Matt Kokkonen for Assembly - CONTRIBUTE TO MATT'S CAMPAIGN

CONTRIBUTE

Dear Friends,

"Matt Kokkonen would win the Republican primary if it were held today"

That was the first sentence of a lengthy Political Notebook column in the October 27 edition of the San Luis Obispo Tribune. The Tribune staff writer, Bob Cuddy, was reporting on an amazing online survey of 12,000 Republican voters in the 33rd Assembly District which gave me a 44% to 36% lead over presumed frontrunner, Katcho Achadjian!

It was not until I learned of the results of this survey (which have been apparently validated by other polling in the District), that I made the final decision to enter the Republican primary for June 2010.

I was somewhat reluctant to embark on another political campaign and put myself and my family (especially my wife, Jean ) through the long hours, sacrifices, and rigors of running for office. Many people had come to me to urge me to seek the Assembly seat and offered their support. I recalled that 80,000 voters cast their ballots for me when I challenged Lois Capps for Congress last year. However, not until I was convinced that the Republican voters of San Luis Obispo and northern Santa Barbara Counties would truly rally behind my candidacy that I decided to enter the race.

The survey cited by the Tribune is highly significant in that it shows a candidate –a financial planner who has never held elective office - beating an entrenched political incumbent like Katcho.

Katcho has held office for ten years. His name has been regularly carried in the local media where the actions and statements of a County Supervisor command great attention. Yet, for some reason, Republicans are not warming to Katcho.

Perhaps they feel that Katcho does not really reflect core Republican values, that he has never taken a leadership role on key conservative issues, that he wants to make it easier for the special interest-owned legislators in Sacramento to raise your taxes by voting to lower the 2/3 majority needed for taxes down to only 55%

In contrast, I’ve been fighting for your values, your beliefs for years as a citizen-activist – even when they weren’t always popular:

When the Gray Davis Recall battle was just heating up in 2003, I stepped forward to spend my own money to lead the Recall fight in the 33rd District;
When it was time to say "no" that same year to granting driver’s licenses to illegal aliens, I led the local petition drive;
When it was time to honor America’s fighting men and women abroad (including my own daughter, USAF Maj. Jana Kokkonen, a military doctor ), I launched the annual 9/11 rallies to remember the terrorist attack, to honor the troops, and to marshal much-needed supplies and funds to meet their needs, needs our government wasn’t always providing for;
When it was time to raise our collective voices against rampaging, out-of-control government trampling our fundamental liberties, I organized a local “Tea Party” event;
When it was time to answer the public’s questions about “Obamacare” and Lois Capps was nowhere to be found, I brought hundreds of people to a health care town hall meeting to address these critical issues.

If there is one recurrent theme I hear from the people I speak to in this district it is the demand for common sense in government and to real leadership that does not waver or waffle, cut back-room deals, or sell out principles in pursuit of political ambition.

To be very honest with you, people are afraid. Very afraid. They fear that they are losing the country they grew up in. As government seems to grow bigger and bigger every day, as taxes and spending continue to rise, as our nation heads toward bankruptcy and financial collapse, our elected officials seem to be little more than pawns of special interest groups, only concerned with how they can personally profit and benefit at our expense. They seem like Nero who fiddled while ancient Rome burned.

I believe 2010 is the time for the people of California to take back their state government. Taking back our state is critical to the larger battle of taking back our nation because – in our federal system –- the states will ultimately be our last line of defense against an omnipotent, authoritarian central government determined to take away all our liberties and consolidate all power in Washington, D.C.

Will you join me in building a citizen’s army in the 33rd District which will send a citizen-activist to the State Capitol? Will you join TeamMatt in taking back our legislature from the special interests and public employee unions who are bleeding taxpayers dry? Will you join me in finally saying “Enough is Enough” to illegal immigration which is bankrupting our cities and counties? Will you join me in carrying your message loud and clear to Sacramento: “Spend Less. Tax Less”?

My goal is to raise $50,000 online by New Year’s Day. That’s 1,000 voters contributing just $50 or just 500 voters giving $100. Will you help us meet this goal? Your contribution today will send a powerful message to the political power brokers in Sacramento that we indeed are “Fed Up and We’re Not Going to Take It Anymore.”