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Gloria Hom, a fourth generation Californian, is an economist, professor, lecturer, businesswoman, community leader, and administrator. Recently retired, Dr. Hom was the Chairman of and Professor in Economics Department at Mission College and Division Chairman for the Social Science Department. Dr. Hom also served on the California State Board of Education and as a Trustee for the California State University System. She has received several distinguishing awards and has a lifetime record of devoted service. Gloria was appointed by President Bush to the Sallie Mae Board of Directors, A Fortune Five Hundred Company and Region IX Education Director.

Gloria was a delegate to the RNC in New York City in 2004 and one of tow members from California on the Rules committee. She has authored many journal articles and is active in numerous community and service organization locally including the Rotary Club. We look forward to our speaker analyzing the propositions presented to voters in the upcoming election.

Let’s welcome Gloria Hom to this month’s luncheon meeting. Bring a friend!

SILICON VALLEY REPUBLICAN WOMEN FEDERATED NEWSLETTER – MAY 2009

PRESIDENTS MESSAGE (04/27/09)

Spring is upon us and, hopefully, that good old global warming will bring us some warmer weather. I hope you all had a wonderful Easter (or Passover, as the case may be) and are enjoying spring, with its promise of new life. Let’s try to put new life into our Republican Party and get invigorated.

I know that many of our members and associates were at the Tea Parties and I thank all of you who went. Unfortunately, since it was April 15^th I had to work and was a dishrag by the time I left our tax offices… but my husband went to both San Jose Tea Parties. At noon he was in front of the IRS building and at 5:00 he was at Caesar Chavez Park both times with signs he made. He said it was an energizing event and had a lot of good people there. About 20 or so ACORN / Americorps types showed up with signs supporting illegal immigration. Evidently, they must have gotten the wrong memo from the DNC.

Please turn in your volunteer sheets to me by May 7^th so that I can use the hours to get us back the Diamond Award! Remember you cannot list the time at the club meetings but the time spent as newsletter editor, membership recruiter, etc. does count. Also any time you put into political campaigns and elections such as phone calling, walking precincts, voter registration, etc. We need all the hours we can get. Send these to me at the address on the front of the newsletter.

Now for the fun! Eve is working hard on our Miniature Golf Tournament and if you can spare some time to work with her or make phone calls or do mailings PLEASE let her know. We want this to be a great success and a lot of fun.

See you at our next meeting with Gloria Hom reviewing the ballot measures… and don’t forget to bring your ballots with you!

Laura Riffle

President, SVRWF

UPCOMMING EVENTS

May 7 General Meeting: Gloria Hom- Propositions on the ballot

May 15 Board Meeting: Eve Bretzke’s

May 19 Statewide Special Election

May 25 Memorial Day

SILICON VALLEY REPUBLICAN WOMEN FEDERATED NEWSLETTER – MAY 2009

MEMBER NEWS

Adopt-a-Chaplain is now working with troops in Afghanistan where supplies are limited. Please bring in any donations that you may have to this month’s general meeting in honor of Memorial Day. Most requested items are DVDs, CD’s, and grab and go items. Thank you for your ongoing support.

LEGISLATION

California Update from CRWF and other sources

Proposed Ballot Initiatives for California’s Special Election May 19^th, 2009

Proposition 1A - State Budget. Changes California budget process, Limits State Spending, Increases “Rainy Day” Budget Stabilization Fund. -- CFRW has taken an OPPOSE position on Proposition 1A

This measure purports to increase the size of the state’s “rainy day” fund from 5% to 12.5% of the state’s general fund with a portion of annual deposits to be dedicated to future economic downturns with the remainder being available to fund education, infrastructure and debt repayment, or for use in a declared emergency.

Proponents argue that passage will stabilize California’s budget, stop out-of-control spending, protect taxpayers, create long term budget stability, and protect schools, public safety and other vital services. Supporters include the California Taxpayers’ Association, California State Sheriffs’ Association and the California Secretary of Education.

Opponents argue that this is a flawed measure that will not do what it claims by mandating diversion of money into the “rainy day” fund, even during times when the economy falters as well as during good times, and creates a “slush fund” for open-ended borrowing and pork barrel projects. They contend that the measure is so poorly written that it could force cuts in vital services even in good times because it fails to take into account our aging population and rising health care costs and gives unilateral budget powers to the Governor, with no checks and balances. Opponents include the United Nurses Association of California and Union of Health Care Professionals and the Older Women’s League of California

Prop 1B - Education Funding. Payment Plan -- CFRW has taken an OPPOSE position on Proposition 1B

This measure requires supplemental payments to local school districts and community colleges to address recent budget cuts with annual payments beginning with the 2011-12 budget to be paid from the state’s Budget Stabilization “rainy day” Fund until the total amount has been paid. The Legislative Analyst estimates a potential savings of several billions of dollars in 2009-10 and 2011-12, but with the potential of state costs of billions of dollars thereafter. Supporters include the California Teachers’ Association. Opponents have not yet been made public.

