A legislator's dilemma

Share: Share on Facebook submit to reddit StumbleUpon Toolbar

In a budget deal as painful and complicated as the one passed Friday by the Legislature, each lawmaker gets multiple opportunities to cast votes that could later be used against him or her in a campaign.

There was evidence everywhere last week of how important it is to each of them to pick their spots. Democratic Sen. Mark DeSaulnier from the East Bay, for instance, voted no or not at all on as many budget-cutting items as possible, because he is engaged in a special-election campaign this fall for an open seat in Congress. Republican Sens. Jeff Denham of the Central Valley, who is running for lieutenant governor in 2010, and Tom Harman of Orange County, who is running for attorney general, took care not to vote for cuts to schools or law enforcement. Over in the Assembly, Republican Anthony Adams of the Inland Empire, the target of a recall effort, abstained on vote after vote.

Sometimes, the situation becomes more than ordinary lawmakers can take. One example was Ventura County Sen. Fran Pavley, D-Agoura Hills, who is not running for anything. Through tough budget vote after tough budget vote in February, June and July, she had shouldered the burden of voting yes on every hard cut that the leadership had negotiated with the governor. About 2 a.m. Friday, Pavley, a former mayor and founding member of the Agoura Hills City Council, decided she had to take a stand. She refused to vote for a plan to raid transportation funding from local governments.

Without Pavley's vote, the plan stalled with a 20-20 tally. Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg pleaded with her to change her vote, but she didn't budge. After about half an hour, a San Francisco Bay Area Democrat switched, allowing the measure to pass 21-19.

Pavley and other Democrats were clearly piqued that more Republicans didn't vote for some of the tougher elements of the plan, since many of the particulars were the result of GOP victories in negotiations. GOP leaders openly praised and supported the overall plan, but rank-and-file Republican votes for many of its elements were few and far between.

Pavley noted that Republicans had insisted that there could be no new taxes in the plan, and rejected even a modest fire-protection surcharge on property insurance premiums proposed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. "They're against taxes and they're against cuts," she complained. "That's a prescription for IOUs."

In the end, all the angst in the Senate vote over the raid of local transportation funding was unnecessary. The Assembly scuttled the idea without a vote -- leaving the 21 senators who voted for the idea with a bad mark on their voting records (at least in the eyes of local government officials in their districts) for having cast a vote that turned out to be meaningless.

No TrackBacks

TrackBack URL: http://blogs.venturacountystar.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-tb.cgi/38802

14 Comments

ALL politicians are lying cheating stealing traitorous low-life dirtbag scum. Rather than vote for what is right, or vote their ideology, they vote what will get them re-elected.

Is that the kind of scum we want in the legislature. They have no moral compass, not even a bad one. Their only thought is to play the game, suck up to the right people and get re-elected.

Remember this in 2010 and throw them out of office.

SENATOR TOM HARMAN!! Your UDR Renters Need Your Help NOW!!
June 17, 2009 — badbizfinder | Edit
Senator Tom Harman has a daunting task ahead of him. He is the California State Senator representing the cities of Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach and Newport Beach (among others) where NINE (9) UDR Properties are located (listed below).

We want to make sure Tom Harman knows about our class-action lawsuit on behalf of California tenants against UDR, one of the largest landlords in his District. We know that if Tom Harman knew the facts – he would step in and help out.

Tom: Did you know that 57.45% of the citizens in your District are RENTERS? And the number grows and grows with the foreclosure crisis in California.

In case you don’t know… the renters in your District have been subjected to the following illegal activity and horrendous oppression from the Colorado-based REIT and nationwide Landlord, UDR, for the past 5 years. Here are the facts:

1. UDR charges “early lease termination liquidated damages” penalties in violation of California law.

2. UDR charges late fees that are overstated contrary to recent California case law and rulings thereon.

3. UDR intentionally contracts with tenants using false names to obtain and sustain a legal advantage over its tenants resulting in significantly diminished tenant-based litigation.

4. UDR illegally profits from its Ratio Utility Billing System (RUBS) in violation of the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC) regulation prohibiting a non-utility from “selling” energy or water.

5. UDR illegally defers injury liability via its “hold harmless” clauses in violation of California law and fails to maintain habitable premises.

6. UDR withholds security deposit sums via illegal fees and penalties which must be properly defined as landlord’s operating costs and responsibilities.

7. UDR illegally evicts its tenants.

Here are the UDR properties in Tom Harman’s district:

COSTA MESA

Harbor at Mesa Verde

UDR Community #298

2700 Peterson Place

Costa Mesa, California 92626

Missions at Back Bay

UDR Community #320

1330 Southeast Bristol Street

Costa Mesa, California 92626

Pine Brook Village

UDR Community #300

1555 Mesa Verde Drive East

Costa Mesa, California 92626

Villa Venetia

UDR Community #344

2775 Mesa Verde Drive East

Costa Mesa, California 92626

HUNTINGTON BEACH

Huntington Villas

UDR Community #336

16761 Viewpoint Lane

Huntington Beach, California 92647

Huntington Vista

UDR Community #299

21551 Brookhurst Street

Huntington Beach, California 92646

Pacific Shores

UDR Community #301

7701 Warner Avenue

Huntington Beach, California 92647

NEWPORT BEACH

Coronado at Newport North

UDR Community #342

880 Irvine Avenue

Newport Beach, California 92663

Coronado at Newport South

UDR Community #339

1700 East 16th Street

Newport Beach, California 92663

Tom Harman —– We need your support. As you are the elected California Senator representing renters in these cities we look forward to your response together with a plan to end illegal activity and oppression against your constituent renters at the hand of UDR.

