Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: calcowgirl

You are the one who needs to get your facts straight.

http://www.chronwatch.com/content/contentDisplay.asp?aid=5132&catcode=33

"Schwarzenegger, sworn into office just a few hours before, had signed an order rescinding the tripling of the car tax Davis put in place in June. Schwarzenegger said the cut would take effect immediately.

But by Monday afternoon, word was getting back to the new governor's press office that the DMV was saying it didn't know when the tax cut would take effect. It might take 30 days to reprogram the computers. And there was a law that appeared to require 60 days notice of any change in the car-tax rate.

Rob Stutzman, Schwarzenegger's communications director, saw Batjer at the Chamber of Commerce's inaugural luncheon and passed the word along. Batjer decided to act. She did so before she made it back to the Capitol, axing Gourley and accelerating the appointment of a longtime Capitol troubleshooter, Chon Gutierrez, as the new director."

As soon as the law was taking effect, car sales soared, helping CA economy.


13 posted on 06/06/2004 9:03:19 PM PDT by FairOpinion (If you are not voting for Bush, you are voting for the terrorists.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies ]


To: FairOpinion

Business Wire, Nov 24, 2003 p5716

DMV Announces Another Major Breakthrough on Governor Schwarzenegger's Slashing of the Car Tax.
Full Text: COPYRIGHT 2003 Business Wire

News Editors/Business Editors
SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 24, 2003

The California Department of Motor Vehicles today announced another major breakthrough in Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's effort to give Californians even faster and easier access to his two-thirds reduction of the car tax.

The department has completed the highly complex and time-consuming reprogramming of DMV computers to the lower rate in just one-fourth the time it usually takes. They did in seven days what, in the past, has frequently taken up to 30 days.

The DMV began mailing out car tax bills at the reduced rate today, and the first of the lower bills should begin showing up in mailboxes later this week. Californians receiving the new bills will no longer need to recalculate the amount due or pay the higher fees and wait for a refund.

Customers who have already been billed at the higher rate can use DMV's vehicle license fee (VLF) calculator on the department's Web site at dmv.ca.gov to automatically recalculate their bills to the lower amount. They can then write a check to DMV for the lower amount rather than waiting for a refund.

Beginning today, DMV field offices are also on-line at the reduced VLF rates. But to reduce lines and wait times, DMV is strongly discouraging customers from going to field offices to renew routine vehicle registrations.

At Governor Schwarzenegger's urging, DMV technicians worked around the clock for much of the past week and managed to complete the reprogramming in a neck-snapping seven days.

"This quick turnaround is the kind of service and performance Californians expect from their government," said DMV's new Interim Director, Chon Gutierrez. "It's proof positive that government really can work the way it's supposed to when we put our minds to it. It happened because a lot of dedicated, hardworking folks here at DMV made the changeover an urgent priority and put in some very long hours, including overnight and weekend shifts, to complete the job in record time. They have made things a lot easier for Californians."

All that remains now is to mail the automatic refunds Governor Schwarzenegger has ordered for everyone who already paid the higher rate. The latest estimate is that refund checks should be sent very early in the new year.




Automotive News, Nov 24, 2003 v78 i6068 p8
Schwarzenegger terminates thorny DMV chief. (News)(Steve Gourley) Donna Harris.
Full Text: COPYRIGHT 2003 Crain Communications, Inc.

Byline: Donna Harris

Steve Gourley, the controversial director of California's Department of Motor Vehicles, was not surprised that Arnold Schwarzenegger fired him last week. But Gourley was taken aback by the timing.

At 3:20 p.m. Monday, Nov. 17 - soon after Schwarzenegger was sworn in as governor - Gourley was told to clean out his desk by the end of the day.

"I had surgery scheduled the next day and asked if it could wait until Friday,'' says Gourley, 54. "They said to work late.''

Gourley's swift departure was interpreted by some consumer advocates as a favor to car dealers, who contributed heavily to Schwarzenegger's election campaign. Gourley was known for his crackdowns on deceptive finance practices and misleading advertising.

Both the governor's office and the California Motor Car Dealers Association say Gourley's dismissal was part of normal housecleaning by a new administration.

But consumer advocates questioned the way in which Gourley was removed.

Heavy contributions

Dealers contributed about $600,000 to the governor's campaign, about 6 percent of the total $9.2 million in contributions from businesses and executives, according to figures supplied by Common Cause, a consumer advocacy group.

Three dealership groups were among the top 20 contributors to Schwarzenegger committees: Fletcher Jones Management (No. 11) gave $78,800; Hitchcock Automotive Resources (No. 17) gave $57,533; and Keyes Motors (No. 20) gave $51,200.

Rosemary Shahan, president of Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety in Sacramento, Calif., wrote the governor asking him to return donations from car dealers.

"When you announced your candidacy, you publicly proclaimed that you would not take money from special interests,'' wrote Shahan on Sept. 29.

"Don't you realize that car dealers are a special interest?''

A story in the Los Angeles Times - headlined "A Car Dealer's Kind of Governor'' - described a rally last week by the governor celebrating his repeal of the state's car tax increase. The rally was held at Galpin Ford in North Hills, Calif., owned by supporter Bert Boeckmann, who gave $21,200 to Schwarzenegger's campaign.

While Schwarzenegger befriended dealers, Gourley prided himself on making an example of them.

He temporarily suspended licenses for stores owned by three of the large public auto dealers - AutoNation Inc., Lithia Motors Inc. and Sonic Automotive Inc. Auto Nation was accused of deceptive finance practices. Lithia and Sonic allegedly engaged in misleading advertising.

AutoNation gave $21,200

AutoNation, which declined to comment on Gourley's ouster, gave $21,200 to the governor's election campaign.

In 2001, the motor vehicle department threatened to suspend the license of AutoNation's Gunderson Chevrolet dealership in El Monte, Calif., for allegedly defrauding finance customers. AutoNation sued the division and Gourley, asking a superior court judge to remove him from the case. The lawsuit, which was dismissed, alleged that Gourley was biased.

Gourley says he doesn't think dealers played a role in his termination. "There are some big problems facing the DMV,'' he says. "They wanted to get their person in there quickly so they would have their fingerprint on whatever changes were made.''

But others like Shahan can't see beyond the hefty campaign contributions. Says Shahan: "It appears that pay-to-play is here to stay.''

CAPTION(S):

Arnold Schwarzenegger celebrated the repeal of the car tax at a Ford dealership owned by Bert Boeckmann, right. * Former motor vehicle board director Gourley: Rushed out the door


15 posted on 06/06/2004 9:30:43 PM PDT by calcowgirl
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson