1.
California State Assembly
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The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. It consists of 80 members, with each member representing at least 465,000 people, members of the assembly are generally referred to using the titles assemblyman, assemblywoman, or assemblymember. The State Assembly convenes at the California State Capitol in Sacramento, in the current session, the Democrats control 55 seats, forming a supermajority of the chamber. The Speaker presides over the State Assembly in the leadership position, controlling the flow of legislation. The Speaker is elected by the majority party caucus, followed by confirmation of the full assembly, other leaders, such as the majority and minority leaders, are elected by their respective party caucuses according to each partys strength in the chamber. The current Speaker is Democrat Anthony Rendon, the majority leader is Democrat Ian Calderon, while the minority leader is Republican Chad Mayes. The chambers green tones are based on the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, the dais rests along a wall shaped like an E, with its central projection housing the rostrum. Along the cornice appears a portrait of Abraham Lincoln and a Latin quotation, almost every decorating element is identical to the Senate Chamber. According to Article 4, Section 2 of the California Constitution, the Chief Clerk, the Sergeant-at-Arms, and the Chaplain are not members of the Legislature. The Sergeant-at-Arms protects the members of the California State Assembly and this position has existed since December 15,1849, when Samuel N. Houston became the Assemblys first Sergeant-at-Arms. The Chief Clerk, the acting Chief Sergeant-at-Arms, and the Chaplains are not members of the Legislature
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California's 73rd State Assembly district
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Californias 73rd State Assembly district is one of 80 California State Assembly districts. It is currently represented by Republican Bill Brough of Dana Point, the district encompasses much of southern Orange County, stretching from the coast to the Santa Ana Mountains. The affluent district consists of a mix of longstanding towns on the shore, California State Assembly California State Assembly districts Districts in California District map from the California Citizens Redistricting Commission
3.
Diane Harkey
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Diane Lynn Harkey is Southern Californias elected taxpayer Republican representative of the 4th District on the California State Board of Equalization. She previously served as a member of the California State Assembly and as a Mayor and Council Member of Dana Point, Harkey resided in Coastal Orange County for more than thirty-five years. She has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Harkey earned a degree in Economics from the University of California-Irvine, graduating cum laude, and has had a 30-year career in corporate banking and finance. Harkeys involvement in public began in 1989, when she actively campaigned for the incorporation of the City of Dana Point. Harkey has served as a member of the Ocean Institute and Dana Point Fifth Marine Regiment Support Group, a trustee for the Capistrano Valley Symphony. She was elected to the Dana Point City Council in 2004, in 2006, Harkey ran against then-Assemblyman Tom Harman for the 35th State Senate District in one of the closest California State Senate races in the states history. Harman defeated Harkey for the Republican nomination by 236 votes or roughly 0. 2% of the vote, in 2008, she ran as the Republican nominee for the 73rd State Assembly district against Democratic nominee Judy Jones. Harkey won the election with 53. 4% of the vote compared to Jones, who received 40. 6% of the vote. She came in place in the June 3 nonpartisan blanket primary with 34. 0% of the vote. Harkey is politically a conservative Republican, she supports Proposition 13, is in favor of controlling illegal immigration to the United States and opposes amnesty for illegal immigrants. Harkey believes in returning gold to California, increasing private sector jobs, reigning in spending, reducing the debt. She has been an opponent of California High Speed Rail. Harkey has earned an “A” rating from the NRA and a 100% rating from the California Chamber of Commerce, expediting Taxpayer Refunds, On April 29,2015, Board of Equalization Member Diane Harkey voted with a unanimous Board to make the taxpayer refund process more business friendly. This vote eliminated the lengthy Board approval process for refunds in excess of $100,000 by giving staff the authority to approve refunds of any amount. Going forward, staff approval of refunds will reduce costs, caseloads. Diane Harkey was dismissed entirely by all plaintiffs as well as the court, further, Harkey was awarded attorneys’ fees to be paid by the plaintiffs. Official government web site Official campaign website
4.
