Gaines Declares 'Clear Defining Difference'

Written by Gaines for Senate
Sunday, 29 August 2010

Defining lines are starting to form for the SD-1 Special in the Sacramento region.

Republican Assemblymen Roger Niello and Ted Gaines are just beginning to piece together their stumps on their way to the November 2nd ballot. For all intents and purposes the GOP winner of this special election process replaces the late State Senator Dave Cox in the seat.

There is also a growing interest (and some concern between both camps) that former Republican Assemblywoman (1993-98), and most recent BOE candidate, Barbara Alby may enter - what amounts to being – a Republican primary.

On Saturday, (August 28th), Ted Gaines had the Nevada County Republicans all to himself as neither of the aforementioned candidates attended the annual Grass Valley BBQ.

The audience wasn’t hurting for Conservative Republican dignitaries.

State Senator Sam Aanestad, State Senate-elect (something of a November 2nd confirmation waiting) Doug LaMalfa, and Congressman Tom McClintock each made their way to the microphone to greet the 180-plus gathering on a very brisk, cool evening in the beautiful foothills.

Ted Gaines didn’t waste any time in defining the differences between himself and Roger Niello. Gaines targeted Niello’s historical tax increasing vote and his support of Prop 1A. And Ted Gaines was declarative in his promise, “There is a clear defining difference between my opponent and myself.”

Here is Ted Gaines’ entire speech with portions transcribed below this HOGUE NEWS video:

Assemblyman Ted Gaines (R-Granite Bay) from Eric Hogue on Vimeo.

“There is a clear defining difference between my opponent and myself. I want to be clear, publicly, that I will hold the line on taxes in the state legislator. We’ve already had some bad decisions (that) have been made in the past, they have not made a difference with our $19 billion deficit and we’ve got to live within our means just like small business owners do, just like households do – just like everybody except the state legislator. In fact, while you were cutting your budgets we were pulling more money out of your wallets and hiring more people (at the Capitol).”

The last portion of Gaines’ speech may become appealing for Roger Niello’s campaign.

There is a growing Sacramento media focus on politicians and their per diems; a “tax free” legislative perk for state politicians who have to pay for housing expenses while living outside of their home district and working in Sacramento.

The per diem issue revolves around Ted Gaines’ decision to take all of his (legal) allotted per diem ($142 day/$30,000 year) while living 20-miles away in Placer County.

Roger Niello most assuredly will counter, hoping that his personal refusal to take any per diem with Ted Gaines cashing the $142 a day benefit - while state workers were furloughed, threatened with minimum wages and state contractors were getting IOU’s - will afford Roger a juxtaposed position to overcome his support of taxes and Prop 1A.

Rule of thumb … when you are cornered on a campaign negative find something with your opponent’s record that is just as negative, or worse. Niello will be hoping that the debate of Gaines’ per diem will become a safe shelter from the Prop 1A storm.

Gaines also addressed his support of Prop 23 during his speech.

“This greenhouse gas is a joke. There is no evidence that, I can find, that the earth is warming – and we have to push back on the California Air Resources Board (CARB). We must pass Prop 23 – it is critical.”

And Gaines expressed his support of Meg Whitman, while many of the speakers on the microphone were expressing great dismay over her nomination; Gaines compares Meg’s possible fight to Governor Chris Christie’s wrestling match with public employee unions.

“We gotta get a Republican governor. We have to have Meg Whitman in there to fight the fight (applause). I am optimist; I know she doesn’t align with me on the Arizona Law, which I support completely, and on Prop 22 (Gaines confuses Prop 23 with 22 here) which I support completely. But if we can shake things up in the way that Chris Cristie has done in New Jersey, we can have a new state here. I am telling you. It’s gonna take a couple of cycles, but it is possible.”