The Kern County Animal Control Commission must take action, during its Wednesday meeting, to send something containing a mandatory spay and neuter plan to Kern County supervisors.

But what staff have added — at the commission's direction — are a wide range of optional plans and enforcement otions that all would help combat Kern County's high shelter kill rates.

The meeting starts at 6 p.m. Wednesday (May 21) on the first floor of 2700 M Street in Bakersfield.

It should be fun.

We ran a story about the air pollution issues surrounding 4th District supervisor candidate Cliff Thompson's campaign billboards on Sunday. See it here.

Thompson calls dairies a "No. 1" polluter. The air district said cows are the biggest producer of VOCs but automobiles and trucks are still the No. 1 polluter in the San Joaquin Valley.

And Watson has voted against a dairy ban — as Thompson claims — but did voted to do a mega-environmental study looking into the cumulative impact of all dairies proposed for Kern County. That study has paused all dairy projects for around four years.

What do people think about the dairy stink in the race?

I've finished profile stories on the two candidates for Kern County Supervisor — Cliff Thompson and Ray Watson.

I concentrated on capturing a bit of the two men's very different personalities.

There's Thompson, an affable but firey Taft City Councilman who walks precincts in a "uniform" of jeans, white campaign t-shirt and black Vans sneakers.

Watson, the incumbant Supervisor, is a shirt-and-tie guy with a business background and a nice but quiet personal disposition.

We'll be digging into the two men's campaign issues and debates more as we go forward. June is getting close.

Stay tuned.

Taft City Councilman Cliff Thompson is running the Fourth District Kern County Supervisor’s seat currently help by Ray Watson. He has been on the Taft City Council for seven years.
Thompson filled out this questionnaire below from The Californian.


Name: Cliff Thompson

Other name(s) used:

Office sought: 4th District Supervisor

E-mail address:  cliff@thompson4supervisor.com

Web site address: www.thompson4supervisor.com

Born: 1951, in Taft

Spouse's name: Caroline

Number of children and ages:

Current occupation/employer: Self-employed

List employment history (past 20 years):
2001 to 2004 — offshore oil work for Exxon Mobile
1991 to 2001 — offshort oil rig work for various companies
1985 to 1991 — oil-related work for various companies

Professional licenses:

How long have you lived in the jurisdiction you seek election? 57 years

Political offices you have held: Taft City Council

Political offices you have sought: (dates, locations, outcomes):

Board memberships/Community activities:  KernCOG, League of California Cities, Tanner appeals board on Laidlaw facility in Buttonwillow, San Joaquin Valley Housing Trust Authority.

Education: Taft union high school: 1970

Military:

Describe anything you have published, invented, discovered, painted, etc., and events or hobbies that would be interesting for a biographical story:

Campaign manager (if not yourself): None

Campaign committee members:

State or Federal campaign ID number: 1303113

Campaign consultant: None

List all criminal convictions or pleas in this county and others (Include year):
See attached

List all civil court judgments against you or any business you have had a financial interest in (partnership, sole proprietor, corporation) in this county and others (include year): None
 

Fourth District Kern County Supervisor Ray Watson is seeking a third (but second full) term. He was elected in November 2002, after Supervisor Ken Peterson died while in office, then re-elected in 2004.

He filled out the questionnaire below at the request of The Californian.

Name: Raymond A. Watson

Other name(s) used: N.A.

Office sought: Kern County Board of Supervisors — District 4

Web site address: watson4supervisor.com

Born: 1936, in Los Angeles

Spouse's name: Marlene Watson

No. of children and ages: two children, ages 45 and 41    

Current occupation/employer: Kern County Board of Supervisors — District 4/voters of the District.

List employment history (past 20 years):

KERN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS: 2002-present       

AK MEDIA GROUP, INC.
    Central California Station Group:
    KGPE (CBS), Fresno
    KGET (NBC), Bakersfield
    KCOY (CBS), Santa Maria
    KKFX (FOX), San Luis Obispo
    Regional President: 1999-2002
                               
KGET TV, Bakersfield CA
    President, General Manager: 1983-1999

McGRAW-HILL BROADCASTING COMPANY, INC.
    KMGH TV, Denver, CO   
    Vice President General Manager: 1981-1983

    KERO TV, Bakersfield, CA
    Vice President General Manager: 1975-1981

    KGTV, San Diego, CA
    Business Manager: 1966-1975

ERNST & ERNST, San Diego & Los Angeles offices
    CPA, Senior Accountant, Audit: 1962-1966

Professional licenses: N.A.

How long have you lived in the jurisdiction you seek election? 30 years

Political offices you have held: Kern County Board of Supervisors — District 4

Political offices you has sought: (dates, locations, outcomes): N.A.

