What do the governors of Nevada and California have in common? Both are the subject of recall efforts.
Californians pay little attention to the politics of the state next door. But for a Democrat, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak started out well. A businessman, Sisolak voted against tuition increases when he was on the Nevada Board of Regents. He was on the Clark County Commission and voted against increasing the county gas tax and property taxes. Sisolak won praise from the conservative Nevada Policy Research Institute for fighting against waste, fraud, and abuse. Sisolak successfully fought to cut the pay that Clark County Commissioners receive. He voted to refund $4.1 million to 1,600 Laughlin property owners who had been overcharged assessment fees. Sisolak supported the “More Cops” initiative, which added 720 new officers to the Las Vegas Police Department, which Republican Sheriff Joe Lombardo said helped reduce violent crime.
Sisolak unwisely decided to mess with Nevadans’ right to bear arms. In May a recall effort was started by a conservative group. Gov. Sisolak signed a gun control bill that bans bump stocks, enacts stricter gun storage provisions and a “red flag” provision enabling authorities to seize guns from those deemed a threat to themselves or others.
The recall group is also opposed to Nevada sanctuary state policy. The group has to collect 240,000 signatures to place the recall on the 2020 ballot.
Our smug governor is now the subject of recall for many justifiable reasons. He has violated his oath to preserve, protect and defend our Constitution. Newsom has:
• Proposed a new water tax for all Californians to pay;
• Suspended the death penalty after saying he favored the death penalty as a candidate;
• Shielded illegal aliens from deportation by federal ICE agents;
• Fought efforts to build a border wall with his buddy state AG Xavier Becerra;
• Signed onto legislation to have taxpayers fund free healthcare for people who are illegally here;
• Caused residents and businesses to other states because of business unfriendly policies and taxes;
• Announced he will attempt to remove Trump from the 2020 ballot, which is unconstitutional as all hell.
There is an anger simmering beneath the surface.
If you’ll remember, California removed Gov. Gray Davis in 2003. Driving the outcome of the recall was the perception that Davis had mismanaged the events leading up to the energy crisis. He was said to have signed deals agreeing to pay energy companies fixed yet inflated prices for years to come based on those paid during the crisis. Some argued that Davis’ campaign contributions from energy companies neutered him from confronting donors.
Davis also raised the vehicle license fee, tripling the vehicle license fee for the average car owner. Davis also presided over a record budget deficit of $35 billion.
Davis became governor in 1998 with 57.97 percent to Dan Lungren’s 38.38 percent; and re-elected in 2002 with less support (47.3 percent to Bill Simon’s 42.4 percent). But the honeymoon quickly evolved into a divorce: Davis’ approval rating fell to 24 percent. On Oct. 7, 2003, Davis was recalled with 55.4 percent of the voters favoring recall and installing Arnold Schwarzenegger.
But don’t count on today’s stoner state voters to be as diligent in recalling this corrupt and inept governor. (I’m not sure people care enough or are even paying attention to what this governor is doing.)
There are several recall efforts targeting Newsom, including state Assemblyman Travis Allen and La Jolla Dr. James Veltmeyer who has a Facebook page that states: “He seeks to make California taxpayers pay for the healthcare of criminal lawbreakers who entered our nation illegally at a starting cost of over $100 million. This policy will serve as a magnet to attract thousands more illegal immigrants to California which will lead to skyrocketing costs and additional burdens on physicians and hospitals.”
Veltmeyer also cites Newsom proposals for more than $2 billion in additional taxes, “[allowing] our major cities to be overrun by homelessness” and “encouraging Sanctuary State and city policies he says shield criminal illegal aliens from law enforcement and immigration authorities, including vicious and brutal MS-13 gang members.”
Last November Newsom defeated Cox by 61.9 percent to 38.1 percent. But a recent Quinnipiac University Poll taken July 10-15 found that 38 percent of California voters disapprove of Newsom’s job performance — up from 28 percent in February. The poll said that 39 percent approve of Newsom’s job with 24 percent are unsure or did not respond. A quarter are clueless!
Political consultant Andrew Russo, who is helping Voltmeyer, is shooting for 2 million petition signatures but only 1.5 million are needed. Because Cox won 4.7 million votes, that won’t be a hard thing to accomplish.
Serving in office is a privilege. Newsom has proven he doesn’t care what the average Californians thinks or feels and has foisted his Bay Area values on the rest of the state. I urge all Californians to sign a recall petition.
* * * * *
The ACLU sour milk press release of July 29 makes me ill to my stomach.
When national sovereignty couldn’t be more threatened by the daily breaching of the border by illegal immigrants, the ACLU is there to push the Democrats’ agenda of open borders.
As you know the Supreme Court ruled that military funds may be used to begin construction of the border wall. The order, while temporary and limited to specific wall projects where fencing already exists, threatens to permanently damage border communities and the environment, according to the ACLU.
Get this: the ACLU’s Dror Ladin, writes that the Sierra Club and Southern Border Communities Coalition (SBCC) members “face harm from the construction of a 30-foot wall on the lands they use and treasure.” I about choked on that. How many San Francisco elitists of the Sierra Club are out there frolicking in that vast lifeless parched wasteland along the border where gang members punt the heads of those who dare stumble into their drug network? Ladin holds that a border wall – which he calls “xenophobic” – is illegal. I wouldn’t doubt if he considers the border itself illegal.
The ACLU vows to fight. That’s what the Left does – fight when they continue to take a beating on their leftist ideology.
