Craig DeLuz on the Capitol Hour- The Republican Reformation

“And if by these things you are not reformed by Me, but walk contrary to Me, then I also will walk contrary to you, and I will punish you yet seven times for your sins.” Lev 26:23-24

Republican voters sent a clear message to Republican elected and candidates- start governing like Republicans or we will send you packing! So have we learned our lesson?

Is this the beginning of the Republican Reformation?

We will be talking about this and more TODAY on the Capitol Hour.

Details Below:

When: Today, November 26th

Station: KTKZ 1380AM

Live Audio Steaming at http://www.ktkz.com/ (for those of you out of the Sacramento Region)

TIME: 12 noon-1 pm (PST)

Call in Numbers: (916) 923-3300 or 1(800) 923-1380

Mad Moments- Give Thanks!

Democrats propose gimmicks and tax increases but no budget reform

Today, Legislative Democrats offered their proposal to address the $28 billion deficit facing California over the next 19 months.

In predictable fashion, they offered temporary gimmicks (calling them cuts), permanent tax increases (calling them revenue enhancements) and absolutely no budget reform. In fact, the Democrat proposal offers $8 billion in TEMPORARY spending cuts and gimmicks in exchange for $8 billion in PERMANENT tax increases.

Democrat Assembly member Noreen Evans pleaded for members to not be beholden to ideology and “put everything on the table.” However, Democrats refused to include any substantive budget reform or economic stimulus in the bill package they put forth today.

The California Assembly Republican Caucus has identified the following “Lowlights” in the Democrat’s proposal:

• Permanent Tax Increases – Imposes $8.6 billion in higher taxes on hard-working Californians, including higher Vehicle License Fees. Over 5 years, our taxes would be raised by $24 billion.



• Small Ongoing Budget Savings – Uses delays and fund-shifts to make it seem like their approach would lead to $8.1 billion in cuts, while in reality it would lead to little ongoing savings.



• Prioritizes Welfare over Public Safety – Contains few cuts to the fastest-growing areas of government like health and welfare programs, while targeting public safety for devastating cuts to frontline officers, community policing and juvenile justice programs.



• Includes Early Release - It also includes dangerous early release and direct discharge parole plans that would allow thousands of inmates to go directly back into our communities, unsupervised by a parole officer.



• No Incentives for Job Creation – Includes no economic incentives or reforms to lower business costs and encourage companies to invest in California and create jobs here.



• No Strict Spending Limit – Has no real spending limit that would force the Legislature to only spend what the state takes in each year.

How Obama Got Elected (Video)

This video comes from a website called OneAngryMan.com .

I find it funny how little these Obama voters know about the candidates or their campaigns.

Normally I would dismiss stuff like this as juvenille propoganda. But the responses in this video are totally consistant with just about every encounter I had with Obama supporters.


The video's creator writes:

On the evening of November 4th, 2008 I along with millions of Americans were shocked that a man of Barack Obama’s extreme liberal positions and radical political alliances and policies could be elected President of the United States.

This is further proof that the news media, completely engrosed with Obama’s persona, simply refused to do their job.

Twelve Obama voters were interviewed extensively right after they voted to learn how the news media impacted their knowledge of what occurred during the campaign. These voters were chosen for their verbal abilities and willingness to express their opinions to a large audience. The video below seeks to provide some insight into which information broke through the news media clutter and which did not.

Thought the 2008 elections were over? Think again!

The battle for CD 4 between Charlie Brown and Tom McClintock is still up in the air as they continute to count ballots. The same is true for AD 10 as GOP hopeful Jack Sieglock hopes to fend off his democratic opponent, Alice Huber.

And what can we expect from Sacramento's Mayor-Elect, Kevin Johnson? He is in the minority (Only three of members of the nine seat city council supported him) and will be facing some of the toughest budget decisions any Sacramento leader has ever had to face.

All this and more will be discussed during this week's show.

To tune in simply go to http://www.deluzbrothers.com/ and click on the Listen Live Button at the top of the page.


You can even join the conversation by calling in at (347) 237-5073. We will be breaking down the upcoming election and much more. You don't want to miss the fireworks!


