( Moorpark City Councilmember Keith Millhouse is pushing for solutions, not excuses. Click here for a past entry about him.)
In the last few days there has been two articles published about Rep. Elton Gallegly and his priorities on environmental issues.
Click here to read his editorial in The Star.
Here are some quick thoughts:
1. Elton, the ranking Republican on the House Natural Resources committee is Don Young. Are you aware of all the investigations into his background? It might save a sizable amount of taxpayer money if you stand up more often to his outlandish pork barrel spending. A man that proposed the Bridge to No Where is your leader? It is your duty to confront this man before he boondoggles ( has boondoggle ever been a verb before?) again.
2. Do you really think it would be a great idea of California to eliminate our gas tax in the middle of the budget crisis? I look forward to how you expect the governor to fix our budget if he lowered tax revenue even more? Have you run this idea past any local school boards? How exactly was the 23 widening funded?
The second article was about Elton's choice of taxpayer funded vehicles. Click here to read it.
Here is the most important paragraph:
WASHINGTON -- Rep. Elton Gallegly of Simi Valley likes his taxpayer-funded Ford Expedition. He isn't worried that it's not the most fuel-efficient car. It's reliable, suits his mountainous district and is cheaper to lease than many other vehicles. "It's not a Cadillac. It's not a Lincoln. It's a Ford," the Republican congressman said with exasperation. But like it or not, Gallegly and other lawmakers will have to give up gas-hungry SUVs and luxury sedans for leased vehicles that are more eco-correct, such as Toyota's Prius. And some are in a high-octane fit about it. "A Prius isn't made in the United States," Gallegly complained.
I am going to ignore the laughable line about needing a large SUV to get around this district and instead share good news with Rep. Gallegly about the new Toyota Camry Hybrid that will be made here in America. Will you call Elton's office and ask him to at least test drive one? Also, ask what part of the district requires a large SUV to get through.
Don't expect a whole lot of behavior modification from our reluctant congressman. Gallegly is increasingly out of touch with the challenges of the modern world and is increasingly out of step with the values and desires of his changing constituency.
His advocacy for drilling in ANWR is predictable and to be expected with Gallegly securely in the pocket of one of his major financial supporters, the oil industry. The voters would do him a big favor by turning him out so that he could wait a couple years and return as a K Street lobbiest for the industry.
Twenty-two years in Washington is enough for this out-of-touch, out-of-step, inept, and lazy legislator.
Have candidates for Gallegly's seat issued policy statements on environmental issues? I have a good idea where the dems stand, but I would be curious to hear his Republican challenger's position. From what some of you have said on this blog, M. Tenenbaum seems rather thoughtful, so he may surprise us here too?
I wish you would all quit crying about the high cost of gasoline. The oil companies give millions of dollars to good conservative candidates like Elton Gallegly, Tony Strickland and Audra Strickland. By us paying high prices at the pump we are helping these good conservative republican candidates get elected. I don't care if they raise the price to $5 a gallon because I know everytime I fill up I am giving a donation to the Republican National Committee and we need to stop these liberals who are trying to get us out of Iraq and are trying to lower the price of gas.
Another Republican Representative's staff is standing up to Rep. Gallegly's leader Don Young. Read the story here:
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/05/gop_rep_staffer_call_don_young.php
Gallegly, your party lost in 2006 because of frustrations over progress in Iraq and because of the Republican Culture of Corruption.
You should stand up to Don Young being that he played a large roll in putting your party in the minority. You won't be gaining the House back when he is the symbol of GOP leadership.
I had a Honda Accord that was made in Ohio. The year of the car was 1994. Could Gallegly be so out of touch that he has no clue on the auto industry in this nation? Very sad to see this. Perhaps he needs the gas guzzler to get over the Camarillo grade - is that the mountainous area referred to in the article? My Accord had no problem with that hill and I'm sure made it in a quarter of the gas that his Ford did.
I had a Honda Accord that was made in Ohio. The year of the car was 1994. Could Gallegly be so out of touch that he has no clue on the auto industry in this nation? Very sad to see this. Perhaps he needs the gas guzzler to get over the Camarillo grade - is that the mountainous area referred to in the article? My Accord had no problem with that hill and I'm sure it made it in a quarter of the gas that his Ford did.
I would certainly prefer he not spend my tax dollars on pulling his horse around.
"Politics, n. Strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles."
-- Ambrose Bierce
Captain, your quotes are captivating - yawn...
Jurnei,
Did you have problems getting around this mountainous area without a big SUV?
In all fairness, its been hard driving up and down the mountains to the SSFL, to pick up those perennial campaign checks while ignoring what was happening at Rocketdyne for over 20 years. It took a done-deal at the state level before guys like Gallegly & Strickland cynically announced they supported the downwind voters all along. Only problem is, they sat on their arses and did nothing to help.
Vote for them IF you want more of the same.
No Brian, getting around is easy. We have paved roads around this district.
GS,
Do you have any proof he was taking money from the people opposed to a clean up?
Isnt receiving campaign contributions "taking money"? Raytheon & Teledyne are two firms on Gallegly's top contributor list and they have both been involved in SSFL operations.
Isnt receiving campaign contributions "taking money"? Raytheon & Teledyne are two firms on Gallegly's top contributor list and they have both been involved in SSFL operations.
I never mentioned anyone being "opposed to a cleanup". Neither did I say Gallegly was opposed to a cleanup. My issue is with a career politician who did little or nothing to help during the past decades.
GS,
Let me clarify my remarks. I meant opposed to a clean up that many community activists like yourself say would be needed to protect the safety of our community.
Are they PAC's or individuals from those corporations?
You're asking the wrong person about who might be opposed to the SSFL cleanup. I just dont know. My point was that if our House Rep had spoken up long ago the cleanup would probably be behind us.