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O.C. assemblyman joins list of recall targets
May 19th, 2009, 4:49 pm · 40 Comments · posted by Martin Wisckol, Politics reporter
Assemblyman Jeff Miller, whose district includes parts of Orange and Riverside counties, is the latest Republican to be targeted as GOP recall mania has reach a new level.
Unlike two other Republicans targeted by fellow GOPers - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Assemblyman Anthony Adams - Miller did not vote for the temporary sales tax hike and vehicle license fee hike. And unlike another O.C. legislator facing a recall from fellow Republicans - Sen. Bob Huff - Miller did not even vote to put the measures on today’s ballot.
Miller’s alleged crime? Supporting Adams for reelection in 2010 and standing by former GOP Assembly Leader Mike Villines when fellow Republicans ousted him. Both Adams and Villines voted for those fee hikes.
State officials are determining whether the Miller recall paperwork is in order, before signature gathering can begin.
Click here for news about the other recall efforts.
UPDATE: Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, a leader in the crusade against more taxes, opposes the recall effort and dismisses the many of the claims of recall proponents. Click here to read that item.
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DENA BUNIS, Washington bureau chief, 202-628-6381 or dbunis@ocregister.com
BRIAN JOSEPH, Sacramento correspondent, 916-449-6046 or bjoseph@ocregister.com
JENNIFER MUIR, County government reporter, 714-796-7813 or jmuir@ocregister.com
JOEL WALSH, Washington bureau intern, 202-628-6381 or jwalsh@ocregister.com
MARTIN WISCKOL, Politics reporter, 714-285-2867 or mwisckol@ocregister.com twitter.com/MartinWisckol
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Jeff Miller stood behind Villines after he orchestrated the tax increase in secret meetings with the Big Five behind closed doors and signed a anti-tax increase petition to get votes and contributions from his constituents. He lied. And Jeff Miller agreed to become his lieutenant and biggest cheerleader. So lets tell the whole story. When another republican supports such a traitor he automatically tarnishes himself and the GOP. So he deserves everything he gets. He’s no innocent bystander. He was an active participant who snuggled up with the enemy. A very legitimate reason for a recall.
The problem with the GOP is the attitude that produced a post like ocobservor’s. Folks who don’t agree with “real” Republicans - let’s brand them “traitors,” who “snuggle up to the enemy.” We are looking at a situation in this state where thousands of our children are going to be in classrooms that are more crowded than ever in an educational system that spends less per pupil than any other state in the union. Take your petty little GOP squabbles somewhere else - like Arizona.
So how are classrooms going to be more crowded when there are less and less students each year? And more crowded then ever? I was in full classrooms all through my years in school (graduated in 95) where people were sitting at tables because there was not room for more desks. Let’s stop talking about how the kids are “going” to suffer if their teachers don’t make more money. Let’s talk about how the kids already suffer under the current conditions and how it’s not really going to be any better if we raise taxes and get more money in there. It’s still going to be the same teachers teaching the same things. Just getting paid more cause they think their entitled to it.
The GOP has every right to discipline those in their own party by whatever means. Hopefully this will not be the end. Housecleaning is painful if you leave it go for that long. Hope they have a big enough dumpster.
Whine some more about the crowded classrooms…while you’re at it, how about the teacher’s unions and the harm they have caused to the education system….and the automatic school funding which is bankrupting this state, throwing more good money after the bad.
I’m in favor of breaking up the public education monopoly.
I don’t think teachers need to make more money. I think we need a stable source of revenue to fund education. The way we do it right now doesn’t work. There is no public education monopoly, genius. There are plenty of private schools out there that do a good job. For years in this country, public education served as the great equalizer to the relative wealth and privilege needed to attend private institutions. This is true at the college level as well. I did not attend a public university for my undergrad but I’ll bet a lot of you reading this did and if a public institution had not been around, you wouldn’t have been able to go at all. The fact that CA is 50th out 50 states in per pupil spending and 45th out of 50 in property tax rates says something. Instead of worrying about that, you guys are whining about teachers’ pay. Buy a book or something. Read more.
I’m still wondering why the dems aren’t being recalled. Especially the Lt. Gov. and the Controller.
The Dems aren’t being recalled because they are doing exactly what they promised to do, tax and spend. Those districts who voted them in are getting exactly as advertised.
The Republicans, on the other hand, signed a no-new-tax pledge and went back on their word, conspired with the Democrats to raise our taxes,, and have created a one party system in California.
Republicans have become the party of borrow and spend, and feed that delusion whenever possible and call it fiscal responsibility. Whatever happended to honest republicans like Reagan. He believed in limited government but raised taxes when necessary.
