With McClintock in D.C., why hire lobbyists?
Another View
Like many California counties facing huge budget shortfalls this year, the Plumas County Board of Supervisors recently decided, by a 3-2 vote, to spend $25,000 retaining the Ferguson Group to lobby for funds made available by the recently enacted $787 billion federal stimulus package. In a spirited debate on whether a county that already implemented a 25 percent general fund cut, layoffs and furloughs, could afford to spend its limited resources on such an effort, newly elected Supervisor Lori Simpson — an opponent of the contract — asked, “Well, we have three representatives in Washington now … what are they doing for us, what do they get paid for?” It’s a fair question. So in the midst of a steepening recession, rising unemployment and record foreclosures, I looked to see what our newest representative was doing that would necessitate our district’s continued reliance on D.C. lobbyists. In visiting Tom McClintock’s Web site, I found a lot of no votes, some floor speeches rehashing his favorite sound bytes from 30 years in politics, and only one bill authored — H.R. 54, “Celebrating the Life of Ronald Wilson Reagan on his 98th Birthday.” Therein lies the answer to Supervisor Simpson’s question. A larger question remains. Do we expect our representatives in Washington to represent their constituents, or some ideological utopia? We know that the former tends to produce solution-oriented compromises (imperfect though they be). The latter, almost always produces partisan gridlock — a recurring problem both in Sacramento and Washington that we can point to as a big reason why things have gotten so far off track. Congressman McClintock has made a career, at taxpayer expense mind you, of choosing the latter. Unfortunately, that’s a choice that comes with costs for the people of California’s 4th District, at a time our region and economy can least afford them. Last year McClintock opposed reauthorization of the Secure Rural Schools & Community Self Determination Act — a bipartisan measure replacing more than $20 million annually in lost logging revenues to seven of District 4’s nine counties — saving local jobs and funding everything from schools to highways, water projects and law enforcement. On legislation to expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) — providing more than 12,700 4th District kids who wouldn’t otherwise be able to access health coverage (ultimately increasing health costs for all of us when the emergency room becomes their primary care doctor) an affordable choice of private health plans, he also voted no. On the recently passed and earmark-free federal stimulus bill — to include a tax cut for 95 percent of working Americans, expanded benefits for the 10.1 percent of Californians now out of work, long overdue investments in energy production, forest management and infrastructure, and an estimated 8,300 new jobs here in the 4th District (1,000 more than estimates for Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s district by the way), he voted no again. In doing so, he voted no on shovel ready infrastructure projects like Lincoln Bypass, expansion of Interstate 80, improvements to Highway 50 and the Dorsey Interchange. He voted no on tapping our immense local energy resources to help fuel our national recovery, and against modernized water storage, flood control and prevention of costly wildfires. Anyone who knows our community knows that each of these investments will yield solid dividends for our region, the state and the nation. In between recent lectures to the California Republican Convention and Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on the merits of reprising the Bush Administration’s recession-inducing economic policies and hoping a different result will trickle down to the rest of us, McClintock suggested to a group gathered in El Dorado County that the county he represents — and one facing a $15 million projected deficit — shouldn’t take nor expect any stimulus funds. That’s sage advice for a community which spent $130,000 last year alone on federal lobbyists — most of which went to a firm employing the son of McClintock’s top political aide. In Congress, hard budget choices and a deepening housing crisis will be up next. And with the Center for Responsible Lending projecting that California’s 4th District will be home to the third highest number of foreclosures in the state this year (nearly 10,000), the stakes could not be higher (coincidentally, the 3rd Congressional District, where McClintock currently lives, has the highest projected foreclosure rate). Unfortunately, if history is any guide, it seems a safe bet that Tom will vote no, and an even safer bet that he won’t offer a viable alternative. Meanwhile, we can expect our local officials to continue hiring federal lobbyists to do the work of advocating for our region in Washington. Maybe we should call that the “McClintock Tax” on local government. Charlie Brown is a retired lieutenant colonel with the U.S. Air Force from Roseville. He was the Democratic candidate for the District 4 U.S. Congressional representative in the 2008 general election.
