Once again the Placer County Republican Central Committee finds itself at odds with some of our local elected officials. Lately the Placer County Republican Party has been maligned for supposedly being the party of “NO”. I find this to be an interesting line of attack, as it is one frequently used by Democrats when attacking Republicans for opposing their policies. Our disagreements are focused on different approaches to policy issues. It all boils down to two differing world views and visions for what it means to be a Republican and what it means to be a Republican serving in “non-partisan office”. Our Placer Republican party chair and my good friend Tom Hudson has been attacked repeatedly for defending and upholding core Republican principals. I take comfort in knowing that most members of the Republican Central Committee and Congressman McClintock agree that we must stand firm and uphold the basic principals that make us Republicans.

 The following are the basic Republican principals that the Placer County Republican Party works hard to promote in Placer County and throughout California:

 Taxes: We believe that the federal, state and local tax system is abusive to the Placer County residents and discourages investment and growth. We believe that local taxes and fees are too high and need to be reduced. We believe in growth-oriented tax policies which do not punish those who succeed as a result of their hard work and personal efforts.

Education: We believe in the rights of parents to a quality education for their children. We support parental choice to create competition among the schools. We must insure that no school or teachers union can compromise the education of our children or advance a particular political agenda at the expense of our future generation’s educations. We will oppose those in our county who do not support parental choice and fostering competition among the schools in Placer County.

Free Enterprise: We believe in the free enterprise system as the best hope for men and women to fulfill their economic hopes and dreams. We know that the free market is the most efficient and the least costly system to deliver the highest quality goods and services at the lowest price to the consumer. We will support only those who support the free enterprise system through legislation to reduce or eliminate intrusive government intervention in the marketplace.

Family: We believe that the traditional American family, defined as any persons related by blood, marriage of a man and a woman and/or adoption, is the cornerstone of our American society, and the government is duty bound to protect the integrity of the family unit through legislation and taxation policies.

Sanctity of Life: We believe that the preborn child is a human being deserving the full protection of the law.

Right to Bear Arms: We believe in the unqualified right of our citizens to keep and bear arms without the intrusive hand of government and we will work tirelessly to make sure this right is preserved for all Placer County citizens.

Victims’ Rights: We believe in the concept of victims’ rights over the rights of any criminal. We support a system of restitution as a deterrent to crime and recidivism. We will support judges and elected officials that support victim’s rights.

Term Limitation: We believe that public service is a privilege. We support term limits for public officials, not as an ideal but as a necessity to dissuade career politicians. It is the people who should rule, not an elite with little accountability.

 In the eyes of the voters of Placer County and beyond, what it means to be a Republican is under assault. Some of our elected officials both in partisan and non partisan office have not upheld the principals that have made the Republican Party great and attracted new Republicans to our cause. The principals that have made the Placer County Republican Party the most Republican County in California are instructive to voters and vital to the future success of the party throughout California

The leadership and members of the Placer County Republican Central Committee will work hard to make sure that the word “Republican” will be a political label that actually stands for something in Placer County and beyond.

That’s the bottom line – their editorial board decided to back up the rantings Peter Hill. I posted Hill’s self-centered rant that he blasted out to several people the other day. Hill and others are angry at the Placer County Republican Central Committee for involving itself in the affairs of local government. I have a news flash: IT’S OUR JOB – and what the voters who elected the Central Committee expect!

Read the Editorial Here – they suggest that Conservative values could have been promoted by supporting the renewal of the Rocklin Park Tax. I kid you not… and that we DESERVED to have Peter Hill leave the GOP because of it. They also imply that the Central Committee is the reason why Republican Registration has flatlined in Placer County.

Ironically, they point to the renewal of the Rocklin Park Tax as a reason to show how the Cent Com is out of touch. A low-turnout special election that was fully funded where an overwhelming minority of Rocklin’s Citizens voted 83% to renew the Park Tax. I voted against it – and I had decided to let the matter go. But, the Bee and Mr. Hill pointed to the Park Tax and Omitted the fact that Hill in the 1980′s, then a Democrat, voted to put the original tax in place. They also neglected to mention that the Park Tax failed in 2008 regular election because Hill and others jacked it from $30 a house to $45 and inserted indexing in to it – the Central Committee opposed that measure as well. But, Note that the first rendetion of the Park Tax was not supported unanimously by the Rocklin City Council.

Again – the Bee Aborts journalism in their zeal to stick it to Conservatives.

Start with this paragraph: “That isn’t the only sign that the Central Committe’s hard line isn’t resonating, even on Placer County’s GOP-friendly turf. Placer’s Republican registration has been basically flat the past three years. The Democrats are up modestly. But the nonpartisan category Peter Hill joined this week is up sharply, and now makes up nearly 20 percent of the county’s registered voters.”

The person who has been feeding the Sacramento Bee their data – (the FPPC stuff, the E-Mail from Tom Hudson, etc) must have also fed them their talking points.

According to what our volunteers have told us – people left the GOP over Bush, Arnold, McCain. Tax-raising Moderates, all.

According to data we discovered after the election – there was substantial election fraud committed. That could also artificially lower the Registration percentage… ACORN workers came across the border into Eastern Placer County / Truckee etc for a time in the last cycle. When we called the new registrants – we got dozens of “he doesn’t live here anymore” answers and still more, “Who is that?” answers. Curious, isn’t it? Since that doesn’t fit the paradigm of the Bee, the above facts are Omitted.

