Politics, anyone? - politicsanyone's Blog - Bakersfield.com

A Republican steps into the Parra/Florez contest

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:29:07 PST

There's still no official announcement from Republican incumbent Danny Gilmore that he's not running for his 30th District state Assembly seat.

No matter: there's a new Republican name on the list of possible contenders.

David G. Valadao (pronounced val-uh-DAY-oh, as far as I can tell from his dairy's answering machine), a dairyman in Hanford, filed intent-to-run papers last week.

I have some calls out but haven't spoken with him yet.

The Fran Florez/Pete Parra matchup will only affect primary season, of course, as they're both on the Dem side of the ticket.

Though it would be a shocker if Gilmore decided to run again, Valadao is nevertheless the first "R" to throw his hat in the ring.

- Gretchen Wenner, staff writer

Jagels' retirement profiled by AP

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:26:05 PST

The Associated Press has a feature on the upcoming retirement of Kern's DA, Ed Jagels.

We covered it in early October, though ours didn't quote Sean Penn.

Behind the scenes of the UC Merced deal: Politico

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:13:26 PST

Politico has an in-depth look at Cardoza's (and Costa's, though he's not mentioned) deal for the possible UC Merced funding of $500 million in the health care package.

Some fun back-room details:

“It takes a lot of [chutzpah] for a guy who’s in the leadership to leverage the speaker on his own personal project and, when he got it, to continue to push,” said a senior Democratic aide.

Here's the McClatchy Washington bureau's take on the possibility UC Merced might not get any of the money, and a Cardoza op-ed on why he voted for the bill.

-- Gretchen Wenner, staff writer

Coffeehouse brings Florez, Parras together

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:31:34 PST

Got this fun tidbit from a friend Tuesday:

Rival political powers found themselves sharing the comforts of Dagny's Coffee Co. in downtown Bakersfield Tuesday afternoon.

Shafter Democrat Fran Florez was sitting with a group at an outside table when up walked Nicole and Pete Parra, who took a table inside. Pete Parra, Nicole's father, and Florez will duke it out for the Democratic nomination to represent the state's 30th Assembly District next year, setting up what promises to be a doozy of a race. (Nicole Parra used to hold the 30th seat).

The two families maintain a long-running political feud, though not necessarily between Fran Florez and Pete Parra.

It wasn't exactly like the Hatfields and McCoys showing up at the county fair. Nevertheless, the two parties were observed making occasional glances in the other's direction. After some 20 minutes, Florez left her table, heading across Eye Street for parts unknown, while the Parras welcomed guests for what appeared to be a meeting.

$500 million for UC Merced: Costa and Cardoza's "ask" in health care bill

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:17:54 PST

The Blue Dog Dems from Fresno and Merced -- Jim Costa and Dennis Cardoza -- got a lot of bang for their "yes" votes on the House health care package: More than $250 million apiece.

An amendment they'd hammered out during the week will bring $500 million, over five years (2011 to 2015) to UC Merced for a medical school and residency program in Fresno.

A second amendment, regarding incentives to members of the National Health Services Corps, is meant to lure health-care professionals to the Valley. No dollar amount is listed in the amendment.

Developing...

-- Gretchen Wenner, staff writer

Costa: "yes" vote begets UC Merced med school

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:50:33 PST

Jim Costa, the Blue Dog Dem from Fresno, got the funding he sought for a medical school at UC Merced, including residency in Fresno, and voted for the House health care reforms Saturday. (Kevin McCarthy, the Bakersfield Republican, voted against as expected.)

Here is the release from Costa's office:

FROM THE OFFICE OF CONGRESSMAN JIM COSTA
Representing California's 20th District
Fresno County · Kern County · Kings County

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 7, 2009

Rep. Costa Statement Following Passage of The Affordable Health Care for America Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Following passage of the Affordable Health Care for America Act, Congressman Jim Costa (D-Fresno) released the following statement.

