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California Assemblyman Chuck DeVore Resigns Leadership Post Due to $14 Billion Tax Increase Deal

By: Chuck DeVore (Diary)  |  February 14th, 2009 at 08:54 PM  | 

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California State Assemblyman Chuck DeVore resigned today as Chief Republican Whip due to his opposition to a massive tax increase deal brokered by Republican legislative leaders.  DeVore said, “The St. Valentine’s Day deal to raise taxes on hardworking Californians will neither close the budget deficit nor control spending.  I believe leadership thinks they are doing the right thing – but I cannot be a party to this agreement as I believe it will harm California.”

Excerpts of DeVore’s letter to Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines follow:

“…the recent agreement you negotiated to increase taxes in exchange for a spending limit will not likely accomplish the twin aims of deficit reduction and budget control that you seek.

“This proposed agreement also strikes at the heart of our longtime opposition to tax increases.  Excessive taxation both harms the economy and robs hardworking Californians of a portion of their liberty.  Placing our Caucus squarely in line with tax increases also demoralizes our supporters – people who were counting on us to hold the line.

“For these reasons, I believe it is appropriate for me to resign as Chief Republican Whip, effective immediately.  I can no longer participate as a leader on a team that is preparing to make a fundamental mistake of colossal proportions.  For the sake of California I hope I am wrong – however, I fear I am right and that this tax increase and budget deal will result in more harm to the Golden State than good.”

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  • http://brockwayfamily.spaces.live.com/ Erick Brockway

    Who could follow them after they ignored it?
    Let’s make you GOP leader.

  • CSUFBomb

    …and I’m ready to work day and night to see that every stinking Republican who votes for this stake in the heart of the California economy will be defeated, either in the primary (preferably) or in the general election.

    For the first time in my adult life, I will give my money and time to a Democrat, any Democrat, who runs against Mike Villines. I’d rather be stabbed in the chest by a Democrat than in the back by Villines.

    • NeoKong

      I liked what you said about people who were counting on you to hold the line.

  • JadedByPolitics

    …

  • barry915barry
  • http://whereswalden.com/ Jeff Walden

    Why was it necessary to resign your post in this case? I would assume that disagreement is still allowable even if you’re in a leadership position. Is it that you think this would impair your ability to get things done in the future as whip? Or is it that you think party leadership should present a united front if they are to accomplish things in general, and that it would be improper to stand in the way of that, even if in this specific instance what’s accomplished is detrimental to the general welfare? I’m just trying to understand why this step was necessary, and I don’t quite understand why the budget dispute requires it. (Well done on that, by the way; anything that gets government out of the way so that I can live my life is a win in my book, and lower taxes [and a hopeful reduction in government spending on programs that could better be handled in the private sector, if a budget increase cannot happen] are a big part of that.)

    On a less important note, would you tag posts like this with “california” in the future so anyone following that tag will hear about this? I watch the front page and the california tag and don’t visit the actual site unless some post particularly catches my interest, and I only happened to see this because I was visiting the actual site and happened to notice it in the Member Diaries sidebar. I usually won’t see such posts because the window of time they show up there that intersects with the time I’m actually visiting RedState itself is small. Thanks in advance for doing this!

  • Rod_Patrick

    Just plainly heroic!!!!!

    This is the kind of courageous statement that we all need in these dark times of Big-Government Era. Am sure many will listen.

    I salute your courage, Assemblyman!

    To Gov. A.S.: Aren’t you envious of your very own Great Chuck?

  • JustLeaveMeAlone

    nt

  • http://whereswalden.com/ Jeff Walden

    I still don’t quite know the answers to the questions I raised in the previous comment, but I do have one more data point suggesting that your resignation was useful. In particular, it seems less likely the legislature would have found the backbone to oust the Senate leader without your demonstration of dissent (how much less likely I wouldn’t know, particularly given that different houses were involved, but there certainly was at least some correlation). So, if for no other reason than demonstrating a willingness to stand up to the pro-tax crowd and invigorate the rest of us, thanks. :-)

  • Tbone

    I can assure you that CA is very near the tipping point where there will be a massive outflow of jobs and wealth. After all, does anyone with an IQ above their body temperature believe that the problems of massive and pervasive overspending by the Democrats is going to cease? No, it will continue to worsen until the State grinds to a halt if not this year, then soon enough.