At a time when brutal choices loom everywhere to bring spending and revenue into balance, when the Democrat Party too often acts like a compliant subsidiary of public employee unions it’s desperately important that Republicans have something to offer besides “No.” By drawing the line at a park maintenance fee, it appears Placer’s Republican Central Committee hasn’t gotten that message. It’s an attitude that could be tragic for a region and state that badly need a responsible conservative opposition.

Actually, we have gotten that message. This is why Peter Hill took his ball and went home. The unfortunate legacy of the past is that the Central Committees looked the other way as local Republican officeholders raised taxes and fees. The aforementioned Park Tax – was originally supported by then Democrat Peter Hill!

When Local electeds raise taxes and fees consistently – there is nothing left to do other than oppose and attempt to recruit candidates to run against those raising taxes. Since, the Bee generally supports liberal tax-and-spend policies and bigger government… it is easier to put the Central Committee in to a box.

The Tea Party movement and results of November 2009′s elections show that Americans are demanding leadership. Obama fooled people into thinking he was the one who could lead, as McCain looked like Bush only 10 years older.

Now Obama’s supporters in the Bee are attempting to tell the Central Committee how to do business. Absurd.

Peter Hill, who was a go-to guy for quotes related to the now dismissed FPPC investigation against the Placer County Republican Central Committee has decided to take his ball and go home.

Ironically- Hill defends his tax-raising history and his participation in putting bonds on the ballot. Having just received my property tax bill (now that I am a resident of Rocklin), I can tell you that the taxes Mr. Hill has participated in putting on the ballot have added over 50% to my property taxes.

The Huburis of the Man actually writing that we are wrong for probing into the affairs of local Government and acting as if the situation is all about him was disturbing at best… but even better, an indication that Mr. Hill (who references his 27 years in office) should retire.

If any of you have any questions as to whether Central Committees matter – and why we should endorse in local elections… read Hill’s email.

Peter Hill’s E-Mail Follows:

After consideration of recent actions by the Placer County Republican Central Committee (PCRCC), I have decided to leave the Republican Party.

It is clear to me that even though I have served on the Rocklin City Council for 27 years and have won 8 elections, as a moderate whose first priority is the efficient and effective provision of services to Rocklin residents, I cannot pass the litmus test created by the central committee to judge Republicans.

My crime?  I have voted to place local bond measures on the ballot so our citizens can decide the issue.  But probably more evil, I then supported these bond measures.  I have to admit, I did.  I supported the Rocklin High School bond, was the Chair of the Middle School Bond Committee, was a member of the committee that passed the Whitney High School bond and helped pass the Rocklin Park Tax.  In every case these measures were passed by the voters of Rocklin.  I remain unrepentant.

The PCRCC and its members will not shed any tears that I am leaving.  The Chair, Tom Hudson, has made it clear he thinks the whole Rocklin City Council needs to be replaced.  Of course that would mean the loss of 81 years of city council experience, but who cares about that?

I do think the actions of the officers and members of the Placer County Republican Central Committee should be of concern to local elected officials in Placer County.

As you are aware, the PCRCC has been making endorsements in local non-partisan races and has provided campaign support for the candidates they endorse.  Unfortunately, the PCRCC has decided that unless you agree with their narrow view of the world you will not get an endorsement, even if you are an incumbent with years of experience.  They would rather endorse people with no experience and no chance of getting elected, than endorse someone who isn’t “ideologically pure.”

The last set of endorsements for County Supervisor and City Council races made by the PCRCC are enlightening.  Both the process and the results were laughable.  The candidates were interviewed by the committee, the committee voted on endorsements, the candidates left and then the committee decided to change the rules and re-vote without the candidates there.  Of course, the endorsements changed dramatically.  Many incumbents who have worked tirelessly for their communities and have years of experience did not get endorsed because they did not pass the committee’s litmus test for candidates.  The committee instead chose to endorse people, including a member of the committee who evidently voted for himself, with little or no experience or background in local government.  Most promptly lost.

I am convinced the PCRCC has no interest in the efficient and effective operation of local government in Placer County.  They are only interested in filling local offices with people who agree with their extremely narrow view of the world.

Another issue is the intrusion of the PCRCC into the affairs of local government.  As you may know, there was a recent special election in Rocklin to renew our Park Tax.  This tax has been in place for 20 years and was originally requested by petition of over 1,500 residents.  In late 2008, representatives of nine youth groups that provide recreation programs for young people in Rocklin requested that the City Council put the park tax on the ballot for renewal.  The City Council granted that request and a special election was scheduled for August 2009.

Even though the Rocklin City Council was responding to representatives of local organizations serving over 5,000 young people in our community, along with their parents, the Placer County Republican Central Committee on April 8, 2009, voted by unanimous consent to oppose the measure.  (Note carefully, the vote was by unanimous consent of the whole committee.)

The voters in Rocklin passed the Park Tax with 83% voting yes, soundly rejecting the PCRCC and the leaders of the committee who placed the opposition statement in the voter pamphlet: Tom Hudson, George Park, Ed Rowen and Mike Spence.  Only Ed Rowen lives in Rocklin and, curiously, Mike Spence lives in West Covina.

I am concerned that the PCRCC has decided to involve itself in our local governments without any understanding of the circumstances of the issues and without offering any opportunity for local government to provide information.  I also remain unimpressed with the qualifications of the members of the central committee to be judges of local government actions.

The last issue is the recent news that Tom Hudson and members of the PCRCC have engaged in what looks suspiciously like money laundering for people in Southern California.  While some committee members, to their credit, have raised concerns and have resigned from the Executive Committee, the perception remains that our local central committee is engaged in ethically challenged behavior.

The Placer County Republican Central Committee is on the wrong track.  I have no desire to travel any further on an out-of-control train.

Peter