Winter 2002 Newsletter
In This Issue:
Former LA Mayor Richard Riordan to Address Congress
State GOP Must Focus on the End Game
1st Annual Golf Tournament A Hit
Central Committee Candidates Endorsed
Jam
Packed Holiday Party
Congress
Sponsors High School GOP Clubs
Redistricting
Means New Faces For Placer County
Welcome New Golden Circle Members
Announcements
Former LA Mayor Richard Riordan To Address Congress
Richard
Riordan, two term Los Angeles Mayor and Candidate for Governor of
California in the March 5th Republican Primary Election, will address
Congress members and the public on January 28th at the Maidu Community
Center in Roseville.
Fiscal Conservative, Social Moderate
Riordan is a fiscal conservative and social moderate. He claims to
have balanced his city’s budget every year with no tax increase. He
has championed issues of particular concern to women and children, such
as education, child care and abortion rights.
His campaign also touts the substantial reductions in crime in LA and
his willingness to take on the teacher’s unions in the LA School
District as proof of his ability to tackle the tough issues.
Elected in 1993 (and again in 1997) as LA Mayor, Riordan rode a wave
of discontent among urban voters fed up with liberal Democrat control of
their city. Along with Rudy Giuliani in New York, Riordan was one of a
handful of newly elected “Republican Big City Mayors” that brought
reform, fiscal discipline and a get-tough-on-crime stance.
Congress Hosts All Three
With Mayor Riordan’s appearance, the Congress has now hosted all
three leading Republican candidates for Governor — something only a
select few Republican groups statewide can claim.
Reserve Your Tickets Today!
To confirm your attendance at this exciting event, please call (916)
786-6690, then pay $15 per person by cash, check or credit card at the
door. Refreshments will be served.
Members who prepay for their tickets save $5.00! Send a check for $10
per member payable to “Placer Congress,” P.O. Box 840, Newcastle, CA
95658-0840. Non-members can also pre-pay by sending a check for $15 per
person.
Direction To Event
Maidu Community Center is located at 1550 Maidu Drive in Roseville.
Take I-80, exit Douglas Blvd East, go 1.2 miles, turn right on Rocky
Ridge Drive, go 0.7 miles and turn left into Maidu Park.
State GOP Must Focus on the End Game
Commentary by Bill Whalen, a research fellow at the Hoover
Institution at Stanford University, who worked on Richard Riordan's
gubernatorial exploratory committee in 2001.
Reprinted from the Los Angeles Times dated January 18, 2002.
With only six weeks to go until the California primary, the race to
decide the Republican challenger to Gov. Gray Davis has kicked into high
gear.
Rudy Giuliani visited Southern California on Thursday to endorse Bill
Simon Jr. The three GOP candidates--Simon, California Secretary of State
Bill Jones and former L.A. Mayor Richard Riordan--meet Tuesday in San
Jose for the first of three debates.
The question facing these candidates is whether they will take the
high road to primary day. Will they take an honest, reflective look at
California's myriad problems, or will they test what little patience
Californians have left for political infighting and backbiting? Will
they appeal to the greater good of California or to a narrow-minded
constituency?
Riordan Is Giuliani of the West Coast
These are timely questions. Suppose there had not been an attack on
the World Trade Center and Giuliani had retired from office, only to
pull a "Hillary": moving to California and running for
governor.
Let's not forget that before the events of Sept. 11, Giuliani was a
lame duck with a 40% approval rating, a messy divorce and an uncertain
future. How would conservative activists receive Time's "Person of
the Year"?
They likely would attack him for being pro-choice. They probably
would lampoon his lifestyle, as the decidedly heterosexual Giuliani,
estranged from his wife, shared an apartment with a same-sex couple in
the final months of his administration.
They would vilify him for choosing the liberal icon Mario Cuomo over
Republican George Pataki in the ‘94 New York governor's race. And
Democrats would pile it on by questioning whether Giuliani, a prostate
cancer survivor, is fit for office.
