To my friends in the 4th Senate District:

Even though Assemblyman Nielsen has never been my representative, I have known this gentleman since 2007 when I met him at a veterans’ event in Redding. Since then, we  crossed paths a few times at other veterans’ events and I decided to support him in his race for the 4th District seat.

We have this runoff because he just missed out getting a 50%+1 so I am asking that you please get out and vote for Jim on the 8th.

As a rancher, he has a vested interest in our way of life as rural Americans. Included in this is the protection of our property rights against federal intrustion.

Jim is fully aware of Agenda 21 (now called Future Earth to help confuse everyone) and he is committed to fight it just as we “Agenders” are.

Jim is not a “go along to get along” elected official; he has, AND WILL CONTINUE, to look out for the best interests of HIS CONSTITUENTS!

TAXATION w/o REPRESENTATION? He is one of the LEADERS in the fight to get the illegal fire tax (aka ‘fee’) rescinded!

I respectfully request that you take the time to do what is written below to ensure that we have one more sane mind and voice in our state senate.

In appreciation,

Ken Delfino

United States Navy (Ret)

Colfax, CA

P.S. Some of you reside very close to the boundary lines of the district, but I don’t know if you’re in the 4th or not. So if you aren’t, please excuse this post.

If you or anyone you know lives in the Fire Tax Zone let them know about this important meeting!

Please Join Assemblyman Jim Nielsen

and

State Senator Doug LaMalfa (Ret.)

Fire Tax Town Hall

With Special Guest

David Wolfe

Legislative Director for the

Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association

The latest on the Fire Tax and other legislative/budget items of interest. The State of California has begun mailing bills to rural property owners for fire prevention. We believe this fee is an illegal tax under Prop 13 and Prop 26. www.FireTaxProtest.org

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

6:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Redding Library Community Room

1100 Parkview Ave

Redding, CA 96001

For more information call 530-223-6300

or email assemblymember.nielsen@asm.ca.gov

www.asm.ca.gov/Nielsen
Assemblymember.Nielsen@assembly.ca.gov

Newsletter from Assemblyman Jim Nielsen

Some in Sacramento have made the argument that real and significant budget cuts have been made in recent years.  A recent Sacramento Bee article highlighted the view shared by the majority party that “spending (today) is 11 percent below the state’s pre-recession peak.”

But a closer look at recent spending decisions being made at the State Capitol shows that spending is actually on the rise.

The 2012-13 budget adopted in June grows state General Fund expenditures by $4.3 billion (from $87.0 billion to $91.3 billion), a nearly 5% increase. Total spending is slated to grow to $142.6 billion from $135.1 billion last year, an increase of 6%. In the last two weeks of session, the California Budget Fact Check found that the Legislature continues to pass legislation that will add billions in new spending.  Specifically:

• Last week, 358      bills passed out of the fiscal committees of both houses.  Those      bills are estimated to cost taxpayers over $2.3 billion.

• $1.5 billion of      those new expenditures will be expended by special funds.  $800      million in spending will be General Fund expenditures. If these bills were      enacted to begin this year, General Fund spending would be $92.1 billion,      up from $87 billion last year.

• In addition to      direct state spending increases, the fiscal committees passed out a number      of bills that would make new local taxes easier by eroding existing      taxpayer constitutional protections and reducing the vote threshold needed      to impose new taxes at the local level.

• A new report by the      United States Census Bureau shows that the number of state      government workers in 2011 was 9.3 percent higher than the state workforce      in 2001, from roughly 372,000 employees to more than 407,000. This was in      spite of efforts taken over the past several years to freeze state hiring      and leave vacant positions open.

Click to continue reading “While State Continues to Struggle with Deficits, Politicians Continue to Spend More“

www.asm.ca.gov/Nielsen
Assemblymember.Nielsen@assembly.ca.gov

The recent scandal involving senior ranking parks officials using state funds for unauthorized vacation buyouts has brought new attention to compensation for state workers.  Recent budgets have included reductions for public employee compensation costs.  This week, California Budget Fact Check examines all employee cost drivers.

The California Budget Fact Check found that:

• The 2012-13      budget assumes one-time General Fund savings of $420 million from employee      compensation.  These savings are achieved by adopting a one day a      month unpaid Personal Leave Program (PLP) for most state workers, which      represents a 4.6% pay reduction.  According to the Legislative      Analyst, the savings are one-time in nature and may cost the state more in      the long run.

• State employees      will continue to receive salary increases in 2012-13, at a cost of more      than $110 million. Since 2008-09, state employees have received salary      increases that have cost state taxpayers more than $1.7 billion.

• In the current      budget, the state will pay $350 million more than last year in increased      retirement costs.  No provisions to curtail growing retirement costs      were adopted as part of the budget.

Click to continue reading “Taxpayers foot bill for state worker “savings

www.asm.ca.gov/Nielsen
Assemblymember.Nielsen@assembly.ca.gov

From CA. District 2 Assemblyman Jim Nielsen

June 15th is the constitutional deadline to adopt the 2012-13 budget. Democratic leaders have declared they will meet the deadline. As the budget moved through the process, Democrats argued that their majority vote budget is balanced with $8.6 billion in tax increases and $8 billion in cuts. The California Budget Fact Check analysis found that:

Less than $1.1 billion of the items characterized as “cuts” are true permanent spending reductions. Almost $400 million of the permanent cuts are a continuation of policies from last year’s spending level which means less than $700 million are new permanent cuts. The majority of the so-called “cuts” are funding shifts, deferrals and the delays in program increases.

General Fund spending grows by $4.9 billion in the Governor’s proposal and $5.4 billion in the Democrats’ proposal. Overall spending grows by $12 billion under the Governor’s proposal and by at least $12.5 billion under the Assembly Democrat proposal presented on Tuesday.

According to the Governor, the Democrats’ budget rejects the Governor’s long-term spending reform proposals and substitutes one-time cuts which will not slow the growth in government spending.

Click to continue reading “Are We Cutting $8 Billion in Spending?”

CA Budget Fact Check – A Web Site Resource to Empower Citizens

Are you tired of feeling lost when it comes to embracing state issues and decisions made which impact your life directly?

Do you hear numbers/statistics/data floating around which tend to change depending on who’s sharing them?

Now you have a chance to access non-partisan, accurate and current data (surveys, polls, graphs, official letters etc.) which will empower you to form your own opinions and to exercise your democratic right by getting involved.

California Budget Fact Check web site will provide continually updated information putting into context what’s going on in the budget debate in Sacramento and keeping you informed on how budget proposals will affect you and your family.

Through this new resource you’ll be able to ask questions and share your opinions in writing and even by posting videos.

This is your state, it’s your hard-earned tax money, and you have the right to be accurately informed and to be heard.

Visit arc.asm.ca.gov/BudgetFactCheck/ and add your voice to the budget process in Sacramento!