The governments of St. Petersburg and Moscow paid for state Sen. Mark DeSaulnier (D-7) to travel to Russia for eight days last September to study transportation issues in that country. DeSaulnier is the chair of the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee.
DeSaulnier’s Russia trip was one of scores of gifts and travel payments disclosed by Contra Costa County lawmakers, and recently released by the Fair Political Practices Commission.
[See the 2012 statements of economic interest attached to this article for DeSaulnier, Sen. Loni Hancock, Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla, Assemblywoman Joan Buchanan, and Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner.]
In total, DeSaulnier accepted slightly more than $6,000 in gifts in 2012, including another $941 from the Parliament of New South Wales for ground transportation, food and cultural activities during a trip to Australia in November.
DeSaulnier was hardly the only member of Contra Costa County’s legislative delegation in Sacramento to accept gifts last year. Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla reported around $7,000 in gifts and travel payments for 2012. The Pacific Policy Research Foundation paid $2,400 for Bonilla to attend a conference in Hawaii for three days in November. Bonilla’s spokesman said the conference was about the California Global Warming Solutions Act and the federal Affordable Care Act.
Not all Contra Costa lawmakers traveled so widely on other people’s tabs. Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner (D-15) reported no out-of-state travel. However, she did report around $700 in gifts, mostly meals paid for by the Democratic party and the campaigns of fellow Democrats.
Assemblywoman Buchanan (D-16) reported $4,300 in gifts and travel for 2012. The items range from $900 paid by the California Issues Forum in speaking and participation fees for a one-day panel to a $5 mug and lapel pin from the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory.
Sen. Loni Hancock reported around $1,250 for dinners and events in Northern California.
Would you not consider it "Payment" if You had a Trip and Your expenses were paid for" as Compensation? On The Plus Side YOU did as "ORDERED" and responded in due course.....an "OBI DENT LIAR"! Still as your answer is so LAME no sane person would accept it....Still //as YOUR TEACHER... "F-" Again answer fast....and make up a reason why your not doing it as I TELL YOU TO! As Obedience is Your Strong Point! PS.. Also Humor a sad "plus".... A Free Trip and Expenses is not "PAYMENT".... Good one! Even as "Declared Gifts"
"DeSaulnier ... earned his BA in History from the College of the Holy Cross. As a young man in Massachusetts, DeSaulnier worked as a probation officer, a truck driver, and a hotel services employee. He moved to California in the early 1970’s. DeSaulnier was a member of both the Teamsters International Union and the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union. For most of his career, DeSaulnier has been a small business owner of several successful Bay Area restaurants. He has served the Bay Area in public office for more than 20 years." Wow -- quite impressive, huh??? The Russians sought him out to help put a high speed rail system in California - the stupid idea of Moonbeam and his bunch of spend spend and spend friends in our almost bankrupt state in order to promote more of Agenda 21.
Mike has always been a complete gentleman to me. We respect each other. He is funny and amusing, and knows where the bodies are buried since he knows the past of some people who think they are the most important people in the world. He has a heart of gold and holds a soft spot in my heart as a friend. You get what you reap. And those of you who are hateful will get what you reap too. Karma baby. God watches all of us -- that is for those of you who actually believe in GOD -- and you will have to account for your actions and the lies you tell about good people. Perhaps if you showed him some respect in return (following your own advice) instead of calling him a thug or other names, you reflect upon yourselves and what you offer to society.
1. Senator DeSaulnier, what did you learn from your trip? 2. Senator DeSaulnier, based on the trip, do you think high speed rail makes sense for CA? Why or why not? But, why bother challenging politicians on their beliefs about high speed rail when you can simply attack them for reasons that make no sense? Of course, to be able to challenge them would require researching the issue and being able to speak coherently on the topic of high speed rail. That's hard and too much work, I suppose. So, it's easier to grump about why the head of the Transportation committee attended a transportation conference on a subject that's relevant to CA. Terrific.
Which we all know is not new news.
https://twitter.com/_FloridaMan
You have "The Words" but can't put together the concept. If You accept a "Free and Unencumbered Trip" that you declare, as a "Gift" under laws of perjury, that is "Compensation"! Why do you think such disclosures are required! I go back to the day's of consideration of BART and Former supervisor Joe Silvia, a dear family friend was the needed vote in a 2-2 deadlock if BART was going any place! He was one of My Dad's best friends and I learned many lessons about Power, Vote's and ... well let's say "Offer's"! Let it rest that JOE was a "Visionary" and cast his deciding vote and BART was Built! For all that programs trouble I BELIVE it to be a success! However don't be so naive as these "Self Proclaimed "Gift trips" is not that the Russians want to be "Good buddies"! Russia want's to.. sell exported "Expertise"! Going in it was known we couldn't afford such a massive project, thus the "GIFT"! Lamor/ Anonymous.... You Stated that such a venture "IS NOT A GOOD FIT IN CALIFORNIA" (Right answer) your learning! You were correct, However it took no "GIFTED RUSSIAN TRIP" to see that, Simply note that_____ "California is BROKE"!
that is sad but true. Let us get Calif. on economic even "queasy ground", and provide "Basic Services" FIRST!
1) what was learned That St. Petersburg is a beautiful city!! ( also although should have been known) CALIFORNIA IS BROKE and Can't Afford\This system. 2) High Speed Rail's make no sense in Calif. /Why A Rough One...Oh CALIFORNIA IS BROKE! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ EASY/ Just go on line look up! "Save Gifted Trip"!
Oh and I never asked Your name, Only why you hide it! So a fair answer would have been "I need not show my VANITY" Yet you Did! Hmmmm You as to my Comment's have that "Mental Block"! Even as to the proposed "Light Rail Train" that ...You disagree with!! Why PLEASE Tell In a State as Calif. that IS no doubt Broke! How would you "Pay for Light Rail"? Is not the fact We simply can't Pay for it not "REASON ENOUGH"! Now even as You think it's a, Bad Plan. Would You still try and find a way to if it was "possible" (and it's not) Saddle Calif with a project when so many other programs ..."Desperately Need Funding" like Schools? "Say It Ain't so Joe"
Hmmmmm...why would a State Pol go on a Boondoggle to St.Petersburg, Russia. Could it be that industry folks want to influence someone on a Trans Committee?? Very likely. Or he simply looked at it as a resume builder for his chairmanship. He will wax on and on how he went to Russia to see how they do it over there.....blablabla. None of your dreams of him educating himself as to the insanity of HSR in California will EVER occur because it has nothing to do with common sense. It is very clearly a make work pork program for 1) Trade Unions 2) Fed and State Employee Unions, 3) Politicians who simply cannot resist a pork project to attach themselves to in order to build their legacy and ego. All of this at our expense , the 53% who actually pay for any of it. DeSaulnier , Miller, Brown should all be locked up.