CAGOP Chairwoman Jessica Patterson: Foreit Your Salary

Dear CAGOP Chairwoman Patterson:

CAGOP Treasurer Greg Gandrud provided me the latest numbers on the current CAGOP finances.

$574,206.97 Fed

$991,520.33 Non Fed

$1,565,727.30 TOTAL

I understand according to other sources that this final tally does not indicate the money that came from the NRCC or from the CAGOP State Senate or State Assembly funds, so in all likelihood, the state party itself has raised a fraction of the total numbers that Mr. Gandrud provided for me.

Madam Chair, these numbers are embarrassing and very frustrating. I do not know how any political party plans on making a difference or a dent in this state with a cash flow that is so low, one can hardly pay attention--or pay one's staffers, consultants, etc.

Asm. Kevin Kiley has released his latest fundraising haul. He has broken fundraising records and has not relied on any third-house money, according to his latest announcement:

Today I'm releasing my fundraising report. It's the first in modern times with no Special Interest money and shatters the record for small-dollar donations. The way to fix California is citizen-backed representation.

— Kevin Kiley (@KevinKileyCA) July 1, 2021

I further recall, Chairwoman Patterson, that you are currently drawing a salary of $200,000+. So, one can safely say that you are drawing 13% of the state party's current budget, and you are drawing those funds from the budget.

This is a monstrous misuse of funds, and made all the worse by the fact that there has been no leadership on your part to increase registration around the state or to provide support for local central committees. Your leadership was noticeably absent while grassroots volunteers around the state took initiative to initiate a recall against one of the most, if not the most corrupt governor in the United States. Only after the signatures were tallied and turned in did the CAGOP leadership parachute in with emails to support the recall and ask for money. This is so disappointing.

And of course, add to these injuries the fact that CAGOP leaders such as yourself were trying to force an endorsement vote for failed former San Diego Governor Kevin Faulconer, and I would have to say that my disappointment turns into outright disgust.

Chairwoman Patterson, I am calling on you now to forfeit your salary. You should not be drawing any salary, especially an amount which amounts to 14% of the state party's meager budget at this time. The delegates in the state California GOP deserve better leadership, and the few donors which remain deserve a better return on their money.

Sincerely,

Arthur Schaper

Delegate, California Republican Party

The Real Travis Allen That You Haven't Seen -- UNTIL NOW!

OUCH!

Just when you thought that REAL Travis Allen is the man that the CAGOP needs, just wait until you see how his financials really measure up.

This is one long eblast, but it outlines at length why Travis is NOT the man we need for Chairman!

Too much debt, money not spent where it should have been spent.

WHAT?!

