Posted on 01/24/2008 7:57:59 PM PST by NormsRevenge
The California Republican Party is struggling to get out of debt, creating a potential drag on voter registration and other party-building efforts in the midst of a heated campaign season, records showed Thursday.
As of last week, the state GOP's main account had a balance of $3.2 million but $3.4 million in unpaid obligations. The party's federal account - used to finance activities that support congressional candidates - listed a balance of $34,000 but nearly $460,000 in debts, according to records filed last month.
The shaky finances are due in large part to sluggish fundraising.
The party collected $5.6 million in contributions in its main account from Jan. 1 through Jan. 19. But virtually all of it came from a single source - wealthy Southern California Indian tribes donated $5.4 million to help finance an advertising campaign to win voter approval for expanding their gambling businesses.
A statement issued by the GOP didn't address the party's overall financial health.
Referring to donations from the Coalition to Protect California's Budget, a political arm of the tribes, GOP spokesman Hector Barajas said the party "has a responsibility to keep its membership informed about a wide variety of public policy issues and that includes communicating the party's official position on ballot measures."
The party is backing four proposals on the Feb. 5 ballot that would give the tribes 17,000 new slot machines - enough to fill eight Las Vegas-sized casinos. In exchange, the tribes would share profits with cash-strapped California, which faces a multibillion-dollar deficit.
The tribes - the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians near Temecula, the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians in Palm Springs, the Morongo Band of Mission Indians near Cabazon and the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation near San Diego - intend to spend as much as $80 million to push through the deals they reached with Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Democrat-controlled Legislature.
Records show the party, bolstered by tribal funds, has already spent lavishly on TV ads to support the pacts.
Two of the party's major donors with ties to Schwarzenegger - American Sterling Co. CEO Larry Dodge and Paul Folino, chairman of computer-components maker Emulex Corp. - have agreed by next month to cover $3 million in party debt or arrange for repayment through affiliates.
But some activists complain not enough is being done to generate funds for the party in a critical election year.
Mike Spence, president of the California Republican Assembly, a conservative grassroots group, said the governor's dealmaking with Democrats in the Legislature hurt the party's image with donors.
"The governor just does not care about the party," Spence said.
Schwarzenegger spokeswoman Julie Soderlund said she was puzzled by Spence's remarks. She noted the governor raised millions of dollars for the GOP in 2007.
"The governor has a good working relationship with the party," she added.
Republicans make up about 33 percent of California voters, compared to 43 percent for Democrats. Between February and December last year, the GOP lost more than 170,000 registered voters in the state. The Democratic decline in that period was about 69,000 voters.
"I don't know that any party is flush with cash," said Marin County GOP chair Morgan Kelley. "I'm sure we can use all the help we can get."
IMO, no. They are deaf, dumb, and blind to their base. They have their own agenda. It has little to do with effective governing or conservatism and a whole lot to do with wealth building--theirs! (See post #16)
CaGOP is as double-minded on that as they are on anything else. On one hand they say, "Good riddance; those new DTS folks weren't 'solid' for the Party anyway." Then, on the other hand, they keep the contact information so they can call asking for money whenever they've got a donation drive going on. Also, they still believe they can replace the departing Conservatives by peeling off Democrats that are unhappy about the DNC being controlled by George Soros and MoveOn.org. Unfortunately for everyone, as long as they remain willing to keep drifting left, they're probably going to be successful in that endeavor.
As it stand, now, the dominant parties in California are the mid-far-left Dems, and the squishy-middle GOP. Unflinching Conservatives are left to either bounce along on a string behind the cushy GOP tour bus, or align with individual Conservative candidates at the more local levels and get their elbows dirty trying to force some serious party rebuilding from the grass roots up.
All that reminds me of the Republican Party in the 70’s and 80’s...settled on minority status and happy as long as the money was rolling in. The GOP here in Missouri used to be that way but we took it back with a grassroots movement and we took back the state legislature for the first time in several decades. I can only hope that Missouri keeps up the momentum and I will hope California Republicans change their tune or that a grassroots movement overtakes them and changes their tune for them.
Given this idiotic statement from Tom, I’m, glad I voted for Arnold.
Perhaps Tom can eplain how allowing ONLY these 4 tribes to have casinos in California, while at the same time allowing NO other individual white/black/whatever to open a casino in California, isn’t a government restriction on enterprise? Not only that, how is this NOT a race/class based “government restriction on enterprise”?
I live in a beautiful little valley that has been greatly harmed by Indian Gaming. Our little rural township has been sullied by a huge Vegas style casino that attracts the worst elements of society to our community.
Worst of all, the casino does not have to comply with local zoning and building laws. They are given an unfair advantage. The tribe is buying up hotels and restaurants in the area and we fear they will try to annex their new purchases. Most people do not know the real story behind Indian Gaming. Trust me; it is a dirty unregulated business and I will vote "No" on all the props.
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