“I am voting for HR 3962 because the choice of doing nothing was not an option. During my negotiations to help improve the bill for our Valley, I was able to achieve funding for a medical school in the Valley, with studies at UC Merced and residency in Fresno as well as additional incentives to bring health professionals to our Valley. Increased funding in this bill for programs ranging from nurse training to health career opportunity programs to community health centers and increased reimbursement rate for low-paying Medicaid will go a long way in strengthening our health system in the Valley.

“This bill takes steps to end the hidden costs in our current health care systems that are now paid for by all Americans. There are also a number of important measures in the legislation which resolve issues with catastrophic care, allowing for portability, incentives for preventative care and end exclusions for preexisting conditions.

“This process is not over though. There are still challenges on cost containment which concern me. I will have a full dialogue with my constituents over the next few months to ensure all the health care needs in the Valley are met.

“I will reserve the option to oppose the final version of the bill if cost containment and Valley health care needs are not fully met.”

# # #

Fuller likely to run for state Senate

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:59:41 PST

Assemblywoman Jean Fuller said Friday she's leaning toward running for the state Senate and not for re-election to her current post.

If she indeed goes that way, other candidates' plans should firm up, too.

Bakersfield psychologist Dean Haddock, Kern High School District Trustee Ken Mettler and Taft College instructor Harold Pease have said they will run in the 32nd Assembly District Republican primary if Fuller does not. Most of Bakersfield is in that district.

"Constituents have been coming forward to encourage me to run for State Senate in 2010 and because of that encouragement, I am leaning more towards running for the Senate than the Assembly," Fuller, R-Bakersfield, said in a statement.

Fuller would be vying for the 18th Senate District seat now held by the terming-out Roy Ashburn, R-Bakersfield.

Former Assemblyman Bill Maze, R-Visalia, has also filed intent to run papers for the 18th District Republican primary.

Fuller has said she will make her final decision after a water deal is done in the Legislature. Assembly and Senate lawmakers approved a package earlier this week.

"Now that the water package has passed, I am focused on ensuring that officials and constituents understand the impact the water bond would have on their area," Fuller's statement also said.

"Because of my active involvement in the water deal, I was invited by the Governor to join him at a signing ceremony this morning in Los Angeles, and will also join the Governor on Monday in Fresno as he signs the water bond."

- Government editor Christine Bedell

UPDATE: Bakersfield’s Stan Ellis, who owns the Bakersfield Jam and about a dozen other businesses, announced Friday he’s endorsing Mettler in the 32nd.

Ellis unsuccessfully sought the same seat in 2006.

“Ken Mettler is a strong candidate who will fight for the things that I care about in a representative - less regulations, lower taxes and real accountability to the voters who put you there in the first place,” Ellis said in a news release.

“Ken will provide principled representation for our community. I intend to support Ken all the way in order to gain a real fighter for us up in Sacramento.”

Costa, undecided on health care, negotiating for Valley

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:57:34 PST

It’s Thursday afternoon, California time, and Rep. Jim Costa still hasn’t decided how he’ll vote on health care come Saturday.

The Fresno Democrat, whose district includes parts of Bakersfield, Arvin, Shafter, Wasco and Delano, is one of the moderate and conservative “Blue Dog” House Democrats whose yeahs and nays could determine the outcome of their party’s proposed reforms.

“We’re still reviewing and listening to concerns from Valley residents,” said spokesman Bret Rumbeck.

There’s been plenty to hear. Staffers in the D.C., Fresno and Bakersfield offices have been swamped with e-mails and phone calls in recent days. Input is coming from around the country.

Costa was in D.C. Thursday, where he is still “speaking and negotiating” with party leadership to make legislation better for the Valley, Rumbeck said. Two things are on his wish list: a medical school at UC Merced and getting more health professionals to the Valley.

Folks on both sides are vying for the congressman’s attention.

