama administration is complicit. Attorney General Loretta Lynch could order the FBI today to arrest Mayor Lee and the supervisors for violating federal law. She is within her authority to do that.
I know that's not going to happen because racial politics drives the law these days which is why Trump caught so much hell. The constitution demands that the federal government protect Americans from foreign intruders, demands it. Obviously that responsibility is not being met. And if you point that out as Trump did, you're a racist, a pinata for the open border crowd to bash.
The fact that a felon could be deported five times and still be walking around San Francisco should shame Congress, shame it. Where is a law that says if you are deported one time and come back, you serve five years in prison? Where is that law? Congress should pass it. And if President Obama doesn't sign it, everything will be on the table. It will be on him.
That legislation should be called the Kate law. Much like Jessica's law. So who will sponsor this? Who will sponsor the new law? Who will do it? Please let me know directly. We are looking for some legislators in Washington who have courage. Are you out there? Are you out there?
"Talking Points" is disgusted with the cowardice of our elected officials from the crazy left San Francisco people to the President to the Congress. Most of them are rich folks who could not care less about the violence and chaos, out-of-control criminal activity south of the border is creating in this country. If Mexico does not crack down hard on border intrusions and drug trafficking, we should punish them economically, punish them -- period.
This entire disaster has been going on for far too long. The excuse that America is at fault because we use drugs and secure our side of the border is valid. We are at fault. That does not excuse Mexico's rampant corruption and abuse of its own people. Drug and people smuggling injure millions and cost lives. It's the dirtiest of crimes.
Finally the poor people sneaking in here to paint your house are not the problem. They're not the problem. The cowardly politicians who will not uphold the law and the constitution are the problem. That's what Donald Trump should have said.
And that's the Memo.
 

[VIDEO] SF sheriff defends prior release of suspect in pier slaying

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi has defended his office's decision to release a Mexican man who was in the U.S. illegally and who is now suspected in the killing of a woman at a sightseeing pier.
Mirkarimi said that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency should earlier have issued an arrest warrant for Francisco Sanchez.
"ICE knew that he had been deported five times," Mirkarimi said. "You would have thought he met a threshold that he required a court order or a warrant. They did not do that."
Prosecutors on Monday charged Sanchez with murder in the death of Kathryn Steinle, who was shot and killed last Wednesday as she and her father took a walk on the popular Pier 14.
Steinle's killing has brought criticism down on this liberal city because Sanchez had been deported repeatedly and was out on the streets after San Francisco officials disregarded a request from immigration authorities to keep him locked up.
San Francisco is one of dozens of cities and counties across the country that do not fully cooperate with federal immigration authorities. The city goes so far as to promote itself as a "sanctuary" for people in the country illegally.
In a jailhouse interview with a TV station, Sanchez, a 45-year-old repeat drug offender, appeared to confirm that he came to the city because of its status as a sanctuary.
The case has prompted a flurry of criticism from ICE officials, politicians and commenters on social media, all of whom portrayed the slaying as a preventable tragedy.
"Most of the blame should fall squarely on the shoulders of the San Francisco sheriff, because his department had custody of him and made the choice to let him go without notifying ICE," said Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies at the Washington-based Center for Immigration Studies, which wants tougher immigration enforcement.

[VIDEO] Another Vacation! Obamas Off To $12 Million Home In Martha’s Vineyard For Two Weeks In August

As the weather heats up in Washington, DC, the Obamas as planning their summer vacation.

The Boston Herald reports that President Barack Obama, first lady Michelle and daughters Sasha and Malia will be staying on Martha's Vineyard from August 8-23.

The Obamas have spent almost every single summer on the tony island off the coast of Massachusetts' Cape Cod except for 2012 - when the president was running for re-election. 
Continuing yet another tradition of their annual retreat, the Obamas are also expected to stay at the same $12million 'cottage' in Chilmark they rented last year. 
Glorious: This huge mansion is where the Obama family will spend their now annual Martha's Vineyard vacation, planned for August 9 through August 24, 2014
Glorious: This huge mansion is where the Obama family will spend their now annual Martha's Vineyard vacation, planned for August 9 through August 24, 2014
The Chilmark mansion slated for the Obama vacation August 9 features 'excellent' quality finishes, according to assessor's records, and affords sweeping water views from nearly all rooms
The Chilmark mansion slated for the Obama vacation August 9 features 'excellent' quality finishes, according to assessor's records, and affords sweeping water views from nearly all rooms
Welcome back, Barack: President Obama will reportedly spend his two-week August vacation staying at the same $12million cottage he rented on Martha's Vineyard last year 
Island life: The mansion at 72 Gosnold's Way, reportedly the site of the Obama vacation on Martha's Vineyard, features a basketball/tennis court, and an 'infinity' pool
Island life: The mansion at 72 Gosnold's Way, reportedly the site of the Obama vacation on Martha's Vineyard, features a basketball/tennis court, and an 'infinity' pool
Getaway: Above, an aerial view of the home in Chilmark where the Obamas will be staying for a second year in a row
The 8,100-square-foot home features seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms, a basketball/tennis court, hot tub, infinity pool and views of the Elizabeth Islands. 
The home is owned by wealthy widow Joanna Hubschman, whose husband Henry died of cancer in 2011. 
Four years before his death, Mr Hubschman, a General Electric executive, contributed $6,900 - the maximum donation then allowed - to Hillary Clinton's 2008 bid for president, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. 
However, it was Barack Obama who took the party's ticket and went on to win the White House.
Two weeks before the general election, Mr Hubschman contributed $2,300 to Obama's campaign. 
This year's vacation is likely to be a bit more relaxing for Mr Obama, who faced a wave of criticism for his golf playing last year in the midst of a crisis with ISIS. 
A round with friends: Last year, President Obama was ridiculed for hitting the links just after reacting to the death of photojournalist James Foley
A round with friends: Last year, President Obama was ridiculed for hitting the links just after reacting to the death of photojournalist James Foley
In the middle of Mr Obama's vacation last year, the terrorist group released the first of several videos showing the decapitation of a Western citizen. 

