Keith Rodenhuis

I cannot thank you enough for all of your help in making our campaign a tremendous success; it was you who did the heavy lifting. Although the results from the election are disappointing (I cannot lie!), we must not let it distract us from all that we have achieved together. I am blessed to call you friend and humbled that you believed in and supported me.

Over 218,000 people cast ballots for our campaign because of your hard work – that is enough to become governor in some states! We began our campaign on the last day of filing with high hopes and little money. Yet, we pulled off a major upset in the Primary Election and nearly did it again last night! I hope you are as proud as I am in all that we have accomplished together.

My opponent Shari Freidenrich ran a good campaign and I want to congratulate her on her victory. The Orange County Treasurer-Tax Collector’s office has 100 of the finest Civil Servants in California, and I know Shari will be successful in her new position.

Success is not measured by the position one has reached, but by the obstacles overcome while trying to succeed. So, today we lick our wounds, but tomorrow we get back into the fight. What an honor to be a part of such a young and energetic campaign. Victory is on the horizon if we refuse to let this enthusiasm fade. I am putting the final touches on an exciting new vehicle to support young candidates, and I look forward to sharing the details with you soon.

Again, many thanks to all of you, with special gratitude to those who went so far above anything I could ever have imagined.

Your Grateful Friend,
Keith Rodenhuis

When will elected officials and candidates start listening to the voters and the little voice inside their own head called their conscience? The $100,000+ pensions enjoyed by local elected officials have taxpayers rightfully fuming. “Public Servants” should NOT have million dollar Cadillac retirements funded by YOU!

My pledge to voters is that I will not take a County pension. The first step in finding a solution is refusing to be part of the problem.

When the Orange County Register asked my opponent if she would also take a “no pension pledge,” she said she still needs to “look at her options.” Considering local Republican Party Chairman Scott Baugh deems “pension and pay” as the “top issues” in this election it is surprising that my opponent has failed to consider this important matter.

Voters can only draw two possible conclusions from her refusal to answer to this Yes/No question directly: (1) my opponent honestly has not thought about this critical issue (2) my opponent intends on growing her existing taxpayer pension, but wants to keep this little secret from voters until after the election. My guess is neither answer is acceptable to Orange County taxpayers.

We all would enjoy million dollar pensions, but having the trust of Orange County taxpayers is most important to me. If this were a MasterCard commercial it might read: Orange County Pension = $4+ million. Securing the Trust of the Taxpayers…priceless.

On November 2 Orange County voters will be able to choose who they trust to handle taxpayer monies. Transparent government and maintaining the trust of the taxpayers will continue to be my guiding principles. If these issues are also important to you, I ask for your vote on Election Day.

Federal guidelines are planned next year to put into writing Washington’s views on how much, IF ANY, mobile communication by the driver is appropriate. Is talking on the phone while driving the same as drinking and driving? “Big Brother” says YES! In their pursuit to control every aspect of our lives, Washington conveniently overlooks the fact traffic deaths resulting from “distraction” are on the decline and that evidence indicates laws banning texting have no impact on the number of accidents. What’s next, will all talking conversations in cars be banned? No radio too? It is time for Washington to stop creating stupid laws and start creating jobs.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-10-08/lahood-weighs-urging-u-s-ban-on-all-driver-phone-use-in-cars.html

Mr. Gates:

Congrats on using the free markets system to make BILLIONS of dollars. Having more money than 99.99% of the world is quite a feat!

Now, stop trying to break the capitalist system that made you wealthy and leave us little guys trying to climb the economic ladder alone. If YOU want to pay extra taxes…pay OURS!

Your Friend,
Keith

WSJ: Bill Gates Sr. Pushes for Higher Taxes

Talk about adding insult to injury.  Taxpayers hoping only for some surf and sand may instead get a hefty bill from the City of Huntington Beach.  OC residents visiting “Surf City” will be taxed up to $1,995 if they have the misfortune of being in a car wreck.

This will undoubtedly ultimately result in higher insurance rates for YOU, regardless of where you live in OC.  Advocates say the new taxes on non residents involved in accidents will be paid by a motorist’s insurance company – industry experts say these taxes are not covered by a standard auto policy.  Even if the new taxes were covered, everything comes at cost!

This new tax is absolutely ridiculous.  As Huntington Beach’s City Treasurer my opponent should take a public stand against this new tax and refuse to enforce collection. Fiscally conservative leaders should look for ways to cut government, not for new ways to dip into taxpayers’ pocket.

Costs of New Crash Tax: Jaws of Life $1,995; Car Fire $750; Fire Truck $505 per hour; Fire Engine $405 per hour; and “Miscellaneous Equipment” $405 per hour.

Story 1: Bring on the Crash Tax

Story 2: HB Visitors stuck with Accident Fees

A report just released from investment giant Morgan Stanley claims that given the burden of aging populations and the challenges of securing more tax revenue, government bond defaults are now inevitable.  The article notes US Debt as a percentage of revenue is a whopping 358% – one the highest in the world!

As Deputy Treasurer my office voluntarily cut our budget and returned unspent money to the County.  As your treasurer I will use technology and innovation to further reduce taxpayer’s burden.

Bloomberg: Are Gov’t Bond Defaults Inevitable?