Bad Biz Finder

SENATOR TOM HARMAN!! Your UDR Renters Need Your Help NOW!!
June 17, 2009 — badbizfinder | Edit
Senator Tom Harman has a daunting task ahead of him. He is the California State Senator representing the cities of Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach and Newport Beach (among others) where NINE (9) UDR Properties are located (listed below).

We want to make sure Tom Harman knows about our class-action lawsuit on behalf of California tenants against UDR, one of the largest landlords in his District. We know that if Tom Harman knew the facts – he would step in and help out.

Tom: Did you know that 57.45% of the citizens in your District are RENTERS? And the number grows and grows with the foreclosure crisis in California.

In case you don’t know… the renters in your District have been subjected to the following illegal activity and horrendous oppression from the Colorado-based REIT and nationwide Landlord, UDR, for the past 5 years. Here are the facts:

1. UDR charges “early lease termination liquidated damages” penalties in violation of California law.

2. UDR charges late fees that are overstated contrary to recent California case law and rulings thereon.

3. UDR intentionally contracts with tenants using false names to obtain and sustain a legal advantage over its tenants resulting in significantly diminished tenant-based litigation.

4. UDR illegally profits from its Ratio Utility Billing System (RUBS) in violation of the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC) regulation prohibiting a non-utility from “selling” energy or water.

5. UDR illegally defers injury liability via its “hold harmless” clauses in violation of California law and fails to maintain habitable premises.

6. UDR withholds security deposit sums via illegal fees and penalties which must be properly defined as landlord’s operating costs and responsibilities.

7. UDR illegally evicts its tenants.

Here are the UDR properties in Tom Harman’s district:

COSTA MESA

Harbor at Mesa Verde

UDR Community #298

2700 Peterson Place

Costa Mesa, California 92626

Missions at Back Bay

UDR Community #320

1330 Southeast Bristol Street

Costa Mesa, California 92626

Pine Brook Village

UDR Community #300

1555 Mesa Verde Drive East

Costa Mesa, California 92626

Villa Venetia

UDR Community #344

2775 Mesa Verde Drive East

Costa Mesa, California 92626

HUNTINGTON BEACH

Huntington Villas

UDR Community #336

16761 Viewpoint Lane

Huntington Beach, California 92647

Huntington Vista

UDR Community #299

21551 Brookhurst Street

Huntington Beach, California 92646

Pacific Shores

UDR Community #301

7701 Warner Avenue

Huntington Beach, California 92647

NEWPORT BEACH

Coronado at Newport North

UDR Community #342

880 Irvine Avenue

Newport Beach, California 92663

Coronado at Newport South

UDR Community #339

1700 East 16th Street

Newport Beach, California 92663

Tom Harman —– We need your support. As you are the elected California Senator representing renters in these cities we look forward to your response together with a plan to end illegal activity and oppression against your constituent renters at the hand of UDR.

Bad Biz Finder

what's mesothelioma and why is There a have to go To court when this arrives to this illness? I go over to a local paper about people suffering from mesothelioma and also am only being curious. as well I don't little know why I has To resort how to court if one has this illness

What must be the chances as to winning a mesothelioma lawsuit? My father-to-law i has recently diagnosed using mesothelioma. He is a disabled vet in a cramped earnings. the life expectancy is only 4-eighteen mths. He and my mother-in-law have filed a lawsuit against the asbestos manufacturer. the concern is that they have on very bit money and also Lack Of compensation we have to be afraid that my mother-into-law will lose their house If you he passes. Does anyone allow experience via this?

As someone who has been looking into investing in foreclosed properties there is one factor I've taken away throughout this entire system: There are WAY too many folks with their mits in the cookie jar in the house buying process.

Very well written article. It will be beneficial to anyone who employess it, as well as me. Keep up the good work - for sure i will check out more posts.

Unfortunately, I am very busy today, but at the end of next week I will return Never argue with you about some of the ideas

Excellent post at A legislator's dilemma - 95 percent accurate. I was checking continuously this blog and I am impressed! Extremely useful info particularly the last part :) I care for such information a lot. I was seeking this certain info for a very long time. Thank you and best of luck.

trejan stereotaxic atmar dala marooned Nash locker jonston tiller

A legislator's dilemma - 95 percent accurate Pretty nice post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I've truly enjoyed browsing your blog posts. After all I will be subscribing to your rss feed and I hope you write again very soon!

I am continually looking online for articles that can assist me. Thank you!

Keep working ,impressive job!

This website online is really a walk-by means of for the entire info you needed about this and didn抰 know who to ask. Glimpse right here, and also you抣l definitely discover it.

Leave a comment

95 percent accurate
Over the last 25 presidential elections, Ventura County voters have backed the winner 24 times, or over 95 percent of the time. It is one of only a handful of counties in the nation that has been such a predictable bellwether.
about Timm Herdt
Timm Herdt
The Ventura County Star's Sacramento Bureau Chief Timm Herdt on state issues and politics from Sacramento to Ventura County. He can be contacted at therdt@vcstar.com
Links
  • online: This website online is really a walk-by means of for read more
  • Boris Kinchen: Keep working ,impressive job! read more
  • Webscribble: I am continually looking online for articles that can assist read more
  • Free Online Cooking Games: A legislator's dilemma - 95 percent accurate Pretty nice post. read more
  • dr dre headphones: trejan stereotaxic atmar dala marooned Nash locker jonston tiller read more
  • kasor: Excellent post at A legislator's dilemma - 95 percent accurate. read more
  • العاب: Unfortunately, I am very busy today, but at the end read more
  • Orlando Tollison: Very well written article. It will be beneficial to anyone read more
  • Cammy Smack: As someone who has been looking into investing in foreclosed read more
  • Mesothelioma Info: What must be the chances as to winning a mesothelioma read more