Senator George Runner
Serving the 17th District which incorporates portions of the Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Ventura and Kern counties.

Senate Republicans are calling for legislative action to make sure California is eligible to compete for $4.35 billion in “Race to the Top” dollars available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The Recovery Act is the single largest pool of discretionary funding for education reform in U.S. history. On July 24, 2009, President Obama and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan outlined federal eligibility and competitiveness requirements for states competing for this funding.

Without a change in state law, however, California will be disqualified before the “Race to the Top” even starts. Under current law, California does not have the legal ability to link student achievement data to teachers and principals as the Race to the Top requires.

In 2006, teachers unions successfully lobbied CONTINUED »

On September 23, 2009 the Fillmore Gazette reported that at the September 22, 2009 City Council meeting Interim City Manager Larry Pennell could not answer Councilman Conaway’s question about why the agreed procedure for finding a new auditing company for the city was not followed. It might be more accurate to state that Pennell would not answer Councilman Conaway’s question and it was not the first time that Conaway had raised questions to Pennell about the selection process for a new auditor and been ignored. Why would the City Council majority allow the City Manager to treat an elected city council person with such disrespect? Pennell had requested City Council support for requesting proposals for auditing services at the August 25, 2009 City Council meeting. At that meeting Conaway asked Pennell if he had selected a firm or would the City’s existing firm be allowed to submit a proposal for the auditing services. Pennell answered in the affirmative and stated regional and local firms would be invited to compete for the services. However, as reported in the Fillmore Gazette, Pennell brought-in a new firm without giving any other firms a chance to bid the job. This is just one example of Pennell telling the City Council one thing and then doing what ever he wants to do to suit his and Mayor Walker’s agenda. One of Pennell and Mayor Walker’s disingenuous arguments for not allowing other auditing firms to compete for the services was that they needed to hire a firm right away in order to meet certain State reporting deadlines with Walker opining that the penalties issued by the state are excessive when the reports are late. Question is, if this firm was able to prepare a complete proposal in the short period of time, why would other firms not be able to do the same? Answer is, Pennell and Walker did not want any other firm to propose and did not give them the opportunity to do so.

There will be no savings for the city with this new audit agreement. In fact, while $34,000 was budgeted for the audit, under the new auditing firm the cost to the city will be almost $41,000. $7,000 could have been saved by keeping the previous firm which had done a commendable job for many years. When Washburn asked, “Is there any CONTINUED »

Senator George Runner
Serving the 17th District which incorporates portions of the Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Ventura and Kern counties.

SACRAMENTO, CA. – Sen. George Runner (R-Antelope Valley), a member of the Senate Committee on Taxation and Revenue, released the following statements in response to a proposal released today by the Commission on the 21st Century Economy:

“The most dreadful recommendation is the idea of creating another hidden tax. At a time when California’s business climate is the third worst in the nation and when its unemployment rate is breaking Depression-era records, the notion of a hidden tax will go over like a lead balloon with taxpayers and many economists.

“I cannot support any idea that will make California less competitive in business, kill jobs and evaporate the entrepreneurial spirit that Californian is known for the world-over. It’s obvious that further taxation will do all of these things, and in the process send California’s business climate to rock bottom and push our joblessness rate through the roof.

“Without doubt the proposal contains a handful of valid ideas – and perhaps the Legislature should cull some of these recommendations – but ultimately this commission and its report will get tossed into a pile that contains long-forgotten ‘great ideas’ of the past, and Californians will be no better off for the long-winded, drawn out efforts.

“Perhaps instead, Legislative leaders and the governor should get serious about supporting business and creating jobs – not unlike Michigan, which is giving incentives to green industry manufacturing instead of creating taxes — that will trickle down to the families hit hardest by these financial tough times.”

Senator George Runner
Serving the 17th District which incorporates portions of the Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Ventura and Kern counties.

According to a recent poll by the Public Policy Institute of California, almost half of Californians are worried that they, or someone in their family, will lose their job in the next year. With California’s unemployment over 12 percent (12.6% in Los Angeles County; 13.9 % in San Bernardino County; and 11.2% in Ventura County) and given the fact that most of California’s job losses – 760,200 of the 952,800 attributed to the current economic recession – occurred only in the last year, those concerns are well founded.

All told, more than two million Californians are unemployed, with thousands more joining their ranks every month. In July, eight industry sectors lost jobs, including 15,900 in the trade, transportation, and utilities fields, 10,700 construction jobs, and 3,300 manufacturing jobs.

The only sector to enjoy job gains over the year was educational and health with 17,900, but 3,300 jobs were lost there in July. Between July 2008 and July 2009 the trade, transportation and utilities sector lost a staggering 196,600 jobs. More than 144,000 construction jobs, 132,000 CONTINUED »

August was the worst month of Barack Obama's presidency. And he seems to know it—he is now planning to deliver a speech to a joint session of Congress 232 days into his administration in a desperate attempt to...

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VALLEY FALLS -- The young man was given three choices: get turned over to the police, go one-on-one in a fight with a seasoned war veteran, or be duct-taped to a flagpole for six hours with a sign around his neck identifying his alleged...

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On March 27th, President Barack Obama followed through on one of his core campaign promises and announced a New Strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan that included sending an additional 21,000 troops to the region. Speaking from the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, Obama explained: “Multiple intelligence estimates have warned...

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The public is invited to a farewell barbecue that will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 29th for exiting city manager Larry Pennell. The BBQ starts at noon at Fillmore City Hall. The event is free to attend, the meal costs $7 per person.

FILLMORE CITY COUNCIL AND FILLMORE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF EDUCATION JOINT MEETING
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2009
6:30 P.M.

