http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/politicsanyone/46341 Here's Dean Florez's latest weekly report from Sacramento: Last week in Sacramento, we continued the work of going agency by agency, commission by commission, weeding out unnecessary spending and finding overlapping functions that could be combined for a savings to taxpayers that will help protect the most critical of services during these trying economic times. The Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee met and proposed such common sense changes as consolidating the Board of Geologists and Geophysicists with the State Mining and Geology Board, so we can protect health and education. Last Tuesday, I led a hearing of the Senate Food and Agriculture Committee to realize similar cost-saving reforms at the California Department of Food and Agriculture.&nbsp; Among the reforms I proposed for CDFA were: abolishing marketing functions and allowing marketing commissions to re-establish themselves as private non-profit corporations; transferring pest control and fertilizer issues to the Department of Pesticide Regulation; transferring food safety functions to the Department of Public Health; and returning oversight of fairs and expositions to California&rsquo;s counties. While it was a good discussion with industry, I was very disappointed Secretary A.J. Kawamura refused to participate and defend the $100 million we spend on his agency each year. I think his silence best articulated the case for realizing cost-savings by cutting executive management who do not feel they need to take part in this critical process. Last week I had the opportunity to honor a great mentor to Valley students, Fresno State softball coach Margie Wright, who was recently recognized for a sixth time as the Western Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. In 24 years at Fresno State, Margie has led the Bulldogs to the NCAA tournament every year, including 10 trips to the Women&rsquo;s College World Series and a National Championship. I was proud to recognize Margie for the example she has set for young women in the Valley, and the leadership qualities she has instilled in them. After a Father&rsquo;s Day weekend that kicked off with getting to cheer my own student-athlete daughter Faith on at her swim meet, it&rsquo;s back to Sacramento. Over the next weeks, I will be working to advance my remaining bills through the Assembly to the governor&rsquo;s desk, and keeping you up to date on that progress here. Here&rsquo;s hoping you all enjoyed a wonderful Father&rsquo;s Day. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, is the California Senate Majority Leader. His weekly report from Sacramento appears here on Tuesdays. &nbsp; Here's Dean Florez's latest weekly report from Sacramento: Last week in Sacramento, we continued the work of going agency by agency, commission by commission, weeding out unnecessary spending and finding overlapping functions that could be combined for a savings to taxpayers that will help protect the most critical of services during these trying economic times. The Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee met and proposed such common sense changes as consolidating the Board of Geologists and Geophysicists with the State Mining and Geology Board, so we can protect health and education. Last Tuesday, I led a hearing of the Senate Food and Agriculture Committee to realize similar cost-saving reforms at the California Department of Food and Agriculture.&nbsp; Among the reforms I proposed for CDFA were: abolishing marketing functions and allowing marketing commissions to re-establish themselves as private non-profit corporations; transferring pest control and fertilizer issues to the Department of Pesticide Regulation; transferring food safety functions to the Department of Public Health; and returning oversight of fairs and expositions to California&rsquo;s counties. While it was a good discussion with industry, I was very disappointed Secretary A.J. Kawamura refused to participate and defend the $100 million we spend on his agency each year. I think his silence best articulated the case for realizing cost-savings by cutting executive management who do not feel they need to take part in this critical process. Last week I had the opportunity to honor a great mentor to Valley students, Fresno State softball coach Margie Wright, who was recently recognized for a sixth time as the Western Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. In 24 years at Fresno State, Margie has led the Bulldogs to the NCAA tournament every year, including 10 trips to the Women&rsquo;s College World Series and a National Championship. I was proud to recognize Margie for the example she has set for young women in the Valley, and the leadership qualities she has instilled in them. After a Father&rsquo;s Day weekend that kicked off with getting to cheer my own student-athlete daughter Faith on at her swim meet, it&rsquo;s back to Sacramento. Over the next weeks, I will be working to advance my remaining bills through the Assembly to the governor&rsquo;s desk, and keeping you up to date on that progress here. Here&rsquo;s hoping you all enjoyed a wonderful Father&rsquo;s Day. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, is the California Senate Majority Leader. His weekly report from Sacramento appears here on Tuesdays. &nbsp; en-us Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:59:09 PDT <p>of course he's going to make himself look good.&nbsp; I cannot believe TBC allows him to post such crap about what a great legislator he is.</p> <p>he cares more for non-citizens than for the rights of citizens</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/politicsanyone/46341/#c_413875 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/politicsanyone/46341/#c_413875 <p>of course he's going to make himself look good.&nbsp; I cannot believe TBC allows him to post such crap about what a great legislator he is.</p> <p>he cares more for non-citizens than for the rights of citizens</p> <p>Wow. The hostility and anger from people like you, learnem, are really something to read. This is an informative update on what is happening budget wise at the state capitol, and to commend a fine person in the athletic department at Fresno State. What is the problem?</p> <p>Therre is an old saying, it takes two to tango. Republicans refuse to get on the dance floor. The continual crass and vulgar displays from people like you only serve to hurt your own cause. You don't make any friends by scapegoating all who disagree with your very narrow viewpoints. </p> <p>You should be rejoicing these days, learnem. After all, you can afford your state provided health care while nearly 7 million other Californians are without health coverage. There have been no new taxes for some time now, and California has the one of the lowest property tax rates in the country. Public service unions are being attacked on a daily basis as the new scapegoat for failed fiscal responsibility in the state, and if conservatives get their way pensions and retirement money would be stripped away from current civil service employees and retirees. Prisons dominate the landscape here in the county and our state has more inmates than any other in the nation by a wide margin. More of our tax money goes to prisons than to higher education thanks to your conservative law and order drug crusading legislators. This should be great news for such a staunch conservative living here in the land that conservatives run. </p> <p>Why all the vitriol? This is your world and your team has a big lead.&nbsp; </p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/politicsanyone/46341/#c_413912 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/politicsanyone/46341/#c_413912 <p>Wow. The hostility and anger from people like you, learnem, are really something to read. This is an informative update on what is happening budget wise at the state capitol, and to commend a fine person in the athletic department at Fresno State. What is the problem?</p> <p>Therre is an old saying, it takes two to tango. Republicans refuse to get on the dance floor. The continual crass and vulgar displays from people like you only serve to hurt your own cause. You don't make any friends by scapegoating all who disagree with your very narrow viewpoints. </p> <p>You should be rejoicing these days, learnem. After all, you can afford your state provided health care while nearly 7 million other Californians are without health coverage. There have been no new taxes for some time now, and California has the one of the lowest property tax rates in the country. Public service unions are being attacked on a daily basis as the new scapegoat for failed fiscal responsibility in the state, and if conservatives get their way pensions and retirement money would be stripped away from current civil service employees and retirees. Prisons dominate the landscape here in the county and our state has more inmates than any other in the nation by a wide margin. More of our tax money goes to prisons than to higher education thanks to your conservative law and order drug crusading legislators. This should be great news for such a staunch conservative living here in the land that conservatives run. </p> <p>Why all the vitriol? This is your world and your team has a big lead.&nbsp; </p>