Dear CRP Delegate, There’s been a lot of negative campaigning going on (via “spoofed” emails and not to mention a certain blogger) attacking one of the candidates for CRP chair. A “Sherman’s March to the Sea” operation. A scorched earth tactic so to speak.   And while the source of the negative e-mail campaign has not been revealed, the Allen campaign certainly has not refuted, nor condemned it. The blogger is being paid for his work and is well known.   So, in the interest of “leveling the playing field”, a sharing of some of Travis’ “baggage” and “dirty laundry” is contained herein. You may draw your own conclusions and opinions after reading. It is all based on publicly available records.   A Brief summary as of February 12, 2019   Travis's Fundraising Prowess revealed Candidate Races 2012 Assembly:   $9250.00 in debt remaining   2018 Assembly:   $61,096.10 in debt remaining   2018 Gubernatorial:     $25,954.37 in debt remaining   Total candidate debt remaining from two Assembly races and one failed gubernatorial race:    $96,300.47.   Why can’t the big-time fundraiser retire this debt? If he can’t raise $96k, including $9,250.00 from SIX years ago, how will he raise the millions it takes to run the CRP?  Gas Tax PAC   Over $500k raised. Spent $100k more than that. End of June, over $100k in debt.   End of 2018 debt reduced to $700, under highly dubious circumstances. In a nutshell, $50k was “reduced” with no explanation and no indication that the vendor forgave the debt AND another $50k just “disappeared” from the filing.   This is grounds for an FPPC enforcement action. Not good for someone who wants to be CRP Chair.  Take Back California PAC  NO year-end report filed as of 02/12/2019, paper or e-filed. EXTREMELYsuspect.  WHAT IS TRAVIS HIDING THAT HE'S WILLING TO BREAK THE LAW FOR??   While the above debt is not unusual, or illegal, the unexplained “reduction and/or disappearance” of over $100k is AS WELL AS FAILING TO FILE A REQUIRED REPORT.   A call to the FPPC confirmed the above, however a complaint would need to be filed. Stay tuned.  End of Summary    Now for the details 2012 Assembly Won, but finished the campaign $136,703.62 in debt. Current status, still not cleared with $9250.00 of debt as of December 31, 2018. SIX years later and still not paid off.   2018 Assembly Dropped out to run for governor. Not even on the primary ballot as he ran for Governor as well.$68,923.16 in debt as of June 30, 2018. As of December 31, 2018, debt remaining is $61,096.10.   2018 Governor’s Race Lost in the Primary. $28,454.37 in debt as of June 30, 2018. As of December 31, 2018, the campaign still has $25,954.37 in debt waiting to be retired.   That’s $96,300.47 of outstanding liabilities from just three candidate committees AND ONE OF THEM IS SIX YEARS OLD! Now normally when you win a race, donors flock to you and any debt is easily retired within the next cycle however it usually takes fresh donors who have not previously contributed the maximum. When you lose or drop out it’s even harder. Not an easy task either way it would seem in Travis’ case based on the debt he still carries. Could it be they see through his chest-thumping, King Kong act? Will you? Obviously, Travis is not the PT Barnum of fundraising he claims to be. It gets even better though. Read on.   Repeal the Gas Tax PAC   Repeal the Gas Tax PAC (FPPC ID 1396427) that FAILED TO TURN IN A SINGLE SIGNATURE, yet raised and spent almost $500k, spent another $100k it didn’t have and ended the campaign in June 2018 with $101,733.44 of debt. As of December 31, 2018, debt has allegedly been reduced to $700.00, which is a loan from Travis.   All is not as it would appear though. An interesting item to note (and after a careful review of its December 31, 2018 filing) is that the debt shown as being retired between July and December is only $51,439.66 and that was a “reversal” of the charges, with no explanation we might add. There’s also a discrepancy (outright deletion) of $50,293.78 in the debt balance (prior accrued expenses) that has no explanation. It’s just "gone" from the report. His treasurer uses a well-regarded, hosted compliance solution to file and the transactions would have had to be intentionally deleted or they would have carried over. This was a deliberate act intended to make people think his debt was paid off. How was the first $50k “reduced” without showing it as an in-kind contribution? Where did the other $50k+ in debt go? The creditor could have forgiven it but that should be disclosed. It cannot just be "reduced" or “removed” with no explanation. BTW, his treasurer at one time was one of the top four offenders on the FPPC’s “bad boy” list. Seems old habits may never die. It remains to be seen.   So, total debt owed is approximately $96,300.47 plus another $51,439.66 in unsubstantiated "reduced" debt, plus that aforementioned $50,293.78, whereabouts unknown, from the Gas Tax Repeal Committee.   That’s $198,033.91 of debt for an incoming CRP Chair.   Can you say WOW?   There’s also an open FPPC investigation involving his 2018 Assembly committee, Gas Tax Repeal PAC and gubernatorial committee. Details are sketchy, as it’s ongoing, but initial publicity alleges misdirection of funds involving his Assembly campaign and PAC to benefit his gubernatorial campaign. Imagine a future Sac Bee headline if true:   California Republican Party Chair Guilty of Money Laundering.   If true, very serious indeed however it can take years for the FPPC to resolve these matters, so it would haunt him his entire tenure as Chair. Interestingly enough, the complaint was filed by Aaron Park, author of the Right On Daily blog and the driving force behind a non-stop barrage of negative campaigning against the leading candidate for State Party Chair. Thy enemy one day is thy ally the next. Politics certainly does make for strange bedfellows doesn’t it?   Take Back California PAC Oh, and let’s not forget Travis’ Take Back California PAC, FPPC ID 1406792. The one he’s using to raise money for his Chair race. Another questionable practice that exposes his alleged donors to unnecessary public scrutiny.   The year-end filing shows, wait for it ….. NOTHING, as his treasurer has yet to file either a paper or electronic report, 13 days after it was due!!   