What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but what happens in California makes the world go round

SACRAMENTO – California Assemblyman Jose Solorio (D-Anaheim), fed up with increasingly aggressive advertisements asking businesses to leave the Golden State, has taken aim at a recent series of ads that Nevada is running in California. 

‘I”ve launched website and advertisement campaign to strike back!  The new ads funded by the Nevada Development Authority are over the top and offensive,’ says Solorio. 

The Solorio ads, using the tag line, ‘What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but what happens in California makes the world go round,’ features iconic Fortune 500 companies based in California. An accompanied website, www.CaliforniaIsGolden.com, features the contrasting ads and asks devoted Californians to voice their state pride by responding to a simple online prompt. 

‘Our multimedia message to Nevada is simple, ‘Don’t waste your money on ads, we’re not interested in moving’,’ Solorio says. The Assemblyman plans to run his pro-California ads in Nevada as well, encouraging Nevadans to move their businesses to California. 

The Solorio ad campaign is a reaction to an article in the Los Angeles Times that brought to light Nevada’s ad campaign, and numerous complaints the Assemblyman received from constituents about the tone of the ads. 

‘As one of the Legislature’s pro-jobs, pro-business Democrats, I know California needs to take a stronger stance against more business regulations and taxes. But I’m proud to report that budget agreements over the past year included $8.7 billion in targeted business tax cuts,’ says Solorio.  The tax cuts include credits for hiring new employees, credits for buying newly-constructed homes, credits for movie and television production, and credits for net operating losses.  

‘Additionally, I would argue that California’s business climate is also strong because of the state’s quality of life, beautiful weather, large consumer market, entrepreneurial spirit of business owners, access to capital, skilled workforce, and its world-renowned university system. California’s future remains golden,’ concludes Solorio. 

In the spirit of creating a collegial dialogue as President Obama recently did, Assemblyman Solorio is inviting Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons and Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman to his Orange County district for dinner and a beer.  He’ll be offering them a choice of Original Mike’s Restaurant in Santa Ana, Azteca Mexican Restaurant in Garden Grove, or a restaurant in Downtown Disney® in Anaheim.  He hopes they will be interested in meeting with him to discuss both ad campaigns and projects to increase collaboration between the neighboring states.  For example, Assemblyman Solorio is a champion of the proposed California-Nevada Super Speed Train, which would create jobs and opportunities in both states.  The California-Nevada Super Speed Train would connect Anaheim with Las Vegas. 

Assemblyman Solorio further showed how serious he is about standing up for California when he hired DMedia Corporation to produce the multi-media campaign. DMedia boasts some of the nation’s finest political filmmakers, its principals having been involved in the television spots which won awards for Best Overall Campaign and Best Presidential Ad of the Year in 2008.  This response series is being edited by the same creative director behind the prestigious Gold Pollie Award winner for best use of Contrast in a Presidential Ad for 2008.

State Assemblyman Jose Solorio is the chair of the Assembly Insurance Committee and also serves on the Assembly Education, Transportation, and Appropriations Committees. He represents the Sixty-Ninth Assembly District, which includes the cities of Anaheim, Garden Grove, and Santa Ana.