On Wednesday, a labor group rallied outside Costa’s Bakersfield office urging him to support reform. Thursday, a Virginia-based limited-government group issued a press release urging him to vote against it. Reporters, meanwhile, keep wanting to know where he stands.

One key figure is staying quiet. President Barack Obama hasn’t called, Rumbeck said.

The latest Capitol Hill rumors say a vote is likely around 6 p.m. Saturday, Eastern time, with legislative business starting in the morning.

- Staff writer Gretchen Wenner

For a good story on what's going on with other Blue Dogs, read this Politico piece.

McCarthy to appear on CNN

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:28:40 PST

Got this from McCarthy's office, if you're so inclined to watch:

Tune in: Congressman Kevin McCarthy (CA-22) along with Congressman Chris Van Hollen (MD-08) will appear on CNN’s Situation Room <http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/situation.room/> today, November 3rd, at 3:45pm PST (6:45 pm EST).

Parra vs. Florez: It's on!

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:20:19 PDT

Pete Parra and Fran Florez will face off in the Dem primary for the state Assembly's 30th District seat.

Question for the day: Who'll win, and why?

Bonus content! A little background for the uninitiated:

Kern's long-running Parra/Florez feud started eons ago. Pete Parra and Dean Florez, Fran's son, were once allies. They had a falling out, though I've never heard exactly why.

Dean Florez went on to become a state legislator; he's now termed out and making a run for Lt. Gov. His former staffer, Michael Rubio, successfully knocked Parra from his county supervisor's seat. Rubio is now running for Florez's state Senate seat.

Parra's daughter, Nicole, went on to win three terms in the state Assembly. Before terming out there and launching a Sacramento consultancy, she shunned fellow Dems and endorsed Republican Danny Gilmore for her former post. Opponent? Fran Florez, Dean's mother. Gilmore won, though he's expected to quit after his first term.

Nicole's father and Dean's mother will now face off in the June primary.

-- Gretchen Wenner, staff writer

McCarthy draws criticism from conservative wing

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:39:54 PDT

Conservative R's must be getting out the message to pile on Kevin McCarthy for donating to a centrist R candidate (endorsed by the NRA, btw) in a New York congressional race.

First we got the release (pasted in below) from the local chapter of the California Republican Assembly, sent early Monday. Then today, our Opinion editor got an e-mail from a woman grousing about the same issue.

(For another perspective, here's a blog post from an area NPR reporter on endorsements and a Washington Post blog on whether, with a Palin vs Gingrich divide, the special election is a litmus test for 2012.)

Here's what's come in so far:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:   Martin Bertram
October 25, 2009

Kevin McCarthy Backs Liberal for Congressional Seat

Bakersfield—Congressmen Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) is backing a liberal Republican candidate, who favors abortion and homosexual marriage, has close ties with ACORN, and supported Obama’s trillion dollar stimulus package, for New York’s 23rd Congressional District seat in the coming special election. Her main opponent is Doug Hoffman; a social and fiscal conservative who is favored by conservatives including Sarah Palin and Fred Thompson.

This conflict is indicative of the current battle for the identity of the Republican Party, with one side standing upon immutable conservative principles, and the other side willing to sell out on principles in order to build a larger party.

“We applaud the conservative Republicans who are supporting the principled candidate,” stated Martin Bertram, First Vice President of the Republican Assembly of Kern County. “A party without principles is not worth having. It appears that Representative McCarthy favors party growth over principles.”

“The Conscience of the Republican Party”
Social and Fiscal Conservatives
www.RepublicanAssemblyofKernCounty.com

P.O. Box 20141
Bakersfield, CA 93390-0141
United States

##############

Here's the email:

Subject: Mr. Price, you may remember me from post-9/11....

