Marcos Breton: GOP should praise Niello, not vilify him - Sacramen... http://www.sacbee.com/capitolandcalifornia/v-print/story/1650853.html
This story is taken from Sacbee / Capitol and California
Marcos Breton: GOP should praise Niello,
not vilify him
Published Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2009
Assemblyman Roger Niello is the thinking man's Republican. If that sounds like an insult
directed at some Republicans, it is.
The man from Fair Oaks, a car dealer by trade, is a bit of an outcast in his own party for daring
to put duty above orthodoxy.
One of six Republican "yes" votes on a torturous state budget that raised taxes, brought needed
reforms and prevented California from running out of cash, Niello should be hailed. Instead, he
is vilified, as he was on conservative talk radio last week, for believing that statewide insolvency
was worse than raising taxes.
Over the weekend, Niello's fellow Republicans – in a move straight out of "Animal House" – put
him on double secret probation. They voted to deny state party funding for campaign mailers for
Niello and the five other Republican tax traitors.
Can a wedgie be far behind?
"I think it made the party look a little silly," Niello said Tuesday.
Ever the pragmatist, Niello added that maybe his wrist slap will do some good. "If it helped for
people to vent, that's important."
Niello certainly heard some venting on Eric Hogue's radio show, and some of it troubled him.
"I was surprised that so many people thought it would be a good thing if the state just
imploded," Niello said. "I vehemently disagree with that."
Herein lies the larger point: Being a hard-liner – consequences be damned – is the prevailing
view of Niello's state party members. Taking the long view, making the hard choices, is seen as
disloyal.
"I felt that the reality of the hole we faced was too big to fill with cuts alone," Niello said.
Of course destructive party orthodoxy is alive and well among Democrats as well. Why, for
example, can't schools contract out for custodial services or get more competitive bids for costs
not related to classrooms? Because Democrats feared being recalled by unions.
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Marcos Breton: GOP should praise Niello, not vilify him - Sacramen... http://www.sacbee.com/capitolandcalifornia/v-print/story/1650853.html
That cries out for Niello's levelheaded governing to be the model, not a target of scorn. The man
is a conservative, believes in small government and individual freedoms. He's genial,
collaborative. He's helped sustain a family business of selling cars, which means his life has not
been defined by caucus meetings and focus groups.
He is a real person. His goal is serving the state's interests. His party detractors serve party
interests – there is a big difference.
As Dan Weintraub wrote last week, Republicans could have declared victory in forcing Democrats
to be more responsible in drafting a state budget.
Instead, they acted like they lost by trying to uphold a no-taxes pledge that was a dead end to
nowhere.
You want California's Republican Party to be relevant? A good start would be shaking Niello's
hand, instead of slapping it.
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Call The Bee's Marcos Breton, (916) 321-1096.
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