We can speculate that this might occur because all of it already has,
at Riordan's expense. Los Angeles' former mayor is the West Coast
version of Giuliani: pro-choice, pro-gay rights, a supporter of
Democratic candidates and a prostate cancer survivor to boot. He's the
bull's-eye in this primary because he's the front-runner and because his
moderate stances offend others' sensibilities.
“True” Republican vs. Winning Republican
This is why California Republicans fail miserably in elections, and
what must comfort Davis even while his popularity sags.
The party out of power, with 1.7 million fewer registered voters, has
to reach beyond party lines to build winning coalitions. That means
adding moderates and independents to the conservative base.
Instead, the most vocal of party faithful obsess over
"purity" and what constitutes a "true" Republican.
Such debates are nonproductive. Riordan is not considered a true
Republican because he has donated money to Davis. Yet Republicans now
hail Giuliani even though he was pro-Cuomo.
Does this mean Giuliani gets a pass because he's a cultural icon?
None Ideologically Pure
Among Republicans, is there a statute of limitations on past
transgressions? It's murky.
Then again, so are the choices in this primary. Riordan has donated
to Democrats. So has Simon. Jones dumped George W. Bush for John McCain.
Two of the three candidates will be sacrificed in the primary, but none
is as pure as conservatives would like.
Is Riordan the best choice for Republicans? Maybe, maybe not. But if
California Republicans are serious about regaining power, they'd do well
to make that decision based on the man's record as mayor and what he
aims to do in Sacramento.
Fortunately for the three candidates, six weeks leaves plenty of time
to break old habits. Why not a primary in which they talk about spending
priorities, getting California back on the right track and how the next
governor can heal a state that's socially divided?
It sounds like the near-impossible--like a job for ... Giuliani.
___________________________
Editor: Who ever you decide is the best candidate for you—get
involved in their campaign. Contact the candidate of your choice at the
phone number listed below.
1st Annual Golf Tournament A Hit
Over
100 golfers and 40 dinner-only guests came out on October 9, 2001, to
participate in our 1st Annual Golf Tournament Charity Fundraiser in
support of Domestic Violence Prevention Month.
The event raised thousands of dollars for both the Congress and our
charity partner, PEACE For Families.
In addition to playing at the beautiful Twelve Bridges Golf Club,
participants were treated to a cocktail social and dinner program
following the Tournament.
Mark Williams, host of “Talk Back Live” on KFBK Radio, headlined
the evening with insightful comments and various personal accounts of
his life as a conservative radio talk show host.
Thanks goes to our generous sponsors, including Gold Sponsor Del Webb
and Silver Sponsors The Auburn Sentinel, Richard Communities and Howard
Construction, Fencing and Fabrication. IN all, more than 30 businesses
and Republican elected officials helped sponsor the Tournament.
2nd Annual Tournament Approved
In December, after reviewing the tremendous success of the Tournament’s
first year, the Board of Directors voted to go forward with the 2nd
Annual Golf Tournament.
Director Jon Green has already agreed to serve again as Tournament
Chairman and the Tournament Committee is presently being formed.
If you would like to help this year with the golf tournament, please
contact Jon Green at (916) 663-GOLF or by email at jgreengolf@aol.com.
Central Committee Candidates Endorsed
Best In A Decade
Calling it the most mainstream, hard working group of candidates in
over a decade, members of the Republican Congress of Placer County have
endorsed 21 Republicans running for seats on the Placer County
Republican Central Committee in the March 5, 2002 election.
The all-volunteer Committee, elected by supervisor district, is the
official arm of the Republican Party in the county and those elected
serve two-year terms.