Keywords
Plumas County Board of Supervisors, Placer County, Ferguson Group, lobbyists, Supervisor Lori Simpson, H.R. 54, Ronald Reagan, Tom McClintock, 4th Congressional District, Secure Rural Schools & Community Self Determination Act, State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), California Republican Convention, Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Bush Administration,
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If the worst McClintock attempts is a resolution wishing a happy birthday to a dead ex president, maybe we should consider ourselves lucky. At least he is not following Doolittle's program of promoting slave labor in the Marianna Islands. And he may be smart enough not to take any bribes, or at least smart enough not to get caught. The people who voted for McClintock got what they deserved. Unfortunately, the rest of us have to pay his salary.
I've got an idea, Charlie, why don't you raise a bunch of money, go get yourself on the ballot and run for this Congressional seat?
Ooops, I forgot, you've already tried that, twice.
What is it that everyone is saying now that Obama is in the White House? "Give him a chance; let's get behind him and help him succeed".
We should be doing that for all our elected officials?
At least Charlie Brown has the guts to stand up and show his name and face when he criticizes Congressman McClintock.
I thought "lobbyists" were bad in demspeak. Now Charlie Brown wants our congressman to act like one instead of voting no on the disasterous stimulus package. Go figure.
I wonder if any of his supporters can tell me of something that he has done to help our district.
Greg, McClintock supports racist organizations like the "Minuetmen". I can't get behind that.
What has McClintock ever accomplished for the people who elected him and what has he accomplished for his family and business supporters and donors? Those answers are very revealing. Big Mac is little more than a shill, a ventriloquist's dummy, for the patter of the mindless Far Right, the vote NO ON EVERYTHING believers in what is good for America.
Just imagine what Charlie Brown, working within the Obama Administration, could have accomplished for the the people of Ca-04, but the wingnuts elected another Do Nothing to replace Do Little but Harm, in the GOP's march to the bottom.
Charlie is who thinking people need, and mindless people did not support and as a result Ca-04 will be lucky to get what a Congressional janitor sweeps up into a dustpan with the Big Mac grouses in his cardboard box office in the basement of Congress, voting NO even on his own best interests.
Ishy,
How do you maintain this level of hate for Republicans?
Day after day you must get up in the morning, slam your hand in a drawer with the letters, GOP, painted on the front, and reignite your disdain for your fellow citizens on the Right! Why do you continue this way?
Back to my original question - why don't liberals practice what they preach and throw their undying support behind Congressman McClintock? We want him to succeed, do we not?
I love the logic, but there are some, like Mr. Ishmael, who have such a ridiculous level of hate that they are blind to anything other than the hate that consumes them, daily, constantly, pathetically!
Ishy, go back to bed and get up again. This time, try staying away from that drawer of pain!
ChuxxR,
Good morning friend on the left of center who is reasonable and polite. Glad to converse with someone who has questions, doesn't pontificate from the fringe, and has something interesting yet provocative to add to this site. How are you this day my friend?
I have no idea why McClintock took campaign aide from the Minutemen? Politicians take funds from many different questionable sources. It's inexplicable.
I can't get behind racism either, but politicians who want to be viable in this country take money from all quarters. Candidates from both major parties do this.
Greg, I'm OK thanks for asking I hope this finds you well and in good spirits.
The main problem is the pledge that McClintock and others took. You know the one where they promised to say no to any form of "new" taxation. It reminds me of some child holding their hands over their ears while muttering something to keep anything from penetrating their brains. It is just plain stubborn and that never does anything good for the advancement of our society. I don't think Tom has the courage or conviction necessary to add something to our country or district. Immigration needs reform as does health care and a myriad of other vital issue. What I see is a fear mongerer whipping the flames but no reasonabe effort to put forth viable solutions to squelch the fire.
ChuxxR,
Fear mongering is a problem for both major parties.
When the Republicans tried to push Social Security changes a while back, the Democrats scared the hell out of senior citizens by saying it would lower their benefits. That was not the case, but it scared a lot of people into opposing it.
We'll see if McClintock has the courage of his convictions to bring something good to our district. I'm making no predictions, especially since he's a freshman congressman.