Middletown, Connecticut
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Middletown is a city located in Middlesex County, Connecticut, along the Connecticut River, in the central part of the state,16 miles south of Hartford. In 1650, it was incorporated as a town under its original Indian name and it received its present name in 1653. Middletown was included within Hartford County upon its creation on May 10,1666, in 1784, the central settlement was incorporated as a city distinct from the town. Both were included within newly formed Middlesex County in May 1785, in 1923, the City of Middletown was consolidated with the Town, making the city limits of the city quite extensive. Middletown was the county seat of Middlesex County from its creation in 1785 until the elimination of county government in 1960, as of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 47,648. Middletown, Connecticut is considered the southernmost city in the Hartford-Springfield Knowledge Corridor Metropolitan Region, at the time the first European settlers arrtived in the region, the Mattabesetts were a part of the group of tribes in the Connecticut Valley, under a single chief named Sowheag. Plans for the settlement of Mattabesett were drawn up by the General Court in 1646. The Name Middletown was chosen because the site was approximate halfway between Windsor and Saybrook on the Great River, life was not easy among these early colonial Puritans, clearing the land and building homes, and tending farms in the rocky soil of New England was a labor-intensive ordeal. The Mattabesett and other referred to the Mohegan as destroyers of men. Sowheag hoped that the colonists would intervene, smallpox, too, afflicted the Mattabesett, significantly lessening their ability to resist and their cohesion as a tribe. Records show that, over time, Sowheag was forced to sell off most of the Mattabesett property to the local colonists, similar milieus of tragic interaction between Native Americans and colonists were common in 17th century New England. During the 18th century, Middletown became the largest and most prosperous settlement in Connecticut, by the time of the American Revolution, Middletown was a thriving port with one-third of its citizens involved in merchant and maritime activities. Middletown merchant traders pushed for the clearance of the Saybrook Bar at the mouth of the Connecticut River, and later sought the creation of Middlesex County in 1785. The name Middlesex was chosen because the intention was to make Middletown the head of a river port, much as London was at the head of its long river port in Middlesex County. The same persons also established the Middlesex Turnpike to link all the settlements on the side of the Connecticut. The ports decline began in the early 19th century with strained American-British relations and resulting trade restrictions, during this period, Middletown became a major center for firearms manufacturing. Numerous gun manufacturers in the area supplied the majority of pistols to the United States government during the War of 1812, after that war, however, the center of this business passed to Springfield, Massachusetts, Hartford, Connecticut, and New Haven, Connecticut. 1831 saw the establishment of Wesleyan University which was to one of the United States leading liberal arts institutions
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Connecticut
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Connecticut is the southernmost state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. Connecticut is also often grouped along with New York and New Jersey as the Tri-State Area and it is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capital city is Hartford, and its most populous city is Bridgeport, the state is named for the Connecticut River, a major U. S. river that approximately bisects the state. The word Connecticut is derived from various anglicized spellings of an Algonquian word for long tidal river, Connecticut is the third smallest state by area, the 29th most populous, and the fourth most densely populated of the 50 United States. It is known as the Constitution State, the Nutmeg State, the Provisions State, and it was influential in the development of the federal government of the United States. Connecticuts center of population is in Cheshire, New Haven County, Connecticuts first European settlers were Dutch. They established a small, short-lived settlement in present-day Hartford at the confluence of the Park, initially, half of Connecticut was a part of the Dutch colony New Netherland, which included much of the land between the Connecticut and Delaware rivers. The first major settlements were established in the 1630s by England, the Connecticut and New Haven Colonies established documents of Fundamental Orders, considered the first constitutions in North America. In 1662, the three colonies were merged under a charter, making Connecticut a crown colony. This colony was one of the Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution, the Connecticut River, Thames River, and ports along the Long Island Sound have given Connecticut a strong maritime tradition which continues today. The state also has a history of hosting the financial services industry, including insurance companies in Hartford. As of the 2010 Census, Connecticut features the highest per-capita income, Human Development Index, and median household income in the United States. Landmarks and Cities of Connecticut Connecticut is bordered on the south by Long Island Sound, on the west by New York, on the north by Massachusetts, and on the east by Rhode Island. The state capital and third largest city is Hartford, and other cities and towns include Bridgeport, New Haven, Stamford, Waterbury, Norwalk, Danbury, New Britain, Greenwich. Connecticut is slightly larger than the country of Montenegro, there are 169 incorporated towns in Connecticut. The highest peak in Connecticut is Bear Mountain in Salisbury in the northwest corner of the state, the highest point is just east of where Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York meet, on the southern slope of Mount Frissell, whose peak lies nearby in Massachusetts. At the opposite extreme, many of the towns have areas that are less than 20 feet above sea level. Connecticut has a maritime history and a reputation based on that history—yet the state has no direct oceanfront
6.
