• Craig Huey,  Janice Hahn

    CA-36: Is Janice Hahn Out of Campaign Cash?

    Los Angeles City Council Member Janice Hahn and GOP Congressional Nominee and businessman Craig Huey

    Hard to say but parsing the records, the San Francisco Chronicle makes the case that she is struggling with campaign cash going into the last week of the campaign. The South Bay Congressional Special election is July 12th.

    A Democrat in a Southern California House race is spending money faster than she is taking it in, leaving her campaign scratching for cash as the July 12 election approaches.

    Records reviewed Friday show Janice Hahn had $323,000 in the bank as of June 22 for her campaign against Republican Craig Huey in the 36th Congressional District.

    But she ran up nearly the same amount in unpaid bills.

    If they were paid, Hahn would have $44 as of that date.

    Hahn’s campaign says they have raised an additional $200K since the filing but that still leaves her with about as much money as Craig Huey (who wrote another big check a few days ago).

  • Pinboard Links

    Flap’s Links and Comments for July 1st on 13:40

    These are my links for July 1st from 13:40 to 14:41:

  • Michele Bachmann,  President 2012,  Rick Perry,  Rudy Giuliani,  Sarah Palin

    President 2012: Texas Governor Rick Perry Buying Space for the Ames Iowa Straw Poll

    Texas Gov. Rick Perry speaks at the Lincoln Dinner, an annual fundraising event for the New York GOP, Tuesday, June 14, 2011 in New York. Perry stirred speculation Tuesday that he would seek the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, championing his state’s economy before a packed GOP gathering in New York and telling a television interviewer he would engage in a “thought process” before deciding whether to join the field

    Well, it is the Draft Perry folks since the Texas Governor has not officially made up his mind on whether to enter the Presidential race.

    An advocacy group that wants Texas Republican Rick Perry to run for president is seeking a presence at the Iowa straw poll this summer.

    Americans for Rick Perry is taking steps to purchase a vendor spot, organizer Bob Schuman told The Des Moines Register today.

    “We intend to have some kind of impact at the straw poll,” Schuman said. “We just don’t know what that is yet, but we’re working on it.”

    The straw poll is a test of campaign strength and candidate popularity. It’s also a fundraiser for the Republican Party of Iowa.

    Campaigns had one opportunity, on June 23, to buy a physical space on the straw poll campus, which guaranteed a right to address the audience from the main stage and locked in a line on the ballot.

    Party rules don’t allow campaigns to buy spaces after that date.

    Vendors and advocacy groups still can, but the purchase doesn’t mean a candidate will be allowed to speak or get a slot on the ballot.

    Perry’s name has circulated as someone Republicans would like to see jump into the race.

    Americans for Rick Perry, a 527 independent expenditure group that’s unaffiliated with Perry, is raising money on Perry’s behalf while he contemplates a presidential bid.

    Schuman flew to Iowa Wednesday and has met with Jenifer Bowen of Iowa Right to Life, Bob Vander Plaats of the Family Leader, Steve Scheffler of the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition and others, he said.

    The Texas governor is keeping his options open and the Team Sarah Palin is keeping a close eye on Perry.

    If Perry runs, then there will be a happy dance in Wasilla because Perry undoubtedly will draw from the same base as Michele Bachmann. Sarah could then enter the fray and capture a plurality in Iowa, lose in New Hampshire and then test Romney in South Carolina and Florida.

    Just as an aside, should Sarah Palin run, I think Rudy Giuliani enters the race maybe almost guaranteeing a long, protracted primary season and/or a “brokered” GOP convention.

  • Pinboard Links

    Flap’s Links and Comments for July 1st on 11:38

    These are my links for July 1st from 11:38 to 11:54:

    • Official Calls For Riverside, 12 Other Counties To Secede From California – Riverside County Supervisor Jeff Stone apparently thinks so, after proposing that the county lead a campaign for as many as 13 Southern California counties to secede from the state.

      Stone said in a statement late Thursday that Riverside, Imperial, San Diego, Orange, San Bernardino, Kings, Kern, Fresno, Tulare, Inyo, Madera, Mariposa and Mono counties should form the new state of South California.

      The creation of the new state would allow officials to focus on securing borders, balancing budgets, improving schools and creating a vibrant economy, he said.

