Fall 2001 Newsletter
In This Issue:
KFBK Radio's Mark Williams To Address Congress Dinner
Celebrity Athletes, Dignitaries To Play In Tournament
3rd Quarter Meeting With Bill Simon A Roaring Success
As Republicans Rejoice, Some Democrats Glum Over
Redistricting
Welcome New Golden Circle Members
Golf Tournament Already A Winner
Mark Williams, the popular radio talk show host on KFBK Radio will
speak to Congress members and the public at a special dinner meeting on
October 9, 2001 at Twelve Bridges Golf Club in Lincoln.
The dinner will immediately follow the Congress’ 1st Annual Golf
Tournament Charity Fundraiser to be held earlier the same day.
Dinner Tickets Available—Act Fast!
Congress members and guests who wish to attend the dinner should act
fast as space is limited.
The cost is $35 per person and includes:
6:00PM—Social Hour and Silent Auction
7:00PM—Gourmet Dinner with Mark Williams
The social hour will feature a Silent Auction to help raise funds for
the Congress and our charity partner, PEACE For Families. Dinner will
feature tri-tip and roasted chicken served buffet style in Twelve
Bridges’ beautiful banquet room.
(Note, those participating in the golf tournament have dinner tickets
included in their entry fees. )
#1 Rated Program in Sacramento Valley
Mark’s conservative talk radio program, “Talk Back Live,” airs
weeknights from 8-11PM on KFBK Radio 1530. It is the #1 rated radio
program in that time slot in the Sacramento market.
Mark, accompanied by his wife Holly, looks forward to meeting dinner
guests and speaking to us about recent news events. As his regular
listeners know, Mark’s comments are always insightful and thought
provoking.
Purchase Your Tickets Today!
To purchase tickets to the dinner, please mail your payment to the
below address or register on-line with a
credit card:
Republican Congress of Placer County
P.O. Box 840
Newcastle, CA 95658
Make checks payable to “Placer Congress.” For more information,
please call (916) 786-6690.
For those interested in playing golf prior to the dinner program,
please click here.
Celebrity Athletes, Dignitaries To Play In
Tournament
Several celebrity athletes and political dignitaries are confirmed to
play at our 1st Annual Charity Golf Tournament.
Athletes playing in the Tournament include:
* Former Los Angeles Dodgers’ baseball player Steve Sax
* Three time World Champion IBF Junior Light Weight fighter Tony
"The Tiger" Lopez
* Gordy Soltau, the 5th all time scorer for the San Francisco 49ers
* San Francisco 49er veteran Jerry Mertens
From the political community, Assemblyman Tim Leslie (R-Roseville)
and Assemblyman Dick Dickerson (R-Redding) are confirmed to play and
Assemblyman Sam Aanestad (R-Grass Valley) will attend the
post-Tournament dinner program.
Del Webb Gold Sponsor!
Del Webb Corporation has agreed to be the Gold Sponsor of the
Tournament. Their generous support is greatly appreciated.
Other companies have signed on as Silver Sponsors, including The
Auburn Sentinel, Howard Construction, Fencing and Fabrication and
Richland Communities, Inc.
Businesses and individuals interested in participating in the
Tournament should call (916) 786-6690 or visit www.placercongress.org/golf.
Golfer slots are going fast as the Tournament approaches. Act now to
play with our celebrity golfers and dignitaries.
3rd Quarter Meeting With Bill Simon A Roaring
Success
Over 110
Congress members, local Republican elected officials and guests packed
the Auburn Elks Lodge on August 20th to hear Republican candidate for
Governor Bill Simon explain why he wants to replace Democrat Gray Davis
next year.
(See pictures of the event in our photo gallery!)
Simon—Problem Solver
Describing himself as a problem solver with fresh ideas for
California’s challenges, Simon captured the audience in a new vision
for the future built on bedrock Republican principles of less
government, lower taxes, educational accountability and a business-like
approach to running the nation’s most populous state.
Simon stressed the need to address California’s water, land and
transportation infrastructure before another crisis hits the State.