United States
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Forty-eight of the fifty states and the federal district are contiguous and located in North America between Canada and Mexico. The state of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east, the state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U. S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean, the geography, climate and wildlife of the country are extremely diverse. At 3.8 million square miles and with over 324 million people, the United States is the worlds third- or fourth-largest country by area, third-largest by land area. It is one of the worlds most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, paleo-Indians migrated from Asia to the North American mainland at least 15,000 years ago. European colonization began in the 16th century, the United States emerged from 13 British colonies along the East Coast. Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the following the Seven Years War led to the American Revolution. On July 4,1776, during the course of the American Revolutionary War, the war ended in 1783 with recognition of the independence of the United States by Great Britain, representing the first successful war of independence against a European power. The current constitution was adopted in 1788, after the Articles of Confederation, the first ten amendments, collectively named the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and designed to guarantee many fundamental civil liberties. During the second half of the 19th century, the American Civil War led to the end of slavery in the country. By the end of century, the United States extended into the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish–American War and World War I confirmed the status as a global military power. The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the United States as the sole superpower. The U. S. is a member of the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization of American States. The United States is a developed country, with the worlds largest economy by nominal GDP. It ranks highly in several measures of performance, including average wage, human development, per capita GDP. While the U. S. economy is considered post-industrial, characterized by the dominance of services and knowledge economy, the United States is a prominent political and cultural force internationally, and a leader in scientific research and technological innovations. In 1507, the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller produced a map on which he named the lands of the Western Hemisphere America after the Italian explorer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci
7.
California Republican Party
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The California Republican Party is the California affiliate of the United States Republican Party. The party chairman is Jim Brulte, and is based in Burbank, California, the CRP also has a headquarters in Sacramento. The partys stated goals are to enhance economic prosperity within the state, cut taxes, the CRP is active throughout the entire state of California, and the party prides itself on providing common sense solutions to the most troubling issues. As of 2016 Republicans represent approximately 28% of the registered voters. Crime and justice—The California Republican Party supports the governments protecting the welfare of the people and creating fair, the party advocates victims rights under the position that the victim is just as important as the offender in a crime. They believe overcrowding is an issue that should be solved by the creation of both private and public prisons. The party also supports the use of punishment for heinous crimes. The party call for a cut on unnecessary spending in order to create government infrastructure that will boost the economy, the party also supports Right-to-work laws and opposes closed shop establishments. Education— The California Republican Party believes that all children have the right to a first-class education, the party supports parents and local school boards being the primary regulators of the education system. The party also supports incentives for quality educators and that school admission, the party also believes that unions have too much influence in Californias schools and that has caused the degradation of the curriculum and the marginalization of involvement by parents. Environment—The California Republican Party believes in long-term responsible stewardship of Californias natural resources, the party supports California industry being a world leader in developing and manufacturing safe, renewable and sustainable energy. The party also believes that city governments should be held to the standards of cleaning waste water as are applied to private industry. Equal Opportunity—We oppose quotas, special rights, set asides, or guaranteed equality of results and we support laws prohibiting discrimination in employment and housing based on race, ethnicity, nationality, sex, sexual orientation, disability, or religion. Family values—We support the two-parent family as the best environment for raising children, the Supreme Courts ruling cannot and must not be used to coerce a church or religious institution into performing marriages that their faith does not recognize. We believe public policy and education should not be exploited to advocate or teach any social or political agenda, healthcare—The California Republican Party opposes government mandated health care plans and single payer plans. The party also opposes any government healthcare plan for California that would involve taxes on doctors or hospitals, coverage for illegal aliens, the party also supports private sector solutions such as small business insurance pools, employment pricing reductions, guaranteed insurability and medical savings accounts. Immigration—The California Republican Party contends that the state of California is rich in the history of immigration, English should be mandatory in the workplace and businesses should be able to require employees to speak the English and all immigrants should be required to learn the language. Illegal aliens should be deported if they engage in criminal activity, the party supports the government offering intensive English language instruction to all who need it, including stipends to help immigrants attend the programs
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Dana Point, California