A highly unusual situation but one with several possible explanations, none that help Travis. We're betting amendments get filed real quick, and with lots of "spin", after this email gets out. Door #1: One explanation is that he hasn’t raised what he claims to have raised (no surprise here) so the $25k threshold requiring online filing has not been met. Fair enough, but where’s the paper filing? All committees have to file year-end reports, at least on paper. All filings are also public record and a copy of the paper filing can easily be obtained via email from the SOS. In an email to them on February 12, the SOS indicated they had not received it yet. A full 12 days after the deadline. Highly suspect! Door #2: Another explanation is that he’s crossed the $25k threshold but is nowhere near his outlandish fundraising claims and doesn’t want to reveal the real numbers as it would destroy his credibility. This could be a calculated move on his part and he would eventually file AFTER the CRP election on February 24th. A delay such as this would cost his committee about $500. A small price to pay to be State Party Chair??? Door #3: The third explanation is that his treasurer just hasn’t filed. Not a likely scenario based on their history with the FPPC. So, something doesn’t add up. Either Travis is embellishing the facts (ya think?), his treasurer hasn’t filed for whatever reason or he's instructed her not to file until the 25th. Our money's on Door #2.   Can you say"integrity", or lack thereof?   So that’s four committees he’s either a candidate or controlling principal of with $96,300.47 in combined debt yet to be retired (plus $51,439.66 that was just “reversed” with no explanation and another $50,293.78 whereabouts unknown), an open campaign finance violation case (and maybe more on the way) and an active PAC he is the principal of (which brings up a whole other issue to be addressed further along in this conversation). And he wants to be Chair of the CRP? Is this what they call “leading by example”?   Do you see a pattern here?   Travis likes to run up a tab with no means to pay it, he’s not as good at raising money as he says he is and he'll say anything to get elected.   The CRP has been there and done that with Chairman Brulte’s immediate predecessor, Tom Del Beccaro. He lost the trust of Board (and the caucuses and major donors) when he spent TWO MILLION DOLLARS on a redistricting lawsuit WITHOUT BOARD APPROVAL AND NO MEANS TO PAY FOR IT! He spent the CRP into oblivion. It’s the reason he served only one term. Does the CRP really want to go back to those days, i.e. invoices from vendors shoved off in a corner and ignored, unable to pay bills? Over a million dollars in debt in just two years. If you thought it was bad then, think of how much worse it would get for the Party financially if Travis is elected?   Reality check for all you grassroots Travis supporters out there: The CRP doesn’t run on bravado and goodwill. It takes cold, hard cash and plenty of it and Travis has not shown a propensity to raise that kind of money. His million dollar a month plan from grassroots supporters doesn’t even BEGIN to pay the bills over a two-year period. And besides, he’s promised to spend all of that on voter registration (a noble effort btw as we certainly need it) but where would the rest come from?   If you don’t already know, the CRP is a $30-$35 MILLION per-election cycle operation. The largest State Party operation in the country. That’s just under $1.5 MILLION a month on average for operations and candidate support over a two-year period. Not chump change by any means so where will it all come from without the support of the Legislative caucuses and major donors which he does not have? They do not trust him, again much the same as it was with Tom Del Beccaro.   Are the so-called grassroots donors willing or even capable of making up that difference? Past history says no.   Take all of the aforementioned campaign debt and compliance issues and we now start to have serious legal, ethics and conflict of interest situations, if Travis is elected as CRP Chair.   For example: As Chair of the State Party, he will become the de-facto fundraiser-in-chief for the CRP. There’s no disputing that. The Chair is the face of the party and the one who gains the trust of the major donors and the legislative caucuses and “brings home the bacon”. The Chair’s title, and subsequently their ability to raise money, carries more clout than any other within the Party and the CRP CANNOTsurvive financially without that core financial support.   So, here’s the ethics question: With all that debt (and creditors do want to get paid after all) from his prior campaigns and PACs, how does Travis raise money to retire that debt while at the same time raising money from those same or new donors in the name of the party? The CRP can accept unlimited contributions from all legally permitted sources, it’s just a matter of which account it goes into so any funds he would raise should go to the party and yet there’s that nagging debt hanging over his head and the urge for him to solicit CRP donors to help in retiring that debt. The proper direction to take would be to suspend fundraising/debt retirement on his part for his past and current committees until he’s no longer Chair. But are his creditors willing to wait at least another two years for any sort of payment? We’re talking at least $100k here. Maybe as much as $200k. Creates quite the ethical dilemma don’t you think?   It’s called a conflict of interest.   Here’s another example. Let’s say all this prior debt is paid off. How does someone who has a PAC, Take Back California, juggle both as Chair of the Party? This would be another huge ethics issue and with the ego we’ve seen, Travis isn’t going to give it up. Again, it goes back to who will he be raising money for? The PAC or the Party? Can’t do both with a straight face when you’re the Chair. Like it or not, as chair, the party “owns” your fundraising efforts. There can be only one destination for money raised.   And we won’t even go into his plans to run for governor again. Oh what the hell, why not?   So, let’s say he runs again. He says he’s not, but……. he is Travis. The campaign would have to start in 2020 however CRP bylaws do not allow an officer to run for statewide office and still serve as such. Hence, he’d have to step down as chair to begin his campaign. How will “cut-and-run” tactics such as that sit with his supporters? Not to mention the rest of the delegation and Republican voters throughout California.   Here today, gone tomorrow.   The choice is yours on Sunday, February 24.     This document was not authorized by any candidate, was prepared using publicly available information and no candidate was aware of it prior to distribution.   We are fellow delegates to the California Republican Party. If you wish to unsubscribe, please respond to this email with the words "Remove Me" at the top of the response. but please do not mark this email as spam. Thank you for taking the time to read this!!!