I really hope that the current batch of politicians were bluffing on needed spending cuts. It wouldn’t be the first time. But if they weren’t, celebrating the failure of the propositions may be premature.
Dems don’t get recalled because of guys like “regularguy7″.
The bright side to this cannibalism and straitjacket thinking is that it will continue to drive the young, the moderate, the educated, and the civilized into the waiting arms of the Democratic Party.
LOL, now that is funny! NOT!!!!!!!
Don’t count on it… we are registering as independent or Libertarian.
Why would any moderate or fiscal conservative even consider the Democratic party? We’re moderate, not crazy.
I re-registered independent years ago because I didn’t like the direction of the Republican party and I will never, ever consider becoming a Democrat. Far right or far left both parties are full of nots running the show.
Wow, I think you’re dead wrong and pretty pathetic. Let me guess: You think Nancy Pelosi is a great woman, don’t you?
It’s fun watching the OC GOP implode.
Are these guys just dumb? His Miller’s alleged crime is he’s stupid. I suport a recall of ALL in both parties. It’s time to start whit a clean, non-lying. The biggest part is the democratic party is to stupid to remove their leaders and vote new one’s in. democraatic or republican who cares. Get rid of this crap.
I don’t think so aGarBoy simply because it is the Calif. Dems who drove the bus to this cliff. The question is “when will the population wake up and think for themselves”. The dems are the one’s, along with Arnold, who need to be turned out next year (or sooner). If they push for a change to the two-thirds budget rule, they will pay the price.
My hope is that the young will see what and who have made California the state with the third highest tax rate in the country, a negative population growth (it would be greater if immigrants of illegal status weren’t counted), a slowing economic engine due to high taxes and a negative growth in corporate taxes.
Why should a company stay in California when they can move to Nevada, Texas or Oregon and not have to pay state taxes?
The politicians in Sacramento are fools who are too wed to their own orthodoxy and not doing the right thing for the citizens of this state. It doesn’t matter what party they are in, they have all failed and should be ousted.
It is my hope that the young will be intelligent enough to see the reality of the situation and not let party partisanship lead them in the wrong direction. There’s too much of “us” versus “them” as your post shows.
Regardless of your party affiliation, it is stupid and dangerous to put the trust of the entire government in ONE party.
Tom… right on brother. Anyone who puts their full allegiance to ONE party is a moron. Seriously!!
loufca tells it like it is! I became an Independent because I no longer believe in what politicians have to say before an election but what they do when they are in Sacramento. Most everyone in Sacramento needs to have a big kick in the arse out of office.
Let the results of these props be a warning to those in power in Sacramento. Fiscal responsibility is more important than ever and spending really needs to be curtailed. The same o’ Monty shuffle of borrowing against the future is not going to work anymore.
Agreed… I also registered as an independent.
lets continue to pay millions for “migrate worker day care”, wellfare for illegals, enforce water rationing for a small fish, what kind of bags i can use at the grocery store, what kind of car i can drive, what temprature to set my thermostat……oh yeah…lets not forget to triple my registration fees!
now they want to control medical care!!!
tax revolt????? how about voter revolt and throw every incumbant out of office….a politition is nothing more than a frustrated attorney who couldnt make it in the real world or a self righteous hack!
DONT START THE REVOLUTION WITHOUT ME!!
Again the GOP eat their own. Only a matter of time until they are extinct.
OCob, talk about having the facts screwed up. Your accounting of what Miller did or did not do is way off base. If you spent some time getting the facts you’d realize that you are supporting the recall of a man who in NO way should be recalled. Adams admitted on public radio that he obtained his endorsments BEFORE he voted for taxes. News releases also proved that Miller was appointed to leadership BEFORE Villines voted for taxes. Recalling Miller, a man who pledged to Oppose tax increases and actually kept his word is just plain stupid, unless you are trying to help Democrats.
i’m a former GOP, turned independant 10yrs ago.
if they want me back, they’ll have to earn it.
unless i join the teet suckers. in that case, i’ll go democrat, of course.
Dear California R’s,
Lose the social-issue baggage. Embrace gay rights and medical marijuana and you’ll own the legislature.
They eat their own, as has been said, many times.
Believe me, some of the incumbent Dems will be ousted in the next election too (as some already have in the previous election).
They will certainly not be exempt from taking responsibility of running this state to the ground. The only difference is that Reps felt betrayed by their representatives and feel the need for change in Sacramento. The Democat voters are just idiots who keep voting the same corrupt politicians into office just because they are labeled Democats. They are worse than the Reps because they are just mindless drones that drink the same kool aid.
