Contact David Dreier
Washington Office
233 Cannon HOB Washington, DC 20515
Fax (202) 225-7018
District Office
2220 East Route 66 Suite 225 Glendora, CA 91740
Fax (626) 963-9842
E-mail here
This week, 2004 Political Human Sacrifice Winner, Congressman David Dreier voted against a bill that would cut off U.S. aid to any country that fails to extradite suspects in the killing of federal, state or local law enforcement officers. Read the article here.
Baker’s pay cut by 22.5%
After nearly three hours in closed session, Victor Elementary School District board members cut Superintendent Ralph Baker’s four-year contract by $270,000.
On hearing the decision, most of the crowd of teachers, parents and concerned citizens expressed disappointment in the board’s unanimous decision to reduce the original $1.2 million contract by only 22.5 percent.
“I’m very disappointed. I strongly disagree with the statistics they gave to support their decision,” teacher Carol Hunter-Inman said. Read the story here.
Mexico Denies Stamps Are Racist
Mexico’s government insisted Thursday that a black cartoon character with exaggerated features is a historical icon who deserves to be celebrated on a postage stamp – and that U.S. leaders charging racism do not fully understand Mexican culture.
The country’s postal service this week released a series of five stamps depicting “Memin Pinguin,” a child’s character from a comic book started in the 1945 that is still published in Mexico.
In Washington, the White House objected, saying that “racial stereotypes are offensive no matter what their origin.” The Rev. Jesse Jackson branded the stamp “an insult” and asked Mexico to withdraw it from the market. Read the story here.
Jacko Vacations at Bahrain Palace
Michael Jackson began a vacation at a prince’s palace in the tiny Gulf kingdom of Bahrain, his first trip overseas since being acquitted of child molestation charges, an official close to the royal circle said Thursday.
Jackson and his three children arrived on a private plane from Europe on Wednesday night for an indefinite stay, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because private visits involving the royal family are not authorized to be announced.
Jackson was found not guilty of child molestation in a California court on June 13. Read the story here.
Meth Measure Wouldn’t Burden Shoppers
A day after Riverside County supervisors voted to crack down on methamphetamine producers, county officials said the measure as passed would not include a provision to require people who buy certain cold medicines to provide personal information to store clerks.
County lawyers said the county lacked legal authority to enforce such a requirement because only the state can regulate drug sales. The lawyers said they had removed that provision from a county ordinance before it was tentatively approved by supervisors Tuesday.
Copies of the ordinance made available to the media and public before the meeting included the provision. It would have required retailers and pharmacists selling nonprescription cold medicines containing the drug pseudoephedrine or related compounds to keep a log of buyers’ names, addresses, phone numbers and driver’s license numbers. That version of the ordinance remained on the county website through Wednesday morning. Read the story here.
Wednesday, June 29th, 2005
Mexico Nabs 2 Iraqis Near U.S. Border
Mexican agents in Tecate captured two Iraqis who had hoped to sneak into U.S. territory without proper documents.
Federal authorities say Samir and Munir Yousif Shana told investigators they were contacted by a person in their hometown of Baghdad, who said he could smuggle them into San Diego.
The two have relatives in San Diego. Read the story here.
Racist Mexican Stamps Stir Outrage
The Mexican government has issued postage stamps depicting an exaggerated black cartoon character known as Memin Pinguin, just weeks after remarks by President Vicente Fox angered U.S. blacks.
The series of five stamps released Wednesday depicts a hapless boy drawn with exaggerated features, thick lips and wide-open eyes. His appearance, speech and mannerisms are the subject of kidding by white characters in the comic book, which started in the 1940s and is still published in Mexico.
Activists criticized the stamps as offensive, though officials denied it. Read the story here.
Legislature mulls sex-offender bills
No one in the Legislature supports sexual offenders, but lawmakers often disagree how to deal with these criminals.
The differences cropped up Tuesday as Legislative committees sorted through 14 bills dealing with sex offenders and child molesters.
“It’s an issue that impacts everyone across the board, a human issue,” said Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, chairman of the Public Safety Committee, which voted on five sex-offense measures. “But it’s also an opportunity to grandstand.”
