In the past I have been taken to task for espousing traditional conservative Republican ideals and not seeking reconciliation with the liberals in the Legislature.

I absolutely do not seek to reconcile or compromise with the liberal majority in the Legislature who have steered this state into a fiscal catastrophe. The liberal agenda is to take care of its pet special interests first, then turn to the taxpayers to somehow shoulder an ever-increasing tax load to pick up the tab.

Part of my job as a conservative and as a Republican legislator will be to restructure priorities so that the state remains above water and the taxpayers can keep some of their hard earned money. Another part of that job will be to provide voters a real choice for a change. More of the same under a different party label is not a choice. We can not keep sending the same sort of people to Sacramento and expect different results.

I have no desire to go to Sacramento as a “Democrat Lite.” This may deeply disappoint certain people, but for the people of California it represents a path out of the seemingly intractable mess that the liberals have gotten us into.

My desire is to stop the flight of businesses from Taxifornia, and to stop the exodus of tax slaves who are moving in droves to other states to work and retire.

Registered Democrats are hurt by the current mess just as much as registered Republicans and Independents. If those voters put their party label ahead of their economic self interests, they will get the government they deserve. If they feel it’s finally time to vote their pocketbook and their values, I look forward to a victorious 2010 campaign.