Last week, hearings were in full swing in Sacramento, as the Senate committees I chair looked into our state’s preparedness for the expected second surge of the H1N1 virus, as well as the wisdom of multi-million dollar eradication efforts for a widespread pest causing quarantine headaches for California farmers.

On Tuesday, the Senate Committees on Health and Education joined with my Senate Select Committee on Disaster and Emergency Response to question state public health officials and leaders in education on what they have done to ready the state for an upswing in H1N1 cases as California students return to crowded classrooms where germs are easily spread.  

I am happy to be able to say my level of confidence in the state’s readiness has gone up substantially since an April hearing found serious deficiencies, including inconsistent communication between public health officers and health care providers and confusion over prioritization of scarce resources.

Witnesses at last week’s hearing confirmed the state has stockpiled antiviral medications and secured substantial federal funding for an assault on H1N1 at the local level.

On Thursday, I convened a hearing of the Senate Food and Agriculture Committee into the state’s proposed response to the Light Brown Apple Moth, which has led to agriculture quarantines in 15 California counties.

Once again, the California Department of Food and Agriculture refused to participate in a hearing of the California Legislature. The department indicated it would be premature and prejudicial to testify during the public comment period for its environmental impact report, which ends Sept. 28.

A steady stream of witnesses against the eradication effort told our committee that the LBAM is here to stay, and that California should better use our scarce resources to manage the pest as they do in affected countries such as New Zealand, where 99 percent of crops are still deemed fit for export. Testimony indicated that financial losses blamed on LBAM stem from sales losses due to imposed quarantines, rather than from actual damage to the fruit itself.

This week, the Legislature will step up efforts to reach agreement on the central issue requiring legislative attention: WATER. I will work to ensure that any final solution is comprehensive including increased storage and improved conveyance, as laid out in my Senate Bill 301.

Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez, D-Shafter, represents the 16th State Senate District. His column appears here weekly.
 

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Is this the latest fad? Someone brought a copy of the bill, HR 3200, printed out in a binder, and had Kevin autograph it.

Kevin was thronged at the end so I gave up the idea of talking to him.

A few parting tidbits (trying to get some of your questions answered!):

- Who paid? (Update two): Vince Fong, McCarthy staffer, sent this e-mail update: All expenses for our town halls are official expenses paid by taxpayer funds for conducting official congressional business. We are awaiting final invoices from our vendors.
 Fong said the cost of extra security from Cal State police was part of the package. No word yet on Bako police presence.

- Asked a BPD officer if there had been any incidents. He smiled and said no. One lady lost her car, he said. She'd thought it was stolen, but it ended up being Bakersfield parking lot syndrome...

- I asked Vince how they came up with the crowd estimate (roughly 3,000). He said they wanted to use the turnstyles...but apparently they don't have counters! So they used the packets handed out to attendees as a guide.

- Gretchen Wenner, staff writer

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Made it. Though I've had to settle for an aerie at the top of the gym since there was no where else to plug in.

I took some iPhone shots of a few sign-holders in the designated area out front (no signs in the gym; heavy police presence). About a half-dozen were out; all at that point (4:30 pm or so) in favor of reform. I'll upload those shots and one of the venue from my perch. The sign folks arrived as early as 3:30.

It's now 5:08 pm.  People have turned up but so far there's plenty of room left, though I don't know if there's a line outside. They're searching bags and such but not too aggressively from what I saw.

So far I've seen Zack Scrivner (city councilman), Steve Schilling (CEO of Clinica Sierra Vista) and I think Chad Vegas, KHSD trustee.

- Gretchen Wenner, staff writer

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GOP_healthcare_p~.pdf

I'll be blogging from McCarthy's town hall tonight at Cal State (unless technical conditions make it impossible).

It's set for 5:30-7:30 at the Icardo Center, though we know some folks plan on arriving by 4:30 p.m. or earlier.

Whether you're going or watching from home, here are some background links:

• McCarthy's opinion piece on health care reform (toward bottom of page). The page also contains a link to the House bill, H.R. 3200.

• McCarthy's voting record from Washington Post database (he's missed just 4 votes so far; voted with his party about 96 percent of the time. Here's a list of his votes that didn't follow party lines.)

• The 4-page GOP stance from Roy Blunt's Health Care Solutions Group is attached as PDF file; click on blue box at left. (It is also linked from McCarthy's health care page).