Leno’s committee of four Democrats and two Republicans passed just one of five sex-offender bills. Three failed and one was pulled by the author, who knew he didn’t have enough votes. Read the story here. View a list of the bills here. Today at 4pm Assemblyman Todd Spitzer will tell John & Ken how the socialists in Sacramento are soft on sex offenders.
Mexico Nabs 2 Iraqis Near U.S. Border
Mexican agents in Tecate captured two Iraqis who had hoped to sneak into U.S. territory without proper documents.
Federal authorities say Samir and Munir Yousif Shana told investigators they were contacted by a person in their hometown of Baghdad, who said he could smuggle them into San Diego.
The two have relatives in San Diego. Read the story here.
Racist Mexican Stamps Stir Outrage
The Mexican government has issued postage stamps depicting an exaggerated black cartoon character known as Memin Pinguin, just weeks after remarks by President Vicente Fox angered U.S. blacks.
The series of five stamps released Wednesday depicts a hapless boy drawn with exaggerated features, thick lips and wide-open eyes. His appearance, speech and mannerisms are the subject of kidding by white characters in the comic book, which started in the 1940s and is still published in Mexico.
Activists criticized the stamps as offensive, though officials denied it. Read the story here.
Legislature mulls sex-offender bills
No one in the Legislature supports sexual offenders, but lawmakers often disagree how to deal with these criminals.
The differences cropped up Tuesday as Legislative committees sorted through 14 bills dealing with sex offenders and child molesters.
“It’s an issue that impacts everyone across the board, a human issue,” said Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, chairman of the Public Safety Committee, which voted on five sex-offense measures. “But it’s also an opportunity to grandstand.”
Leno’s committee of four Democrats and two Republicans passed just one of five sex-offender bills. Three failed and one was pulled by the author, who knew he didn’t have enough votes. Read the story here. View a list of the bills here.
Tuesday, June 28th, 2005
Bush to Argue for Staying Course in Iraq
President Bush is using the first anniversary of Iraq’s sovereignty to try to ease Americans’ doubts about the mission and outline a winning strategy for a violent conflict that has cost the lives of more than 1,740 U.S. troops and has no end in sight.
In a prime-time address from Fort Bragg, N.C., home of the Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division, Bush was to argue that there is no need to change course in Iraq despite the upsetting images produced by daily insurgent attacks.
His assessment comes on the heels of a recent Associated Press-Ipsos poll that showed public doubts about the war reaching a high point – with more than half saying that invading Iraq was a mistake. Read the story here.
Bush Looks to Reassure U.S. on Iraq Progress
President Will Ask Country to Look Beyond Daily Violence
Surrounded by U.S. troops at a military installation in North Carolina, President Bush will ask Americans tonight to look beyond the daily violence in Iraq and focus on the “quiet process” of “political reconciliation” that will produce a more stable and democratic Middle East, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said this morning.
He will “tell the American people that it has been one year since the transfer of sovereignty to the Iraqis,” Rice said on NBC’s “Today” Program. “That is not very long,” she said, yet the Iraqis have accomplished a great deal, including holding an election and convening an assembly to write a constitution.
“I know it’s difficult, and the president will acknowledge that,” Rice said. “But the United States has gone through difficult times before to come out on the other side with a more stable world.” Read the story here.
Pay-Raise Showdown in Victorville
School superintendent’s package roughly doubles, and trustees are threatened with recall.
A new contract that will boost the salary of Victorville’s elementary school superintendent to $250,000 a year – the same as school chiefs in Los Angeles and New York City – has infuriated parents and teachers in the High Desert district, with some clamoring for a recall of trustees who approved the deal.
The package, which will pay Supt. Ralph Baker a little more than $1.2 million over four years and provide health and dental insurance to him and his wife for life, comes when tight budgets have forced the cancellation of summer school programs in the district, along with other cuts.
“We … can’t see straight up here,” said Brian Johnson, a fifth-grade teacher at Park View Elementary, which is forgoing summer school for lack of funding. “The superintendent used to have the best intentions for the children. Now, it seems like he’s in it for his pocketbook.” Read the story here.
Voters sour on governor, lawmakers
FIELD POLL: The survey finds that 58 percent believe the state is on the wrong track.
