Omnitrans, Western San Bernardino County’s public transportation provider is facing the threat of a strike. As someone who depends on the service, I hope management and labor work together for an amicable solution. Yes, the drivers of Omnitrans deserve fair and competitive wages. Yes, the drivers of Omnitrans should have decent health care benefits. It may not be a free lunch for health care, but unfortunately out of pocket costs have hit many people in the nation.

How do we pay for it? We could increase fares, but that could depress ridership. But maybe we need to provide bus routes that people want. Ontario Sports Arena park and ride routes so people could attend events and not have to drive or face the traffic, Riverside – Ontario – Montclair full service express route, Montclair to San Bernardino express via the 210. Maybe an online guide of fun things you can do while utilizing the bus service kind of like the automobile club travel guides.

If we can increase ridership, we can increase revenue. More service for the passengers, and more rewards for the employees while still maintaining the required  fare box revenue to government subsidy.

Until we listen to Governor Schwartzenegger, California will not fare well electorally. We do not have to adapt 10 out of 10 policies the Democratic party adopts, but we need to fit in with the communities that comprise our state.

Will San Jose voters support candidates who are against gun control, will voters in Santa Barbara support candidates who are not environmentally friendly and will voters in Palm Springs support candidates who are hostile towards the civil rights of GLBT Californians.

Yes, our party has fundamental principles such as fiscal responsibility and being tough on crime. Those are two causes that can bring people across the state together.

I know sticking to our principles is what makes political parties stronger, but looking at maps of previous elections you can figure out why Arnold has a good argument. From Humboldt County to Monterey County the Republican Party needs some outreach.

We do not need to dish out assisted suicide, a 20 dollar a hour living wage, drivers licenses to illegals to attain support from these voters. However by being innovative on issues the Democratic party fares well on, with a Republican play book while taking wedge issues off the table we could focus on the issues that matter most to California.

Compromise is a dirty word to conservative activists in the Republican Party such as Tom McClintock and Lou Sheldon. If we want to remove people like Assemblyman Leno and Speaker Nunez out of leadership, we need moderate and liberal Republicans to represent marginal Republican districts. Politics is all about addition, if we get 41 assembly members and 21 state senators we control the legislature.

People who believe in an inclusive Republican Party MUST do their part by running for their party central committees, running for office in non competitive districts and registering new voters that share our view. This is the prescription for change.

    Its not fun being a closeted Republican politician these days since Senator Craig (R-ID) got arrested for public sex in an airport restroom and former Congressman Foley’s (R-FL) scandal of sending sexually explicit emails to underage congressional pages.

                Traditionally the political culture of the Republican Party does not mind the services of these individuals, but as soon as they announce their homosexuality they end up becoming persona non grate. Some closeted politicians may have an opposite sex partner also known as a beard so they would appear as “traditionally minded” and some have a same sex partner that they keep secret. However in these modern times we need to stop building facades and live honest lives.

Larry Flynt and Democratic Party activist Michael Rogers want to out politicians because they personally contradict what they stand for from their voting records. The politics of outing has been controversial since journalist Michelangelo Signorile outed magazine publisher Malcom Forbes after his death. However many closeted Republicans have to appease the fringe of their party’s base.  So these closeted Republicans especially the ones who live in conservative districts have to reject any form of equality to the gay and lesbian community.  Unfortunately in the age of the Internet, these politicians are caught between a rock and a hard place.

Even if you are not an elected official most Republicans would prefer that if you are gay and Republican you should be seen, but not heard. I have had comments said to me when I was the first out Republican nominee for the state legislature in the Inland Valley in 2002, “If you stayed in the closet you would have received more votes”. However compared to the nominees in 2004 and 2006 I did receive a higher voter percentage overall.

                Forcing gay Republicans to remain in the closet is the most foolish and self destructive idea that should become obsolete. Yes, the base will have conniptions if you are out of the closet. However people will respect you for being honest with yourself.

Secretary of State Bowen did something very irresponsible by decertifying electronic voting machines under a short notice for the upcoming February 2008 Primary Election. Yes, Bowen campaigned on skepticism of electronic voting machines because the base in the Democratic Party was afraid that the voting machine manufactures delivered the victory for President Bush in Ohio.

No voting method is indeed perfect. From paper ballots to electronic voting systems there will be a way that elections can be manipulated.

If we want to step towards the wave of the future, perhaps California needs to adapt open source standards in their voting technology. We should look towards the Australians in how they run their electronic voting machines.

UPDATE: Letter published in Tuesday August 7th edition of the Los Angeles Times.