• The Californian today printed this column about foreign health-care myths by former W.P. reporter T.R. Reid. Interesting look at a range of systems and how they compare to several systems of care in the  U.S.

• PolitiFact's truth-o-meter is, as ever, a great source if you're trying to keep up with all the flotsam flying around in the politically charged melee. Latest post: Howard Dean's statement: "There's no rationing in any of these bills." Score: False: "Guess what? There's rationing now" (Update: Here's the link to just health-related Truth-o-meter items; fun stuff.)

What are your hopes and/or expectations for this event? Shout match? Public education? Historic occasion? Democracy at work? Will our Congressman come to "to listen to local residents," as his press release for the town hall says, even if they don't agree with his or his party's stance? Should he listen to non-GOP viewpoints or just stick to the party lines he's posted on his site?

- Gretchen Wenner, staff writer

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Here's something to stretch your wonk muscles: a piece on CalBuzz about a possible "deal" going on amongst the folks trying to reinvent California government.

Can you say IMPACT FEE?

Of course you can, because Bakersfield has been orbiting Planet Fee (techhnically "mitigation fee") as homebuilders prepped to sue the city and county over higher traffic impact fees.

As I was researching legislation/history, one thing that arose was how these fees have sprung up and spread tremendously in the wake of Prop. 13. Local governments, especially, saw property taxes either nabbed or shackled by the state post-13 and had to come up with other ways to fund themselves. Etc.

This just caught my eye. Thought it might interest some folks here.

- Gretchen Wenner, staff writer

Last week legislators returned to Sacramento after a few weeks back in our districts meeting with our constituents  — and families — while staff got legislation ready for the final month of hearings, debate and tough votes on a whole host of issues critical to the people of California.

On Thursday we took up the controversial issue of prison reform.

I voted against a plan which would have led to the release of dangerous prisoners. Under the package of spending cuts we passed prior to the legislative recess, we must agree on a way to cut $1.2 billion from the corrections department’s budget, but I don’t believe this is the solution.

The proposal may be up for consideration again this week. As I see it, if Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger believes the release of felons is in the best interest of the people of California, he will have to make that decision and take action on his own.

It seems he is confused as to his own authority, acting outside those bounds one week to make $600 million in cuts from programs for the most vulnerable Californians, then laying this dangerous decision at our feet when it is in fact within his charge.

Several bills I have authored to protect people and animals in California passed the Assembly Appropriations Committee on Wednesday, with more up for a vote this week.

The panel approved my Senate Bill 173, which gives public health officers greater authority to act when the potential to spread food-borne illness is found in a food processing facility.

Assembly Appropriations also passed my Senate Bill 135, which would end the cruel practice of crudely amputating the tails of cows, which is typically done without any sort of anesthetic.

Veterinarians, and even most in the dairy industry, acknowledge the outdated practice is unnecessary and serves no food safety purpose.

On Tuesday of this week I will chair a hearing of the Senate Food and Agriculture Committee on the state’s plans to eradicate the light-brown apple moth.

It remains to be seen whether or not eradication methods are safe for humans, and if eradication of this pest is necessary or even possible.

Thursday I will also hold a hearing to follow up on the state’s preparedness for an expected upswing in cases of H1N1 flu virus as students return to crowded classrooms.

Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez, D-Shafter, represents the 16th State Senate District. His column appears here weekly.

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Here's the rumor (which, before you read it, has officially been deemed as having "no truth" by Florez's press staff):

Dean Florez was supposedly considering abandoning his run for lieutenant governor in 2010 and possibly trying instead to oust Jim Costa from his Congressional seat.

Why?

(Put your political chess cap on; we're shuffling a few pieces here.)

The state's current Lt Gov, Democrat John Garamendi, is the top contender for a northern Cal congressional seat vacated by an Obama appointee in the spring.

But  Garamendi is by no means a shoe-in for the special election Sept. 1 (likely to head to a run-off in early November).

If Garamendi lost and held on to his Lt Gov post, the rumor went, Florez would instead try to bump Costa.

A widespread mailer currently arriving in Fresno-area mailboxes by a water-softener-industry group (I know, I know...) apparently touts Florez as a good politician in touch with real issues. Florez opposes an assembly bill that could impact residential water-softener use in areas where groundwater supplies suffer from salinity issues; the units pump brine back into the system.