If you’re a Democrat, you should be furious that we are constantly placing this state in the budget hole every year by spending taxpayer money like a credit card since that party has been in control for over 15 years in California. But like I said, most Democrats just keep drinking the kool aid poured by the D party.
why not recall all of them - democrats and republicans…
Let Jesse Ventura water-board him for half an hour and see what else we can find out about the Rethuglicants.
Come on, guys! Grow up and quit threatening to recall every Repub who disagrees with you on anything. No wonder the party is in such bad shape in California.
Leave Jeff Miller alone. He voted against the crappy budget. You may hate him for supporting his misguided Assembly leader, but loyalty is clearly something you will never understand.
If you would work to defeat Democrats instead of Republicans, the GOP might actually become a functioning entity. Maybe a governing one.
We do not vote our leaders in for merely a yes or no vote. We vote for leadership and representation. A recall of Miller is not simply a statement against Miller it is a statement against the party. Defeat Democrats? How can we defeat Democrats when Republicans stay more loyal to the party than their constituents. PARTY LOYALTY gets us no where with out principles. I want to defeat the ideological principles of the DNC but you can not do it by adopting those principles.
We are holding the party responsible. The constituents of the 71st district can hold the Republican party responsible by seeking the recall of its members, in this case Jeff Miller who has refused to stand against the behavior of the party he affiliates himself with.
The author of blog post is flat wrong. Miller did indeed vote to put the initiatives on the ballot. The bill was ABX3 11, and the text of the bill and corresponding votes (including Miller’s “Aye” vote) can be found here:
http://www.assembly.ca.gov/acs/acsframeset2text.htm
Enter ABX3 11 in the Bill Number field.
http://info.sen.ca.gov/pub/09-10/bill/sen/sb_0001-0050/sbx3_19_vote_20090219_0451AM_asm_floor.html
Try this one, SBX3 19. My understanding is that the bill calling for the special election is SBX3 19. Miller voted against it.
I’m not sure of the specifics of ABX3 11, but that was voted on on Feb. 15 — the final deal was voted on Feb. 19, as we can clearly see from news accounts. That bill was SBX3 19.
OK, ABX3 11 was an earlier version of the ballot measures that Miller voted for. At that point, it did not include the tax increases that would later be added to Prop. 1A. Here’s the URL to ABX3 11 in case anyone wants to read it for themselves.
http://info.sen.ca.gov/pub/09-10/bill/asm/ab_0001-0050/abx3_11_bill_20090220_chaptered.pdf
Miller voted against SBX3 19.
Martin,
The second vote (SBX3 19) was the bill from the Senate, and was the preceded the Assembly’s version, ABX3 11. Miller, and many of his Republican colleagues, voted to pass this bill. A handful of those legislators switched their votes to ‘Noes’ on the Senate bill once enough votes had been secured to pass both houses of the State Legislature. This is political posturing, pure and simple. There is no way to change the fact that Miller voted ‘Aye’ on ABX3 11.
Both bills are a verbatim match, with the exception of one additional section in the Senate bill which proposed a constitutional amendment to freeze the legislators’ pay in the event of a projected budget deficit (Prop 1F). Interestingly, Miller was only opposed to the bill once it contained this section and potentially affected his own salary.
TaxedEnuf is right.
Perhaps the reporter for the Register is not doing their own digging for facts and is just depending on the propaganda provided by Miller’s Office? Or some other political entity?
Or is the Register now becoming, as so many newspapers have become, merely the media wing of their favorite political organization? Is the Register so disinterested in facts and news reporting that they are outsourcing their facts gathering to Jeff Miller’s office?
http://info.sen.ca.gov/pub/09-10/bill/sen/sb_0001-0050/sbx3_19_vote_20090219_0451AM_asm_floor.html
Try this one, SBX3 19. My understanding is that the bill calling for the special election is SBX3 19. Miller voted against it.
I’m not sure of the specifics of ABX3 11, but that was voted on on Feb. 15 — the final deal was voted on Feb. 19, as we can clearly see from news accounts. That bill was SBX3 19.
Did you read the bills Martin or are you relying on explanations from others? “My understanding” does not give us any confidence that you are giving us facts, it sounds like opinion and 2nd hand stories.
If you are a reporter, you are obligated to report FACTS not your opinion and not propaganda provided by politicians. Do you have any FACTS that you have developed by good old-fashioned investigation? If not, concede the argument to those who do.
Martin Wiskol, why were Chuck Devore’s comments removed along with those comments asking for his feedback?? If Chuck is going to comment publicly don’t we have a right to read his views without your censorship? Or did you get a special request to remove them? As voters and taxpayers we should have a right to know.