Hi, Lois:

I thoroughly enjoyed your thrashing of the Boy Blunder, "Zack the Hack" Scrivner.  Well done!

Just a couple of offerings to help keep the ensuing discussion on a factual basis:

Mike Maggard is NOT a founding member of the Bakersfield Republican Assembly.  The BRA has existed since Don Rogers was our state senator.  It was founded by Rosalyn Strode and her longtime employers Ray and Nancy Vercamen, owners of Uncle Sam's military surplus store.  I don't think Maggard was even on the city school board at that time.

BRA was and is, excepting the years it was dominated by left-of-center politicians Maggard and David Couch, a conservative organization.  But now that the philosophically moderate influence of Bill Thomas in Abernathy's group has waned, they are the conservatives.  I tried to think of an issue on which the Machine's candidates don't lean to the right of liberal Republicans Maggard, Couch and Roy Ashburn.  I can't, except possibly their fiscally disastrous grandstanding against Bakersfield strip clubs.

Thanks again for a well-written, funny and illuminating editorial.  You made my day.

--John

Looks like you'll have a busy week coming up.

The Republican good-ole-boys club controlling local politics will be on their computers and Blackberries first thing Monday morning calling for your head.

Scrivner will be denying the quote attributed to him and seeking a public apology, Mettler and Vegas atonement for your sins and Abernathy demanding equal coverage for a rebuttal. By Sunday evening, nasty voicemails from a dozen of their supporters will await your morning arrival in the newsroom.

Have a nice weekend.

How many "others" actually heard Scrivner say that? Was it said in front of so many people he can't deny it?

Abernathy gives most local republican voters what they want when they go to the voting booth--a candidate with an "R" next to their name.

 Abernathy gives most local republican voters want --a candidate with an "R" next to their name, when they go to the voting booth.

What does Abernathy want, more god or more development?    

Do they go hand in hand -  really, what's in it for him?

Republican...my butt!  It's not about political philosophy. The party politics are only a means; and, look what follows in its wake.  

What about the schools and the quality of education in Kern County? Now that we all have been reminded to trust in god, with a flag and notions of patriotism, and a poster... what next?

ugliness.....absurd...

--virgil

I love you, Lois.  Write on!

If the Republican factions and the Democrats want to battle it out for control of the City Council or Board of Supervisors, let 'em.  That's why it's called "partisan politics."  But why a political machine continues to exercise control over nonpartisan school boards offends me.  Or more precisely, why the voters continue to allow it to happen.  Four of five seats on the Bakersfield City School District Board of Education are now held by Abernathy Republicans.  Two are up for re-election.

Candidates for school board should throw their hats into the ring for one reason and one reason only:  Because they want to serve the parents and students of the school district and make it better.  Not to enhance their politcal standing or lay the groundwork for running for higher office.

That's why I'm running ---- again!

Great column.

McDougle~ you said the magic words:

"Because they want to serve the parents and students of the school district and make it better." Look for a donation from me.

A "machine" that can't even provide 20 or 30 valid signatures to get one of "its" candidates on the ballot isn't a very threatening machine.  They didn't get anyone to oppose Sue Benham either.  The "power" this machine holds on Kern County politics being exagerated a bit.  Were any columnists warned about job cuts at the shrinking newspaper if they couldn't come up with some local scandals to sensationalize for a while?  

A society will eventually decay if it's under the thumb of one political regime for very long.   Diversity (even if it is counter to your own thinking) produces the healthiest societies.

Local Republicans don't seem to "get" that concept.

Where is the local democratic leadership?   Where are our candidates?

There's Democrats in Kern County? 

...just kidding

--virgil

Please bullet point in the future... I just lost 60 seconds of my life that I will never get back.

It is becoming more and more evident why I don't buy the BC anymore. Actually, does anyone? I guess that's why they hand it out at every grocery store in town. I think the one person that I actually saw grab a copy is the proud owner of a local pet store.

