Replacement for Assembly GOP Leader Chad Mayes to be Decided Monday—Criteria for NEW Leader
August 17, 2017 By 2 Comments
What do we expect from a leader of the Assembly Republicans? First and foremost leadership. During the recent cap and trade vote, Guv Brown and the Democrats told GOP Assembly Leader that if you do not support and vote for the 63 cent gas tax increase, agree that revenues go to the boondoggle choo choo to nowhere, agree that business will be taxed to stay open (Brown calls it a “credit”, bought from other companies) we have a rogue agency that will do worse. This was not a binary decision—it was a bully. Yet Brown allowed Democrats like the endangered Quirk-Silva of Orange County to vote no—because he had Republicans to push it over the top.Mayes leadership caused six other Assembly GOP’ers to vote for this disastrous policy—to be fair, Assemblywoman Catherine Baker did say during her 2016 election she supported this policy. But, the others, led by a weak Mayes, kowtowed to the bullying of Jerry Brown. Republicans need a strong leader, not one that wilts in the face of a bully.
Editorial by Stephen Frank, California Political News and Views, 8/18/19
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(Let me make it clear, I am not endorsing or supporting ANY candidate to replace Chad Mayes—that is up to the members of the Republican Assembly Caucus—I will not interfere in that decisions)
I am endorsing one person: her name is Melissa Melendez.
She has been the most conservative, the most outspoken member of the Assembly GOP Caucus.
She was not afraid to step down as assistant minority leader. She was not afraid to call out Chad Mayes for his serial selling out.
A friend of mine serves on the California Republican Party Board. Last week in discussions with this person, they made a comment that had to be taken seriously, “Chad Mayes, dead man walking”. This from a Board member that just after the cap and trade vote was a vociferous defender of Mayes and the other GOP Assembly members that thought you could afford an increase of 63 cents a gallon for gas.
Yes, Mayes is dead to the GOP. He is an arrogant sellout who wants to drag down as many people with himself in the midst of this massive failure of leadership. He purposely decided to put his corrupt friendship with Speaker Anthony Rendon ahead of the needs of Californians of all backgrounds.
Shameful. Just plain shameful.
Then the San Bernardino Republican Central Committee (home county of Mayes) meet and voted on asking Mayes to resign as Caucus leader, Mayes spoke in his own defense.,. The secret ballot vote was 23-16 asking him to resign. So far more than a dozen counties and county chairs have asked him to resign. Significant fund raising groups have asked him to resign. To my knowledge not a single County chair or County Committee has come forward asking Mayes to stay. Today the California Republican Party Board of Directors is holding a vote on Mayes. It is expected to pass by a good number. This vote will be recorded—so each Board member will be put on record.
I am somewhat alarmed that 16 people in the SB GOP Central Committee did not want Mayes to resign. That number is a little too close for comfort for me. Not sure what to think of that.
What does it take to be a good Assembly Caucus Leader? Obviously the ability to raise money, a solid support of the Caucus, staff that understands political operations, honesty with donors and the grassroots.
What should the new Assembly Caucus Chair do?
- Hire a new staff, the current staff, mostly holdovers from the Kristin Olsen term as Caucus leader—and she lost three Assembly seats, won none in 2016—and is now the Vice Chair of the California Republican Party. These are the same folks that agreed it was a good idea to unilaterally end the Joint Fundraising Agreement with the CRP and the Senate Caucus. How unilateral? No discussion or vote from the GOP’ers in the Caucus. This is not how major decisions are made. And it appears no one on staff prepared Mayes or the six others of the firestorm that would occur. Our ability to win seats, and hold seats, in 2018 has been severely endangered.
Kristen Olsen is a cheater, just like Cheating Chad Mayes.
They are all so shamefully corrupt. When does this nonsense end? When will we find good people in Sacramento who will do what is best for those whom they have sworn to defend?
- The leader must be philosophically in tune with the Caucus. There are three candidates to replace Mayes—Jay Obernolte, Melissa Melendez and Vince Fong. Jay is the only one I have met—and we have spoken on a few occasions, the last being last Saturday night via phone.
Here are a few votes to be aware of:
AB 847 (Bocanegra) requires the “senate” (student government) at each public institution (CSU, CCC, requests UC to comply) to post its membership roster on its web site and to make the race and ethnicity of the members available to the public. Assemblyman Mayes voted AYE, Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez voted NO.
Assemblyman Jay Obernolte voted to provide $4,000 for any illegal immigrant who wants to attend community college. (SB 85 (Budget)). Assemblyman Mayes voted AYE, Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez voted NO.
Tom McClintock voted against every single budget in Sacramento. It's time to find more Republicans who will not go along with the same seedy corruption.
Assemblyman Jay Obernolte voted to allocate funds from Prop 56 (tobacco tax) to fund abortions. (AB 120 (Ting)). Assemblyman Mayes voted AYE, Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez voted NO.
- The Caucus chair should protect all members of the Caucus from the Speaker and defend for re-election. Recently Mayes allowed Democrat Speaker Rendon to punish Melendez for the “crime” of quitting the Mayes Leadership Team. She was put into the smallest office the Assembly has, called in the Capitol the “Doghouse”.
Mayes is a dog, a total back-stabbing fraud who would rather be the lapdog for the Speaker rather than the attack dog which every Californian needs.
- Making no major decisions without agreement in the Caucus. The next Leader needs to reinstate the Joint Fundraising Agreement and not act unilaterally when it affects all the members.
Yes! We need to win elections, and we can't begin to win again if we are not working with men and women around the country to do so.
- Rebuild the credibility of the Caucus with the grassroots, the volunteers as well as the donors of the Party.
Most importantly, the Leader has to be the toughest one of the bunch. Sacramento eats weakness. If you can not stand up to a bully, you can not be Leader. We will know Monday if Mayes is voted out by a motion to vacant the chair—and if so, who replaces him. My intelligence says that no candidates has double digit support. I will be watching the votes of the seven that voted for cap and trade and the tax increase. I believe that at least five will vote for the same candidate. When you see their vote, you will know who the Establishment wants to replace Mayes. If that candidate wins do not expect staff changes, policy or a unified Caucus.
This is not only a vote for Leader, it is a vote to see if the GOP candidates for Assembly in 2018 can be competitive.
Sources all over have informed me that California is going to turn into Venezuela. There is nothing much that we can do. I do not like that narrative. I simply cannot abide standing by and doing nothing while California goes to hell in a handbasket.
Can't we at least find a few people willing to put up a fight?
Then again, is this state even worth fighting for at this point?
For now, who is my choice for Assembly minority leader?
Melissa Melendez!
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