Isadore Hall, Assemblyman for the 52nd District, brought five volunteers with him for precinct walking and carne asada. More from Isadore Hall, CA52AD, on the flip.
(While the issues within the State Capitol are important, we also need to work on rebuilding a sustainable economy for the future. - promoted by Brian Leubitz)
According to Miguel Figueroa, the Executive Director of the Calexico New River Committee (the sponsors of AB 1079), "Despite decades of resolutions, studies and promises, our city has not received the sustained leadership and support from California that we need to solve this problem. We commend Assemblyman Perez for making New River clean-up a priority in his first term in office..."
Perez is doing what he said he'd do for the region no one has served up to now- clean up the New River, the biggest environmental and public health disaster in the 80th since the 1940s. Though Senator Ducheny made progress in 2005, it took Perez to get the full coalition together and the federal funds released.
The Desert Sun, true to form, tucks the credit for this "unprecedented attention" and the "reversal of years of neglect" into the second page:
The California-Mexico Border Relations Council in coming weeks will host a public hearing in Imperial County to get residents' feedback. The relatively new organization, made up of key state secretaries, is tasked with identifying major border issues.
Assemblyman V. Manuel Pérez, a Coachella Democrat who secured the state funding and is organizing the coming visits, has authored a bill giving the border council authority to coordinate a restoration plan with locals and oversee the necessary environmental studies.
(btw, If this had been a Benoit or Nestande Republican success, we'd have seen their names in the first line, plus photo. No liberal media here.)
Yes, I'd like him to do all of this and be as far in front on the budget as Nancy Skinner. But reclaiming a healthful environment along the New River is transformative stuff, too. The people who live along the New River have an Assemblymember, finally.
Perez will face a well funded challenger in all likelihood. Can a Republican challenger can peel this constituency off with attacks on Manuel's support for the gay community and women's healthcare rights? Jeandron tried last year and failed. The New River is toxic to the touch, and dooms the whole region to poverty. If Perez can turn that around, he'll have done more than every Republican combined since the 1940s.
The rest of kind of a harrowing day for those of us using Soapblox:
• My favorite Meg Whitman profile of the week. Money quote: "I'm not saying everything Meg Whitman touches turns to slave labor, I'm just not saying it doesn't." I've taken the news about Whitman's effort for public office in stride, because there's just so much ammunition like this it's not worth worrying about.
• Antonio Villaraigosa wants a faster timetable for the Subway to the Sea. So do I, have you seen the traffic on the 10 lately?
• Two rematches kicked off today in the California Assembly. Gary Jeandron will challenge Democrat Manuel Perez again in AD-80, and Democrat John Eisenhut will again take on Bill Berryhill in AD-26. The latter is good news - Eisenhut can win that seat.
• A California company may get the workers at Republic Windows and Doors, which staged a sit-down strike late last year, back on the job.
• If you want to know more about today's Soapblox disturbance, and support efforts to make sure it doesn't happen again in the future, check out this post by Chris Bowers.
(great ground report from the campaign of my favorite soon-to-be Assemblyman. - promoted by David Dayen)
Large majorities of Perez's ID'd voters have already voted. The majority of VBM and PAV are Democrats this time around. We've expanded the universe to make full use of our powerhouse squad of union brothers and sisters on the job today.
Jeandron dropped some particularly sleazy attack mailers yesterday, but California Medical Association mailed a fold out poster IE for Manuel that's just beautiful, as you can see above. As the man says, it's a movimiento, a social justice movement, not just a campaign.
I'm here in Coachella with CSEA. SEIU is also walking and poll watching, as is LIUNA, United Domestic Workers, CTA. The enthusiasm in Imperial County is unprecedented - that's where Manuel started his day. He's working his way from volunteer site to site from Calexico to Palm Springs today. He'll vote at Coachella City Hall at 3pm, and join Assembly Speaker Karen Bass at the Democratic HQ at 6pm for a rally, then on to Democratic Party at the Agua Caliente, then back to Coachella HQ to get the final numbers.
Two bands, and much food by then. Updates as I can.