(We're still trying to get a copy of the flyer. See, even your junk mail has value to someone... So far we only have anti-local-politician versions. Here's a link to basic site.)

But no.

Jennifer Hanson, a Florez spokesperson, asked her boss about the rumor and said there was "no truth" to it.

Florez has already raised $1.2 million for the LG run, she pointed out, and Garamendi has said he's leaving the LG post no matter what.

We'll see what happens after the Sept. 1 special election.

- Gretchen Wenner, staff writer

Congressman Kevin McCarthy is not mulling a run for lieutenant governor.

The political paper http://www.capitolweekly.ne...>Capitol Weekly said Thursday in a wrap-up of campaign-finance news that McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, is “pondering” a run for lieutenant governor in 2014. It didn’t cite a source.

It is true that McCarthy has a lieutenant governor campaign-finance account -- he’s had it for a long time -- but he said Thursday he’s closing it up and not running for the seat.

Capitol Weekly didn’t talk to him, McCarthy said. The paper did point out that just because someone creates a committee doesn't mean he's seriously considering running for the seat in question.

McCarthy created a lieutenant governor account years ago. It contains money raised back in the day for re-election to the state Assembly that he couldn’t use for what he decided to do instead - run to replace Bill Thomas in Congress.

As of June 30 the account had $122,453.85. McCarthy’s still determining what to do with the money.

- Government team leader Christine Bedell

 

Editors and reporters here sat down with Congressman Jim Costa Wednesday to get his thoughts on the health-care reform proposals coming out of Congress.

Bottom line: He doesn't support the bill that came out of the House energy commitee, saying he supports more incremental reform.

Let's focus on cutting costs (through things like tort reform), providing better catastrophic coverage, promoting healthy living, he says.

He'd pay for his changes by requiring 18- to 42-year-olds to buy health insurance.

Costa's not convinced we need a public health care plan now.

You can read our full story here. Tell us what you think.

- Government team leader Christine Bedell

Members of the local Tea Party Patriots group will be part of an upcoming Sacramento protest of “oppressive government regulation, over-taxation and the Eco-Tyranny foisted upon the public by their government.”

The event on the steps of the California State Capitol will be from noon to 5 p.m. Aug. 28. The “hot topics” will be the federal shutdown of irrigation pumps in the Delta; the state’s landmark greenhouse-gas fighting law; and high taxes.

Guests will include Congressman Tom McClintock; Tea Party Patriots national coordinators Amy Kremer, Jenny Beth Martin and Mark Meckler; talk radio star Eric Hogue; and Central Coast radio talk show host Andy Caldwell.

For more information, the public can visit the official event Web site: www.Sac828.com. Locals who want to caravan  up north are asked to e-mail bakersfieldteaparty@gmail.com or call 333-7041.

Opinion Page Editor Bob Price and I are interviewing Congressman Jim Costa tomorrow about health care reform, and his take on the proposals out there.

He's one of the Blue Dog Democrats, which have expressed concerns about the cost of the plan passed out of a House committee.

Do you guys have any questions you'd like asked of him?

-- Government team leader Christine Bedell

This week my fellow legislators and I have returned to Sacramento after a few weeks back in our districts meeting with our constituents – and families -- while committees and staff got legislation ready for the final month of hearings, debate and tough votes on a whole host of issues critical to the people of California.

First and foremost on that list is water, particularly for those of use who represent the parched Central Valley and farmers who need relief. Hearings will begin this week on a series of proposals that largely focus on governance of the Delta and enhanced conservation efforts. While these two issues are certainly key, I will be pushing my colleagues to embrace a comprehensive approach that includes greater emphasis on storage and conveyance, as with my Senate Bill 301. 

We will also soon take up the equally controversial issue of prison reform. Under the package of spending cuts we passed prior to the legislative recess, we must now agree on a way to cut $1.2 billion from the corrections department’s budget. The challenge lies in finding a remedy that lives up to federal judges’ recent rulings, yet one that does not require us to release dangerous felons back into the communities we serve to protect.

Several bills I have authored to protect people and animals in California will be up for a vote in the Assembly Appropriations Committee this Wednesday. The panel will consider my Senate Bill 173, which gives public health officers greater authority to act when the potential to spread food-borne illness is found in a processing facility. 

