On the tax rebate road

Paul Clinton

State Sen. Tom McClintock (R-Thousand Oaks) has named Newport Beach’s

Assemblyman John Campbell to co-chair a committee to reverse Gov.

Gray Davis’ move to eliminate the vehicle license rebate.

On June 20, the Davis administration pushed to activate a trigger

clause in a 1998 law that will end the legislation’s rebate to

drivers registering their vehicles. The move, which goes into effect

in October, effectively triples the cost of registering a vehicle.

Campbell and McClintock will lead Citizens Against the Car Tax, a

committee they say was formed to craft an initiative for the November

2004 ballot that would permanently eliminate the state’s vehicle

license fee.

Vehicle registrations would be taxed at a much lower rate, if the

initiative succeeds.

“I’m proud to work with [state] Sen. McClintock on this critically

important issue,” Campbell said. “Our goal is to ensure that

California taxpayers are protected from big-spending liberal

politicians who have diverted the [car tax] revenues into the general

fund to pay for special interest programs.”

Campbell is seeking the 35th District seat in the state’s upper

house. Costa Mesa’s Assemblyman Ken Maddox is also in that race.

One vote or two in the spring

A bill introduced by state Sen. Ross Johnson that would split the

March primary in 2004 cleared another hurdle in the Legislature on

Tuesday when it passed a key committee.

Senate Bill 430 passed the Assembly’s elections and redistricting

and constitutional amendments committee on a 5-1 vote. There are 11

other authors on the bill. Campbell has signed on as a co-author,

signaling his support.

During the committee hearing, amendments to the bill bumped up the

date it would go into effect, to 2004 from 2008. If the bill becomes

law, the March primary next year would be split apart. Only the

presidential election would be on the ballot. The remainder of the

offices, the statewide and local races, would be moved to June for a

separate ballot.

The bill passed the Senate floor on June 5 on a 31-7 vote.

Cox busy on Independence Day

For Rep. Chris Cox, the Fourth of July was a busy day. Cox, who

spent the day in the district, started it off in Newport Beach at a

pancake breakfast at the American Legion Yacht Club.

At 9 a.m., he headed to an Independence Day parade in Lake Forest.

By 1 p.m., Cox was on Balboa Island watching the Old Glory Boat

Parade. He wrapped it all up with stops at patriotic celebrations in

Aliso Viejo at 4:30 p.m. and Laguna Hills at 7:45 p.m.

Two days earlier, Cox met with law enforcement officials to

discuss homeland security. Cox is the chairman of the House committee

dealing with homeland security. Costa Mesa Police Chief John Hensley

and Newport Beach Police Chief Bob McDonell attended.

See Delay for $1,000 a head

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher has scheduled a fund-raising dinner at 7

p.m. Friday with a high-profile congressional Republican.

Majority Leader Tom Delay (R-Texas) is set to appear at the Hyatt

Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa. A $1,000-per-person ticket is

attached to the event.

Not quite George; just Jeb

Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has agreed to appear as the headliner at a

fund-raiser to be held next Thursday. Bush, brother of President

George W. Bush, will be appearing at the event, which will be held at

the Four Seasons hotel in Newport Beach.

The California Republican Party is hosting the private event,

which will start at 5:30 p.m.