Audrey:  Your comment about diversity being healthy even if it runs counter to your own thinking reminded me of something a colleague told me years ago when I began teaching junior high students.  She said, "Don't get upset with the student who argues a point with you in class.  He or she may be the only one paying attention!"

I guess that generally applies to politics.  The people arguing with each other at least care enough to get involved in the issues.  It's pretty hard to argue with someone who is essentially apathetic. 

I totally agree with your statement.  In a society without diversity where no one challenges any idea, concept, or doctrine things can go seriously wrong.  You can end up with a king strutting through the center of town wearing absolutely nothing.

McDougle--You can count on my vote, too.  Your ideas on previous posts were really good, and you seem to have a balanced viewpoint.  I think you would be a really good addition to the school board.  Let me know if there's any way I can help.

Catherine and Sage:

Wow!  I appreciate the early endorsements.  I just hope the support will "landslide" in votes on November 4th.

Dear McDougle:

FYI, County Supervisor and City Council seats in Kern County are also non-partisan, in exactly the way school board seats are.

Audrey B:

The reason Democrats seem invisible in Kern County is that your "leadership" is Candy Easter, who sputters out sentence fragments and doesn't know the first thing about political issues. 

Get better spokespeople, and you'll at least have a strong minority message to pounce on Republican missteps like the one we're discussing above.

McDougle

you said it better than I did.  Thanks.

The machine can be defeated, but it takes some money and LOTS of hard work. Unfortunately, most local candidates do not seem to understand this. In most cases they pull papers and then expect to walk precincts a week or two before the election and expect to win. If you truly want to win you must outwork the machine. You must be prepared to walk every day for several weeks before the election. Yes, it takes money to buy yard signs and 4x8's, but you need yards to place those yard signs and you need to get out there and work to win it.(LOCAL POLITICS IS ABOUT N AME RECOGNITION...NOT ISSUE MANAGE MENT) ....and until someone has the true desire to win and is willing to do the work, sit back and watch the machine take hold of local politics and decide the issues with only token voter approval.

As for the Woodward thing, who ever was behind that fiasco had some very serious explaining to do to Abernathy. I may not like Abernathy, but I do respect him. I don't fear him, but he understands politicking therefore I am at a lost as to what happened with the 5th. All I know is who ever thunk up that idea to pull papers at the last minute and not even give the "candidate" a ward map and some voter reg cards needs to go back to campaign school 101. That was a bonehead move! Bad for machine, but good for voters....at least at the moment. 

Honestjohn

I believe that someone is  working on it.

"The machine can be defeated, but it takes some money and LOTS of hard work."

 Like I said before, that's one fearsome political machine that put up those opponents to Hanson and Benham.  Those who spent some money and worked hard to defeat the machine in this instance deserve some sort of recognition.

Benham is not on the radar, not to mention she is very politically safe. Her constituents like her and are very content with her, not to mention the whole name recognition. Furthermore, the game on the council is getting to 4, after that who cares. Currently there is three with a bone every now and again to Carson. Therefore with her, you have your 4.

And lastly, do not by any means judge the machine by this boondoggle. Every machine slips a gear every now and again. This machine is very powerful behind the scenes. Therefore, who ever came up with that hair brain idea about Woodward was left to freelance. Abernathy does not make dumb mistakes like that. His candidates may make dumb comments or appear arrogant or crazy, but Abernathy doesn't make many strategy mistakes. This was either a calculated move to send a message to Hanson, or one of Abernathy's lackeys came up with the idea and ran with it...and Mark trusted them enough to let them have free range. But even with that notion, the few Mark would allow to do something like that (free lance) know basic campaign strategy, and know better than just help the candidate pull papers and let him go off on his own without close support and especially a novice like Woodward. In short, there is way more to this behind the scenes than those of us on the outside looking in know.