      “Our taxes are too high, our schools don’t educate our children well enough, unions and other special interests have more clout in the Legislature than the general public,” Stone said in his statement.

      =======

      Shame there is no Ventura County mentioned but LA County is in between geographically.

    • Union curbs rescue a Wisconsin school district – "This is a disaster," said Mark Miller, the Wisconsin Senate Democratic leader, in February after Republican Gov. Scott Walker proposed a budget bill that would curtail the collective bargaining powers of some public employees. Miller predicted catastrophe if the bill were to become law — a charge repeated thousands of times by his fellow Democrats, union officials, and protesters in the streets.
      Now the bill is law, and we have some very early evidence of how it is working. And for one beleaguered Wisconsin school district, it's a godsend, not a disaster.

      The Kaukauna School District, in the Fox River Valley of Wisconsin near Appleton, has about 4,200 students and about 400 employees. It has struggled in recent times and this year faced a deficit of $400,000. But after the law went into effect, at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, school officials put in place new policies they estimate will turn that $400,000 deficit into a $1.5 million surplus. And it's all because of the very provisions that union leaders predicted would be disastrous.

      In the past, teachers and other staff at Kaukauna were required to pay 10 percent of the cost of their health insurance coverage and none of their pension costs. Now, they'll pay 12.6 percent of the cost of their coverage (still well below rates in much of the private sector) and also contribute 5.8 percent of salary to their pensions. The changes will save the school board an estimated $1.2 million this year, according to board President Todd Arnoldussen.

      Of course, Wisconsin unions had offered to make benefit concessions during the budget fight. Wouldn't Kaukauna's money problems have been solved if Walker had just accepted those concessions and not demanded cutbacks in collective bargaining powers?

      "The monetary part of it is not the entire issue," says Arnoldussen, a political independent who won a spot on the board in a nonpartisan election. Indeed, some of the most important improvements in Kaukauna's outlook are because of the new limits on collective bargaining.

      In the past, Kaukauna's agreement with the teachers union required the school district to purchase health insurance coverage from something called WEA Trust — a company created by the Wisconsin teachers union. "It was in the collective bargaining agreement that we could only negotiate with them," says Arnoldussen. "Well, you know what happens when you can only negotiate with one vendor." This year, WEA Trust told Kaukauna that it would face a significant increase in premiums.

      ======

      Read it all

    • President 2012: Bachmann gets nod from fourth Iowa Senator – The presidential hopes of U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) received a third nod from the ranks of the Iowa Senate. Late Thursday the Bachmann campaign announced that it had received the endorsement of Iowa Sen. Nancy Boettger, a Harlan Republican.

      “I’m excited to have Nancy’s support,” Bachman said in a prepared statement. “As a former educator, Nancy understands the importance of raising children to be good stewards in the future.”
      The Boettger family are farmers and also run a bed and breakfast.

      “Michele is the kind of no-nonsense leader that America needs,” Boettger said. “Michele will stand up for what is right in any situation and I’m proud to lend my support to her campaign.”

      The endorsement marks the fourth that Bachmann has received from the Iowa Senate, with Kent Sorenson and Brad Zaun also making their support official this week and Jack Whitver providing his endorsement in advance of Bachmann’s campaign kick-off event in Waterloo

  • California,  California Budget,  Flap's California Morning Collection,  Jerry Brown,  Rick Perry

    Flap’s California Morning Collection: July 1, 2011

    A morning collection of links and comments about my home, California.

    Happy New Fiscal Year, California!

    It is a happy day for most California taxpayers as the California Sales Tax has decreased one percentage point and motor vehicle registration fees have decreased, as interim tax increases expire.

    It is not a happy day for hybrid automobile drivers since they will no longer have free rein driving in HOV – car poll lanes on California freeways.

    But, oh well, I don’t drive a hybrid but do buy products subject to the sales tax.

    California starts the new fiscal new year with a state budget which is unusual. But, alas, the budget is really a sham, full of gimmicks and slight of hand. But, hey, it passed California Democratic Controller John Chiang’s review and California Legislators will receive their paychecks. Just for your information, floor sessions are scheduled today so that our fair members of the California Assembly and State Senate can get their per diem for today and, of course, holiday pay for Monday.