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Jay Leno: This is How to Stay Out of Debt

NBC "The Tonight Show" comedy host Jay Leno was the funniest comedian of the three plus comedians who tried to carry a late-night talk show. He was witty, mocked both sides of the aisle, stayed away from embittered political punditry. He also relied on submissions of funny photos from the audience. Having watched some of Johnny Carson's segments from previous broadcasts, I think that Leno was funnier than Carson.

When Leno went among the public to question them about basic current events, he poked fun at their lack of knowledge, but never trashed them or made them feel about themselves. He made fun, but he wasn't cruel or bitter. At the beginning of every show, Leno reached out the audience and connected with as many of them as he could.

And he was a tireless worker. He did a nightly return at the Comedy and Magic Club in Hermosa Beach to make sure that he stayed fresh and vibrant. His temperament on screen and off indicated that he had a centrist, perhaps even conservative leaning mindset.

Lo and behold, the way he managed money in his private life, from his first career to the present, suggested a strong fiscal discipline which all of us could learn from.

CNBC reports:

Jay Leno never carried debt, even before he was a big earner. He stayed out of the red thanks to one simple strategy: He didn't buy on credit.

"I rarely used credit cards," the comedian tells CNBC Make It. "I didn't buy anything I couldn't afford to pay for in cash. I always liked, 'Here is the money, give me the thing, transaction over.'"

