“I think the best role I can fill for the Republican Party and moving the agenda forward … is to run for my Assembly seat,” the Oceanside Republican said during the debate’s opening comments. “I’m not going to be running for the United States Senate, and I’ll leave the field right now.”

And like that, he was gone.

Money Problems

Chavez had struggled to keep up financially. As of the end of 2015, Attorney General Kamala Harris, the Democratic frontrunner, had nearly $4 million in the bank. Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Garden Grove, was relatively close with $2.1 million.

Two former CAGOP chairmen, Duf Sundheim of Los Altos and Tom Del Beccaro of Willows, had $70,000 and $40,000, respectively.

And Chavez had $369. Just for comparison, California’s other Democratic senator, Dianne Feinstein, spent $12.1 million to retain her seat in 2012 — and a million wasn’t even close to enough for her Republican challenger.

Democrats Are Leading

Although in Chavez’s speech he said he was falling on his sword for the good of the party and the seat, the other Republicans running for the seat still face long odds, with Democrats in the state outnumbering Republicans 43.2 percent to 28 percent (23.6 percent have indicated no party preference).

According to a Field Poll last month, Harris led with 27 percent with Sanchez trailing at 15 percent. The three Republicans had a combined 13 percent (with Chavez ahead at 7 percent) and 44 percent still undecided.

And the Republicans’ chances are even murkier now in the heavily Democratic seat as California in recent years moved to a jungle primary where the top two advance to the November general election regardless of party.

Throughout the 2014 primary, voters saw minority party candidates squeak through to the general when enough candidates from the majority party split the vote, which will be Sundheim and Del Beccarro’s best chance (although either’s prospects are hurt with the other in the race as well because they’re also splitting votes).

Back In The Assembly

Chavez’s recommitting to his Assembly seat does add intrigue there, however. While the seat has a 6 percent tilt towards Republicans, Chavez won re-election in 2014 with 66.9 percent against another Republican.

The two Republicans already running have a sizable fundraising advantage over Chavez. Phil Graham, the stepson of former Gov. Pete Wilson has $221,000, while Oceanside City Councilman Jerry Kern has $138,000.

In his Assembly account, Chavez has $601.

While much attention has been paid to potential tax measures on the 2016 ballot, working in the background is an effort to overhaul the state’s tax system. The recently released Public Policy Institute of California poll shows how difficult a task that could be.

Presenting a proposal for overall tax reform is the Think Long Committee for California, part of the Berggruen Institute on Governance. A central change considered by the Think Long Committee is a tax on services. California has become a much more service-oriented economy in recent decades. Sales taxes on goods, once the main portion of state revenue, have dropped dramatically in the last half-century.

Newly installed Sen. Bob Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys, a Think Long Committee member, will be driving the discussion on tax reform in the Legislature. He has introduced Senate Bill 8, which proposes to look at a number of changes to the tax system. His bill discusses broadening the tax base by providing a tax on services, evaluating the corporate income tax and examining the impact of lowering the personal income tax.

Brown legacy

The Think Long Committee is also talking to Gov. Jerry Brown, hoping he will tackle tax reform as he puts together his “legacy” agenda.

The idea to broaden the tax base by including services and lowering the sales tax rate was tested in 最佳的在线扑克 the PPIC poll. A tax on services was rejected by 63 percent of likely voters (25 percent favored). Although that number fell to 49 percent opposed (39 percent favored) if a drop in sales tax rates accompanied the service tax.

PPIC reported the share of voters who think the state and local tax system is in need of major change is at its lowest point since PPIC started asking the question in Jan. 2010. The fewer voters who see flaws with the current tax structure, the more difficult it will be to propose radical changes.

Let’s point out, however, that a plurality still thinks major changes are in order.

When asked if the state and local tax system was in need of either major changes, minor changes or is just fine, 44 percent chose major changes; 38 percent said minor changes were in order and 16 percent opted for leaving things be.

However, as the poll indicates, any changes along the lines of major tax reform will require a massive education effort to convince the public, which has the final say.

Following a CalWatchDog.com investigation by John Hrabe, California Republican Party Chairman Thomas Del Beccaro has written a letter to the California redistricting commissioners and Gov. Jerry Brown demanding that Commissioner Gabino T. Aguirre resign from the California Citizens Compensation Commission, or be removed. Part 1 of the investigation is here. Part 2 is here.

Here’s Del Beccaro’s letter:

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