    It is all about the money.

    With those happy thoughts it is onto the links:

    Jerry Brown signs budget after making more cuts

    California has a balanced budget for the fiscal year that begins today, after Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday signed the spending plan to close what had been a $26.6 billion deficit when he took office in January.

    The governor used his line-item veto to cut an additional $23.8 million from the state’s $86 billion general fund. He also cut another $234 million of spending from bond funds, largely the high-speed rail fund, in a move that could jeopardize BART’s plan to replace aging rail cars. Money also will be blocked from reaching Muni and Caltrain projects.

    The governor also signed a bill, which is part of the budget package, that will take $130 million from cities across the state and could force some of those cities to disband.

    At a low-key bill-signing ceremony that was closed to all but a photographer, a TV cameraman and a radio reporter, Brown praised lawmakers for doing “an extraordinary job with a budget nobody really liked anyway.” He went on to say, “It really does put our fiscal house in much better shape, but we’re not finished.”

    Among the line-item vetoes the governor made in the general fund are a $22.8 million cut to courts. That money would have funded a part of the governor’s realignment plan to shift some inmates to county jails. The implementation has been delayed, and so court officials were expecting the cut.

    The governor saved nearly $2 million by eliminating the California Postsecondary Education Commission, which he called “ineffective,” and cut $200,000 from the budget for the Commission on the Status of Women. Because of complicated accounting, some of the money doesn’t fall under the veto total.

    Assembly Republicans celebrate ‘death’ of higher tax rates

    Your wallets will start feeling heavier tomorrow.

    That was the message from a handful of Republican Assembly members this morning as they applauded their resistance during budget talks to approving temporary tax extensions. The budget plan passed by the Legislature this week assures that those taxes will expire at midnight, which the legislators say will save the average Californian about $260 each year.

    “This is a great day for California,” said Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, R-Twin Peaks. “The death of these taxes is the rebirth of our economy.”

    As the legislators gathered in front of a pair of SUVs at Downtown Ford in Sacramento, Assembly Republican leader Connie Conway said that someone buying a $20,000 car this weekend would pay $300 less in taxes and fees than if they bought the car today.

    “We’ve held the line. We’ve not negotiated. We’re very happy that July 1st is coming,” said Assemblyman Steve Knight, R-Palmdale.

    Gov. Jerry Brown’s original budget plan required at least two Republican votes each from the Assembly and the Senate. It would have held steady the rates for income and sales taxes and vehicle license fees. Instead, all of those rates will drop under the spending plan that Brown is expected to sign into law today.

    Texas Gov. Rick Perry wows conservatives in the OC: “Heavy on candor, light on pander”

    Republican Texas Gov. Rick Perry was a whirlwind in the Golden State Thursday, racking up the miles, talking up his record — and meeting with potential supporters and donors.

    And he’s not even running for President — yet.

    Perry held a breakfast with San Diego insiders yesterday, and today hit Los Angeles, two events in Orange County and then flew to Sacramento.

    We checked in with Jon Fleischman, publisher of the popular GOP website FlashReport, who co-hosted a grassroots meeting of 60 Republicans in Newport Beach for Perry with OC GOP chair Scott Baugh. He said the Lonestar State gov’s initial reviews from party activists and conservative stalwarts were strong.

    “He was really, really impressive. He comes off as a very genuine — heavy on candor and light on pander,” said Fleischman. “Part of what we’re looking for is someone who has authenticity….who resonates, and has an ability to connect.”

    “He’s got a very strong record of accomplishment that will appeal to GOP voters,” Fleischman said. “This is someone who isn’t going to have any problem going into meetings with major donors and blowing people away.”

    So is he running? Bet on it, says The Flash.

    UC Berkeley out-of-state student enrollment soars

    The number of out-of-state students is soaring at UC Berkeley, with new figures showing more than a quarter of newcomers on campus – freshmen and transfer students – won’t be from California this year. That’s up from 23 percent last year, and 15 percent two years ago.

    More important for the campus, the nonresidents pay nearly three times the tuition of in-state students, and will bring in $80 million this year, up from $54 million last year, spokeswoman Janet Gilmore said.