California voters seem in a dour mood about the state’s direction, with only slightly more than a quarter of adults believing that the state is on the right track, according to a new poll.
The survey by the nonpartisan Field Institute, prepared for The Press-Enterprise and other California media subscribers, suggests disenchantment stems mostly from unhappiness with the people in charge.
Of the 58 percent of respondents who think the state is on the wrong track, more than a quarter said they blame Gov. Schwarzenegger’s policies. Slightly smaller percentages point to the actions of elected officials in general and poorly performing schools. Read the story here. View the poll here(.pdf)
Monday, June 27th, 2005
Lawmaker takes another run at driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants
SACRAMENTO (AP) – State Sen. Gil Cedillo is making his fifth attempt in seven years to enact legislation allowing illegal immigrants to get California driver’s licenses. This time he’s hoping to get a governor’s signature that will stick.
Former Gov. Gray Davis signed a Cedillo bill legalizing the licenses in 2003, but lawmakers overturned it after Davis was recalled following a campaign in which the license legislation was one of the issues used against him.
Davis’ successor, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, signed the repeal bill and vetoed another version of the license bill last year, saying it didn’t include adequate security provisions…
Baker contract critics take to streets
Termination of deal could cost district more than $580,000
HESPERIA - Some 100 protesters showed up for what could be one of the most bittersweet protests ever held in the High Desert.
For two hours Friday afternoon, a steady stream of drivers honked their horns in a show of support for those protesting the Victor Elementary School District’s approval of a four-year, $1.2 million contract for Superintendent Ralph Baker.
“It’s nice that so many feel strongly about this … but if they knew Ralph’s character, they would know how hard it is for us to be out here,” Victorville taxpayer Mike Matthews said. “We’re all praying for a happy ending – for everyone.”...
Man Arrested in Protest During Mass at Cathedral
He handcuffs himself to a chair and later says Mahony’s homily ‘got me all fired up.’
A man protesting the Los Angeles Archdiocese’s handling of the clergy sexual abuse scandal was arrested Sunday after he handcuffed himself to the chair used by Cardinal Roger Mahony during 10 a.m. Mass.
The incident happened while Mahony was standing a few feet away at the altar and had just delivered a homily to 2,500 congregants about how the archdiocese is dealing with the controversy.
The protester, James C. Robertson, 58, of Mount Washington, was part of a group of about 200 victims and their supporters who had demonstrated outside the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels by tying crime scene tape around themselves and the church’s perimeter…
Tuesday, June 21st, 2005
Police Stage Massive Gang Raid
Hundreds of heavily armed police officers descended on neighborhoods across Southern California before dawn today, arresting two dozen gang members who authorities say have been involved in drug dealing and violence that included the slayings of two police officers.
The raids targeting the Vineland Boyz street gang culminated an 18-month investigation by the Los Angeles and Burbank police departments, as well as the federal Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. attorney’s office.
Backed by seven special weapons and tactics teams, armored vehicles and nine helicopters, officers served search warrants at 42 locations in Sun Valley and Los Angeles, and as far as the Antelope and Simi valleys and Bakersfield. here.
GPS to Keep Tabs on Sex Offender
Registered sex offender David Allyn Dokich, the target of an ongoing community protest in Mead Valley, this week will become the second man in California required to wear a GPS tracking device as a condition of his parole, state authorities said Monday.
Dokich will be one of 500 high-risk parolees who by the end of the year will be monitored with a global positioning system device, part of a state pilot program being implemented this month, state corrections officials said. The first to put on the device is a parolee in San Diego who began wearing it Friday.
Dokich, 52, was convicted of raping a 15-year-old girl in his Dana Point apartment in 1982, and of the kidnapping and rape of a 16-year-old girl while on parole in Riverside County three years later. here.
Under bill, illegals wouldn’t count toward political clout
Michigan and eight other states each gave up one seat in the U.S. House after the 2000 census because the populations of illegal immigrants and legal noncitizens in California, Texas, Florida and New York had surged.
That’s wrong, U.S. Rep. Candice Miller said Monday, after introducing legislation to amend the U.S. Constitution to allow only U.S. citizens to be counted for purposes of political representation.
California would see the biggest change under Miller’s proposal, losing six of its 53 seats. Texas, Florida and New York would each lose one seat.
