Posted on 10/09/2006 8:38:14 PM PDT by calcowgirl
Assemblyman Ray Haynes represents California’s 66th Assembly District.
In 1922, Ludwig von Mises, an Austrian free market economist, wrote: “It is not the business of entrepreneurs to lead the political fight against Socialism ... It follows, therefore, that neither associations of entrepreneurs, nor those organizations in which entrepreneurs’ support counts, are inclined to fight on principle against socialism.”
When I first joined the Legislature, I could not understand why the California Chamber of Commerce, the California Manufacturers Association, the California Taxpayers’ Association, and the variety of other “business” associations that populate the halls and lobbies of Sacramento could not be counted on to fight the left-wing agenda of my Democrat friends in the Legislature.
On the contrary, they were always ready to accommodate their demands. The unions would fight Republicans with all their influence and power, giving 99 percent of their contributions to Democrats. The business groups would (and still do) give 50 to 60 percent of their campaign money to Democrats. I used to complain that in politics, the Democrats married the unions, who have remained faithful partners. Republicans married the business community, and got a partner who slept around. I then read the Mises quote, and knew that if was true in 1922, and still true in 2002, I wasn’t going to change it by complaining. I personally would fight against encroaching socialism in California, and leave the compromising to the Socialists and business lobbyists.
To work, free markets require two essentials: freedom of contract and protection of private property rights. A society that “takes” — steals — private property is either socialist or traveling quickly down the road to socialism. The threat of losing a lifetime of work to the whim of an all-powerful government will often convince even the most principled person to forego his or her freedom of speech.
I joined the proponents of the November ballot’s Prop. 90, the “Protect Our Homes,” initiative because our current system of land use control, involving both eminent domain and regulatory takings, is the key factor underpinning California’s leftist state and local governments in gaining and holding power.
Previous experience taught me not to expect my friends in the business community to support us, but I did not think they would oppose this roll back of socialism in California. After all, why would they actively oppose those of us standing for free markets — their own freedom to make a profit?
Boy, was I wrong.
Showing all the courage, not to mention self-respect, von Mises indicated they could be expected to show, they say they are afraid of retaliation from the government if they don’t oppose the initiative. Local governments are telling business and developers that, if they don’t oppose Prop. 90, they will make their business lives miserable. They are being told that a financial donation to the anti-90 cause will result in their projects being fast tracked. But if they don’t help, they will enter some sort of governmentally-imposed purgatory, finding themselves lost in the bowels of this or that regulatory or planning agency and expecting to emerge about the time the new temple is built in Jerusalem. I am told that they have to oppose us because they just can’t risk it. The truth is, they are being blackmailed because they have indicated time and again to those in power that they can be blackmailed.
That is how far down the road to socialism California has gone. So much of the financial future of our business community depends on government action that the business community trembles in fear of the government officials. And so obsessed with financial well-being have we become that we are willing to submit to this degradation of our human spirit rather than risk losing it. If America’s founding fathers had possessed this degree of courage, we all would still be paying the stamp tax.
California’s ruling class knows a successful Prop. 90 will be their Waterloo, and they are trying to enlist the aid of all of their economic slaves to fight this last battle. The business community, having assumed the position of economic slave to state government, willingly sells out everyone’s freedom to stay in business.
I know von Mises was right; as long as businessmen see themselves as materialistic “entrepreneurs” first and human beings, if at all, second, they will act like a bunch of “scaredy cats.” And I understand why: they have too little faith in anything more than their own wealth and their illusions of power and prestige, transitory as they are, to move them. They comfort themselves in self-pity or cynicism or both, saying they must play ball to survive in this socialist political environment. I am still disappointed.
Marty Wilson, CRP and Prop. 90 Conflict of Interest Hurts Turnout Effort
by Mike Spence,
Flash Report, 10-9-2006A few weeks ago, the board of the California Republican Party had a teleconference to discuss the mail program of the CRP. Assemblywoman Mimi Walters and the campaign on behalf of Proposition 90 wanted the CRP to include the yes position on all their mailing to GOP Voters. Prop. 90 is a popular issue and will motivate GOP voters to go to the polls.