He also described his experience as a former prosecutor in the U.S.
District Attorney’s office in New York City under Rudy Giuliani and
his success in building a multi-billion dollar investment firm with his
father and brothers called William E. Simon & Sons, Inc.
Thank You!
Thank you to everyone who volunteered to make this event successful
with a special thanks to Congress Hospitality Chairman Murriel Oles
(boy, can she cook!) and Herb Johnson for his phone tree management that
turned out 100+ people!
Phone Volunteers
Warren Burns, Al Clark, John DuPriest, Glenda Freeman, Jon Green,
Chris Hill, Sandy Hoffman, Marie Huson, Tom Jones, Ron Kateen, Bruce
Lyon, Nancy Mackenroth, Ann Penney, Bill Radakovitz, Hank Walther and
Dennis White.
Registration Volunteers
Sandy Hoffman and Joyce Arnold
As Republicans Rejoice, Some Democrats Glum Over
Redistricting
Dan Walters, Sacramento Bee
(Published Sept. 17, 2001)
When Democrats captured the California governorship in 1998 and added
to their legislative majorities that year and in 2000, Republicans
braced for a partisan shellacking in the post-census redrawing of
legislative and congressional districts.
Veterans of the Capitol's political wars recalled -- some with
gleeful anticipation, some with trepidation -- what had happened 20
years earlier, when Democrats last controlled redistricting and without
hesitation carved up the state to their advantage.
Only Dissenters Democrats
When, however, the Legislature voted final approval late Thursday of
its redistricting plans, the only dissenters were Democrats. Republicans
cheered and gave themselves high-fives while a number of Democrats were
openly and bitterly disappointed. And a detailed look at the numbers
behind the new maps explains why.
The maps preserve the partisan status quo in both legislative houses,
and give Republicans an outside chance at making a few gains sometime in
this decade. The GOP arguably gains a seat in the congressional scheme
and Republicans -- including White House strategists -- are gloating
that California's outcome may help President Bush retain GOP control of
the House next year.
What happened, in a nutshell, is that California Democrats --
particularly those in Congress -- became convinced that if they enacted
a partisan plan, Republicans would challenge it through a referendum, in
the courts and, quite possibly, through the Bush administration's
Justice Department. If the Democrats' plans were stalled, they could not
be used for the 2002 elections and the state Supreme Court might have
stepped in by ordering its own plans. And if the court did that, it's
entirely possible that the seats of several Anglo Democratic congressmen
in Southern California would have vanished and been replaced with
Latino-controlled districts.
Self-Interest Over Party
The Democratic congressmen chose their own skins over the interests
of their party, or those of Latino rights activists, and agreed to a
status quo plan in California, rather than try for a grab of seats. And
once that agreement was reached, the status quo legislative plans fell
into place as well.
While the Democratic leaders of the Legislature paid lip service to
listening to the pleas of Latinos, women, environmentalists and other
elements of their party, they rather ruthlessly enforced the deal,
drawing lines behind closed doors to give the Republicans what they
demanded to produce referendum-proof maps.
Demo Environmentalists
Ignored Perhaps the most obvious example of the underlying political
motives is to be found in the state Senate districts drawn for
California's Central Coast. Democratic leaders shunned the pleas of
environmentalists and two Democratic Assembly members with senatorial
ambitions, Santa Barbara's Hannah-Beth Jackson and Santa Cruz's Fred
Keeley, and carved up the coast to create two safe Republican Senate
seats.
The pattern was repeated throughout the state, albeit less obviously,
as districts were tailored not only for their partisan leanings but to
the personal specifications of politicians favored by the leadership.
Keeley's desire for a Democratic Senate seat, for example, ran afoul of
the leadership's tilt toward Assemblyman Dennis Cardoza, D-Merced, who
wants to choose between running for Congress and the Senate.
"I've learned one thing. It's all about me," Assemblywoman
Sarah Reyes, D-Fresno, complained as the plans sailed through the
Assembly.