Details Below:

When: Friday, November 21st


Station: Blogtalk Radio

Live Audio Steaming at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/The-DeLuz-Brothers


TIME: 11:30-12 noon (PST)

Call in Number: (347) 237-5073

MAD Moment: Higher taxes is not the answer to California's budget problems

Speaker Bass decries racist comments by LGTB community

During an interview with the Sacramento Bee editorial staff, California Assembly Speaker Karen Bass commented on the “hostility” that the LGTB community has shown towards blacks after the passage of Prop 8, which defined marriage as being between a man and a woman.

During a videotaped interview, Bass told of how blacks who actually voted against the measure were confronted with “racial epithets” when they showed up to protest the vote. She went on to point out that some were so fearful they even left because “…they were threatened.”

The Speaker went on to say, “I was appalled at how quickly some members of the LGTB leadership went there…”

Well Madam Speaker, they did. But I understand your confusion. I too thought they were No on H8?

(I stand corrected!!!! In an earlier version of this post, I stated that the quote from the article was not the same as the one in the video. I was wrong the video is quoted correctly in the article. My apologies to the Sacramento Bee!.)

Is the Religious Right wrong for the GOP?

I knew it was only a matter of time before my fellow Republicans started taking pot shots at us religious conservatives; blaming us for the outcome of this most recent election. (See Kathleen Parker: Religious right threatens Republican Party's future)

Is it just me or wasn’t the man at the top of our ticket a guy who took great pride in the fact that he was not a member of the Christian right? And wasn’t his campaign run by folks like Steve Schmitt, who did everything possible to run their candidate as anything but a conservative Republican? Face it, this was the year of the “Moderate Republican” and they lost.

The only reason it was as close as it was, was because of the addition of Sarah Palin to the ticket. We all watched as crowds cheered, donors gave and volunteers flooded the campaign. Why were they doing this? It was because this young energetic PRO-LIFE, PRO-GUN, PRO-MARRIAGE, CONSERVATIVE woman was now on the ticket. Like her or not, Sarah Palin brought energy and excitement to this presidential election at levels her more moderate running mate could not. And had it not been for the conservative haters in the campaign undermining her at every turn, the ticket might have done even better.


But let’s be honest, considering the level of Obamania that swept the country and the media, an almost $1 billion war chest and a meltdown of the financial markets; Ronald Regan- heck, even Abraham Lincoln couldn’t have won. So, I don’t blame John McCain. But to blame religious conservatives for the state of our party is just plain wrong.

I believe that there are two primary culprits to this meltdown.

The first is Republicans not walking the talk. We claimed to be about smaller government, but the greatest expansion of government spending happened under our watch. We claim to be about family values, but we had leaders propositioning congressional pages and playing footsies in the men’s room. We claimed to be the party of “Ethics and Moral Values”, meanwhile members of our party are being run out of office (some to jail) under corruption charges. We claim to be a party who supports equality for all, but we can’t seem to find our way to some communities until we need their vote. To make a long story short, we lost because we governed like democrats.

The second culprit is the GOP infighting. Moderates blame conservatives, stating that the only way to win is to abandon our socially conservative principles and change the party platform. Then conservatives fire back, questioning the “Republicanism” of anyone who disagrees with them on anything. We become the proverbial circular firing squad shooting at each other instead of the Democrats. If we are to turn this around two things are going to have to happen. First, moderates need to stop attacking our conservative values. Conservatives make up the core to of the GOP's base. We are the meat and potatoes, moderates are the side dish. So, stop trying to change the platform. Likewise, conservatives must realize that not everyone is going to score 100% on the conservative values test. The party platform is the measuring stick we should use when judging our candidates. But we must also keep in mind that in some cases the perfect Republican candidate will not be the perfect Republican. Believe it or not, one can be a fiscal conservative and social moderate and still be convicted of being a Republican. In the infamous words of Mr. King (Rodney that is) “Can’t we all just get along?”


However, there is a silver lining to this rather dark cloud. The best solution for the syndrome that now ails the Republican party past has always been a Democratic administration. Nothing brings combatants together like a common enemy.

Let us not forget that Jimmy Carter helped us usher in the Regan Revolution. Then there was Bill Clinton’s liberal leadership, which led to the Contract With America. The election of Barak Obama could turn out to be best thing that could have happened to the GOP. That is, if we can learn to get along, govern according to our values and take a serious look at how we plan to attract new Republican voters.