Some CRP board members agreed and brought this issue up. Enter CRP consultant Marty Wilson. According to my sources Marty was insistent that Prop. 90 could not be on the slate unless they could find $300,000 to fund it. At some point I'm told he was verbally abusive towards the few board members willing to stand up on this.
The board with three dissenters gave carte blanche to Wilson to do as he saw fit.
Now I need to explain, I served on the board of the CRP for six years and I know everyone wants party's help for free and of course that doesn’t always work. Things need to get paid for.
However, we all know the CRP is using Jessica’s Law, Prop. 83 in almost every media communication, not because they helped pay for it, but because it motivates voters. Prop. 90 should be thought of the same way.
Here is the REAL PROBLEM. This year CRP paid Marty Wilson $15,000 as a campaign consultant 4/17, 4/24, 5/08, 6/16, 6/23, 7/28, 8/25, 9/15 and 10K on 4/07 probably more I didn’t see and into the future. (he is also got money in 2005) That’s a nice piece of change.
What the Board and the rest of the CRP membership didn’t know was that four days before the conference call Marty Wilson’s company Wilson-Miller took $15,000 from the No on Prop. 90 campaign for consultanting. So while, Marty Wilson was explaining and berating board members into making sure Prop. 90 was NOT on the CRP mailers, he was on two payrolls at once.
I know I'm not a great speller, But I think it is spelled a conflict of interest.
I don’t know if the CRP is getting their money’s worth in consulting, but the No on 90 folks sure are.
[Attached is a .pdf file showing the $15,000 consulting payment to Marty Wilson's firm on the No on 90's latest campaign disclosure statement.]
Attachment: No on 90 Filing
ping. The enemy within.
Heh heh. Too true.
I forgot to include you in this ping.
I am so pleased to be dissociated from the CRP, the CAGOP, or the CRAP, or whatever any of you Repellican FRiends prefer to call it!!!
C.O. you should now have a new appreciation for this cute phrase... (grin)
ccg... I think Ray comes as close to my standards of a consistent conservative as can be found in CA's legislature! The fact that he's a lawyer makes that astounding!!!
Oh yeah Ray, tell us how Eli Broad is subject to blackmail. Tell us that $18 million developers have given to Arnold is just protection money!
What a load. What he's talking about here is the little guys who are his constituency. Either he doesn't understand the CCoC belongs to the big players who own both sides or he's lying.
Imagine that.
A double-dipping, backstabbing, utterly self-serving campaign consultant.
Who'd a thunk it?
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus
Once the enemies are identified, however, we do have very long memories. Business (CA Chamber of Commerce) is a known enemy, and we can now add the CA branch of the Stupid Party, aka the CRP.
Wealth people who are for socialism and government regulations make sense: They have their money hidden overseas (like Teddy Kennedy) and run their businesses here (like Pelosi with non-union labor) but use socialism and regulations to prevent the little guy from competing with them and their businesses. They pretend to be for the little guy but in reality drown his chances of successfully competing with them by using socialism and regulations - leaving them at the top of the heap. Profitable hypocrisy - there is a book written about this called, "Do What I Say - Not As I Do".
Bump! You got it!
Their are all sorts of possiblities there, SW. The word "Corrupt" seems to have a lot of common letters, as well.
That sure was a hot and loud reply for someone who was questioning the wisdom of the measure on the CA bulletin board originally! What turned your head around so DRASTICALLY???
Business people are the ultimate pragmatists and will throw principles to the wind and settle for anything as long as they can just keep doin more and more BUSINESS!!!
I love 'em, but that's when they act the most whore-like!!! They simply adore manipulating and using the pure force of GOVERNMENT to screw their competition and give themselves a "leg up," so to speak... Sorry to get so graphic, but at least I din't do in in bold-face RED CAPITALS!!! (grin)
BUMP
Hmmmm. Repeating that in RED ALL-CAPS would be most appropriate vis-a-vis our trade relations with China. Nowhere is the whoredom of American business more flagrantly displayed. We're financing the military that will, one day, make an earnest attempt to kill our sons on the battlefield, and we're doing it with a smile that would make a snake oil salesman blush.
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