Common Vision
“The endorsed candidates all share a common vision of a Republican
Party that is broad-based and inclusive, a Party which unites all
Republicans around our core values of restrained government, local
control and personal responsibility,” said Tom Jones, Congress First
Vice President. Established Republican Leaders
Congress members voted to endorse for Central Committee many long
established Republican volunteers, including:
* Presidents of the three largest Republican clubs in the
County
* Six Central Committee incumbents running for re-election
* One current city mayor Four former mayors
* Three city councilwomen
* In all, 11 women and 10 men
"These folks are the bedrock of the Republican Party in Placer
County and it is our pleasure to support their candidacy for Central
Committee," Jones stated.
Click here to meet the endorsed
candidates.
Jam Packed Holiday Party
Best Event Of The Year
Members say that the best Congress event of the year is our Annual
Holiday Party and this year the event lived up to its reputation.
Over 60 Congress members and invited guests were on hand December
11th to celebrate the holidays and a successful year for the club.
Jodie Hale and Sandy Harris enjoying some libations
Hospitality Chairman Murriel Oles did her usual fantastic job with
food, serving a roasted tri-tip dinner—not an easy feat for so many
people! Murriel’s husband, Bob, also helped by playing bartender to a
very thirsty crowd.
The event proved once again that Congress members are as interested
in the social aspects of the club as they are in the political
dimension.
Santa Jones
First Vice President Tom Jones played Santa for the gift exchange and
delighted everyone with wit and humor. Gifts were exchanged and “stolen”
until everyone had the best gift they could manage. Paul Schatz gets a
stuffed GOP elephant during gift exchange game.
If you couldn’t make this year’s party, mark your calendar now
for December 12, 2002!
Congress Sponsors High School GOP Clubs
First Vice
President Tom Jones leads the Congress’ voter outreach programs and
has done a terrific job of involving youth in various Republican Party
campaigns and programs.
One such program is the high school voter registration program. Over
the years, Tom has been the GOP coordinator for County Clerk Jim
McCauley’s successful effort to register soon-to-be 18 year old high
school students.
Youth Involvement Critical
Calling youth involvement critical to our Party’s success, Tom
coordinates volunteer Republican speakers to go out to the high schools
and address the students in their government classes.
The speakers explain what the Republican Party stands for and why
they should register as Republicans. The other Parties speak too and
then the students decide which party is best for them. Students Register
Republican
The result has been the registration of hundreds of young adults in
the Republican Party—far more than the Democrats or other parties
combined.
Placer, Rocklin High Established
Tom has now taken the next step by having the Congress sponsor
Republican clubs at various County high schools.
So far, we have established and funded the start up of GOP clubs at
Placer High School and Rocklin High School. Next up are Roseville High
School and Del Oro High School where Tom already has faculty advisors
ready to go.
If you are interested in helping with this key initiative, please
contact Tom at (530) 885-0366 or by email at mrtomjones@jps.net.
Redistricting Means New Faces For Placer County
The once a decade redistricting process is complete and Placer County
has undergone some changes in our political representation.
While Republicans are still assured of dominating in Placer County, a
few new GOP leaders will be covering parts of our county.
Three State Assemblymen
Placer County is now divided between three State Assembly districts.
Previously, the entire county was in Assembly District 4, represented by
Assemblyman Tim Leslie.
After redistricting, Leslie lost about 10% of county residents to
Assembly District 3. District 3 now includes residents of Meadow Vista,
Truckee and surrounding areas in Placer County along with residents of
Nevada County and areas north to the Oregon border.
Another 10% of county residents, those in Granite Bay, have shifted
to Assembly District 5. This district also includes Folsom,
Arden-Arcade, Citrus Heights and various Sacramento County suburbs.
All three State Assembly districts are Republican strongholds and two
already have GOP incumbents: Assemblyman Leslie is running unopposed in
the GOP primary for District 4 and Assemblyman Dave Cox is running
unopposed in his District 5 GOP primary.
The one contested race is Assembly District 3 where Chico City
Councilman Rick Keene is competing with Butte College Professor and
businessman Dan Ostrander for the Republican nomination. The current
Assemblyman, Sam Aanestad, is term limited from running again.