The second measure up Wednesday, Senate Bill 135, would end the cruel practice of crudely amputating the tails of cows, which is typically done without any sort of anesthetic. Veterinarians, and even most in the dairy industry, acknowledge the outdated practice is unnecessary and serves no food safety purpose.

Next week we take on the Light Brown Apple Moth, weighing the pest’s true threat to agriculture against the threat posed to California residents by eradication efforts. Also up next week, my continued efforts to save taxpayers millions by encouraging greater pet owner responsibility.

Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez, D-Shafter, represents the 16th State Senate District. His column appears here weekly.

Just got word KERO will also broadcast Kevin McCarthy's upcoming town hall meeting on health care reform.

To get everybody caught up, here are the latest details:

• It's still is from  5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 26 at Cal State Bakersfield’s Icardo Center.

• The event will be televised live on KGET Channel 17 and KERO Channel 23.

• KERO will also rebroadcast it on its digital channel all night long on Brighthouse Channel 84.

•The event will be streamed live at KGET.com and Turnto23.com.

-- Government team leader Christine Bedell

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Rightly or wrongly, I think there's a perception out there that Congressman Jim Costa isn't being as communicative with constituents on health care reform as other Congress members.

I've been receiving e-mails from readers disappointed Costa, D-Fresno, can't attend Kevin McCarthy's upcoming town hall and hasn't scheduled one of his own.

Then I got an e-mail from Delano's mayor today unhappy about what happened when he called the congressman's office seeking information on the proposed reforms.

Just so you all know, we're scheduled to talk to Costa next week to learn more about his position. So stay tuned.

Here's the e-mail I got from Delano Mayor Sam Ramirez:

Today I called Congressman Jim Costa’s office to ask if he would be available to answer any questions regarding Health Care reform. Many residents of Delano have approached me about questions regarding the debate taking place about Health Care.  Since I am not the member of congress, and do not have the all the answers I called the Fresno Office.

I was told by his Fresno office none are scheduled at this time.  I asked how he will be addressing the topic, and was told that he was going to be having meetings with “Health Care Professionals, and others” to discuss the topic.  I asked if those meetings would be open to the public, and was told that currently that information was unavailable.  I asked how residents of the 20th Congressional district would be able to voice their concerns about the current Health Care debate, and was told I would I have to speak with his scheduler.

When asked to speak to the scheduler, I was told by his office that information was not able to be released.  Do you know if this is typical Congressional policy?  In the end, I was told to send an email, and that perhaps someone would/could get back to me.  No wonder why the Health Care debate is so tense right now, people can’t get answers!

Here's the response from Costa spokesman Bret Rumbeck:

“Congressman Costa has been and will continue to meet with constituents regarding the proposed health care legislation.  We met with the Fresno Chamber today.  We have meetings scheduled in Kern County and Kings County next week.  Health care reform is one of the Congressman’s top two issues right now.  Holding or not holding a town hall does not mean that he is not hearing concerns and comments from residents of the 20th Congressional District on a daily basis.”

By Christine Bedell, government team leader

Constituents are clamoring for Congressman Jim Costa to attend an upcoming town hall meeting on health care reform in Bakersfield, but his office says he’s not able to make it.

The Californian and Costa’s offices have received calls for the Fresno Democrat, who represents part of Kern, to explain his views on a House proposal to revamp the health-care system.

They’ve suggested he attend an Aug. 26 health care town hall being hosted by Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, who has come out against the bill.

Costa will not be in Bakersfield that day and he has not been invited by McCarthy, said spokesman Bret Rumbeck. He has not scheduled his own town hall.

Costa, whose district includes Arvin, Delano, McFarland, Shafter, Wasco and parts of Bakersfield, has not taken a position on the health care bill yet, Rumbeck said.

The legislation is some 1,100 pages long, Rumbeck said, and Costa and his staffers are not done deciphering all of it yet.

Costa has a lot of questions about how it would affect valley businesses, hospitals and residents generally, Rumbeck said.

“There are a lot of things we’re looking at,” he said.

Costa is, however, a member of the House’s moderate Blue Dog Democrats, a powerful coalition that has raised concerns about the cost and effect on business of the health care plans.

Meanwhile, McCarthy’s town hall was moved Thursday for the second time to accommodate more people.

But it’s staying on the Cal State Bakersfield campus, going from the Doré Theatre to the Icardo Center.