She meant it as criticism of others for pursuing their personal
agendas over party or ethnic group interest, but she may have been
unwittingly saying it about herself. The plans left her without a Senate
seat to seek, since leaders favored rival Assemblyman Dean Florez,
D-Shafter, in the reconfiguration of a Senate district.
As Undemocratic As Ever
The partisan outcome of redistricting may have been different from
what was expected a year or two ago, but the process was exactly as
messy, as self-serving and as undemocratic as anyone could expect. And
it provided new support for the notion that politicians shouldn't be
drawing their own districts in ways that treat their constituents as
pawns.
The Bee's Dan Walters can be reached at (916) 321-1195 or dwalters@sacbee.com.
Welcome New Golden Circle Members
The Congress is grateful for the leadership of the following
individuals who joined the Golden Circle during the 3rd quarter 2001:
Dr. William Kirby
Ron & Joanne Lichau
By joining the Golden Circle, you are invited to twice yearly private
receptions with key political leaders. Members also receive a gold name
badge and their name prominently listed on our web site, letterhead and
newsletter.
Join Today!
Take your place among the mainstream Republican leaders in Placer
County, join the Golden Circle today! The cost is $250 (individuals) or
$300 (couples) per year and includes Congress membership. Existing
Congress members can upgrade to Golden Circle for $220 (individuals) or
$250 (couples.)
For more information or to join, please call Sandy Hoffman at (530)
878-9089 or simply mail your check, payable to “Republican Congress of
Placer County,” to P.O. Box 840, Newcastle, CA 95658.
Golf Tournament Already A Winner
Our 1st Annual Golf Tournament Charity Fundraiser is still a week
away, but it already looks to be a great success for the Congress and
our charity partner, PEACE For Families.
Invitations were mailed out after Labor Day and the response has been
overwhelming. We hope to have a full slate of golfers on October 9th,
plus many more attending the dinner following the Tournament.
October 9th Schedule
The day begins for golfers with registration from 11:00AM—1:00PM
followed by a shotgun start. The Tournament will be played in a “scramble
format” or “best ball” allowing both new and experienced golfers
to play side by side and all have a great time.
Following golf at 6:00PM will be a Social Hour and Silent Auction for
golfers and non-golfers alike. The event concludes with a Dinner Program
at 7:00PM, featuring Mark Williams, the top-rated talk show host on KFBK
Radio. (See story.)
Awards for the best golfers will be presented and non-golfers are
encouraged to attend the Social Hour and Dinner by purchasing a
dinner-only ticket.
Reserve A Place Today!
If you would like to play in the Tournament or attend the dinner
only, please use the registration form.
Complete the form on-line or mail/fax it back as quickly possible - space is selling out fast!
Thank you, Sponsors!
Businesses and individuals were asked in recent months to sponsor the
Tournament and the response has been outstanding. Please thank the
following for their generous contributions:
Gold Sponsor
Del Webb Corporation
Silver Sponsors
The Auburn Sentinel
Howard Construction Fencing & Fabrication
Richland Communities, Inc.
Bronze Sponsors
Home On The Range
Realty World—South Placer
Bruce A. Lyon, Attorney At Law
Jones & Associates
Tim Leslie, State Assemblyman
Tee Sponsors
Brad Fenocchio, County District Attorney
Ted Gaines, County Supervisor District 4
Gold Country Bank, N.A.
Kathy Lund, Rocklin City Council
Magnussen's Auburn Toyota
Maki Heating and A/C, Inc.
Kathy Martinis, County Auditor-Controller
Gabe Mendez, Inc.
Pit Stop Printing
Placer Title Company
Sinclair & Wilson, Attorneys At Law
"Skin Care" by Glenda Freeman
Placer County Supervisor Robert Weygandt
Jenine Windeshausen, County Treasurer-Controller
We still have a limited number of Tee Sponsorships available for
$300. Please click here if you would
like to be a Tee Sponsor.
Don't Miss Congress News and Events
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please become a member.
Past Newsletters
Winter 2001
Spring 2001
Summer 2001
