Jim Nielsen Expose’ Part 1 – His Role in Destroying the CAGOP Platform

 Dan Logue, David Stafford Reade, Jim Nielsen  1 Response »
Sep 232012
 

Jim Nielsen is beating a drum – if you hammer him for his record, you’re a liar. Click here to see our post from last year lambasting Jim Nielsen for his role in decimating the CAGOP Platform.

Unfortunately, for gentleman Jim, he has been in office too long to get away with anything. Actually, he has been on both sides of so many issues he is using that to double-speak any of his critics. Case and point – Periphrial Canal – He opposed Jerry Brown’s Canal, but supported George Deukmejian’s. He voted to put Prop 14 on the ballot, but then opposed Prop 14 once on the ballot. He called members of the legislature to go up on Prop 1A – the largest tax increase in state history, then voted against it on the floor of the Assembly.

Nielsen was also on both sides of the California Republican Party Platform debate. But, what he did as a member of the drafting committee was so egregious that he will not recover politically from the exposure.

In the drafting Committee – the minutes show that Jim Nielsen was out in front, leading the charge for the Platform for California’s Future. This platform had the pro-life, prop-8, 2nd amendment, and a whole bunch of other Republican issues stripped out of it.

It was so watered down that it even had the ethics section deleted! Click here for a full analysis between the previous CRP platform and the one that Jim Nielsen advocated for.

Click here to see the minutes from the Platform Drafting Committee Meeting. Nielsen was the first to speak towards its’ adoption and he made the motion to adopt said platform (Called the Platform for California’s Future). Conservative leaders Mike Spence and Craig DeLuz led the opposition.

Note as well that there were amendments proposed to bring parts of the “Pruner Platform” in to the Jim Nielsen Platform. They were all torpedoed.

The amendment to add paragraphs 3-8 of page 8 was adding Pro-Life language to the Nielsen platform. It was voted down. The amdnement to add paragraph 2 of page 5 was adding Prop-8 to the Nielsen platform. It was voted down.

I was called the day of the Drafting committee meeting by Steve Frank and I also spoke to Craig DeLuz. They both told me that Jim Nielsen was leading the debate for the watered-down platform the entire meeting. Mike Spence later confirmed the same story and he added that David Stafford Reade (who was expelled from CRA for 10 years for committing fraud) was there with Jim Nielsen.

You see, when legislative staff come forward to tell me that Jim Nielsen is making calls to try and recruit people to support the largest tax increase in state history – it gets my attention. When these same staffers tell me that Nielsen played let’s-make-a-deal on tossing three dams in Siskiyou County as part of Arnold’s water bond (which could go on the ballot at any time, still)… it gets my attention. Then when something like the Platform fight features Jim Nielsen it all makes sense.

There are times when Jim Nielsen’s own tendencies put him in a place where calling his critics liars just simply can not obfuscate the truth.

Jim Nielsen calls himself a Conservative because he is not. He attempted to destroy the CAGOP Platform – largely due to this blog criticizing him  – Jim Nielsen reversed himself and actually voted against the Platform he had moved to adopt and voted for the “Pruner Platform” in the entire Platform Committee.

Add this to the list of Jim Nielsen’s flip-flops – but this one is clearly an effort to save face after getting exposed.

P.S. – remember that $133k that Charles Munger invested in Nielsen? Charles Munger spent a reputed $250k on the effort to gut the CRP Platform. David Stafford Reade was paid to run the proxy drill in the north state for Munger. The $133k from Munger certainly looks like Jim Nielsen’s reward for services rendered. If Nielsen really supported a Conservative CAGOP Platform would Charles Munger have dropped $133k in to him?

Proxy Fraud: It ain’t David Stafford Reade this time… but it is the same garbage

 California Republican Party, Charles Munger, Mike Spence  Comments Off on Proxy Fraud: It ain’t David Stafford Reade this time… but it is the same garbage
Feb 082012
 

This time is it a former CRA President.

I sent out an email detailing how Mike Spence helped thwart a plan to set up a system for California Republican Party Pre-Primary endorsements. The establishment went in to a tizzy to stop it. I am sick and tired of the powers to be and the things they do to maintain control… of what? A 20-seat minority in the Assembly and a soon-to-be less than 1/3 super-minority in the Senate? Wow.

Dear Fellow CRP Delegate:

A lot has been written about ‘knowing your proxy’ and the role of Charles Munger et.al. in the various drills. Mike Spence is now again requesting your proxy.  Beware!

Charles Munger is the godfather of Proposition 14. Proposition 14 was the deal-maker for a grotesque state budget.  In addition, Proposition 14 bans Party Nominees, effectively eliminates third parties, creates many districts with no Republican on the general election ballot and bans write-in candidates as well!

Proposition 14 passed because angry voters wanted to “get even” with political parties in California. The Democrats have moved on – but many in Republican leadership, fighting to control an ever-shrinking piece of the California political pie, have not. The 2/2011 CRP Convention featured an important debate – the CRP needed to react to Proposition 14’s destruction of Party influence in Partisan elections. Former CRP Chairman Ron Nehring had crafted the Nehring plan – with widespread grassroots support that would have enabled the CRP to endorse candidates pre-primary.

Charles Munger was opposed to this idea as Proposition 14 is his legacy. The erstwhile incoming Chairman of the Santa Clara GOP had an ally in the March 2011 CRP Convention: Curt Hagman staffer, Mike Spence.  With the Nehring Plan poised for success at the March 2011 CRP Convention, Mike Spence arrived last minute with a gut and amend “compromise” plan that drew the support of the Munger establishment and those proxies that Mr. Spence had collected.  In the name of “compromise” (which it really wasn’t), Mike Spence allied with Munger to ban all endorsements for four years and then created a Republican Party endorsement process so cumbersome that even Jesus Christ himself would not be able to get a CRP endorsement in most all races!

Meanwhile in 2012, the democrat party (which wisely recognized the problem Proposition 14 created), came up with an actionable process and has made several pre-primary endorsements that will have substantial impact on all sorts of races.

Proxy drills have consequences for years to come and the reforms that Republican activists have proposed stretch to issues beyond just the “Platform Battle.”  It is the right for the CRP to have a voice post Proposition 14.

Mr. Munger is going to ascend to the Chairmanship of the Santa Clara GOP after spending millions on ballot measures to raise taxes, proxy drills to gut the CRP platform, and political activity to  render the CRP impotent in elections.  Charles Munger succeeded in stopping much needed by-law amendments to allow endorsements for the CRP because of his brainchild – Proposition 14.

In the case of preventing the CRP from endorsing pre-primary via a rigged proxy drill, with the status quo in jeopardy, “Conservative” leader Mike Spence rode in and saved the day for the Munger establishment.  Now conveniently, at the same time that there are proposals to stop proxy fraud, the same Mike Spence is again asking for the same blank check from you that was abused the last time.

Know your proxy. Know the motivations of those that seek your proxy – things aren’t always as they seem.

Thank you for your service to the California Republican Party.

Sincerely,

Aaron F. Park

Mike Spence responded to my email sent to the California Republican Party delegation list with two words: “f–k you”. If you want a copy of the email to prove it, let me know.