Makes sense. Don't get into a habit of going on credit if you have the money to begin with.

Leno started his career with a minimum wage job at a McDonald's as a teen. A few years later, when he was jump-starting his career as a comedian, he had to supplement his comedy gig earnings with money he made working at a car dealership. At first, the paycheck from the dealership was the bigger of the two, so he banked that and lived off the other.

He started hosting "The Tonight Show" in 1992 at age 42, a job that reportedly earned him as much as $30 million a year. But even today, he prefers not to pay for anything in installments, he tells CNBC Make It: "When you own something and you don't have to write checks every month, you're just better off."

This conservative philosophy gives him financial peace of mind. "I own everything. I own my buildings. I own my cars. That way, if it ends tomorrow, I know what I've got," says Leno, who now hosts CNBC's "Jay Leno's Garage." "It's a little old fashioned, I suppose, but it seems to work pretty well for me."

When you're getting started as an independent adult, it's important to establish good credit — that will allow you to make larger purchases in the future, such as a car or a home — and one way to do so is by opening a credit card. The good news is, if you stick to a few basic guidelines, you can easily use one without going into debt.

But if you find yourself not making payments in full, or if you have already racked up credit card debt, Leno's cash-only solution may work for you.

There's more to the story. Where did Leno learn these habits?

From this parents, who had survived the depression. They knew what it was like to live in dire poverty, and not know when they would get out of it. A generation of Americans died with all their life savings saved in mattresses in their homes because they had lost all their money when the stock markets crashed in 1929, and then financial liquidity dried up all over the world because of bank runs and government meddling.

Leno's parents taught him to live frugally, turn off the extra heat, electricity, etc. These habits are good to build upon. Leno has a thriving business, life, practice, everything. He has done quite well for himself, one could say.

Stay out of debt, pay with cash when you can, work, save, invest, and live well.

Vermont GOP: Democrats Ignore Emigration Data

Democratic House Speaker Cites "Moving Company" Data to Ignore Vermont's Demographic Trends  Speaker Johnson Ignores Data from US BLS, US Census, and VT DO Berlin, VT – In an effort to assure Vermonters that all is well with our demographic and economic trends, Vermont House Speaker Mitzi Johnson (D-Milton) tweeted United Van Lines’ survey of their own customers on inbound and outbound migration, which suggests Vermont had a high percent of inbound migration in 2017. However, in doing so, Johnson ignores thoroughly researched data from federal and state government that suggests otherwise. This data includes: The U.S. Census, which points to a 2,084 population decrease in Vermont since 2010—in addition to a net outward migration of 1,910 persons in 2014-2015, and a net migration rate of negative 3.1 in 2015-2016 The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which shows Vermont’s labor force fell by 15,000 (or about 4.1 percent) between 2010 and 2016 The Vermont Department of Labor, suggesting Vermont’s labor force declined by 15,550 from April of 2009 to November of 2017 The truth of the population, labor force, and net migration statistics speak clear: Vermont’s economic trends are real and unsustainable. But Speaker Johnson would rather Vermonters ignore these demographic realities and focus on one “study” from a moving company’s own customers. Why? Because it’s the Democrats’ misguided, tax and spend economic policies that have created an unaffordable economic environment, forcing people out of Vermont. Contrary to the rosy picture painted by Johnson, Vermonters’ are crippled by the burden of high cost of living, exacerbated by high taxes. The Democrats in Montpelier would rather you forget all about the economic challenges they’ve worsened. Thankfully, Vermont Republicans and Governor Scott are committed to grow our economy, make Vermont more affordable, and protect the most vulnerable. You can help them by making a donation today. DONATE TODAY! 1. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/VT 2. http://www.governing.com/gov-data/census/state-migration-rates-annual-net-migration-by-state.html 3. https://www.bls.gov/lau/ex14tables.htm 4. http://www.vtlmi.info/Labforce.cfm?qperiodyear=2017&qareatype=01&qadjusted=Y