Special memo on OC Register Endorsement

From: Scott Taylor, Consultant - Matthew Harper for State Assembly

Subject: Keith Curry said that in the State Assembly “Moderate Democrats need to be empowered.”

Date: September 12, 2014 

For those of you who don’t know me I got involved in Republican politics back in 1979 on the day that Dan Lungren spoke to my Marina High School government class. I thought that he made a lot of sense so I volunteered to distribute and post signs for his congressional campaign. In 1986 I began six years of serving as Chief of Staff to three different Assembly Members. In 1992 I was the Political Director for Bruce Herschensohn during his heart-breaking loss to Barbara Boxer. From 1993-1997 I served as the Western Regional Political Director for the RNC while Haley Barbour was the Chairman. I was there when we took over the House of Representatives after fifty years of toiling against a Democrat majority. While in that position I saw our current CRP Chairman Jim Brulte engineer the takeover of the California State Assembly - only to be betrayed by turn-coat Republicans, Paul Horcher, Doris Allen, and then Brian Setencich. I was Congressman Darrell Issa’s campaign manager when he successfully worked to recall Governor Gary Davis.

I mention my background only because I have been around the track a few times, and the track has been on me as well. I thought that I had seen just about everything until this morning when I read the OC Register’s endorsement of Keith Curry for Assembly. I encourage all Republicans to read the OC Register’s endorsement.

The editorial staff opens by saying that they agree with Matt on the issues: taxes, bonfires, the plastic bag ban and paper bag tax. They go on to say that they are concerned that, despite Matt’s opposition to the paper bag tax, the tax remains in place in Huntington Beach. Evidently they made the jump that because Matt couldn’t convince his colleagues to revoke this tax that he couldn’t work with others. They are correct. Matt is opposed to higher taxes and fees and he won’t “work with others” to increase them. No doubt that this is one of the reasons that the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association endorsed Matt for State Assembly.

Their reasons for endorsing Curry are so bizarre that I have come to the conclusion they need to hire better interns to do the research for their editorial staff.

First they said Curry could work well in Sacramento. Curry was quoted as saying “There are moderate Democrats and they need to be empowered and worked with.” I ask Keith Curry to name me one moderate democrat in Sacramento that needs to be empowered - just one.  If his primary focus is to “empower Democrats” why should Republican or Independent voters trust him? Better yet, why didn’t he run as a Democrat?

Next they wrote that Curry has shown an ability to “raise funds.” I guess I missed the memo that we are now a “plutocracy.”

They claim that Keith Curry would cut taxes. Interesting. On the Newport Beach City Council, Curry in one night voted to raise 103 taxes and fees. One of these was a “going out of business” fee. He is a champion of raising “dock taxes” for boaters. It is also well known that under Curry’s watch the Newport Beach City Hall Project went from a projected cost of $43 million to a final cost of $139 million. When he was asked about this at a campaign forum he arrogantly responded “Architectural mediocrity is not a conservative value.”

Last but not least, the Register said he is against the “bullet train.” Keith Curry is on public record proposing to fund the bullet train by “raising gas taxes” and raising the “state sales tax.” Google it and see for yourself.

In closing, in the primary Curry did raise $257,000, and he loaned himself another $100,000. Matt raised $26,000, walked 120 precincts and came in second to Curry by a mere 2 percent. Since June 5, Matt has raised over $100,000 and has received the endorsement of Congressman Dana Rohrabacher and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. Oh, and as of yesterday, Matt has walked another 132 precincts. 

For more one Curry's previous positions, use this link:

http://www.calnewsroom.com/2014/03/13/state-assembly-74-as-rail-consultant-keith-curry-proposed-tax-hikes/