Recently the company I work for got sued for not following the meal and rest period regulations of California. Due to a class action lawsuit I am entitled to $8.15 for each thousand dollars I earned from 2001 to January 2007. This does entitle me to a few hundred dollars when the settlement is approved by the courts.

Before my company got sued for $4.3 million, there was a note on the employee handbook that a lunch period was required if you worked over 5 and a half hours, but the old lunch period was in interpretation because management needed us to serve the customers where lunch was needed if you worked over six and a half hours. Before Michaels Stores was sued for meal and rest period violations there have been numerous times where I was not given a lunch period and I feel justified to file for the settlement payment from the lawsuit.

There have been times in the past where I told my supervisors that I am an educated employee where I know pertinent state regulations where I asked for my one hour pay for  not receiving my lunch break, but I never received that money, and now  I have the opportunity to receive that money.

I find it absurd that half of my co-workers are not taking advantage of this settlement. Particularly the ones who have worked from 2001-2005, where the meal policy regulations were never followed properly by Michaels Stores. How can some say “The company has treated me well and I do not feel like suing them”, the company abused state regulations and think about the numerous lunch periods that were not offered to us in the past.

Recently California State Assemblyman Charles Calderon (D-Industry) decided to increase taxes on sexually explicit night club acts, items sold by sex shops, hard core pornography and explicit acts in a public place. Since the Democratic Party has expended our pocketbooks to death, they have to come up with a new way of making money to fund their addiction to more government.

Its not about morality when the Assemblyman was inquired about his inspiration for making this bill, but it was about easing the impact of pornography on neighborhoods. It was surprising to hear that Republicans even those who are socially conservative would not want to support this bill. Maybe the Republicans realize that adult entertainment providers employ over 50,000 people in our state and they help drive our economy.

We are already being taxed enough in our state, and Republicans are rightfully aware that this piece of legislation is basically political opportunism  so the Democratic party could paint Republicans as supporters of pornography. Individuals should have the freedom to consume products for and by consenting adults. Republicans may be against tax increases, but Democrats should also stand for personal liberty too.

When I was taking my Politics and Economic Policy class at UC Riverside, I learned that taxation is absolutely designed to change behaviors like encouraging people to go to college so they make student loan interest tax deductible or interest from the mortgage from your home to encourage you to own a home.

Assemblyman Calderon has designed this piece of legislation to address the impact of adult entertainment on society and families, but how about a tax on the sending of money out of the United States to pay for the cost of illegal immigration where our schools and medical facilities are being over burdened would be a more prudent tax.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT
According to info provided by an LCR member, a Survey USA poll shows that President Bush has the support of 26% of California residents, but that they support gay marriage by 48% (and oppose it by 46% which presumes 6% are undecided at this point.) That means gay marriage is almost twice as popular as President Bush. Food for thought. Share that with your friends and family.

Decline to States and the Republican Party

Recently Thomas Del Beccaro wrote a column about our growing number of Decline to State voters. “What “Decline to States” Are Telling Us Loud and Clear. The California Republican Party Vice Chairman explores the issue in his essay with the thesis of  “voters register Decline to State when political parties Decline to lead.” this may be true to explain the decline to states in conservative areas. Our party does need to lean on law and order and fiscal responsibility, but we also do need the representation from areas that lean not as conservative as well if we want to attain the majorities in the state legislature.

If we want to win the votes in Long Beach, Pasadena, Glendale,  Redondo Beach, Ontario and the Silicon Valley communities. We need to follow through with the core beliefs that even honest liberal Republicans follow and allow free votes to these legislators on enviroment issues, pro-abortion and homosexual equality legislation to make marginal Republican districts winning Republican districts.

San Bernardino County does need a centrist Republican Club. The only dominant force in San Bernardino County is the West Valley Republican Assembly, the local chapter of the California Republican Assembly. Problem is you need to fit exactly in their box to fully be a part of their organization. What about the 60 percent or 70 percent conservatives or centrists that do lurk in our party? We do need a place at the table because right now it is an echo chamber in the county party.

Just because you may have one divergent policy position, that should not mean that you are not welcomed in the party. If one is pro-choice or pro-homosexual equality that should not boot you from being part of the party. I believe the California Congress of Republicans is more of an inclusive Republican organization than the California Republican League or the California Republican Assembly. I just do not want to be part of an organization who is unapologetically pro-abortion (CRL) nor I want to be a part of an organization that wants to marginalize gay and lesbian Californians (CRA).

We need to focus on the issues that unite us as Republicans such as: Immigration Reform, a sensible Iraq policy where we do not cut and run and environmental regulation that does not cripple our economy like Arnold’s global warming policies.