• John Myers recaps the latest expenditure figures in the top legislative races. Unsuprisingly, the lone Senate race was the costliest race so far. Currently over $8.5 Million has been forked over for little ol' SD-19. The split between the two parties is pretty close on that one, but the biggest spender so far, according to the FPPC, is Californians for Jobs and Education. The Chamber of Commerce provides most of that money. In the Assembly, AD-80 is the most expensive race at almost $6 million. Manuel Perez is the preferred beneficiary of a bunch of that IE money, mostly from teachers and service employees.
• A coalition led by Change To Win has sent a letter to Arnold Schwarzenegger asking that he assign nonessential public employees to help at the polls on Election Day to facilitate the expected high turnout and long lines. You can read the letter, which is quite good, at the link.
• The Governor formed a commission to study the tax structure. The idea was first put forth by Speaker Karen Bass, but this commission better do its job in, well, how's a week sound? Now, hop to it.
• Some athletes not to idolize: Jeff Kent (Dodgers) gave $15K to Yes on 8, and Philip Rivers (Chargers) gave $10 K to Yes on 4.
A couple of days ago I wrote a diary entitled Stay for Change. I am encouraging Californians to stay in the state. Walk precincts and make calls here in California. And despite all the text messages and emails you get, please we need you here!
We need you here to defeat Prop 8, so that we retain marriage equality and we aren't stuck with a second class citizenship. We need you here at home, so that we can defeat Proposition 4 to preserve the safety of our teens and choice in California. We need you here to help kick start the greatest public works project in a generation with California's High Speed Rail project (Prop 1A).
And we need you here to elect More And Better Democrats. Across California we are fighting for a reasonable budget. A budget that doesn't get defined by the race to the bottom Republicans. To do that, we need 2/3 majorities in both the Senate and the Assembly. Admittedly that will be tough, perhaps even impossible in the Senate. But the closer we get to 2/3, the easier it is to pass a reasonable budget. In the Senate, Hannah-Beth Jackson (19th) is our best shot to pick up a seat. In the Assembly we have some great candidates. You'll find two, Alyson Huber (AD-10) and Manuel Perez (AD-80) on The Calitics ActBlue Page.
But while the need for money is omnipresent, we need boots on the ground. So, Stay for Change so that California can be the first state to stand up for equality. Stay for Change. Let's tell the Republicans that they can't just cut and cut and cut into the heart of our budget, and expect to find a solution.
This is California. We have the people right here in this state to defeat these terrible props, and accomplish our goals. But we need some progressives to stay here in California.
So, if you would like to travel, I have provided a list of exotic locales where you can help some great candidates right here in California. And if you would like to help right at home, well there are offices for No on Prop 8 across the state. You can find events to protect teen safety by defeating Prop 4 right here.
So we raised nearly $3,000 in about two days, and combined with our $2,500 in matching funds we contributed around $5,500 to five great candidates: Charlie Brown (CA-04), Debbie Cook (CA-46), Hannah-Beth Jackson (SD-19), Alyson Huber (AD-10), and Manuel Perez (AD-80).
Great work, everyone. Thanks so much for participating. You rock.
OK, we're over $2,600, but we still need to get $500 per candidate to reach our matching goal. Thanks so much, everyone. If you want great Democrats like Hilda Solis in Washington and in Sacramento, please do what you can to help us out.
The most remarkable quote of the week came from a backbencher Yacht Party Republican named Mark Wyland, commenting on the historically late state budget. If the California Democratic Party had a locker room, this would be serious bulletin-board material:
Voters are unlikely to punish lawmakers for the budget delay in any substantive way on Nov. 4 unless it's to pass a ballot measure that would change how political districts are drawn, said state Sen. Mark Wyland (R-Carlsbad).
"My experience with voters is that they really don't care how long it takes to get a budget," Wyland said, following his participation in a panel discussion at an event on reforming state government.
According to Wyland, prolonged budget stalemates like this year's sometimes encourage voters to keep their incumbents. Because districts are usually heavily skewed in registration to one party or another, he said, sitting legislators are more likely to hear encouragement for their party's ideological position than disfavor.