In all three districts, the GOP nominee after the March 5th primary
is virtually assured of beating the Democrat in November due to
overwhelming Republican registration.
New State Senator
The State Senate districts also shifted with redistricting.
Previously, all of Placer County was in State Senate District 1,
represented by Rico Oller.
Now, one-third of the county—Lincoln, Rocklin and Loomis—is in
Senate District 4. This district is being vacated by State Senator
Maurice Johannessen, who is term limited from running again in 2002.
This leaves voters to choose a new representative for Senate District
4. In the GOP primary, two Republican candidates are running:
Assemblyman Sam Aanestad (R-Nevada City) and Assemblyman Dick Dickerson
(R-Redding.)
Like the State Assembly districts, the person to win the Republican
primary on March 5th (Aanestad or Dickerson) is virtually assured to
beat the Democrat in November due to our greater GOP registration.
Change in Congress?
While Placer County got divided into several state legislative
districts, we did manage to stay within one single Congressional
District.
The county sits in Congressional District 4, which has been
represented by John Doolittle. That may change come March 5th, however,
as this year Congressman Doolittle has a Republican opponent in the
Primary Election.
Dr. Bill Kirby, a urologist from Auburn, is challenging the
Congressman (the first such primary challenge since Doolittle went to
Congress.) Stay tuned . . .
For a complete list of local legislative districts and Republican
candidates, visit Election 2002.
Welcome New Golden Circle Members
The Congress is grateful for the leadership of the following
individuals who joined the Golden Circle during the 3rd quarter 2001:
Herb & Ursula Johnson
Juanita Grimshaw-Quiett
Dan & Elisa Robinson
Alan Spilker
By joining the Golden Circle, you are invited to twice yearly private
receptions with key political leaders. Members also receive a gold name
badge and their name prominently listed on our web site, letterhead and
newsletter.
Join Today!
Take your place among the mainstream Republican leaders in Placer
County, join the Golden Circle today! The cost is $250 (individuals) or
$300 (couples) per year and includes Congress membership. Existing
Congress members can upgrade to Golden Circle for $220 (individuals) or
$250 (couples.)
For more information or to join, please call Sandy Hoffman at (530)
878-9089 or simply mail your check, payable to “Republican Congress of
Placer County,” to P.O. Box 840, Newcastle, CA 95658.
Announcements
Freeman Appointed Statewide VP
Congratulations to Glenda Freeman, our chapter’s Charter President
and Co-Founder for her recent appointment as District 3 Vice President
of the statewide California Congress of Republicans.
Glenda will oversee various Northern counties.
Board Seat Vacant
There is currently a vacancy on the Board of Directors. If you are
interested in serving on the Board and have been a member for at least
one year, please contact Paul Hrabal at (916) 660-1919 or by email at paul@paulhrabal.com.
Statewide Convention Coming
The next California Congress of Republicans (CCR) Convention will be
April 5-7, in Sacramento.
As the largest Chapter of the CCR, we have an authorized delegation
of at least 12 members. Our delegation must be nominated by the Board of
Directors and elected by the membership.
This is your opportunity to become a voting delegate, enjoy a weekend
with like minded Republicans and better understand how our chapter
interacts with the statewide organization. Delegates Needed
If you are interested in becoming a delegate, please notify Secretary
Glenda Freeman at 916-663-1611 or by email at glenda@mindsync.com.
We need to act quickly—contact Glenda today!
The River City Republicans of Sacramento are the official hosts. They
are busy pursuing Vice President Dick Cheney as the Keynote Speaker.
They are planning a Saturday luncheon honoring local Republican women
elected officials.
Don't Miss Congress News and Events
To receive our newsletter by mail and invitations to Congress events,
please become a member.
Past Newsletters
Winter 2001
Spring 2001
Summer 2001
Fall 2001