Prop 1C - Lottery Modernization Act -- CFRW has taken an OPPOSE position on Proposition 1C

This measure proposes to allow the state lottery to be modernized to improve its performance with increased pay-outs, improved marketing and effective management. It requires the state to maintain ownership of the lottery with additional accountability measures with the end result being the protection of funding levels for schools and increased revenues to address the current budget deficit and reduce the need for additional tax increases and cuts to state programs. The Legislative Analyst estimates that passage allows $5 billion of borrowing from future lottery profits to help balance the 2009-10 state budget but cautions that debt service payments on lottery borrowing and higher payments to education would likely make it more difficult to balance future state budgets.

Proponents (the exact same organizations who support Prop 1A) argue the passage will modernize the lottery and provide immediate funds and avoid more tax hikes, protect lottery funding for schools, increase accountability and deliver on the lottery promise. Senator Bob Huff (R), in his rebuttal to the support argument states, in pertinent part: “This is not an immediate, responsible solution to our fiscal crisis. . . [W}e are making grand assumptions about a modernized state lottery . . . Part of “modernizing” the lottery will be to make the games available virtually wherever we go . . . aimed at separating people from their money. . . We cannot afford another ballot measure that creates more problems than it solves.”

SILICON VALLEY REPUBLICAN WOMEN FEDERATED NEWSLETTER – MAY 2009

Proposed Ballot Initiatives for California’s Special Election May 19^th, 2009 (cont.)

Prop 1D - Protects Children’s Services Funding. Helps Balance State Budget

CFRW has taken an OPPOSE position on Proposition 1C

This measure proposes to provide more than $600 million to protect children’s programs by redirecting existing tobacco tax money. It temporarily allows the redirection of existing money to fund programs for children age five and under and ensures that counties will retain funding for local priorities. The Legislative Analyst estimates that this could create state general fund savings of up to $608 million in 2009-10 and $268 million from 2010-11 through 2013-14 by temporarily redirecting a portion of funds from the California Children and Families Program in place of state general fund support. Proponents argue that passage is consistent with the intent of voters when they passed Prop 10 in 1998, which added a 50 cent tax on tobacco products to aid in funding early childhood (under age five) programs and is supported by the Executive Director of the Association of Regional Center Agencies. Opponents argue (among other things) that passage of Prop 1D will eliminate healthcare, immunization and booster shots for some 120,000 children, eliminate education services for more than 200,000 children and cut $36 million per year for children’s hospitals, school nurses and smoking prevention programs. Among those opponents are a maternal and child health specialist, Director of Medical Education for Children’s Hospital and Research Center in Oakland, and the California Family Resource Association.

Prop 1E - Mental Health Services Funding. Temporary Reallocation.

CFRW has taken an OPPOSE position on Proposition 1C

This measure amends the Mental Health Services Act (Prop 63 - passed in 2004) to transfer funds for a two-year period from mental health programs and would provide $225 million in flexible funding for mental health programs. The Legislative Analyst estimates that this will cause a reduction in funding available for Prop 63 community mental health programs. The author of Prop 63 (Steinberg - D) supports this proposition using as an argument the fact that delays in getting new programs started have resulted in $2.5 billion sitting in state coffers, which is more than is needed to fund current services which (he says) we cannot afford to do right now, and that the funding is needed to avoid even deeper cuts in other vital state services. The opposing position (written by Correa - D) is that we shouldn’t take money from Prop 63 which was approved by the voters. This is Dem vs. Dem.

Prop 1F - Elected Officials’ Salaries. Prevents Pay Increases During Budget Deficit Years.

CFRW has taken an OPPOSE position on Proposition 1C

This measure purports to encourage balance state budgets by preventing legislators and constitutional officers from receiving pay increases in years when the state is running at a deficit and gives the Director of Finance the power to determine whether a given year is a deficit year. The Legislative Analyst estimates a “minor state savings”.

Proponents claim it will save the state millions while opponents claim that it will give voters the illusion that they are doing something while the real reform was passed last November with the redistricting initiative (Prop 11) making all legislators answerable to the constituents of both parties. – End.