And voting against the party - in Wyland's example, for tax raises or to reinstate the unpopular vehicle-license fee - is an invitation to face a primary challenge in the next election cycle, he said.
This is the calcified opinion from the Yacht Party, and why they'll never be moved from their ideological perches. They believe that they have more to fear from internal challenges on the grounds of insufficient fealty to failed conservative policies than from the consequences of those policies. And there's a lot of evidence on their side, although not as much as they think.
But the most glaring point made in this statement is one of contempt. It shows contempt for voters to act in the best interest of an ideology than in the best interest of the state. It shows contempt for voters to hold the budget hostage, causing extreme hardship in the lives of state employees, community health centers, policemen and firefighters, and public schools, and expect nobody to notice. It shows contempt for voters to use the tyranny of the minority to advance a cause completely at odds with the prevailing opinion of the state. Real people were affected and harmed by this budget, and all of us will be in the future as the bills of conservative borrow-and-spend economics and systematic destruction of government come due.
And the thing is, Wyland is relying on a failed model. Demographic shifts and a reckoning of the failure of conservatism has made no district safe. Indeed Californians can punish Yacht Party Republicans for their intransigence and obstructionism. There are a number of races at the federal and state level where Democrats have more than a chance to unseat Republicans and turn seats blue. In fact, with some luck and proper resources we can get very close to that 2/3 majority needed to pass budgets and fix the structural revenue deficit. That's where you come in.
The Calitics Editorial Board has identified five seats which strike a balance between winnable races and progressive leadership. We've decided to start a major fundraising push for these five candidates between now and the end of the quarterly reporting requirement on September 30. That gives us only a few days, but here's the kicker - Calitics will match every donation made to these candidates up to $500 each, for a grand total of a $2,500 candidate match.
Charlie Brown (CA-04): A recent Research 2000 poll showed Brown leading perennial candidate Tom McClintock 46-41 in this deep red district. Brown, a retired Air Force Lt. Colonel, nearly defeated indicted Congressman John Doolittle in 2006 and has shown tremendous leadership on veteran's issues and the FISA fight before even coming to Congress. He's a better Democrat we can all be proud of.
Debbie Cook (CA-46): Running in a tough district against certifiably crazy Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, Debbie Cook is running with an unabashedly progressive message. The Mayor of Huntington Beach, Cook is an expert on peak oil and energy issues, and would instantly be one of the most knowledgeable voices in the Congress on how to move toward a post-carbon future. She also believes in ending the Iraq occupation responsibly and achieving the goal of quality and affordable health care for all.
Hannah-Beth Jackson (SD-19): A former Assemblywoman and creator of Speak Out California, a blog and resource for Golden State progressives, Hannah-Beth Jackson has proven her progressive bona fides time and again. Running in rapidly changing Ventura County against the former state director of the Club for Growth, Tony Strickland, Jackson can prove that even Tom McClintock's old seat is not safe from the progressive wave. She would lead in the State Senate on issues of economic justice and the environment.
Alyson Huber (AD-10): AD-10 is another district where the demographics are changing, and Alyson Huber is perfectly suited to take advantage of this and turn the seat blue. Huber, an attorney and working mother, is focused on increasing access to health care and education for all Californians. She would help tremendously in bringing us closer to that needed 2/3 majority.
Manuel Perez (AD-80): A transformative leader, Manuel Perez is ready to take that leadership to Sacramento. Part of a growing group of Hispanic-Americans in the Coachella Valley who are leading a major progressive challenge to the typical politics of the region, Manuel has created community health clinics, served on the Coachella School Board as a trustee, taught classes, and organized his community to fight for change. He is uniquely suited to take his varied experience and lead in the State Legislature.
The time is tight, but we need to make Mark Wyland and the Yacht Party Republicans he represents cry. Please contribute to our Calitics Match fundraising effort before Tuesday!
Republican Gary Jeandron's gone negative on Manuel Perez again, airing a radio/TV ad that accuses Manuel of being for higher taxes, higher fees, we can't afford Manuel Perez - primal scream, clutch the pearls, etc. The usual GOP disingenuous hysteria.