So, what will Republican need to do to attract these new voters? We need to go to where they are; to get to understand their issues; and then, effectively communicate how our common conservative values can produce societal and public policy solutions to the challenges they face.

We have a lot of heavy lifting to do to rebuild our party. And if we are to be successful, it will not be as some sort of "Democrat-Lite" Party. "All the liberal values without the annoying tax increases." It will be because we have committed the resources necessary to build relationships with voters and have focused our message on shared values of family, opportunity and freedom as it applies to all Americans.

California News Roundup - November 7, 2008

Governor: Tax hikes, spending cuts to fix budget -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called Thursday for the Legislature to convene a special session to approve his plan to overcome the state's projected $11.2 billion revenue shortfall by raising billions of dollars in new taxes and making major spending cuts.


Dan Walters: Budget meltdown was inevitable -- Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and an ideologically polarized Legislature had danced around California's budget mess for years, running up deficits even during prosperous years and covering shortfalls with hide-the-pea bookkeeping and phantom revenues.


Schwarzenegger's tax plan has foes and fans -- Higher taxes? In a recession? From refrigerator repair to oil production, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's budget plan launched an instant debate Thursday on the economic impact of increasing the tax burden on a weary populace.


Analysis: Is Schwarzenegger wise to raise taxes in a bad economy? -- It's been conventional wisdom in modern politics — and holy writ among Republicans — that when the economy hits the skids, the last thing you want to do is saddle the people with more taxes.


A state sales tax jump could backfire -- Gov. Schwarzenegger's proposal for a temporary increase could drive consumers to buy outside the state or over the Internet.


Oil firms vow to fight Schwarzenegger's tax proposal -- California oil producers vowed Thursday to wage an all-out lobbying battle against Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's call for a 9.9% state tax on every barrel of crude pumped out of the ground. The governor said the tax was an important part of a budget-balancing solution at a time of economic crisis in the state. But the oil industry warned it would mean higher gasoline prices during a recession.



State workers rip Schwarzenegger's job furlough plan -- State workers on Thursday blasted Gov. Arnold Schwar-zenegger's proposal to furlough them one day a month and drop two paid holidays from their calendar. "I'll be firing off letters and e-mails to legislators that say, 'Hell no,' " said Jon Marshack, a scientist employed by the state for 27 years. "And I can tell you that everyone I work with is very, very angry."


Governor aims to boost jobless insurance fund -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger unveiled a plan to fix California's near bankrupt unemployment insurance fund on Thursday by cutting worker benefits, increasing company payroll taxes and borrowing from the federal government.


Prop. 8 foes concede defeat, vow to fight on -- Opponents of Proposition 8 conceded defeat Thursday in their campaign to block the ban on same-sex marriage in California, pinning their hopes on a legal challenge to the statewide initiative.


Gay marriage ban spawns confusion across California -- With protesters taking to the streets yesterday over the state's newly approved gay marriage ban, California lapsed into legal uncertainty and political turmoil over who should have the right to wed.


Prop. 8 protesters target Mormon temple in Westwood -- More than a thousand gay-rights activists gathered Thursday afternoon outside the Mormon temple in Westwood to protest the role Mormons played in passing Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in California.


Black and Latino voters critical to same-sex marriage ban's success -- Even as African-American and Latino voters were a powerful force in boosting America's first black president to victory, in California they also were crucial to passing Proposition 8, a ballot measure labeled, "Eliminates right of same-sex couples to marry."


Schwarzenegger names his children's nanny to state board -- California has often been tagged as the "nanny state" for passing laws that some people say interfere with citizens' lives. But now it has earned the label for a whole different reason, thanks to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The Republican governor announced this week that he had appointed a nanny -- his own children's nanny, in fact -- as a part-time state regulator on the Board of Guide Dogs for the Blind.

Governor Proposes $4.7 Billion Tax Increase

You knew it was coming!

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has issued his proposals for addressing the anticipated $11.2 billion revenue shortfall. The center piece of his proposal is $4.7 billion in new taxes.