Board memberships/Community activities: 

As county supervisor:
Governor's Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley-Board: 2007-present
California State Association of Counties-Alternate: 2007-present
Kern Medical Center Executive Committee: 2007-present   
Kern County Air Pollution Control District: 2002-2007
San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District -Alternate: 2002-2007
San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District-Board: 2008
San Joaquin Valleywide Air Pollution Study Agency-Board: 2008
San Joaquin Valley Rail Committee-Board: 2008
Southern California Water Committee-Vice Chair: 2002-present
San Joaquin Valley Water Coalition: 2002-present
Carrizo Plain Advisory Committee (BLM): 2002-present
Kern County Local Agency Formation Commission: 2005-present   
Joint Standing Committee on Gang Violence: 2005-2008
Kern Economic Development Corporation: 2005-present
Kern Medical Center Joint Conference Committee: 2005-present
Kern County Network for Children: 2005-present
Animal Control Commission-Alternate: 2006-present
Intergovernmental Relations Committee-Alternate: 2008
Water Resources Committee: 2007-present
Kern Council of Governments: 2002-2004
Community Action Partnership of Kern: 2002-2004

Previous activities:

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY BAKERSFIELD
    President's Advisory Board, 1999-2002

KERN COUNTY MUSEUM
    Steering Committee, 2002

DOWNTOWN BUSINESS & PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION
    Chairman, 1999 & 2000

BAKERSFIELD 2020 VISION
    Board of Directors, 2000
                               
KERN COUNTY WELFARE REFORM TASK FORCE
Business Advisory Team, Chairman Community Awareness Committee, 1997

KERN TRANSPORTATION FOUNDATION
Formed to promote a modern, balanced transportation system that enhances the quality of life and supports the economic vitality of Kern County.
    Chairman, 1990-1998

ANTELOPE VALLEY, SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY HIGH SPEED RAIL COALITION
    Chairman, 1996

KERN COUNTY SCHOOL-TO-CAREER TASK FORCE
    Steering Committee, 1996

GREATER BAKERSFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
    Community Leadership Council
    President, 1991

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY BAKERSFIELD
    School of Business and Public Administration Advisory Board

BAKERSFIELD COLLEGE FOUNDATION
    Trustee, 1994-1996

GOLDEN EMPIRE GLEANERS
    Board of Directors

CALIFORNIA BROADCASTERS ASSOCIATION
    Board of Directors, 1976-1981, 1984-1996
    Vice President of Television, 1996

EMPLOYERS' TRAINING RESOURCE, PRIVATE INDUSTRY COUNCIL OF KERN, INYO AND MONO COUNTIES
    Chairman, 1984-1998

FUTURE BAKERSFIELD FOUNDATION
Formed by the Mayor to conduct visioning and strategic planning conference involving 150 community leaders.
    Founding Chairman, 1994

KERN MEDICAL CENTER
    Kern County Blue Ribbon Task Force, 1999

ROTARY CLUB OF BAKERSFIELD
    President, 1989-1990

UNITED WAY OF KERN COUNTY
    Campaign Chairman, 1976
    Board of Directors, 1976-1978

MEMORIAL CENTER FOR BEHAVORIAL HEALTH CARE
    Board of Directors
    Foundation Chairman, 1976-1990

YOUTH FOR CHRIST
    Board of Directors

KERN LIBRARY FOUNDATION
    Trustee, 1993

SECRET WITNESS, Kern County Sheriff and Bakersfield Police
Board of Directors

BROADCAST CREDIT ASSOCIATION (national association)
    Founding President, 1970

BROADCAST FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION
(national association)
    Board of Directors, 1968-1975

COMMUNITY FIRST BANK
    Board of Directors, 1994

TULE CORPORATION, for-profit corporation of Mercy Hospital
    Board of Directors, 1991-1998

DENVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
    Board of Directors, 1982

DENVER PARTNERSHIP, INC.
    Board of Directors, 1982

BAKERSFIELD CONVENTION AND VISITOR BUREAU
    Board of Directors

KERN VIEW FOUNDATION
    Chairman

Education:
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
    B.S. Accounting: 1963

HARVARD SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
    Two week executive management course: 1970

Military:
U.S. ARMY
Finance Corps, Fort Irwin, CA: 1960-1962

Describe anything you have published, invented, discovered, painted, etc., and events or hobbies that would be interesting for a biographical story: Occasional painter

Campaign manager (if not yourself): Mark Abernathy

State or Federal campaign ID number:  ID# 1245952

Campaign consultant: Western Pacific Research

List all criminal convictions or pleas in this county and others (Include year): None.

List all civil court judgments against you or any business you have had a financial interest in (partnership, sole proprietor, corporation) in this county and others (include year): None

4th District Supervisor's challenger Cliff Thompson is taking the offensive against incumbant Ray Watson in a series of billboards going up this week.

We've seen this one — featuring a dairy cow's derriere — on Rosedale Highway near Old Farm Road.

Anyone seen others?