The Perez campaign has responded:
Now, it's not that Perez thinks that the Grover Norquist pledge is a good thing, he just notes that Jeandron is running on the usual GOP gimmick, while failing to meet the gimmick's standards.
UPDATE - I had this diary all wrong before, I referred to the wrong attack ad. Now it makes sense.
• CA-11: Apparently trying to win some kind of award for the worst attack website in history, Jon Fleischman of the Flash Report (a terribly designed website in its own right) has put together One Term Is Enough, in all of its way-too-large masthead, ridiculously-spare with no action items or columns, design out of Quark X-Press glory. Man, that's ugly. And I think the focus on Jerry McNerney's earmarks, given the summer of scandal that Dean Andal has lived through which is entirely about a construction contract with a community college (if he was in Congress, that would be, basically, an earmark), is kind of silly. Meanwhile, McNerney is up with his first ad of the cycle, focusing on his work on behalf of troops and veterans.
• AD-80: As soyinkafan noted, Manuel Perez and Gary Jeandron had a debate where Jeandron stated his support for a tax increase in Imperial County. That's not likely to help him with the conservative base, but clearly Jeandron understands that he has to move to left if he has any chance to win this seat. The Palm Springs Desert Sun has a debate report here.
• SD-19: Tony Strickland's latest endorsement is Erin Brockovich, of all people. However, this could be less of a reach across the aisle as it appears.
Ventura County Star columnist Timm Herdt got Strickland's Democratic opponent Hannah-Beth Jackson on the phone, who said she was "a little surprised" by Brockovich backing her opponent.
While Brockovich says she is a Democrat in the ad, she writes on her blog that she's ready to leave the party and become an independent.
"I am ready to turn because both parties are acting foolish and judgmental and attacking," she writes.
She also has kind words for GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin.
"I am proud to be a member of the same Strong Woman's Club that Sarah Palin is in." Brockovich writes.
• AD-15: As has been noted, Joan Buchanan released her first campaign ad of the cycle. Her opponent Abram Wilson responded with his own ad, also biographical in nature, and his campaign has questioned the Buchanan spot and her commitment to fiscal responsibility. I suppose signing a "no-tax" pledge is the height of responsibility, then.
• AD-30: We were all expecting it, and now Nicole Parra has officially endorsed Republican Danny Gilmore in the election to replace her. This is a family fight moved into the political sphere - the Parra-Florez feud is well-known.
Parra's support of Danny Gilmore angered Democratic Party leaders, but comes as no surprise because she has been praising Gilmore for months.
"I will endorse Danny Gilmore in the near future and I will campaign for him and do commercials," Parra said in an interview. Gilmore, a retired California Highway Patrol officer from Hanford, is running against Democrat Fran Florez, mother of state Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, a longtime Parra rival.
• LA Board of Supes: Turns out that not only is Bernard Parks turning to Republicans to help him get elected over progressive State Sen. Mark Ridley-Thomas, but for ten years he was a member of the American Independent Party (!).
According to voter registration forms certified by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder:
Bernard Parks left the Democratic Party and registered as an American Independent on February 12, 1992 - just in time to miss the opportunity to vote for President Bill Clinton.
He registered again as an American Independent on August 9, 1996.
President George Bush was elected in November 2000 - but Parks still wouldn't become a Democrat for nearly a year and a half.
Parks was fired as Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department on April 9, 2002. Shortly thereafter, he began to prepare to run for Los Angeles City Council, and re-registered as a Democrat on May 30, 2002. Less than a year later, he was elected to the City Council.
That is very strange, especially for an African-American to sign up with a party which is the legacy of George Wallace.
All of the Republicans running in the Coachella Valley bill themselves as moderates, Gary Jeandron and Mary Mack are two prime examples. Yet here's Jeandron's latest literature being dropped at the Catholic churches in Brawley. Note the absence of any mention of jobs, affordable healthcare, schools, or water:
Reaching back into the culture warrior bag of tricks. Such a moderate! 30 years in Palm Springs, and this is how Jeandron treats the gay community. And hey, way to protect our kids - denying the most vulnerable young women any chance at professional healthcare in a crisis. Compassionate conservatism, again.