Flightmedic 14:  You are right about name recognition. When I came to Bakersfield, after a lengthy absence, I had no time to study the candidates before it was time to vote, so I went with the names I knew, i.e. Benham, Carson....whatever!  I really blew it, and now must live with my mistake. Taught me a very valuable lesson. Voting  should not be done according to the person's name, but to what they believe in, how they will represent me, and their ethics. Live and learn!

McDougle, good luck with your school board campaign.  My children do not live in that district so I cannot vote for you - sorry.  I am glad that you informed us of the composition of the  BCSC board.  From what you wrote, it doesn't sound like the board is a reflection of the demographics of that particular school district.   

As a long, long timey conservative Republican, I'm amazed at how the definition of "conservative" has been skewed (or skewered) by  "conservatives" who spout phrases like "fiscal conservatism," "private property rights," and "family values."  From their actions it appears that "fiscal conservatism" means: Tight-fisted management and administration that trashes union public employees out of one side of the mouth, and praises public employees out of the other (Yes, I got it right. Just check the record of Ken Weir's statement after he was served with the notice to recall.).  It's so good for employee morale.  And, this is for your info, McDougle, the same guy left the BCSD holding the bag for a $200 million R&M and new construction deficits.  But he did vote to put a $100 million bond issue on the 2006 ballot to help them out as he left.  That was nice because at the same time he was campaigning with his promise to solve the City's $160 million  transportation deficit.   I guess the way that was done was to cover all of the City's failing streets and roads with a sealer.  Looks good for a while, but that stopgap worthless sealing treatment is like painting a dirty pig or your old tires -- looks good for  while, but you've still got a dirty pig/tire (streets and roads structurally falling apart and needed to be reconstructed).  "Private property rights" for your friends and political and business relationships has replaced what should be the defense of everyone's property rights -- even the folks in West Park or off of Paladino Rd.  Or "family values," which should mean an example of an elected official who is totally honest and transparent, who serves their entire electorate "family" by doing the things that preserve and protect them from speculative, greedy development that has driven up the cost of everything needed to have a secure home, and to be free from "conservatives" who now want to raise our taxes because development and growth didn't pay for itself.  I won't go on because there won't be many who read this, but for those of you  who do read it, maybe we need to start a new local political party -- The Get Involved To Make A Difference Party.

Kudos Lois. I just love it when someone takes one the Kern County Political Machine. Mark Abernathy and Bill Thomas have ran Kern County politics for years. It has become so pervasive that good candidates fear going against it.

Keep up the great work.

 LIAR, 

Hold your breath and stamp your foot while saying it, IngasCrutch.  We don't *HEEEEEAR* you.

Yeah, shut up already Ingascrush.  Acting like a gorilla will only convince people that Lois's detractors are idiots and Lois is chock FULL of veracity.

Uh, on second thought, rock on with your baaaad self!! 

honestjohn,

     I must take exception to your unkind characterization of Candi Easter. In my experience she is

 a very articulate spokesman. She is an exceptional leader in the  Kern County Democratic party. I think  your crticism of her speaking style rather than  what she is  saying completely miss the point. Please, if you have some crticisms of what Candi is saying, let's hear them. To totally ignore what she is saying and to crticize the way she is saying it is totally out of line, ignorant and rude.

   Listen to the radio show Candi and Mark Martinez have every Saturday afternoon on AM 1230 from 2 PM to 4 PM. I think you will find her quite capable of expressing the viewpoints of the Kern County Democratic party.

  And her name is spelled "Candi" not "Candy".

Exception noted, Carlos42:

To complete my thought, Candi (like that spelling gives her more credibility) Easter is a poor public speaker because there is no substance to her points. 

I have met her, had long conversations with her, even called her show, and the woman couldn't earn a passing grade in a high school debate class.  She simply doesn't know public policy, can't think in a nonsubjective and analytical manner, or both.

Sorry if you find honesty offensive, but that is your shortcoming, not mine.