...
I wanted to let you know that Bakersfield's Congressman, Kevin McCarthy, is supporting a Very Liberal Republican running in a special election in New York's 23rd Congressional District. The woman's name is Dede Scozzafava. Her opponent, running on the Conservative line, is a Republican who is socially conservative, a CPA and backed by many other conservative Republicans who know we need a Republican like him in Congress. Today, Rep. Dana Rohrbacher endorsed Hoffman.
Below is today's NY Post endorsement of Hoffman and an article from The Hill with McCarthy's support of Scozzafava. I think the people of Bakersfield need to know that their Congressman is supporting someone who would be considerable a radical leftist in Bakersfield...
If you would like more information, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Best,
Julie

Here are stories e-mail links to:

New York Post endorsement of Hoffman

The Hill story includes this graf mentioning Kevin:

Just 17 members — about 10 percent of the GOP conference — have written checks to Scozzafava’s campaign. They include House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.), National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) Chairman Pete Sessions (Texas) and Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who is in charge of recruiting candidates to run next year.

---

-- Gretchen Wenner, staff writer

Fuller offers up Assembly-R's water bill....

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:13:47 PDT

Jean Fuller and two other Republican state Assembly members have authored their own water bill, the Capitol Weekly reported.

Here's the text of CW blurb:

Assembly Republicans, unhappy with the water-reform package authored by the Senate Leader Darrell Steinberg, introduced their own water plan that they said would curb the authority over groundwater monitoring contained in the Senate plan.

The bill, AB 1 7x, was introduced hours after a closed-door meeting Monday of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Republican and Democratic leaders of both houses. During the meeting, Republicans said they were unhappy over the regulatory powers that the Steinberg bill authorized for illegal diversions, including up to $5,000-per-day fines. Republicans said the provisions were particularly difficult for small farmers in the delta.

The authors of the bill are three the Assembly's Republican negotiators on the water conference committee - Jean Fuller of Bakersfield, Jim Nielsen of Yolo and Kevin Jefferies of Riverside.

The Republicans, which deals with policy and not fiscal issues, was introduced on the same day that legislative hearings began on the Steinberg bill, SB 1 7x, which was the product of months of negotiations between water interests and environmental groups.

That bill seeks to expedite and stabilize water deliveries while providing enough water to protect the environment of the delta.

Rubio might have an opponent

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:06:50 PDT

I spoke briefly this morning with first term Hanford City Councilman David Thomas. He confirmed he plans to run for California's 16th Senate District seat.

So far the only candidate who has confirmed he's running — and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the fight — is Kern County Supervisor Michael Rubio.

Hoping to talk to Thomas more in a bit.

Pete Parra: Why he might - and might not - run

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:33:25 PDT

While political types might savor the idea of an Assembly race between a Parra and a Florez, Pete Parra said Friday that potential drama may be one reason he DOESN’T run for the 30th District post.

“That’s one of the reasons I hesitate,” Parra, a former Kern County supervisor, said. “I don’t want to bring their family and our family into that situation. It’s not healthy.”

Parra is considering running for the seat his daughter, Nicole Parra, held from 2002 to 2008 if current incumbent Assemblyman Danny Gilmore, R-Hanford, does not.

Pete Parra’s a Democrat but supported Gilmore for the seat in 2008 and continues to back him. He’d potentially face former Shafter City Councilwoman Fran Florez in the June 2010 Democratic primary; Florez has filed intent-to-run papers.

She lost to Gilmore in 2008.

Gilmore hasn’t announced publicly whether he will seek a second two-year term.

According to the Fresno Bee, he released a statement Thursday saying that while the filing deadline to run is not until March, “I would probably not seek reelection if I had to make that decision today.”

Gilmore did not return calls from The Californian Thursday and Friday. In a story published last Sunday, he told The Californian he’s had a really tough time dealing with the fallout of the state’s budget troubles and Sacramento’s grueling partisan politics.

Pete Parra said he’ll probably make his decision in a couple weeks. What he needs to figure out, he said, is whether he’d have the needed support locally and in Sacramento, if he really wants more time away from his growing family (grandkids are in the picture now), and if he wants to be part of more Parra vs. Florez drama.