Seats in the U.S. House are reapportioned based on population changes after every census. States that grow the fastest—even if the growth is largely based on the influx of people who aren’t citizens—get more seats. States that don’t keep pace lose seats. Read the story here.
Rogan Stays Out of Race for Cox’s Post
Call it the incredible shrinking campaign.
Over the last two weeks, more potential candidates have bowed out than jumped at the chance of succeeding Rep. Christopher Cox (R-Newport Beach), nominated this month by President Bush to chair the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Just days after the Free Enterprise Fund, a conservative fundraising group in Washington, launched a campaign to draft James Rogan, the former congressman from Glendale said Friday that he was flattered but wasn’t in the running.
“I don’t anticipate being a candidate, barring some unforeseen event,” said Rogan, who also served as undersecretary of commerce during Bush’s first term and is best known for being the leading prosecutor on the House Judiciary Committee that impeached President Clinton. here.
No run for Congress, Rogan says
Former congressman and Clinton impeachment manager Jim Rogan hadn’t spoken to the press about the race to replace Rep. Christopher Cox, should Cox be confirmed to head the SEC. So the Buzz was pleased to be among those who caught up with him Friday, at the county Republican’s annual Flag Day banquet.
Last week the Free Enterprise Fund PAC, which backs anti-tax Republicans, issued a press release announcing a campaign to recruit Rogan for the race. In it, former county GOP boss Tom Fuentes said, “The possibility of a Rogan candidacy will excite conservatives at the grass roots. They should all loudly second the effort to draft him so that he can again put his enormous talent and intellectual ability to work on behalf of the people of California.”
Then at the Flag Day event, freshly minted FEF bumper stickers scattered on the tables read “Run Jim Run.” Read the story here.
Two Escondido officials angry about Mexican consulate’s presence at fair
The presence of the Mexican Consulate at a recent public event has a City Council member and a school board president fuming that the city is promoting illegal immigration, and they are demanding to know who invited the agency.
Councilwoman Marie Waldron has called on Escondido officials to determine who invited the consulate to the city’s Civic Faire, a community event held at Grant Middle School on May 21 to highlight available city and social services to the mostly Latino community along East Mission Avenue.
A mobile consulate unit set up at the fair allowed Mexican nationals to apply for an identification card known as a matricula consular. Many banks and other businesses accept the cards in lieu of a California driver’s license or other identification. Read the story here.
Monday, June 20th, 2005
AMBER FREY: WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION
Amber Frey thinks she has finally met Mr. Right after she starts dating the charming and handsome Scott Peterson. But her romantic daydreams turn into nightmares when she sees her new boyfriend on the news talking about his pregnant wife who has vanished into thin air! Amber suddenly finds herself teaming up with the police to prove that the love of her life murdered his wife and unborn son. At each turn, Amber worries more and more that she could be his next victim. Don’t miss this heart-pounding drama, based on the actual events of the Scott Peterson case and Frey’s best-selling book. Click here to find out more about Amber’s Lifetime movie.
Under bill, illegals wouldn’t count toward political clout
Michigan and eight other states each gave up one seat in the U.S. House after the 2000 census because the populations of illegal immigrants and legal noncitizens in California, Texas, Florida and New York had surged.
That’s wrong, U.S. Rep. Candice Miller said Monday, after introducing legislation to amend the U.S. Constitution to allow only U.S. citizens to be counted for purposes of political representation.
California would see the biggest change under Miller’s proposal, losing six of its 53 seats. Texas, Florida and New York would each lose one seat. Read the story here.
Child Advocate Calls for National Website for Tracking Molesters
A convicted child molester whose meticulous lists make San Jose police believe he may have sexually abused hundreds of boys might have been stopped by a better system of tracking such predators, the leader of a child-advocacy group said Friday.
“Because these guys can go anywhere and do whatever they want and use various aliases, we need to have a national website,” said Mark Klaas, president of the Klaas Kids Foundation in Sausalito.
Klaas – the father of Polly Klaas, whose murder by a convicted kidnapper in 1993 led to California’s three-strikes law – said a national Internet site should be created that lists the crimes committed, a physical description of the offenders, their addresses and their vehicle license numbers. Read the story here.
