Almost weekly, another Republican in the once golden state tells me he or she is leaving for a red state. Formerly the envy of the nation, California is now in steep decline due to decades of botched Democrat leadership and policies. However, some pathetic Republican leaders share responsibility for the state’s failures, which pile up faster than feces and needles on a San Francisco street. When accused of not holding firm, they claim there is little they can do as the minority party.
The current voter registration in California breaks out this way:
Some of those “other” voters are former Republicans who threw up their hands in disgust and re-registered as No Party Preference. The category also includes folks who want to turn cities into communist cesspools—but enough about Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.
Image created using ChatGPT.
Here are three recent examples of California Republicans “leaders” lacking strong America First values:
$10,000 to Sing The Star-Spangled Banner
Registered Republicans are regularly inundated with emails, texts, and letters from the California Republican Party (CRP) begging for contributions. Steve Frank of California News & Views reported that CRP will be paying a massive $10,000 for an opera singer to sing The Star-Spangled Banner during the CRP’s September three-day statewide convention in Orange County. The performance is planned for the Saturday evening dinner.
According to those who follow the CRP, Chair Corrin Rankin approved the outlay without board approval. Chair Rankin informed the board that her “friend” is singing at a discount, and she did not allow any discussion.
California Republicans, whose mailboxes and inboxes are stuffed with CRP donation requests, will be thrilled that the previous chair earned a huge annual salary of $250,000 plus benefits, bonuses, and travel expenses. The current chair’s salary was increased to a whopping $260,000 plus benefits, bonuses and travel expenses. Mind you, the governor of California (a state with nearly 40 million residents) is only paid $224,000.
Compare the Republican chair’s huge salary to the chairman of the California Democrat Party, who earns just $127,500 a year. (Guess losing pays better.)
There are about 85 words in our national anthem. At $10,000, it comes to approximately $118 per word. How many local talented singers would have been honored to sing this glorious song at the Republican convention? Instead, CAGOP Chair Corrine Rankin signed the contract that will let her opera singer friend belt out the song for $10,000. Maybe the song will start with:
O say can you see
How the California GOP
Wastes our money on thee…
This extravagant $10,000 expenditure by CRP Chair Corrin Rankin offers a prime example of why many America First Patriots in California donate directly to candidates and ignore the elitist CRP.
Some GOP State Lawmakers Don’t Know the Meaning of Illegal
Anyone who enters the United States of America illegally has broken our laws. While no one disputes that some illegal aliens are worse than others, it doesn’t change the fact that if someone comes into our country without proper documentation and processing, they are here illegally!
On June 27, six Republican legislators signed a letter to President Trump that now provides Democrats with “ammunition” in their assault on President Trump’s goal of deporting all ILLEGAL ALIENS. These Republicans are:
The two-page letter includes the usual yada-yada-yada about supporting ICE, wanting illegal alien criminals deported, and working with the Trump administration on an immigration program. That’s all fine, but what part of “illegal” do these Republican senators and assembly members not understand?
Americans did this dance with President Reagan in 1986 (Immigration Reform and Control Act), and won’t do it again! It would be grossly unfair to immigrants who legally come to the United States through the long and costly legal process.
As President Trump repeatedly said during the campaign, all illegal immigrants who invaded our country must return to their home nations. Trump never hinted at work programs, exemptions, visa programs, or anything except mass deportation! America First Patriots will be livid if exceptions or amnesty are offered after the “Big Beautiful Bill” gives ICE and other law enforcement agencies the necessary funding to deport illegal aliens.
Republicans Vote Themselves a Raise
The Orange County Board of Supervisors (OCBOS) discreetly voted itself a hefty 25 percent salary increase. The five-member OCBOS has three Democrats and two Republicans. Democrat Katrinia Foley is up for re-election this year, so it made “cents” for her to vote “no” to avoid giving her opponents another talking point about her radical leftist views.
With Democrat Foley voting it down, the two Republican supervisors had an outstanding opportunity to stop this wasteful $49,000 per supervisor expenditure. To quote John Belushi from Saturday Night Live (when the show was funny), “But Nooooo!” Instead, Republican Supervisors Janet Nguyen and Donald Wagner voted yes to give themselves an enormous raise!
Following the public outcry, the two Democrats who voted yes promised to donate their raise, which really means that Democrat Supervisors Vicente Sarmiento and Doug Chaffee are donating our tax dollars. Sarmiento plans to donate his entire $49,000 raise (our tax dollars) to help illegal aliens pay legal fees in immigration courts. What joy! Chaffee will give his raise (our tax dollars) to a University of Redlands scholarship fund for students studying environmental studies. More joy!
Democrat policies in California provide the hammers that are building a third-world state, with some Republican “leaders” providing the nails.
Robin M. Itzler is a regular contributor to American Thinker. She is the founder and editor of Patriot Neighbors, a free weekly national newsletter. Robin can be reached at PatriotNeighbors@yahoo.com.