Commonsense Consensus Reforms for the California Republican Party

While there are diverse factions on the subject of life, marriage, gun ownership, and the environment the truth is that Republicans in California can facilitate free markets, free enterprise, free people, limited government, and local control focusing on key common sense reforms. By focusing on practical application of ideologically sound values, California Republicans can expand their base, increase their outreach, and restore balance to Sacramento politics.

Abortion

This subject is a heated topic, and there are concerns that party leaders want to water down the platform. Now more than ever we should stand up for every life, and send the message to all Californians. Pro-choice elements within the GOP have their reasons for believing that abortion should remain a decision between the mother and the doctor. No matter where one defines the beginning of life, and the proper domains of viability in the womb, Republicans, conservatives, libertarians all agree that abortions should not be tax-payer funded. Furthermore, the growing consensus among young voters and throughout the country, among men and women, is to forbid partial birth abortions. Loosening regulations to ease charities' ability to reach out to and care for pregnant minors would be a worthy reform, too.

Marriage

The advent of gay marriage had divided Democrats and Republicans across the country. Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich could not believe how quickly consensus on the issue had taken place. The consequences of gay marriage by legislation or court order, however, carry weighty implications which states, charities, and local businesses have had to take into account. Men and women of conscience who do not recognize gay marriage feel that their First Amendment rights are violated if forced to provide a service to a gay couple. Discussion in protecting proprietary rights of individual businesses, churches, and charities is essential. If live and let live are the order of the day, then this expectation falls on advocates of gay marriage as well as those who recognize the true status of marriage between one man and one woman.

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Second Amendment

Gun control is bad policy. Statistics, historical accounts, and current research bear out the long-term societal consequences of restricting gun ownership to competent, law-abiding citizens. The latest court ruling from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals should force liberal state lawmakers to accept that the right to concealed-carry should not be abridged simply because an applicant does not indicate a compelling reason.

Environment

Cap and Trade is a broken reform which environmental activists have rejected. The evidence simply does not exist to justify comprehensive government intervention into carbon reduction. Instead of accommodating the argument, Republicans need to stand their ground on the facts. Republican candidates should expose the hypocrisy of liberals who demand that everyone else reduce their carbon footprint, yet they drive large cars and waste tons of otherwise recyclable materials. Discussions about easing electricity rates would engage working-class voters.

Water

This issue connects with environmental concerns. Instead of investing in water storage tanks outside of the Bay Area, local authority in conjunction with private investment can bring down the costs of infrastructure and resources. Investment in desalinization plants, plus more authority and respect for Central Valley farmers would provide solutions as well as meet the dire needs of California's key producers.

Transportation

The roads in California are terrible, whether the freeways or the paved roads. The bureaucratic entanglements which increase costs without improving the pavement of our roads must be investigate and reduced.

Education

School choice should be on the lips of every Republican candidate running for office, whether locally or statewide. Africa-American voters care about a good education, and they demand the opportunity for their kids to go to the best school without waiting for the creeping reforms which never change anything.

Unions

40% of California Republicans are members of a union, and they support worker associations for their peers. Republicans do not have to promote right-to-work, but paycheck protection is a must. It is immoral as well as dysfunction to compel individuals to join a union, then force them to sit and watch their union leaders spend the money on candidates and causes without the individual employee's permission. Paycheck protection and recertification should be a top priority for Republicans, whether through the legislative process or through the court system. Strikes among public sector workers must be outlawed, as well.

Immigration

This topic has divided Republican voters from party leaders nationally as well as locally. There is no free society without a clearly defended border. Anyone who has been a victim of a crime should demand law enforcement along the Southern Border. Hispanic-Americans do not favor amnesty, no matter what the Democratic Party may claim. A secure border, welfare reform, and citizenship as a requirement to enroll in a public school must be top priorities for the California GOP.

Pensions

Regardless of Governor Jerry Brown's affirmations that they have balanced the budget and provided more funding for pension liabilities, the wall of debt is standing tall, and is eating up city, county, and state resources which could go toward paying down long-term debt, fixing our roads, and paying our teachers a better wage. Rules on the number of pensions (one) which employees can earn, coupled with higher required investments, are a must. No Republican would disagree on these concerns.

Conclusion

Despite the lack of agreement on key issues, fiscal discipline and legislative scrutiny can assure that the guiding principles which unite Republicans can enable them to work together on commonsense reforms to create consensus and ensure long-standing recovery in the Golden State.