While Mr Obama was forced to return to Washington at least once during the trip, he did return to the island where he was pictured laughing with friends on the golf course as the nation mourned for fallen photojournalist James Foley. 


Continue Reading....

San Francisco 'Sanctuary' Killing: Why Is Our Political Class Letting Illegals Harm Americans?



Is reality about to intrude on America’s political class?  For at least the last two decades, that clerisy has assured us that immigration, legal or otherwise, is a virtue.  We’ve also been told that our lawless southern border is coming under control.

In his first year in office, President Bill Clinton said, “I believe we should stiffen our efforts to control the southern border.” He added “I think we should have more Border Patrol agents and I think we should do more to restrict illegal immigration.”

In a 2006 address from the Oval Office, President George W. Bush proclaimed that “the United States must secure its borders,” and said that “we are launching the most technologically advanced border security initiative in American history.”

President Obama said “When I took office, I committed to fixing this broken immigration system, and I began by doing what I could to secure our borders.”  The White House boasts that his subsequent efforts “represent the most serious and sustained effort to secure our border in our nation’s history.


Words Used to Mean Things – Then Came Government

Seton Motley | Red State | RedState.com
We are a nation founded upon and (allegedly) governed by words. Beginning with – specifically, foundational-ly – the Constitution. Every syllable was by our Founding Fathers debated and carefully crafted. To ensure a limited, enumerated government, maximum freedom for We the People – and a document that clearly, concisely laid out these parameters.
The Constitution is a “living, breathing document” – but with the amendment process as its only respiratory system. If you don’t like it – amend it. Otherwise, it is what it is – it says what it says.
The Constitution established a system that also relies on precise language. The Legislative Branch writes legislation – that must be within government’s Constitutional parameters. Every syllable is debated and carefully crafted. And since we directly elect this Branch’s members, we get to have a direct say in the words meant to lord over us. We get to lobby Congress to redress our grievances – to help shape the words they write.
We have to pass the bill so you can find out what is in it” is an unbelievably heinous dereliction of Congressional, Constitutional duty.
When passed, legislation is then sent for signature to the Executive Branch – a President we also elect. If the President signs, the panoply of departments, agencies, commissions and boards then implement it. Though these entities exist in the Executive – they are creations and creatures of the Legislative. They would not exist without law first creating them. They can not do anything unless and until the Legislative with law tells them to do it. And they are bound to adhere to the spirit and the letters of these laws – and to remain within their parameters. The words passed must be the words implemented – no more, no less.
As we’ve seen for decades – and on steroids during the Barack Obama Administration – the huge regulatory apparatus has made rocketing past its limits standard operating procedure. Overreaches, fiats, diktats – the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)Health and Human Services (HHS)et cetera ad nauseum. Written words – ignored and eviscerated in favor of ideological impositions.
All of which is why there is a Judicial Branch. The Judicial is in the strict-Constitutional-limits-enforcement business. They are to ensure that the laws written – and the government they create – exist within Constitutional bounds. Justices and judges are unelected to avoid political influence – which only works if they remain unpolitical, within their Constitutional bounds. If they write legislative words rather than merely analyze them – reworking laws into new meanings and mandates – we have (yet more) problems.
In the Supreme Court’s King v Burwell decision, six of its nine Justices green-lit yet another huge Obama Administration overreach. By pretending – and allowing HHS to continue to pretend – that plain words don’t mean plain things.

Monday, July 6, 2015

WHITE HOUSE BLAMES REPUBLICANS FOR DEPORTED SAN FRANCISCO KILLER

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest is blaming Republicans after an illegal immigrant who was reportedly deported five times  was charged with murder in California.

When asked by reporters about critics of President Obama’s immigration enforcement policies, Earnest insisted that it was actually Republicans who are fault for voting against the Gang Of Eight bill last year, pointing out that it contained funding to increase border security.
“The fact is that the president has done everything within his power to make sure that we are focusing our law enforcement resources on criminals and those who pose a threat to public safety and it’s because of the political efforts of Republicans that we have not been able to make the kind of investment that we’d like to make in securing our border and keeping our community safe,” Earnest said.
Francisco Sanchez was charged with shooting and killing a 32-year-old San Francisco woman last week, leading to criticism from illegal immigration activists. Earnest deferred questions about details of the case to the Department of Homeland Security.