Here are the details:

A Revenue Problem: While Governor Schwarzenegger has worked to fix the state’s spending problem, and has kept state spending relatively flat for the past three budget cycles, the dramatic drop in our revenue projections over the past six weeks resents an extraordinary situation which, combined with the volatility of our tax ystem, creates a revenue problem. Raising taxes is never a good idea, but in this xtraordinary situation, there is no question that new revenues must be brought into he state to protect education and vital services. The Governor is proposing $ 4.7 billion in new revenues for the current budget year in the form of:

• A Temporary Sales Tax Increase: A temporary increase in the state sales tax (from 5 percent to 6.5 percent) will generate additional sales tax revenues of $3.5 billion in 2008-09 for the General Fund. It will also effectively protect significant education funding. At the end of three years, the state sales tax would revert to 5 percent.

• Broadening the Sales and Use Tax to Include Certain Services: Effective February 1, 2009, the sales and use tax rate will be applied to appliance and furniture repair, vehicle repair, golf, and veterinarian services. Effective March 1, 2009, the sales and use tax rate will be applied to amusement parks and sporting events. This is expected to generate additional General Fund sales tax
  revenue of $357 million in 2008-09.
• Oil Severance Tax: Effective January 1, 2009, impose an oil severance tax upon any oil producer for the right to extract oil from the earth or water in this state. This brings California in line with other states. The tax shall be applied to the gross value of each barrel of oil at a rate of 9.9 percent and will generate additional tax revenues of $528 million in 2008-09.
• Increase Alcohol and Excise Taxes: Alcohol excise taxes are proposed to be raised by five cents a drink beginning on January 1, 2009. This increase is estimated to raise $293 million in 2008-09. Revenues from this tax will be used to fund critical drug and alcohol treatment and prevention services. Alcohol taxes were last raised in 1991.

In the Governor's defense, he has also proposed $4.5 billion in spending cuts. This includes a deep $2.5 billion cut in education funding for this year. The fact is, there is something for everyone to hate in this proposal. But then again, maybe we wouldn't have such a big budget shortfall if we didn't ignore the fact that the revenue projects were unrealistic from the start.

But I won't go there!

California News Roundup- November 6, 2008

Massive budget deficit keeps growing, California's Senate chief says -- California faces a massive $11.2 billion deficit this fiscal year, even higher than projected in recent weeks, Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata said Wednesday. Without immediate intervention, the nightmare could lead to an additional $13 billion hole in the 2009-10 fiscal year, according to Perata, citing numbers he said came from the Governor's Office.


Democrats fall short of their goal of a super majority -- Despite Obama's big victory in the state, his party won two of the six Assembly seats it needed and possibly only one of the two it needed in the Senate.


Dems hope gains in Legislature will force GOP's cooperation -- Legislative Democrats fell short of capturing super majorities on Election Day, but insist the political landscape — paved by President-elect Barack Obama's decisive win — has shifted perceptibly to their favor.



Governor proposes plan to avert foreclosures -- . Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed a new plan Wednesday to induce lenders to modify home loans to help struggling borrowers avoid foreclosure. The proposal must be approved by the Legislature, which the governor plans to call into special session to consider an economic stimulus package - including the foreclosure plan - and to address the budget shortfall.



Prop. 11 on state redistricting holds slim lead -- A ballot measure that would shift the power to draw legislative districts from state lawmakers to an independent commission held a slim lead Wednesday as elections officials said it may be a few days before all ballots are counted.


Gov. Schwarzenegger declares win in Proposition 11 -- . Arnold Schwarzenegger claimed victory Wednesday in his effort to reform the way California draws its legislative districts. Opponents of the hotly contested ballot initiative, however, insisted it was premature to declare the election over because possibly hundreds of thousands of absentee and provisional ballots remained uncounted.


Californians may be on Obama's short list -- President-elect Barack Obama has signaled that he and his campaign organizers will act relatively quickly to give shape to the incoming administration. The list of people under consideration for key appointments includes several Californians with deep political roots who were early advisers to the Illinois senator.


How Obama's big win could bring change to California -- Sen. Dianne Feinstein has a simple way to measure the immediate impact of Barack Obama's sweeping victory on California. "Now we'll get our phone calls returned," the jubilant California Democrat said Wednesday, noting that the Bush administration has often been hostile to the state's interests.