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Dana Point is a city located in southern Orange County, California. The population was 33,351 at the 2010 census and it has one of the few harbors along the Orange County coast, and with ready access via State Route 1, it is a popular local destination for surfing. The city was named after the headland of Dana Point, which was in turn named after Richard Henry Dana, Jr. author of Two Years Before the Mast, Dana described the locale, including neighboring San Juan Capistrano, as the only romantic spot on the coast. Although Dana described the anchorage as poor, it is now a developed harbor and contains a replica of his ship, the Pilgrim is used as a classroom by the Ocean Institute, which is located at the harbor. This area is designated California Historical Landmark #189, Dana Point was a popular port for ships involved with the hide trade with nearby Mission San Juan Capistrano. Trading reached its peak in the 1830s and 1840s, in 1818, Argentine sailor Hippolyte de Bouchard anchored there while conducting his raid on the mission. Richard Henry Dana then visited the area in 1835 while serving aboard the sailing brig Pilgrim on her voyage along the California coastline, sidney H. Woodruff, already a prominent Los Angeles homebuilder, was hired to lead the project. In 1926, Woodruff, Chandler, and Sherman created the Dana Point Syndicate and they invited other investors, company presidents, movie producers, and real estate investors to join them in purchasing 1,388 acres of land, some of which includes the Headlands of today. Promising tree-lined and paved streets, electricity, telephones, sidewalks, water mains, storm drains, sewers, and other amenities, Woodruff built 35 homes, most of these Woodruff houses are concentrated in the Dana Point historic core, also called Lantern Village. His crowning structure was to be the Dana Point Inn, a Mediterranean-like resort hotel on the cliffs overlooking the harbor. After a celebratory groundbreaking in 1930, a foundation was poured. The economic downturn of the Great Depression caused construction to halt, although Woodruff continuously sought financial support through the years, this project was abandoned in 1939. Subsequently, he sold the holdings of the Dana Point Syndicate. Thirty-four of the original Woodruff residences are still occupied, the entire harbor of Dana Point, including the Embarcadero Marina shops and restaurants are set for complete demolition and redevelopment. The current vintage nautical style is being abandoned for a Tech Minimalist concept using metal roofs as well as Minimalist landscaping, the Strands at Headlands is a luxury housing development built on land that was originally part of the Chandler Family holdings. For decades the land facing the beach was home to the Dana Strand Beach and Tennis Club, for years, access to the Strands beach was limited to hiking down a dirt trail where the mobile homes had stood. The Strands parcel included the actual headlands and bluff of Dana Point as well and was one of the last large coast properties available for development along the Orange County Coast. The improvements include stairs, restrooms, a beach-front sidewalk and a funicular to transport visitors from the lot to the beach
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California
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California is the most populous state in the United States and the third most extensive by area. Located on the western coast of the U. S, California is bordered by the other U. S. states of Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona and shares an international border with the Mexican state of Baja California. Los Angeles is Californias most populous city, and the second largest after New York City. The Los Angeles Area and the San Francisco Bay Area are the nations second- and fifth-most populous urban regions, California also has the nations most populous county, Los Angeles County, and its largest county by area, San Bernardino County. The Central Valley, an agricultural area, dominates the states center. What is now California was first settled by various Native American tribes before being explored by a number of European expeditions during the 16th and 17th centuries, the Spanish Empire then claimed it as part of Alta California in their New Spain colony. The area became a part of Mexico in 1821 following its war for independence. The western portion of Alta California then was organized as the State of California, the California Gold Rush starting in 1848 led to dramatic social and demographic changes, with large-scale emigration from the east and abroad with an accompanying economic boom. If it were a country, California would be the 6th largest economy in the world, fifty-eight percent of the states economy is centered on finance, government, real estate services, technology, and professional, scientific and technical business services. Although it accounts for only 1.5 percent of the states economy, the story of Calafia is recorded in a 1510 work The Adventures of Esplandián, written as a sequel to Amadis de Gaula by Spanish adventure writer Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo. The kingdom of Queen Calafia, according to Montalvo, was said to be a land inhabited by griffins and other strange beasts. This conventional wisdom that California was an island, with maps drawn to reflect this belief, shortened forms of the states name include CA, Cal. Calif. and US-CA. Settled by successive waves of arrivals during the last 10,000 years, various estimates of the native population range from 100,000 to 300,000. The Indigenous peoples of California included more than 70 distinct groups of Native Americans, ranging from large, settled populations living on the coast to groups in the interior. California groups also were diverse in their organization with bands, tribes, villages. Trade, intermarriage and military alliances fostered many social and economic relationships among the diverse groups, the first European effort to explore the coast as far north as the Russian River was a Spanish sailing expedition, led by Portuguese captain Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, in 1542. Some 37 years later English explorer Francis Drake also explored and claimed a portion of the California coast in 1579. Spanish traders made unintended visits with the Manila galleons on their trips from the Philippines beginning in 1565