FILLMORE HIGH SCHOOL – CAFETERIA
555 CENTRAL AVENUE, FILLMORE, CALIFORNIA 93015-1907

(A Social and BBQ dinner will be server to the Board and Council Members and their invited guests at 6:30 p.m. with a meeting to follow at approximately 7:15 p.m.)

AGENDA
1. CALL TO ORDER & PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Oral
2. ROLL CALL Oral
3. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS Oral
Oral Communications is the time for citizen presentations or comments on items not on the agenda, but within the responsibility of the City Council and School Board. Please complete an Audience Participation Form prior to the beginning of oral communications and hand it to the clerk if you wish to speak. Please stay within the time limit indicated by the Mayor. If you wish to speak on an item on this agenda, please fill out an Audience Participation Form and hand it to the clerk prior to that item.
4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND TIME ALLOCATIONS FOR DISCUSSION ITEMS CONTINUED »

As reported in the Gazette, the “Newspaper of Record for the City of Fillmore” in the September 17th printed edition on page 12, and also on-line, Voice of El Dorado Mobile Homeowner’s Association held a special meeting on Sunday, September 13th to discuss issues pertaining to the park owner’s “Fair Rent and Homeownership Initiative” known to all as Measure F. The measure, which if passed, will be financially devastating to many seniors in El Dorado, is scheduled to be voted up or down by Fillmore’s registered voters on Election Day, November 3rd. Invitations were extended to both Councilwoman, Gayle Washburn and Mayor, Patti Walker. Walker was unable to attend, however Washburn was present for the entire meeting. Martin Farrell, Editor of the Gazette, and Chris Egedi, Editor of the Sespe Sun were also invited to cover the meeting and take photos.

This special meeting was held in an attempt to further explain the ramifications of the park’s proposed subdivision (condominium conversion), selling off space lots for undisclosed, historically inflated prices, and without the benefit of the numerous improvements required by the City of Fillmore, in addition to the devaluation of homes to little or nothing. Also discussed at the meeting, was a mailer sent to the voters of Fillmore, by the park’s owner. It stated that it was, “Paid for by Residents for Fair Rent and Home Ownership Measure F Sponsored (sic) by El Dorado Estates (sic) a Limited California Partnership FPPC # Pending”, misleading the public at large to believe that El Dorado residents approve of the CONTINUED »

To: Cabela's California Customers
From: Cabela's Communications
Subject: California Assembly Bill 962
Date: Sept. 22, 2009

We are writing to inform you of pending legislation that will restrict purchases of handgun ammunition in California and will terminate our ability to service your needs for certain products.

On Friday, Sept. 11, the California Assembly passed Assembly Bill 962, by a 44-31 vote.

Among other regulations, AB 962 would:

• Ban all mail-order and Internet sales of handgun ammunition.
• Prohibit the retail sale, the offer for sale or the display of handgun ammunition in a
manner that allows ammunition to be accessible to a purchaser without assistance of a
vendor or employee.
• Require that the delivery or transfer of ownership of handgun ammunition occur in a
face-to-face transaction, with the deliverer or transferor being provided bona fide
evidence of identity of the purchaser or other transferee.

That evidence of identity, which must be legibly recorded at the time of delivery, includes:

• The right thumbprint of the purchaser or transferee.
• The date of the sale or other transaction.
• The purchaser's or transferee's driver's license or other identification number and the
state in which it was issued.
• The brand, type and amount of ammunition sold or otherwise transferred.
• The purchaser's or transferee's signature.
• The name of the salesperson who processed the sale or other transaction.
• The purchaser's or transferee's full residential address and telephone number.
• The purchaser's or transferee's date of birth.

The bill is on the desk of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, where it awaits his consideration. He will have until Oct. 11 to sign or veto the bill. If he does not veto the bill, it will become law.

If you wish to comment on AB 962, you may contact Gov. Schwarzenegger by phone at (916) 445-2841, or via fax at (916) 558-3160. To e-mail Gov. Schwarzenegger, visit
http://gov.ca.gov/interact

We encourage all Cabela's customers who participate in the shooting sports to contact Gov. Schwarzenegger to voice their opposition to this initiative, which will limit your opportunities to shop with Cabela's, and will restrict the sale of handgun ammunition everywhere in California.

Senator George Runner
Serving the 17th District which incorporates portions of the Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Ventura and Kern counties.

At a time when the United States should be strengthening its borders and supporting immigration laws that are fair to all immigrants, one of my colleagues in the California Senate introduced a resolution that urges Congress and the President to relax immigration laws.

I believe we should enforce the current laws of immigration and they should apply to everyone waiting to become American citizens — it’s the only fair way to go about the process.

The same senator also introduced a resolution that essentially limits free speech by asking that the government to limit language that might be construed as “hate speech.”

This opens the door to unnecessary lawsuits, as almost any differing opinion stands the chance of being interpreted as hate speech.

This measure would chill free expression of ideas in our state, particularly the voices of talk radio hosts, bloggers and other newsmakers. I vigorously opposed CONTINUED »

Last month we reported that news outlets in Poland were saying that the Obama administration had made the decision to abandon our anti-missile shield in Poland and the Czech Republic. Today Czech Premier Jan Fischer confirmed those reports telling reporters that President Obama phoned...

http://blog.heritage.org/2009/09/17/morning-bell-surrender-and-betrayal-...

Staff Meeting at City Hall.
Enlarge Photo

One of these folks is not like the others. One of these folks just doesn't belong. (A theme from Sesame Street).

This Monday the Senate voted 83 to 7 to strip funding for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) from this year’s housing and transportation appropriation bill. The move came after upstart website BigGovernment.com posted videos showing ACORN employees...

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