    The trend is similar throughout the University of California, although Berkeley far outpaces other campuses in its zeal to bring in the lucrative outsiders.

    Across UC’s nine undergraduate campuses, 14 percent of the freshmen and transfer students who plan to enroll this fall are from out of state, up from 11 percent last year, and 9 percent the year before, according to figures released Thursday.

    Enjoy your morning!

  • Craig Huey,  Janice Hahn

    Updated: Craig Huey Writes Another Big Check – CA-36: Janice Hahn Shows Fundraising Lead in July 12 Special Congressional Election

    Los Angeles City Council Member Janice Hahn and GOP Congressional Nominee and businessman Craig Huey

    According to the latest financial reports.

    Janice Hahn doubled up on Craig Huey for the last two months of fundraising for the Southern California special House election, according to campaign finance reports provided to POLITICO.

    A spokesman for Huey said he will report $323,000 in receipts from April 28 to June 22. Hahn took in $676,932 for the same period.

    The Los Angeles Democrat also has a substantial cash-on-hand lead, with $326,338 remaining in the bank for the final week and a half.

    Hueys campaign did not indicate whether his campaign figures included any of his own personal funds.

    One of two things will happen.

    Either Craig Huey will write the big check of $250K after today and be on spending par with Hahn the last week or his polling shows him behind and he will shut down the self-financing.

    With about a week to go in the campaign, we will know how the race shapes up, if the big money from Huey comes in from his own bank account.

    And, I have to repeat, this is an overwhelmingly registered Democratic District and it is a tough race for Craig Huey. The real campaign may come in 2012 when this CD is changed via reapportionment redistricting.

    Update:

    Craig Huey has written a one half installment of the big check having loaned his campaign another $100K on June 24th, two days after the June 22nd filing deadline. It looks like the spending will continue and this race is competitive.

    In addition to the loans to himself, Huey had raised $144,120 by the end of the reporting period, bringing his total campaign fund to $839,514. He had $56,526 left in his treasury.

    But Huey, too, has continued to add to his coffers since the latest reporting period, notices filed with the FEC showed.  On June 24 he donated $100,000 to campaign.  He also has received $5,000 from the California Republican Party and $10,000 from others in the last few days.

  • Craig Huey,  Janice Hahn

    CA-36: Janice Hahn Shows Fundraising Lead in July 12 Special Congressional Election

    Los Angeles City Council Member Janice Hahn and GOP Congressional Nominee and businessman Craig Huey

    According to the latest financial reports.

    Janice Hahn doubled up on Craig Huey for the last two months of fundraising for the Southern California special House election, according to campaign finance reports provided to POLITICO.

    A spokesman for Huey said he will report $323,000 in receipts from April 28 to June 22. Hahn took in $676,932 for the same period.

    The Los Angeles Democrat also has a substantial cash-on-hand lead, with $326,338 remaining in the bank for the final week and a half.

    Huey’s campaign did not indicate whether his campaign figures included any of his own personal funds.

    One of two things will happen.

    Either Craig Huey will write the big check of $250K after today and be on spending par with Hahn the last week or his polling shows him behind and he will shut down the self-financing.

    With about a week to go in the campaign, we will know how the race shapes up, if the big money from Huey comes in from his own bank account.

    And, I have to repeat, this is an overwhelmingly registered Democratic District and it is a tough race for Craig Huey. The real campaign may come in 2012 when this CD is changed via reapportionment redistricting.

  • Pinboard Links

    Flap’s Links and Comments for June 30th through July 1st

    These are my links for June 30th through July 1st:

  • California,  California Republican Party,  Day By Day,  Michele Bachmann

    Day By Day June 30 and July 1, 2011 – Just in Time

    Day By Day by Chris Muir

    Day By Day by Chris Muir

    Good morning everyone as we prepare for a major holiday weekend, national fundraising numbers are filtering out of D.C.. Yeah Obama is able to raise some big money and everyone is waiting to see what Michele Bachmann is able to raise.

    And, California sales taxes, plus motor vehicle registration fees decrease because of the California GOP’s resistance to tax increases. Good job, California GOP.

    As the POLS flee Washington and Sacramento for the 4th of July, we can have solace that it could be worse, since the NBA, NFL and the state of Minnesota are now effectively shutdown.

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