California Controller Not Getting Enough Revenue Via Fines California misses out on millions of dollars in revenue each year because state agencies are not doing enough to collect fines and penalties from individuals and businesses, the state controller said today. The announcement was the result of a two-year audit by state Controller John Chiang, whose staff pored over records at the California Highway Patrol, the Public Utilities Commission and the Department of Industrial Relations. – April 17, 2009, San Francisco Chronicle

TEA PARTIES:

The Sacramento venue for the April 15, 2009 "Tea Party" was huge. Many CFRW members attended at venues throughout the state. The estimate of attendance in Sacramento was approaching 10,000. The CFRW Advocacy Office is a mere three blocks from the State Capitol and the rally was held on the West Steps so the sound carried that short distance. Among those in attendance were Congressman Tom McClintock, Michael Reagan and Fox News Channel anchor Neil Cavuto. The Capitol grounds were a sea of red, white and blue balloons, American flags and hand painted and professionally printed signs of all types. And, there were plenty of tea bags in evidence. -- CFRW News Capitol Update, April 17, 2009

SILICON VALLEY REPUBLICAN WOMEN FEDERATED NEWSLETTER – MAY 2009

National Update from NRWF and other sources

"It's not about bashing Democrats, it's not about taxes, they have no idea what the Boston tea party was about, they don't know their history at all. This is about hating a black man in the White House. This is racism straight up. That is nothing but a bunch of tea bagging rednecks. ...[T]he limbic brain inside a right-winger or Republican or conservative or your average white power activist, the limbic brain is much larger in their head space than in a reasonable person, and it's pushing against the frontal lobe. So their synapses are misfiring." --actress Janeane Garofalo on last week's Tea Parties

"A lot of news outlets mocked these protesters.... But, if a media outlet wants to expose its bias, they can mock tea parties, if they like. ... I'm not going to mention names of people on networks that made sexual jokes, childish sexual jokes, about tens of thousands of Americans who went out and wanted to get involved in their government. I mean, it was really middle school jokes being made. I didn't hear those jokes being made when people on the left protested over the past eight years." --MSNBC's Joe Scarborough

"The country has gotten into a painful fiscal predicament because both parties have let us believe we can have more and more goodies from Washington at no additional cost. The recent explosion of federal spending has succeeded in one way: It has exposed that assumption for the fiction it was. Like Bernie Madoff's investors, we now face the bleak truth that the comfortable future we expected is gone. Everything the federal government is doing will be forcibly extracted from our future earnings." --columnist Steve Chapman

"Let's use liberal math to calculate attendance at last week's nationwide Tax Day Tea Party protests. When Left-wing activists make crowd estimates, the algorithm is: six figures = one million. An incomplete survey of newspaper accounts and organizer estimates pegged the Tea Party protest population at a minimum of 250,000. We can now, therefore, officially call it the Million Taxpayer March. Or the Million Right-Wing Extremists March if you work for the Department of Homeland Security." --columnist Michelle Malkin

“There's been one underlying basic fallacy in this whole set of social security and welfare measures, and that is the fallacy - this is at the bottom of it - the fallacy that it is feasible and possible to do good with other people's money. That view has two flaws. If I want to do good with other people's money, I first have to take it away from them. That means that the welfare state philosophy of doing good with other people's money, at its very bottom, is a philosophy of violence and coercion. It's against freedom, because I have to use force to get the money. In the second place, very few people spend other people's money as carefully as they spend their own.”-- Milton Friedman

French Call Obama Meek and Week France has been cooing along with everyone else over the arrival of Bo Obama at the White House, but the master of America's new First Dog is no longer in good odour with President Sarkozy. Mr. Sarkozy is pouring cold water on President Obama's efforts to recast American leadership on the world stage, depicting them as unoriginal, unsubstantial and overrated. Behind leaks and briefings from the Elysée Palace lies Mr. Sarkozy's irritation at the rock-star welcome that Europe gave Mr. Obama on his European tour earlier this month. -- April 16 2009, Times Online

US Government To Buy 17,600 Cars President Barack Obama said the U.S. government will buy 17,600 new, fuel-efficient vehicles from ailing American automakers by June 1. The president made the announcement Thursday in a statement issued by the White House, saying the General Services Administration will spend $285 million of Recovery Act Funds to purchase the vehicles for the government fleet. -- April 10 2009, Business Journal

SILICON VALLEY REPUBLICAN WOMEN FEDERATED NEWSLETTER – MAY 2009

SILICON VALLEY REPUBLICAN WOMEN FEDERATED NEWSLETTER – MAY 2009

Prop 1B - Education Funding. Payment Plan -- CFRW has taken an OPPOSE position on Proposition 1B

Prop 1C - Lottery Modernization Act -- CFRW has taken an OPPOSE position on Proposition 1C

SILICON VALLEY REPUBLICAN WOMEN FEDERATED NEWSLETTER – MAY 2009

Prop 1D - Protects Children’s Services Funding. Helps Balance State Budget

CFRW has taken an OPPOSE position on Proposition 1C

Prop 1E - Mental Health Services Funding. Temporary Reallocation.

CFRW has taken an OPPOSE position on Proposition 1C

Prop 1F - Elected Officials’ Salaries. Prevents Pay Increases During Budget Deficit Years.

CFRW has taken an OPPOSE position on Proposition 1C

SILICON VALLEY REPUBLICAN WOMEN FEDERATED NEWSLETTER – MAY 2009

SILICON VALLEY REPUBLICAN WOMEN FEDERATED NEWSLETTER – MAY 2009

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