As for new taxes, I'm with him on that front.
At the time that pledge was made the Democrats were only supporting an increase in taxes to close the gap on the huge budget deficit. There was no compromise on the horizon and that position was grossly unfair to the taxpayers. Apparently the only response the conservatives felt they could give was to dig in and refuse to vote for any tax increase until Democrats agreed to some sort of cuts.
I'm not sure why you object to this strategy? The fact that only tax increases were being promoted by the Democrats needed to be exposed to a larger number of citizens, and the Republicans figured this was the only way. Also, the voters who elected these people expected nothing less.
Hopefully my lawn will be dry enough tomorrow to cut. I'm sick of looking at it the way it's become over the past two weeks due to a little sun and a lot of rain.
Greg, the pledge has wreaked havoc in California where the Dems were forced to make painful cuts in spending. Education took a big hit. Politics is about compromise. To do that all sides need to be realistic. I see that there are some on the right saying that we spend enough on education when in fact we are near the bottom money spent per student. That can't be blamed on unions yet they try. Ronald Reagan raised taxes and so did Bush Sr. because they saw it as being necessary. Even if one took the pledge they should stand up and capitulate where it is wrong.
BTW I hope it's dry enough tomorrow also. I can finish cleaning up in the garden and cut some grass.
Good night.
ChuxxR,
With all due respect, the havoc California has seen with our budget crisis was not created by Republicans holding the line on new taxes. We're loosing revenue very quickly but not cutting our spending to reflect that loss. That's what's creating the havoc.
Balancing the budget will take both a tax increase and a lot of spending cuts.
Problem is, if the cuts aren't serious and significant, Democrats are going to play hell blaming the resulting chaos on Republicans just because they bristled at raising taxes at the outset of the crisis.
At that point it will be useless to blame anyone. With massive layoffs of state workers the bitterness will be spread around to members of both parties.
Going to bed now; take care ChuxxR.
gregcalac,
McClintock's agenda is that he is not wishing for a successful Obama and Democratic Administration to bring the nation out of this horrible economic TRAGEDY for millions of hard working Americans, and to restore our better moral standing in the world.
McClintock's agenda is simply to keep himself in office by what ever means necessary. Just like his Republican predecessor, Doolittle, .... bodies alongside the road, so what ? Collateral damage is considered necessary by those who seek power for the sake of power.
McClintock, who never voted for a state budget all the previous lifetime he was in state office, has now been "promoted" to continue his obstructionist agenda at the Federal level. The state legislature's Republicans were holding the state budget hostage, until they did the latest version of "kick the can down the road until the next special election this spring and more propositions because we won't do our job" I don't know where you get your disinformation from.
McClintock, because of his avowed opposition to bringing allocated, budgeted money back into the state from the Federal government, while re instituting the local shakedown pay to play system of lobbyist graft for donations, is not representing the district. Republicans at the national level, and certain interest groups from out of state, look at the district as only a clump of natural resources to be exploited, and the citizens as nuisances to work around or to extract casino money from via their retirement checks !
What sort of hairballed schemes has McClintock come up with so far, that one would "want" him to succeed?
1. Restart a dead hydoelectric project using fake budget numbers, located over an earthquake fault, to sell the water to the highest bidder (in SoCal, no doubt) that would dry up the reservoir below it.
2. Restart speculation on a dead gold mine by sucking massive amounts of toxic polluted water out of the abandoned shafts, attempt to deal with it, and then ruin all the water supply in the town located over it. Once the project was finished, the shafts refill with acidic water toxic with heavy metals.... Superfund here we come. Goodbye, Grass Valley.
3. More casinos.
4. More casinos.
5. More casinos.
6. Privatize your local schools.
7. Build the world's most expensive private college on land that is supposed to be "donated" by a developer in return for the county violating its own zoning guidelines and doing more leapfrog sprawldivision, because one can never have too many McMansions on agricultural land. Especially with the housing market in this condition.
Therefore, no sane person could support McClintock's actions in office. It would not only go against their own self interest, but overall, it is bad for the towns and counties and districts and state that they live in to want an agent of their own destruction to "succeed" in further ruining them.