The Icardo holds far more people, about 3,800, McCarthy’s office said. The Doré holds about 500.

The event was originally planned for Bakersfield City Hall council chambers, which can take 190 people. Local political activists said that was way too small a venue given all the people who want to attend.

The event is from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 26. McCarthy will take questions; local physicians may also be there.

KGET Channel 17 will air the town hall live. It will also stream it live at KGET.com.
Congress members throughout the country have been holding town hall meetings during their recess on federal plans to revamp the health-care system.

The venue for a health-care town hall to be hosted by Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, has changed to accommodate more people.

And it also may be televised.

The event will be held at Cal State Bakersfield’s Doré Theatre, which can hold about 500 people. It was originally scheduled to be held at Bakersfield City Hall council chambers, which can take 190.

Constituents had warned the council chambers aren’t large enough to accommodate all the people who’d like to attend.

Here are the latest details:

When: 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 26

Where: Cal State Bakersfield’s Doré Theatre, 9001 Stockdale Highway

Before you go: McCarthy’s office asks that you RSVP via e-mail to RSVP.McCarthy@mail.house.gov or at www.kevinmccarthy.house.gov or at 327-3611.

On TV? The event may be televised but final arrangements hadn’t been made Tuesday afternoon. Stay tuned.

The Bakersfield Californian
Several prominent local leaders, all clients of political consultant Mark Abernathy, have apparently maintained large debts to Abernathy’s Western Pacific Research firm or failed to update the status of previous debts.
Bakersfield City Councilwoman Jacquie Sullivan’s report for the first six months of 2009 shows an outstanding debt of $30,084.
That’s just a bit more debt than she owed in early 2008 when The Californian profiled debts held by other Abernathy clients.
Sullivan’s fellow city council member Ken Weir owed Abernathy even more — at least in December of 2008.
He recorded a debt of $59,696 on an account for a 2004 school board race in end-of-the-year filings.
But no report, updating that account, appears to have been filed with the Kern County Elections Division this week. The person who answered the phone at his accountancy office Friday said Weir was on vacation and could not be contacted.
Reports were due on Friday, though the elections division does allow time for mailed reports to be delivered.
The status of debt owed to Abernathy by 3rd District Board of Supervisors candidate and local psychologist Dean Haddock is also a little unclear.
Haddock filed a statement that showed a $13,584 debt to Western Pacific Research at the end of 2008.
But that debt is missing from a financial report Haddock filed with the elections division this week.
There is no record of the debt or of the debt being paid off.

The two guitars Sheriff Donny Youngblood bought from Guitar Center with money from his campaign account were raffled off to raise money for his bid to remain Sheriff in 2010.
It didn’t hurt that Youngblood was able to get Merle Haggard to sign one and the Bakersfield Sound’s club of alumni to sign the other.
In the first six months of 2009 Youngblood was able to pull in $40,504 — boosting the balance in his campaign account to $57,567.30 on June 30.
Youngblood said he doesn’t know of any challenger for his job, but he’s not leaving the situation to chance.
He intends to have a well-stocked war chest at hand if one appears.
And the money could serve to convince people not to run.
“It’s hard to raise money now. It’s even harder when the other guy already has money,” Youngblood said.
That seems to be the case with several Kern County office holders or potential candidates.
Here’s who’s running campaign committees for county office and how much cash they’ve pulled in.

Name: Lisa Green
Office: District Attorney
Raised Jan 1 to June 30: $90,749 cash, $6,883 non-monetary
Spent: $10,045
Campaign account balance: $129,993

Name: Ed Jagels
Office: District Attorney
Raised Jan 1 to June 30: $0
Spent: $695
Campaign account balance: $52,051

Name: Mary Beth Garrison
Office: District 2 Supervisor
Raised Jan 1 to June 30: $10,490
Spent: $673.71
Campaign account balance: $9,816

Who hadn’t filed by Friday deadline
(note: candidates are allowed to file by mail – which can delay receipt by county elections)
Ken Weir — school board committee
Michael Rubio — incumbent Supervisor District 5. Staff said committee has been cancelled.
Cliff Thompson — challenger Supervisor District 4.
Jon McQuiston — Supervisor District 1
—
 

I was able to talk to Dean Florez via e-mail Tuesday evening about the people who have maxed out to his campaign. Here's a little bit of a Q and A:

Q: I admit I was curious about how you got to know the two billionaires, Patrick Soon-Shiong and Gary Karlin Michelson. Interesting guys.