For Perez, the problems in our state are jobs, schools, healthcare, and sustainability. That's what our families need, not a California version of the Ministry of Virtue and Vice. Please help Perez teach Jeandron what values we share here in the 21st century: Manuel Perez' Act Blue page.
I simply have not had the time to do a full update of all the Congressional and legislative campaigns. And sadly, it doesn't look like that time will be forthcoming soon. So I think I'll do mini-updates where possible.
• CA-46: Debbie Cook has been endorsed by DFA (Democracy for America). Jim Dean, the Chair of DFA, said in a statement, "Debbie Cook has been a grassroots champion for over 20 years and has a proven record of success in the private sector and as a public servant ... Debbie Cook is running because she's a committed advocate and activist who fights for her constituents and delivers results."
In the past, DFA has been able to move some resources into districts, so we'll see if they're going that route in this race. DFA has also recently endorsed Bill Hedrick (CA-44).
• CA-26: Russ Warner's campaign is announcing via email that the DCCC named his race as "one to watch." That doesn't mean they'll get any money, but it puts them in the queue if the race tightens. Unfortunately, the DCCC has kind of a deliberate style, where they hoard their money for the races they know are toss-ups, and then wait until the very last minute for these emerging races, sometimes beyond the point at which that money can be effective. I understand the strategy but it wouldn't be smart from Warner's perspective to bank on any help from Washington in his race against David Dreier. He needs his own resources as well as money from California lawmaker's PACs.
Which reminds me, California Democrats, it's time to use it or lose it. We have a number of races where the challenger can win if they have enough resources, and in the seats where an incumbent has token or no opposition and a huge war chest, that money should not be sitting in an account somewhere. Help our own candidates! Expect more pressure on this very soon.
• CA-03: It's kind of fun watching Dan Lungren try to humina-humina his way out of supporting Prop. 8. He really has no idea what he's talking about. It would be bad enough if a citizen of the state had this atrocious an understanding of basic civics, but this guy is not only a US Representative but a former state Attorney General!
• AD-80: The GOP tried to get Manuel Perez' occupational status as an "educator" thrown off the ballot, but they failed. Now he has received the endorsement of the highest-ranking law enforcement official in Imperial County, D.A. Gilbert Otero. Considering that his opponent, Gary Jeandron, is the former police chief of Palm Springs, I'd consider this endorsement to be significant... UPDATE re: CMR, seems that Gary Jeandron supports "traditional marriage." In Palm Springs. Now, so did Bonnie Garcia, but she was able to win enough in Imperial County to offset it. Jeandron needs the Palm Springs vote to be huge to win.
One week ago, Republican Leader Mike Villines and the California Chamber of Commerce hosted a luncheon featuring a presentation outlining the Republican game plan in the 80th and how they would offset Manuel Perez's double-digit lead.
A key part of the Republican strategy hinged on filing a politically driven, frivolous lawsuit to challenge Manuel Perez's ballot designation as an "Educator."
But today the Sacramento Superior Court dealt Republicans a loss, blowing up their key strategy. It would seem Rove's maxim: 'Attack the Democratic candidate's strength,' just won't work on Perez. In fact, it boomeranged.
More and Better Democrats. We in the netroots are the most vigorous champions of candidates who truly represent their districts, candidates who challenge the status quo and demand tangible changes in our government. If we had the power to create the quintessential strong Democrat, we'd be hard put to make up someone more authentic, intelligent, and schooled in the needs of his community than Manuel Perez.
If you read the reader diaries column in April and May in this space, you would have noticed a somewhat antagonistic relationship between Greg Pettis supporters and Manuel Perez supporters during the Democratic primary for AD-80 in the Palm Springs area. It was probably more pronounced on the Interwebs, but I'm told from those in the district that there wasn't a whole lot of love there on the ground, either. Now, with the primary over, it appears that Democrats are coming together to take back the seat in the fall.
If Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton can make peace, we anticipate Greg Pettis and Manuel Perez can, too.
