CommentsEASTSIDER-After the recent meeting of the Executive Committee of the California Democratic Party, where they endorsed Kevin de Leon in his run against Dianne Feinstein, you would have thought they were agents for evil left Commie Sympathizers!
Emblematic of the hue and cry was Dan Walters’ piece in CALmatters, where he proclaimed that the “Democratic left wing wants to Jettison Sen. Feinstein.”
Now I really like and respect Dan Walters and have for years. But on this one I simply have to say he got it all wrong.
The Real History
Back in January, I wrote about February’s larger, full California Democratic Party Convention. The one where Chair Eric Bauman tried an unsuccessful end run to block any endorsements, and thus allow his Executive Committee to do the real endorsements in July.
In retrospect, what ultimately happened is what Eric Bauman wanted, only not the wayhe wanted it. In February there was no endorsement for Feinstein’s Senate seat, although De Leon got over 50% of the votes, so this month the smaller 217-member Executive Committee acted to endorse de Leon. However, even that group only endorsed by with a 65% vote, so characterizing this group as a bunch of lefties is simply not true. The Executive Committee is by definition the CDP establishment.
I believe a good case can be made that the vote was in large part a payoff for Kevin de Leon delivering the biggest tax increase in recent California history to various special interests, even as he was termed out: The Gas Tax!
Kevin De Leon’s “Progressivism”
Remember, this is the same Democratic Party that labels Kevin de Leon as a big time progressive, out to replace the old, reactionary, and impliedly feeble Dianne Feinstein. And indeed, Mr. de Leon mouths all the expected buzz words: “pro-immigrant, pro-environment, pro-gun control, pro-women’s rights, pro-Medicare for all,” etc.
Easy to say, although how all this would work as a freshman Senator from California seems like a pretty big stretch to me.
So, before anyone gets giddy with excitement over Kevin de Leon’s prospects in November, let’s look at his biggest actual legislative achievement as President Pro Tem of the California Senate.
Senate Bill 1: The Transportation Funding Bill. In a year of some of the biggest tax surpluses ever, Kevin couldn’t make a deal without a huge new tax increase! Check out the exact language of this turkey.
For those who are not already familiar with this legislation, here’s the quick version as reported by the Desert Sun.
“To raise a projected $52.4 billion over 10 years, changes to taxes and fees include:
- A 12-cent increase in the gasoline excise tax
- A 20-cent increase in the diesel excise tax
- A 5.75 percent increase in the diesel sales tax
- A new vehicle fee, which will annually charge drivers between $25 and $175, depending on the value of the vehicle
- A $100 annual fee on zero-emission vehicles
The vote brings California's gas excise tax to 30 cents per gallon.”
The Sunarticle also has a really spiffy picture of Kevin de Leon standing by Governor Brown.
In the included Press Release by Mr. De Leon, he proudly states that:
"Today, after decades of inaction, the legislature approved a fiscally responsible plan to address our decrepit transportation infrastructure. This bipartisan compromise includes strict accountability measures and closes our massive transportation funding shortfalls — without burdening future generations with debt."
Well of course it wouldn’t burden future generations. It taxes you and I right out of the box. And as a proud representative of the oppressed, Kevin evidently forgot that gas taxes are just about as regressive as a tax can be, disproportionately hurting his very own constituents.
Fallout from Passage of the Gas Tax
Of course, personal gains for the Speaker passing this bill were not long coming. As the Los Angeles Times reported in August 2017:
“Along with strong support from labor organizations, De Leon’s long list of donors includes Los Angeles philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad, Planned Parenthood organizations, former Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez and renewable energy companies.”
I think most folks know all about Uncle Eli and his Charter School proclivities. Another economic windfall came from billionaire Tom Steyer who ponied up some of his 1/2 of the 1 percent big bucks for Kevin. Check out the Daily Caller’s article about that support.
On the other hand, let’s admit that not all democratic incumbents benefited from voting for the Bill. Just ask freshman Senator Josh Newman, who provided a final vote needed for passage. Here is the background, courtesy of the Washington Free Beacon.
In this year’s recent primary election, Josh paid the ultimate price, being recalled and replaced with a Republican in his Fullerton (Orange County) District.
Further pushback ensued, as an angry populace qualified an initiative just to repeal the new Gas Tax. Here’s the LA Times story.
As of May a slight majority of California voterssupported repealing the Gas Tax, period. We will see how all this turns out in November, but the fact that this repeal is on the ballot will likely increase the anti-tax turnout.
Such is the legacy to date of SB1 and Kevin de Leon.
The Takeaway
Notwithstanding the California State Party’s endorsement last week, it seems to me that the word “progressive” has been so badly conscripted by everyone that we need a reality check on what it means. To me, progressive means a bottom-up, grassroots candidate who has long standing ties to the community he or she wants to represent, who stays in close contact with and listens to the troops and tries to directly represent their interests in the legislature. Not some predetermined political party rhetoric. Someone like Katie Hill in the 25thCongressional District, who I recently wrote about.
One realgrassroots progressive club, theEast Area Progressives (EAPD), wasted no time and had already endorsed Feinstein well before the recent Executive Committee meeting. That endorsement will continue to the November ballot.
Just as an FYI: Here are some comments from the Club’s President, Hans Johnson, that he recently sent out to club members:
This somber outcome—the state party endorsing against the 5-term incumbent and champion for reproductive health and LGBT equality and the freedom to marry, on the brink of Senate hearings on a Supreme Court nominee endangering all these hard-won Constitutional rights—raises the specter of 2 others ...
That the same pitiful abdication of leadership by party officials to prevent this outcome by the state party will be compounded by the squandering of state party MONEY to a challenger’s campaign when he stands little chance of defeating the incumbent and cannot do so without 4 months of unceasing attacks on her, her record, her service, and playing on ugly stereotypes involving age and gender. Those attacks must not be financed in any way by our state party.
I can hardly wait for November.
(Tony Butka is an Eastside community activist, who has served on a neighborhood council, has a background in government and is a contributor to CityWatch.) Edited for CityWatch by Linda Abrams.