(It’s a long story. Suffice it to say Nicole Parra and Fran Florez’s son, state Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, haven’t liked each other nor gotten along for a long time).

Oh, and there’s the little fact that Pete Parra doesn’t live in the 30th District, which includes a lot of northwestern Kern County plus the Arvin and Lamont area and parts of Bakersfield.

No problem, Parra said. He can move there, just like he moved into the 5th Supervisorial District to run for and hold that office.

Parra said if he did run it would be to tackle job creation, water and economic development issues in the economically struggling district.

He’s been serving on the California Workforce investment Board, which assists the governor on workforce development issues, and the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley, which promotes economic development.

Protect Marriage: Ban Divorce

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:16:14 PDT

A Sacramento man has qualified a...unique...ballot measure to collect signatures for the 2010 ballot. The 2010 Marriage Protection Act would protect marriage — by outlawing divorce in California.

Secretary of State Debra Bowen just certified it today.

John Marcotte needs the signatures of 694,354 voters to get the measure on the ballot.

He's got a slick website that adopted the blue and yellow theme colors from the sucessful Yes on 8 campaign of Nov. 2008.

But, as the Huffington Post notes and a video for the measure sarcastically states, Marcotte isn't really prompting the abolishment of divorce.

It's his opinion that divorce is a bigger threat to marriage than gay marriage.

- James Burger, Californian staff writer

Danny Gilmore just saying no?

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:49:01 PDT

Yes, we've heard the rumors too.

The California Target Book's Allan Hoffenblum has reported in his subscription Hot Sheet e-letter that Assemblyman Danny Gilmore won't be seeking re-election.

Hoffenblum told us he heard it from two reliable sources. We have calls in to Gilmore and his staffers and hope to have it confirmed or denied by the end of the day.

Gilmore's frustration with Sacramento was made clear in a piece by (supposedly retired, ha!) Dianne Hardisty in Sunday's Californian.

If the news is true, this means even more political opportunities (and shuffling) in 2010, which is turning out to be a fun-to-watch season for political junkies.

Fran Florez, Dem, has already filed papers to run for Gilmore's seat. If he's out, who will step up from the Republican side?

-- Gretchen Wenner, staff writer

Danny Gilmore's tough first term

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:21:08 PDT

Our former opinion page editor, Dianne Hardisty, wrote a great piece for us that ran Sunday on Assemblyman Danny Gilmore's tough first year representing the 30th District.

Here's the top of her piece and a link to the full story.

The state budget was awash in red ink and legislators were bitterly battling over program cuts this spring when two Bakersfield mothers walked into Danny Gilmore's Sacramento office.

One mother pushed a frail young boy in a wheelchair. The other was accompanied by her autistic daughter. They begged the first-term Republican assemblyman from Hanford not to cut critical medical services for their children and others like them.

When the mothers left, "I closed my office door and cried," Gilmore recently recalled, noting that during the height of the budget battles, "every 20 to 30 minutes I had people coming in pleading with me not to cut programs."

Gilmore is no stranger to state government. He served more than three decades as an officer with the California Highway Patrol. And he is no stranger to making tough decisions. Before retiring from the CHP, he was the assistant chief of the Fresno district.

But what he calls the "horrid" cuts he and other lawmakers have had to make to education, fire and public safety, plus his frustration with partisan bickering and Democrats' response to California's economic problems, have driven Gilmore to prayer.

Here's the full story.

Ashburn addresses the rumors

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:44:07 PDT

Rumors have been swirling about state Sen. Roy Ashburn’s future political aspirations since he’s termed out next year.

After a quick phone conversation with him, here’s what we know:

Running for 2nd District Kern County supervisor?

False.

“I've never even talked with anyone about that at all,” he said.

Running for Rep. Jim Costa's congressional seat?

Another false.

“I'm an active candidate for the Board of Equalization,” he said. “As far as I know I can't run for two offices at the same time.”