Backers focused Prop. 8 battle beyond marriage -- Opponents of gay marriage shrewdly targeted the implications for schools, churches and children, analysts say.


Same-sex marriage issue back to state top court -- A day after California voters approved a state constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, the incendiary issue returned to the state Supreme Court, where gay and lesbian couples and the city of San Francisco filed lawsuits Wednesday seeking to overturn Proposition 8.



Prop. 8 defeat could cost Newsom in long term -- Election night was not kind to Gavin Newsom, who may end up one of the biggest losers after suffering a potentially crushing loss with Proposition 8 and at best breaking even in the local contests he had a stake in.


Many Obama supporters also backed Prop. 8 -- Californians voted their religion, not their political party, when they pushed Proposition 8 to victory and banned same-sex marriage in the state, campaign officials and political experts said Wednesday.


Sen. Feinstein's lesson on Prop. 8 -- In 2004, when President Bush was re-elected, Sen. Dianne Feinstein was quick to lay some of the blame at Mayor Gavin Newsom's feet. Earlier that year, the mayor had allowed thousands of same-sex couples to marry.


San Francisco voters surprisingly conservative on issues -- It sounds like a stereotypical San Franciscan's dream: spend big on affordable housing, explore public power, decriminalize prostitution, vote against the military in schools - and, like icing on the political cake, name a sewage treatment plant after George Bush. But none of that happened.


Blue-state California gives Republicans the blues -- Barack Obama's margin of victory is a modern day-record for the state. Even budding GOP strongholds such as Riverside and San Bernardino counties back the Democrat.


Some key races play waiting game -- With 311,091 votes counted in a vast congressional district extending from Sacramento suburbs to the Oregon border, the margin separating Republican Tom McClintock and Democrat Charlie Brown stood Tuesday at a mere 451 votes. The fact that all 807 precincts in the 4th Congressional District reported election night returns was of little consequence.



Election scorecard - the good and bad for business -- Yes on high-speed rail and redistricting. No on two much-criticized alternative energy measures. That's a clean sweep of election issues judged most important by Bay Area business groups.



Budget woes will be first big challenge for Sacramento's next mayor -- There won't be much of a honeymoon for Sacramento Mayor-elect Kevin Johnson. The city's budget crisis will make sure of that.

DeLuz Brothers featured in Eleciton night coverage

Our first appearance on KCRA Channel 3 was so well received, we were invited back to participate in the election night wrap up.

Change we can believe in?

After running the most effective campaign $ 1 billion can buy, Barak Obama has won the presidency of the United States of America.

If I sound bitter, I’m not. The American public has spoken. This election was about change; and clearly Barak Obama offered the kind of change that voters were looking for. My only question is, what kind of change exactly is that?

Throughout the election, I came across Obama supporters who had no idea what his record was or what he planned to do once elected. But , they did know that we needed change. My response was always the same, “Out of the frying pan, into the fire- That’s change!”

My brother David seems to think that Barak Obama will learn from the mistakes of the past. He believes that unlike Clinton, who also had the benefit of a working majority in both houses of congress, Obama will not adopt a far left agenda. For the nation’s sake I hope he is right.

However, I just don’t think Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi will be able to help themselves. When left unrestrained by conservative roadblocks, liberals seem to develop a policy turrets syndrome. “RAISE TAXES!” “UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE!” “END GLOBAL WARMING!”

You name it, they will propose it. It doesn’t matter whether or not it will work; or what the negative consequences may be. As long as it sounds good they will run it up the flagpole. But this time they have enough people to salute and actually pass their liberal agenda. The only question that remains is whether or not a man who was the most liberal member of the Senate will sign on the dotted line.

Forgive me if I am a bit skeptical.

No on 8 Resorts to Hate Speech

Can someone explain to me exactly why this commercial does not constitute hate speech?




Imagine if the two guys who conducted this home invasion were Catholic... or Muslim?

How do you think public reaction would be different?

Craig DeLuz debates Prop 8

Over the weekend I had a chance to participate in a lively debate on Prop. 8, which amends the California Constitution to define marriage as being between and a man and a woman.

Click Here to listen in.