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The California Progress Report is published by Frank D. Russo, a longtime observer of and participant in California politics.

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It’s Deadman Denham Walking—Recall Petition Qualifies—Likely Consolidation with June Primary

By Frank D. Russo

The Dump Denham recall campaign issued the following statement after voters successfully qualified the petition for the ballot, setting the stage for a probable June recall election:

"The voters have caught on to Jeff Denham - they're recalling him for the same reasons people take unsafe toys off the shelf and tainted meat out of supermarkets - because they're no good, and because we deserve better.

“Voters thought they were electing the kind of straight-talking independent the region is known for - but they got just the opposite.

“Denham hasn't been honest about supporting schools, about giving his vote away to special interests or even about his own paycheck.

“Denham keeps pointing fingers at other politicians, but it's voters who put this recall on the ballot, and it's voters who will have the last word. We call that democracy."

The recall effort began after Denham - breaking his pledge to voters - gave his vote on the state's budget to the Senate's Orange County Republican leadership, jeopardizing funding for schools, healthcare and other local services over the objection of Governor Schwarzenegger.

While he had pledged to make local schools a top priority, Denham voted against the budget to provide school funding, against the bond measure to repair classrooms - and even opposed legislation to hire more science teachers and update school lab equipment.

According to the Monterey County Weekly:

“Three of Denham’s 18 proposed bills for 2007 became law. One extends an already existing law, another changes testing requirements for prospective veterinarians, and the third allows Californians to bet on the Dubai Cup horse race. A recent bill that would have given families of fallen soldiers a special license plate was ignored, and expired without a hearing. Critics say the bill was silly because it didn’t need an act of the legislature and could instead been handled administratively."

When the voters of Denham’s district go to the polls, they will have a choice to recall him, and when they do, a raft of others to consider as a replacement.

Denham and Republican crew will have to face grassroots folks like member of the Stanislaus County Democratic Central Committee and local leader of the recall Gary Robbins, who worked to get the recall on the ballot. Robbins says:

“In August of 2007 I initiated a petition to recall Senator Jeff Denham (R), 12th Senate District, California. The 12th Senate District includes all or parts of Montery, Madera, Merced, San Benito, and Stanislaus Counties. At the time the petition was filed with the Secretary of State's office Senator Denham neither looked at the petition as a serious threat nor did he think enough signatures would be gathered to effect a recall to remove him from office. As of February 13, 2008 Senator Denham is singing a different tune.

“Denham has time and time again betrayed our trust and that of our children by promising to oppose cuts in public education, then voting against funding our schools as he did when he opposed the state budget that would have provided the mere basics — money for text books, pay teachers' salaries, and keep the lights on. He has refused to address, support, and vote for legislation to deal with the staggering foreclosure rate in California. Denham has refused to deal with the Central Valleys' flood control issues to protect our homes, businesses and farms by voting against funding new levees or repair on existing levees, and when it comes to helping maintain or improve our system of highways and roads he has laid another goose egg. The list goes on and on as does his taking of monies from special interest groups such as $50,000 from the Los Alamitos Race Course, an Orange County horse-racing track.

“Jeff Denham has filed paperwork to run for the office of Lieutenant Governor of California and now spends his time running up and down the state collecting contributions via a new special committee, which includes 1 million dollars in special interest money.

“We can ill afford to let a person who has time and time again broken his word to the people of the 12th Senate District represent all of California in any state wide office much less put up with three more years as a state senator. Again thanks one and all who helped on the recall petition.”

Looks to me like Denham has lots of explaining to do. It won’t take many more votes above those who signed the recall petition to dump him.

Posted on March 19, 2008

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