So that's a no, no and yes, to the Board of Equalization.

“But I love all the rumors,” he said.

- Californian columnist Lois Henry

Stan Ellis considering legislative run

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:51:39 PDT

Bakersfield businessman Stan Ellis said Thursday he’s considering running for either Jean Fuller’s Assembly seat or Roy Ashburn’s state Senate post.

Ellis, majority owner of the Bakersfield Jam and about a dozen other businesses, said he’s been lobbied by locals and consultants in Sacramento to run in the 32nd Assembly District GOP primary.

Ellis lost to Fuller in the 32nd primary in 2006.

“I’m frustrated because I feel we need stronger candidates,” Ellis said. “Sacramento needs someone that will fight, and I mean really fight.”

He said he wouldn’t necessarily take himself out of the Assembly running if Fuller seeks re-election.

Ellis said one reservation is that he worries he’d make for a “poor politician” because he’s also frustrated at the political system and “I don’t know that I would think with a clear head.”

He said he doesn’t like how people promise the world when they run for office and then after they’re elected, bow to party lines or special interest groups.

But Ellis said he’d make for a “great public servant.”

“I’m bombarded every day with new regulations and I believe in a part-time legislature,” Ellis said. “And I wouldn’t take a salary until the budget is balanced.”

So far in the 32nd Assembly District race, Fuller hasn’t announced whether she will run for re-election while two fellow Bakersfield Republicans, Kern High School District Trustee Ken Mettler and psychologist Dean Haddock have filed intent-to- run papers.

Democrat Virginia McClellan-Rodriguez has also filed.

In the 18th Senate District, Fuller and former Assemblyman Bill Maze, R-Visalia, have filed a statement of intention to run. So has Democrat Carter Pope of Lake Isabella.

- Government editor Christine Bedell

Dean Haddock explains potential Assembly bid

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:50:12 PDT

I finally heard from Dean Haddock about his potential run for the state Assembly.

In an e-mail sent Wednesday evening, the Bakersfield psychologist said he filed intent-to-run papers for the 32nd District Republican primary to be prepared if incumbent Jean Fuller, R-Bakersfield, doesn’t run for a third and final term.

When he ran for Kern County supervisor in 2006, Haddock said, he filed three months before the primary and it wasn’t enough time to generate the needed support.

Haddock noted he came in second in a group of five candidates. (Mike Maggard won).

Obviously responding to my story in Wednesday’s paper that quoted local political observers as saying Haddock was a weak candidate and unqualified for state office, Haddock laid out his experience in his e-mail. (Haddock did not return my calls Tuesday for the Wednesday story).

Haddock wrote that he was elected to the Republican Central Committee last year, is a Bakersfield planning commissioner and has served on the Kern County Work Force Investment Board for three years.

Haddock said he’s also done community work including as a volunteer reserve sheriff’s deputy and as a probable cause hearing officer for almost 20 years.

“I have also helped the people of our community with parenting, marriage, civics and healthcare advice in my volunteer daily one-minute radio segments ‘Living Right and Free with Dr. Dean Haddock’ on KNZR AM 1560 the past three years, as well as helping families through interviews and articles with your newspaper for the past 25 years,” Haddock wrote.

He said if he runs for Assembly he will focus on promoting job creation and growing the economy, reforming state government and keeping the streets safe.

“Too many businesses are leaving the state and too many people are losing their jobs,” Haddock wrote. “I am not a career politician; I am a small business owner. I will make it easier for more companies to invest in California creating new jobs by limiting over-regulation and taxation of businesses that create jobs.

“I will end business as usual in California politics, passing common-sense reforms to stop wasteful spending and hold bureaucrats accountable for how they spend our tax dollars.”

Fuller has not announced her political intentions for next year. Kern High School District Trustee Ken Mettler has said he will run in the Republican primary for the seat if Fuller does not.

- Government editor Christine Bedell