A blog about Politics and News.
Real Name: Gretchen Wenner Address: 1707 Eye Street Bakersfield, CA 93301 Member Since: November 01, 2007 Last Signed In: October 14, 2009 Profile Views: 1849 Blog Views: 37453 Bike riders: Watch for drilling rig on bike path! Canyons meeting under way... Bldrs Exchange drama... Recycling wackiness State's property values decline for first time since 1933... City seeking applicants for Board of Building Appeals Homebuilders v. city (and county): Latest buzz Council, Weds night: development "freeze?" Suing Bakersfield: Pork hits fan? And they're off! City Council seat beckons... City of Bako: Initial damage estimates from state budget deal November 07 December 07 January 08 February 08 March 08 April 08 May 08 June 08 July 08 August 08 September 08 October 08 November 08 December 08 January 09 February 09 March 09 April 09 May 09 June 09 July 09 August 09 September 09 October 09 November 09 Get e-mail updates from this blog, and download to print on the go with the City Beat Printcast.
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I didn't go to the mayoral candidate forum Friday night, but Janet Needham did.
Did you? What happened? How did people sound?
And who are you voting for?
Another Republican organization has endorsed keeping Ken Weir in office:
Bakersfield Republican Assembly
Against the Recall of City Councilman Ken Weir
Bakersfield—Ken Mettler, president of the Bakersfield Republican Assembly
announced today their membership voted overwhelming in opposition to the
recall effort against City Councilman Ken Weir
Councilman Ken Weir has demonstrated that he is a fiscal conservative and a
supporter of private...
City Clerk Pam McCarthy has rejected the Ken Weir recall petition due to what she called "minor typographical issues." She said they're minor enough that the proponents can pick the petition up tomorrow morning, open whatever word processor they used and get a version back to her quickly. She then legally has 10 days to review it again, but said she doesn't expect to take that long.
The people who want Ken Weir to not be a city councilman anymore have their reasons. Ken Weir has answers. I took a look at both and started digging around, and learned a lot.
Like, all about accountants' ethics. And the history of the Hillside Ordinance (which mostly happened before my time). And counting lots. And disclosure requirements for candidates (large download; see sections 87103, 87105, and 87200).
Fun stuff! Now I'm going to relax with the city budget.
Bakersfield City Councilman Ken Weir lent his support to the local Prop 98 rally Thursday. Afterward, I e-mailed him some questions. He responded Friday afternoon. I'd already written my story, so I didn't add him in, but here's what he said.
(By the way, off the top of my head I don't believe a vote on an eminent domain action for redevelopment has come to the council since Weir has been there. He did join with the rest of the council this week in voting to take some land, vacant I think,...
Jacquie Sullivan, Harold Hanson and Sue Benham will all run for re-election this fall.
We already knew about Sullivan, who is the only city council candidate with a declared challenger so far.
Hanson told me two weeks ago that he plans to run for one last term.
There were rumors Benham was considering not running, but I asked her in an e-mail this morning if she's running, and she said she is.
None of these statements are binding, of course, until they file to run in July.
The other...
The Kern County Young Republicans heard from, and then passed a resolution in support of, Bakersfield City Councilman Ken Weir.
Weir spoke to the group at its meeting Monday.
“He was apologetic in the way it was handled, as he has been publicly," said Ryan Leggio, chairman of the group. But he said Weir wasn't apologetic about the core issue, that Planning Commissioner Russell Johnson serves at the pleasure of the council.
Here's the resolution as passed:
RESOLUTION #...
Ahead of Tuesday's committee meeting to discuss Ken Weir's proposal to change the planning commission, I did some poking around.
How the Bakersfield Planning Commission is appointed:
• Currently: Nominated by council member on rotation basis, approved by full council. Four-year terms. Can be removed by a vote of five of the seven council members.
• Under Weir’s proposal: Nominated by council member, approved by full council. Commissioner’s term coincides with council...
Bakersfield City Councilman Ken Weir yesterday submitted his official response to the proponents' statement of why he should be recalled. Recall organizer Will Winn has now come up with a response to the response:
The residents of the Third Ward are being given a tremendous opportunity in this defining moment of Bakersfield History to recall our current Councilman, Ken Weir. It is a sad occasion when a recall needs to happen, but in light of Mr. Weir’s past illegal actions and...
There are two meetings coming up for Westpark residents.
First, there's the unofficial one, a potluck picnic this Sunday at Centennial Park. I know because I walked by the sign on Montclair yesterday. It's on the west side of the street, kind of hard to see from the south if you're driving. There will be a raffle and sign sales to benefit the legal fund.
Then, there's the official one on Thursday, May 22 at Harris Elementary, 4110 Garnsey Lane. There will be two presentations, so you can...
Attached to this post is the PowerPoint presentation that Bakersfield City Manager Alan Tandy, Assistant City Manager John Stinson and Management Assistant Rick Kirkwood used to outline the budget for Bakersfield City Council last night.
Ken Weir went on KGET this week to talk more about why Russell Johnson has to go.
The summary:
“Mr. Johnson is not accountable to anyone at the city, he’s not independent due to his employment relationship, and he doesn’t respect private property rights.”
I'm not sure what accountability to the city would be, except that I thought planning commissioners were supposed to be unaccountable, as in independent.
Johnson is not independent, he said, because he works for...
Recalls are apparently a dime a dozen in Kern County's smaller towns. But in Bakersfield, they're rare.
The last time a recall effort made the ballot was 1962. Three council members were targeted: Kathryn Belfanz of Ward 2, Dick Mossman of Ward 4 and Richard Stiern of Ward 5.
The recall failed: 31 percent against Belfanz, 37 percent against Mossman, and 24 percent against Stiern.
The last successful recall was against Ward 6 Councilman Elmer Martin, who faced the wrath of 63 percent of the...
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