Hillary Flashback: Sanctuary Cities Keep Everyone Safe

Screen Shot 2015-07-06 at 12.24.02 PM
Hillary: the government was failing when they enforced the law, and kept future illegal alien voters for me out of the country…
San Francisco’s sanctuary city policy is receiving harsh criticism after Wednesday’s murder of 32-year-old Kate Steinle by Francisco Lopez-Sanchez, a illegal immigrant who has been deported five times and has been convicted of seven felonies.
On Sept. 6, 2007 at Dartmouth College while debating during her last attempt to become president, then-Sen. Hillary Clinton supported sanctuary cities saying they help ensure the “personal safety and security of all the citizens.”
Clinton said, “If local law enforcement begins to act like immigration officers what that means is that you will have people not reporting crimes. You will have people hiding from the police. And I think that is a real direct threat to the personal safety and security of all the citizens. So this is a result of the failure of the federal government and that’s where it needs to be fixed.”
When pressed if that means she supports the sanctuary cities policy Clinton replied, “Well, I don’t think there is any choice.”

[VIDEO] Problem solved, TV Land: Here’s your new, politically correct Dukes of Hazzard


The amazing thing about this is that it was made six years ago - when it was funny enough to imagine liberals trying to PC up the Dukes but still not to the point where you could actually imagine a major cable network pulling it because it isn’t. Hats off to Jeff Foxworthy and Larry the Cable Guy for actually having the prescience to see this coming.


Trying to remember: Was the gay rainbow flag sufficiently recognized back in 2009 for that to be the likely meaning of the rainbow atop the General Lee? Or is it just combined with the unicorn to signify something more like the whole peace/love/dope thing that’s now taking the form of fascist speech restrictions?

Oh, by the way, some of you who still shriek about “book burning” - which you imagine conservative Christians to be undertaking in an assault on subsersive books - would you mind explaining to me why that is an affront against all that’s good and decent, but banning the Duke boys over a flag on a car is perfectly OK?

I can’t wait to hear this.


Actor Jim Carrey: Gov. Jerry Brown is a 'Corporate Fascist'



Actor Jim Carrey called California Gov. Jerry Brown a “fascist” for signing into law a mandatory immunization bill, which eliminates personal and religious exemptions, according to MSNBC.

“California Gov says yes to poisoning more children with mercury and aluminum in manditory vaccines. This corporate fascist must be stopped,” Carrey wrote in atweet on June 30. Carrey used to date actress Jenny McCarthy, who has an autistic son.

Carrey said while he is “not anti-vaccine,” he is “anti-thimerosal, anti-mercury.” The preservative ingredients found in some vaccines have not been taken out of all vaccines, Carrey warned.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, thimerosal, a mercury-containing preservative, has not been used as a preservative in routine childhood vaccinations since 2001, except in some influenza vaccines.



CA GOP Can Wield Power During Special Legislative Sessions

Photo courtesy of DonkeyHotey, flickr

Jerry Brown made the Republican legislators relevant again. Brown’s call for special sessions for transportation and Medi-Cal funding invariably brings talk about possible tax increases. With a two-thirds vote needed to raise taxes, and the Democratic majority shy of the super two-thirds mark, Republicans must be part of the conversation.
Despite their best efforts offering innovative approaches to some of California’s difficult problems during the legislative session, the Democrats on major bills and the budget that needed simple majority approval mostly have sidelined Republicans. But that will not be the case when revenue solutions are sought and debated during the special sessions.
According to the governor, the special sessions are about permanent revenue sources to bolster transportation infrastructure and Medi-Cal. While Republicans put forward plans to use current revenues to satisfy funding concerns for the roads, much of the talk will focus on tax and fee increases. Republicans have said no to the need for new taxes since the state is awash in new money. Even post budget signing, the Legislative Analyst’s Office reported the state brought in a half-a-billion dollars more that the budget anticipated.
(As an aside, Republicans may have already supported a tax in their road funding proposal depending on how a court rules. One Republican suggestion is to use cap-and-trade funds recently put on gasoline production to fund transportation. The California Chamber of Commerce has gone to court claiming cap-and-trade amounts to a tax. If the Chamber suit is successful part of the Republican transportation package is a tax.)
Republicans position on taxes will also be tested in any Medi-Cal fix. One of the leading proposals to fund Medi-Cal is to increase the tobacco tax. If the governor is searching for a permanent revenue source to fund Medi-Cal, tobacco tax seems a poor choice. The tobacco tax is a diminishing resource as fewer people choose to smoke. Increasing the tax on smoking is supposed to discourage the practice thus limiting future revenues. Relying on the tobacco tax to rescue the Medi-Cal program would seem short sighted given the governor’s stated goal.
Given the need for Republican votes for tax plans, Republicans are in the middle of the debate and can offer savings ideas and plans re-directing current revenues that cannot easily be dismissed by the majority. If the GOP simply gave in to raising taxes then the issue of Democrats needing a supermajority is moot. Republicans will use their leverage to be deeply engaged in any solutions.

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