A: It's a bit different running statewide, a much wider range of people are interested in the race - as opposed to a state senate district. You end up getting introduced to different people, by friends of friends - billionaires I guess in this case. But remember, everyone has to abide by the contribution limits."

Q: Was the latter a big supporter of your spay/neuter bill? I see that's a pet
cause of his.

A: Not sure on this one, I've been told that he's supported animal issues in the past. But like I said, you do the work that you believe in, some people support what you believe in and some want to help support your candidacy.

Q: I know all politicians say they're not swayed by campaign contributors but it's hard not to notice the gaming companies and tribes that have maxed out or nearly maxed out to you and the fact that you were chair of Governmental Organization, which regulated horseracing and gaming.

How do you defend taking so much money from folks in industry you so directly oversaw?

A: Well in a statewide race you ask as many and varied people you know for help. Some people respond and others slam the door in your face - well, at least hang up on you or refuse to take your phone call.

Why people give money to my race is as varied as any reason why people cast a ballot in your favor. Some people like what you stand for, some people like what you say, some people just hate the other guy. Who knows. I'm just appreciative for the support. 

Q: I see Jason Kinney on the list and read he was chief strategist of the
successful lieutenant governor campaign of John Garamendi. Is he working
with you on your lt. gov. campaign?

A: Jason Kinney is a very successful strategist who I've known for many years. I appreciate his confidence to give my campaign a contribution. But he is not a part of my campaign team.

- Government team leader Christine Bedell

Did he lie? Did he misspeak?

Opposing sides would probably disagree but the bottom line is that Tuesday, Congressman Kevin McCarthy basically acknowledged he wasn’t 100 percent accurate in talking about stimulus plans on MSNBC’s The Ed Show last week.

McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, said on the show that the Congressional Budget Office had “scored” the Republicans’ alternative to the federal stimulus bill signed into law in February and determined it would create twice as many jobs at half the cost.

The CBO did no such thing, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee pointed out to us. The Democrats referred us to a non-partisan analysis (by FactCheck.org) debunking the same claim back in February. (It also debunked some President Obama stimulus claims).

“Ronald Reagan once said that facts are stupid things, a message Kevin McCarthy has clearly taken to heart,” the DCCC said in a statement. “After all, in McCarthy’s attempt to justify his ‘just say no’ approach to economic recovery, he’s now gone so far as to use discredited and erroneous claims.”

Some CBO and other numbers were, though, used by the Republicans to pitch their stimulus alternative.

Here’s what McCarthy’s office had to say about the whole thing Tuesday:

“When Monday morning quarterbacking the interview, the congressman would have preferred to spend more time distinguishing the CBO analysis - showing tax cuts would have been twice as effective as government spending - and the model created by Obama’s economic advisor that projected the jobs plan Congressman McCarthy supported would have created twice as many jobs at half the cost.”

He added a pot shot: “This after-the-fact criticism just seems like another partisan ploy to distract from the serious issue that Speaker Pelosi’s stimulus plan is unfortunately not creating the jobs America needs.”

-- Government team leader Christine Bedell
 

I like looking at who has “maxed out” to politicians we’re covering, given them the most campaign money allowed under state law.

Despite politico protestations, you can’t convince me these folks don’t have the ear of people they’re funding.

Dean Florez’s list was interesting. (Individuals can give his lieutenant governor campaign a maximum $6,500 for the June 2010 primary and $6,500 for the November general election).

Two are on Forbes’ billionaires list. There are attorneys, a powerful union and various gaming interests. No surprise on the latter: Florez used to chair the senate Governmental Organization Committee, which oversees horse racing and gaming.

Just FYI: the $13,000 limit kicked in for 2009-2010. Last year a slew of people gave Florez what was then the maximum for individuals: $6,000 for the primary and $6,000 for the general.

Here are Florez’s $13,000 friends (or all the ones I caught), according to campaign finance filings:

Patrick Soon-Shiong
Forbes said this in March:
He was No. 87 on the magazine’s billionaires list, worth a net $5.5 billion. His father was a village doctor in China; the family immigrated to South Africa during WWII. He finished high school at 16 and was a doctor by 23.