An olive branch was extended between the former Democrat rivals last week when Richard Oberhaus - campaign manager of Pettis' failed bid in the 80th Assembly race - announced he was joining Perez's camp.
"He endorses the ideals that we all hope and dream will be implemented in Sacramento," Oberhaus said in an e-mail announcing his plans.
"I shall implement all the strategies that are necessary to make this seat turn from red to blue."
While Pettis hasn't publicly endorsed, this move by his campaign manager and, as the article notes, several of his volunteers suggest that Democrats district-wide are committed to working for victory.
By the way, with less than 100 days until the election I am going to start a "drive for 2/3" legislative roundup. I was talking with some leading Dems in LA County over the weekend and they told me about some off-the-radar Assembly possibilities, particularly in the Inland Empire region. Did you know that Democrats are now within 1,500 votes of making San Bernardino a Democratic county? Last year that was a 35,000-vote majority. We need to turn them out, of course, but with a favorable top of the ticket we're going to see some surprises in the Assembly (the Senate is a tougher nut to crack).
Yesterday morning, Agxibel Barajas greeted me from the front page of our local paper, The Desert Sun. Agxibel is the office manager and scheduler for Manuel Perez, the powerful progressive Democratic candidate for California's 80th Assembly District. We're going to lose her in the fall when she heads to law school, and that's going to hurt. She and Manuel go way back:
Six years ago, Agxibel Barajas was asked what she wanted to do with her life.
"Her response was: 'I hope to be the first woman president of the United States,'" said Manuel Perez, who at the time was a field representative for Assembly candidate Joey Acuña.
Barajas had arrived at his office wanting to volunteer her services for Acuña's campaign.
Six years later, the Coachella native is featured in a documentary by "Mad, Hot Ballroom" writer Amy Sewell that attempts to get people talking about why the United States has yet to elect a female president.
As you know, we need 6 seats in the Assembly to reach a 2/3 majority, and the latest news shows that one of those six is looking good.
I just got the results of an internal poll taken in AD-80 which shows Democrat Manuel Perez with an 11-point lead over Gary Jeandron in the seat currently held by Republican Bonnie Garcia.
AD-80: poll conducted June 10-12, 2008.
Sampling error is +/- 4.9%.
Manuel Perez: 47%
Gary Jeandron: 36%,
18% undecided.
The generic ballot tracks with the poll, as 49% desire a Democrat in the Assembly, to 36% for a Republican. The registration advantage is in the double digits as well, and the polling memo notes that almost 40% of DTS/Independents and nearly 20% of Republicans are Latino. Perez is the right fit for this district. And once bio material is presented, Perez' lead jumps to 52-39. Perez' name ID is higher in the district, too.
Best of all, Perez is a better Democrat, a transformational progressive who will be a real asset to the Assembly and not just a cog in the wheel.
This is not only good news for Perez, but Julie Bornstein as well. I fully expect Perez to have a strong grassroots operation throughout the district, and where that overlaps with CA-45, that means more Democrats coming out to vote.
Disclosure: I've been with this campaign since the 2007 CDP Convention.
Manuel Perez has a significant, double-digit lead over his Republican opponent and
is well-positioned to win back the seat for Democrats in California's 80th Assembly
That's the latest polling we have (Source: Heidi von Szeliski and Associates), and it looks good all over.
This has been a district made for Democrats to win since the last redistricting, and yet we've lost over and over. But now California Democrats are heading into the general of a key battleground for our 2/3 majority fight with four major factors in our favor: numbers, nominee, polling and ground game.
The Political Insider of the Desert Sun was surprised to find Steve Clute with us at Manuel Perez's victory party last week. We weren't. When Manuel Perez announced his candidacy for the 80th AD, Steve Clute was there. Steve Clute was part of our kickoff, and his endorsement quote headed the original website: "Manuel has the heart, corazon, to truly represent the people of this district." Clute left me a classy message before the campaign, and called me afterwards to thank me again for my work on behalf of Manuel. He made that call to everyone heavily involved in the campaign.
As we head into the general election, it's appropriate to take a moment to appreciate what a mensch Steve Clute's been throughout this campaign.
