Dumbasses… They’re spending lots of money when the governor’s proposed the very same thing already.
Let’s see who’s behind this anti-union propaganda, shall we?
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Pension Reform President Dan Pellissier said the group is now trying to raise the millions needed to gather signatures and eventually mount a campaign against well-funded public employee unions.
“Some recipients of BP tickets are playing key roles in crafting the climate law’s landmark environmental policies… It also gave Kings tickets to Dan Pellissier, then the deputy secretary for energy policy at the state environmental protection agency; Pellissier is now a deputy cabinet secretary advising Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on energy and environmental policy.”
“John D. Arnold, a former Enron Corp. trader in Texas who became a billionaire by buying and selling natural gas, is bankrolling a group supporting changes to limit California’s pension-fund obligations.
Arnold, who formed hedge fund Centaurus Advisors LLC in Houston after leaving Enron, started a foundation that Meredith Simonton, a spokeswoman, said has given $150,000 to the California group.
The organization set up by Arnold and his wife, Laura, a lawyer, plans to be involved in pension-overhaul efforts around the U.S., Simonton said by telephone from Houston. State and local governments confront “massive financial distress” from the gap between assets and promised benefits, she said.
Their foundation, like the one run by Fritz, is restricted from political activities as a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization under U.S. law.
“I can’t say, ‘Go for this’” proposal because of that tax status, Fritz said Aug. 8. In promoting a bipartisan legislative approach, she said, “I’m looking to avoid the fights we’ve seen in Wisconsin and New Jersey.”
Her organization and the one backing the ballot measure are opposed by a union group called Californians for Retirement Security. Steve Maviglio, a spokesman, has sought to compel Fritz to disclose her foundation’s financial backers.
“Clearly, transparency is an issue,” Maviglio said by telephone last week. “Voters deserve to know who’s paying for their propaganda.”
[Hmmm…I’m seeing an “energy industry” relationship here. How about you, paramount? Still think it’s about “pension reform,” or have your eyes been opened to the true nature of the attacks on unions (privatization of public assets and revenue streams). Follow the money… KNOW **WHO** IS BEHIND THE ATTACKS ON UNION WORKERS AND KNOW **WHY** THEY ARE DOING IT. -CAR]
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Pellissier said the plan has united several leading pension reform advocates, including former California Republican Party Chairman Duf Sundheim and former GOP Assemblyman Roger Niello.
So far the group has spent about $250,000 on polling and legal help to write the proposals. The largest chunk of that money came from billionaire John D. Arnold, a former Enron Corp. trader who became wealthy buying and selling natural gas for the now-defunct energy firm.
“Duf Sundheim has been active in Republican Party politics for over 30 years beginning with his service as a page in the Illinois State Legislature at age 18 and working in the trenches as a campaign advance staffer for the Illinois Republican U.S. Senate candidate in 1974. Duf also had a record setting term as Chairman of the Lincoln Club of Northern California.”
“Mr. Sundheim was Chairman (2003-06) of the California Republican Party during one of the most critical times in its history. Shortly after Mr. Sundheim was elected in 2003, California had its first recall of a sitting Governor and elected Arnold Schwarzenegger Governor. Mr. Sundheim’s election itself was historic, as it marked the first time in 38 years the seating Vice Chairman had not been elected Chair. In February of 2005, Mr. Sundheim became the first Chairman in the history of the CRP to be re-elected to a consecutive term. In three years, with the active support of Governor Schwarzenegger, the CRP has raised over $100 million dollars, an unprecedented figure.”
“The head of an upstart group that aims to recruit California Republicans to run for statewide offices earned $900,000 in salary and benefits in the 2007-2008 election cycle, angering some Republicans who wondered Monday if the cash is being well-spent.
Duf Sundheim, former California Republican Party chairman, collected the money while launching California Republicans Aligned for Tomorrow, according to reports that the 527 political group has filed with the Internal Revenue Service.
The group was officially made public in 2008, though Sundheim said he started working on the GOP candidate development and recruitment efforts in 2007.
It was backed with $100,000 pledges from more than a dozen major supporters of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, including businessmen Lawrence Dodge and Paul Folino. Over the two-year period, the group raised $1.4 million and paid much of it to Sundheim.
Details of Sundheim’s pay package, including salary, medical and automobile expenses that topped $43,000 a month, were first discussed on Republican blogs over the weekend.
[Holy cow! THIS is the guy criticizing public employees’ compensation????? Gee, I wonder which “bought politicians” these guys are trying to get elected. I’ll go out on a limb and guess that they have nothing to do with “taxpayer advocacy.” -CAR]
[Uh-oh. Looky here at what Mr. Lawrence Dodge has been up to. -CAR]
“A federal agency has concluded former bank president and co-CEO Lawrence Dodge violated the law, breached his fiduciary duties, engaged in unsound business practices and filed false and misleading reports, including claims of proceeds from a $2 million loan to the California Republican Party that did not exist.
At different times, American Sterling claimed to OTS the bank was “well-funded” or “adequately funded.” This was based on Dodge telling his board of directors that the bank received contributions from loan proceeds from $2 million his parent company gave to the California Republican Party and $400,000 to Millennium Gate Receivable, a real-estate investment.
[Why is a MO banker interested in California’s pensions? There’s a lot more to this story, but don’t want to make a long post even longer. Do your research. -CAR]
[More stuff about Lawrence Dodge. Apparently, he thinks public employees make too much, but is “donating” millions (and then not paying for it, though claiming credit for it) in order to get buildings named after himself. -CAR]
“In addition, Assemblyman Niello’s legislation to authorize the state to participate in Public Private Partnerships for infrastructure projects provided a template for the language in the most recent budget agreement.
Additionally, Assemblyman Niello has introduced legislation to bring about innovative reforms to our method of contracting public infrastructure…”
[Anytime I hear about “Public-Private Partnerships,” I think “fraud and corruption.” But, that’s just me… -CAR]
[A]fter all, there’s nothing stopping the California Republican Party or the New Majority Political Action Committee, of which Dodge and Folino are board members, from building a farm team of prospective statewide candidates.
But a 527 is a federal entity and not subject to California campaign contribution or spending restrictions, although it must disclose its donors and expenses. (Click here to look up CRAFT’s filings on the IRS web site.)
Dodge, Folino and the New Majority PAC are among those who donated $100,000 each, along with William Lyon of Lyon Homes, the San Diego Chargers and Baron Real Estate CEO William Bloomfield Jr.
As CRAFT’s CEO, Sundheim earned $20,833 in each of the first three months of 2008 plus expenses, according to the filing.”
“We’re taking it one step at a time,” Pellissier said, noting that former U.S. Secretary of State George Schultz has agreed to raise money for the effort.
So, we have finance, energy, and real estate being pretty heavily represented here. Any of those helped you (or any other taxpayers) out lately, paramount?