He joined the UCLA faculty in 1980 and developed a technique for inserting islet cells into the pancreas to treat diabetes. He founded VivoRx and took American Pharmaceutical Partners public in 2001. He invented the cancer drug Abraxane.

He plans to donate $1 billion to create "the Bell Labs of health care" and will hire mathematicians, physicists, computer scientists and doctors to build a database of biological markers to better identify ailments and treatments.

Gary Karlin Michelson
Forbes said:
He tied for No. 559 on the billionaire’s list this year, with a net worth of $1.3 billion. He made his first fortune as a surgeon inventing spinal implants.

He set up two foundations: one to support scientific research, the other to save unloved pets. Florez wrote a still-pending bill that would require people to spay or neuter their dogs or obtain a license to keep them unaltered. It also would mandate that cats allowed to roam freely be spayed or neutered.

Jason Kinney
He’s a veteran political/communications strategist and co-publisher of the California Majority Report, an online political Web site, according to the site. He’s also a former chief speechwriter and senior communications advisor to former Gov. Gray Davis.

Of note: he was chief strategist of the successful lieutenant governor campaign of John Garamendi, the site says.

Warren R. Paboojian Inc.
Paboojian is a Fresno attorney.

Kuldip Thusu
He’s CEO of Alta Family Health Clinic in Fresno.

G.J. Mihlsten
He’s a Manhattan Beach attorney.

TVG Network
According to its Web site, Television Games Network “is an interactive horse racing network that combines live, televised coverage from over 100 of the World's premier racetracks and allows viewers to make wagers from home: online, by phone, mobile phone and, where available, using a set-top remote control.”

Morongo Band of Mission Indians
It has what’s described on its Web site as “one of the oldest and most successful Indian gaming facilities in California” and is one of the largest private sector employers in the Banning-Beaumont area.

CCPOA PAC
The political action committee for the California Correctional Peace Officers Association, which represents correctional officers.

Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians
The tribe operates the Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino.

San Joaquin Refining Co.
It’s an independent refiner with manufacturing, sales, and support operations in Bakersfield.

Florez said he was unavailable to chat about the list but sent us this statement:

"After announcing my candidacy for Lieutenant Governor, I've had the unique opportunity to speak to a variety of folks throughout California - even a few billionaires who have contributed to my campaign efforts. 

"In general, these are folks who care about California and believe in my ability to provide
leadership at a high level in government. I know it's fun to talk about billionaires - but my fundraising efforts have been focused on organizing the broadest base of support as possible, and I think I'm on the road to accomplishing that goal.

"As you can see we are far ahead of the competition ((Jeff) Denham 191k etc). And we will keep working harder in the months ahead."

-- Government team leader Christine Bedell

UPDATE: Turns out Florez did have a little bit time for me, to answer some questions I had on the list, but now I'm on deadline with other stories and may not get to sharing the answers 'til Wednesday...

This tidbit slipped by us quietly last month.

Rob Badewitz filed a civil lawsuit against Kern High School District trustee and local "Yes on 8" chairman Ken Mettler on July 10. A preliminary hearing on the case (an order to show cause hearing) is set for next month.

The scuffle between the two men during  opposing street rallies on Proposition 8 in October was captured on video.

The video clearly shows Mettler punching and kicking Badewitz. But part of the video is obscured and it isn't clear if Badewitz threw blows of his own while the camera's vision was blocked by an intervening body.

Mettler claimed he was acting in self defense.

In November Kern County District Attorney Ed Jagels declined to press assault charges against Mettler stating that witness testimony was unclear and the video's gap made it impossible to prove a crime beyond a reasonable doubt.

Kern High School District Trustee Ken Mettler has filed a notice of intent to run for the 32nd Assembly seat in 2012.

But he said he will run for the seat in 2010 if incumbent Jean Fuller decides to run for the 18th District State Senate seat Roy Ashburn will vacate at the end of the year.

"I feel like it’s an opportunity for a fiscal and social conservative ascend to higher office," he said.

He feels his campaign will be "representative of this areas" values.

Mettler's profile has been rising locally in the past year.

He championed the local campaign to pass the Proposition 8 ban on same-sex marriage — engaging in close-quarters debating during the emotional campaign. He was also embroiled in the controversy surrounding a plan to cancell junior varsity sports in the high school district.

He recently opposed the city of Bakersfield's transfer of property in Central Park to the federal government for a downtown court house.