"Chicken" Chuck DeVore and Flip-Flop Jean Fuller: Two Republicans Who Caved on the Yacht Tax

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Yesterday Democrats failed to get the 54 votes they needed to get the yacht tax loophole closed, as GOP Leader Mike Villines urged his party to close ranks and vote to keep giving yacht buyers a tax break. Pundits say it is surprising that Assembly Republicans have moved to the right of their irresponsible yahoo brethren in the State Senate (where some Republicans broke and united with Democrats to close the loophole). But a closer look at the vote totals shows a stunning lack of political courage by some in the Assembly GOP.

Assemblymember Chuck DeVore, an eloquent anti-tax conservative, spoke at length in the Budget Committee last week on the reasons to close the loophole. Yet yesterday, "Chicken Chuck" DeVore -- despite being on the Assembly floor -- thumbed his nose at his constituents and refused to vote either for or against the bill.

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