* * * * *
For God’s sake, men, slow down.
Some of the worst drivers are young men between the ages of 18 and 30, short on common sense and rich on testosterone!
Efren Gonzalez, a 20-year-old from Delhi, has a lifetime to ponder that he killed an elder last week. He was hauling you-know-what down Vincent Road at speeds of 70-100 mph early Thursday when he took out a 62-year-old Winton man who was driving safely as he tried to make a left onto Linwood Road.
Efren needs to be made an example of, just like Kevin Solis, 21, who was driving drunk when he took out a Turlock eighth-grader before Christmas.
* * * * *
You gotta love those “tolerant” Democrats. A pack of teens viciously beat up a New York City art store owner for wearing a “Make America Great Again” cap. Such tolerance and inclusiveness, especially toward a minority immigrant. Jahangir Turan said the group of about 15 kids yelled “F--- Trump” and stomped on him.
This is unlike the staged attack by Jessie Smollett who paid people to wear MAGA caps and beat him up to drum up fake news against white Trump supporters.
If this doesn’t make you ill, it should.
* * * * *
The California Teachers Association, which is about as far left as a union can get, issued a press release last week condemning “the inhumane detention and criminalization of immigrant children and their families at the U.S. border,” as if suddenly someone woke up at the CTA headquarters. But wait – the practice started with Obama and the photos of children in “cages” were shot during his administration.
Is the CTA aware that children of the arrested are separated from their parent?
CTA President E. Toby Boyd said, “Our immigration policies must be based on compassion....” There is nothing that says America has to let ANY immigrant in. In the days of Ellis Island, we had a high bar for people to meet in order to come into the U.S. From the 1920s to 1965 we were letting hardly anyone into our country!
There’s a difference between compassion and being a door mat.
* * * * *
I guess when you work at a big paper on the East Coast you abandon independent thought and continue the dogpile on the president. The Baltimore Sun editorial board answered Trump’s labeling of Baltimore as a rat-infested, crime-ridden hell hole. The truth hurts. But the Baltimore Sun didn’t like it and suggested the comment was racist, when he never once mentioned race; he mentioned conditions. The board said Trump sees attacking black Congress members as “good politics” that “warms the cockles of the white supremacists who love him” while causing those who are “thoughtful” to want to scream.
Come on. It doesn’t take a white supremacist to see Elisha Cummings is out for Trump’s blood – and to see that cities run by liberals are disastrous – Baltimore, Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City and Detroit. Yes, those communities have high percentages of blacks who don’t seem to realize that Democrats have not delivered them from their inner city morass of high drug and murder rate and lack of jobs and redevelopment efforts.
The folks at the Baltimore paper don’t realize that half the country voted for Trump because he is saying precisely what they are thinking – what no politically correct politician would dare say. And more often than not Trump is speaking the truth. That same half is tired of the borders being stormed by people with no affection for law keeping and no allegiance or appreciation for American tradition – only what financial benefit they can reap from being here. That half is even angrier that all Democrats running for president raised their hands at a June 27 debate when asked if they support free healthcare for illegal aliens. That half of the country – the ones Baltimore calls racists – know they will be the ones footing the bill in this hijacking of the America they knew.
* * * * *
We got lots of reaction to the story about a jealous boyfriend allegedly knifing a man who looked at his girlfriend as she entered a Ceres liquor store. (This goes back to what I say about young men in their 20s and 30s with serious maturity deficiency). It looks like Oscar Madrigales, 32, may be doing some serious time in jail for assault with a deadly weapon because he couldn’t handle another man looking at his woman. He pulled a knife on the victim and cut him.
One reader was thinking exactly what I was thinking when she posted: “Who cares if he’s looking at your girlfriend? Take it as a compliment.” One man commented: “That girlfriend better leave this jealous dude before she ends up in a body bag.” Another wrote: “If this simpleton is that controlling, who knows what’s happening to her.”
As always the Bible has this one covered. Ecclesiastes 7:9: “ Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit for anger resides in the lap of fools.”
Oh if we actually taught those truths to a disobedient and unbelieving generation, how many murders would be prevented?
* * * * *
Some heads in this new generation are being filled with so much unnecessary strife and disrespect. Two paramedics in Madeira Beach in Florida were denied service by a rogue employee because he/she thought they were cops. When it was explained they were paramedics the employees said service is still denied to anyone with a badge.
The idiotic McDonalds employee was fired. Good – definitely not worthy of a minimum wage job.
We see this stories routinely, where young people are “afraid” of police in restaurants. It all stems from the false narrative created by the national media. And it’s a real shame.
* * * * *
Beto O’Rourke is a lousy candidate and a potty mouth. He asked “What the f---?” when suggesting the media isn’t linking last week’s shootings to Trump.
News flash for Beto: Obama was president from Jan. 20, 2009 to Jan. 20, 2017 and there were 38 killed in 2009, 8 in 2010, 18 in 2011, 67 in 2012, 31 in 2013, 17 in 2014, 46 in 2015, and 71 in 2016. So by Beto’s standards, Obama was the cause of mass shootings resulting in the deaths of 296 people? With logic like his, no wonder Texas didn’t want him in the U.S. Senate.
This column is the opinion of Jeff Benziger, and does not necessarily represent the opinion of The Ceres Courier or Morris Newspaper Corp. of CA. How do you feel about this? Let Jeff know at jeffb@cerescourier.com
