Contributor

John Campbell

John Campbell (R-Irvine) is an Assemblyman representing the 70th District in Orange County. Mr. Campbell is the Vice-Chairman of the Assembly Budget Committee. He is the only CPA in the California State legislature and recently received a national award as Freshman Republican Legislator of the Year. He represents the cities of Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Irvine, Costa Mesa, Tustin, Aliso Viejo, Laguna Woods and Lake Forest. He can be reached through his Assembly website and through the website for his California Senate campaign.

Bad Bills, The Final Chapter
The last of lousy Davis-era legislation...
[John Campbell] 10/25/03

I call this report "bad bills-the final chapter" for several reasons. First, over the last several months I have listed much of the worst stuff although there were reams more bad bills that I could have listed. Secondly, whenever I recount these to you I relive in my mind the Assembly floor debate over this particular issue which causes my blood pressure to rise again. Third, and by far most importantly, starting some time next month, we will have a new Governor in office who will veto much if not all of this stuff. Similar legislation may not even be introduced next year or if it is, it may die knowing that it faces a certain veto.

AB 1506 (Negrete McLeod-D): Requires only union labor to be used on any project financed by the "High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act." This provision will raise the cost per mile of anything built under that act. We should oppose any such bond that contains similar provisions that keep we taxpayers from getting the best value for our tax dollar.

SB 868 (Dunn- D): This bill adds to the items that are included in the calculation of the prevailing wage rate, increasing the costs of our state's public works projects by millions of dollars. Is it possible that the members of the legislature that voted for this horrible bill and Governor Davis who signed this into law don't realize that our state is in the middle of a financial crisis? Of course not. They simply care more about special interest, in this case the labor unions, than they do about the welfare of our state. The people of the State removed Governor Davis for these types of actions, maybe the members that voted for this bill will be next.

SB 614 (Cedillo-D): This bill sets up a new network of penalties and reporting requirements for investors, promoters, tax advisors and tax preparers involved in tax shelters. This was one of a number of bills intended to demonize attempts by taxpayers to legally reduce their tax liability through the use of shelters and deductions.

OK, that's it.

All of these new laws that I have told you about over the weeks take effect January 1, 2004. Because of the new Governor, this should be the last such litany I give you for at least 3 years. Let's hope that I am able to talk about positive and structural and lasting changes that new legislation will create in the future.

What might such changes be? More about that next week.

§