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

Tea Partiers rag on Kevin...

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:04:03 PST

The Bakersfield Tea Party Patriots sent out a release this afternoon ragging on Kevin McCarthy.

Here's the release,:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 24, 2009

Congressman Kevin McCarthy Supports Reelection of Mary Bono Mack

On Monday, November 23rd Congressman Kevin McCarthy made an appearance on the Ralph Bailey Show. He stated on the show that he would support the re-election of incumbent California Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack in next year's Republican primary election.

Congresswoman Mack voted yes on the Cap and Trade bill earlier this year.

"If Cap and Trade passes in Congress many people in Kern County will lose their jobs. How can Congressman McCarthy say that he represents our district by voting no on this bill and then turn around and support Congresswoman Mack who voted against the Kern County economy?", states Bakersfield Tea Party Coorganizer Bill Lind.

Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack has a history of supporting the left-wing environmental agenda and this includes the big money interests in her district. The Palm Springs area contains one of the world's largest wind farms and some of the desert community's most prominent and wealthy citizens have made their fortunes through wind energy.

Bill Lind goes on to state, "When Congresswoman Mack voted yes on the Cap and Trade bill, she put the money interests of a few over the basic financial needs of most Americans. Congresswoman Mack's yes vote on Cap and Trade and Congressman McCarthy's support of her reelection is not acceptable."

Links to further information:

http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/thegreengrok/bonomack/?searchterm=None

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_07/018874.php

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2282719/posts

http://www.basinandrangewatch.org/PalmDesertCongress.html

---

The above links are part of the original release.

Fran Florez announces endorsements -- a coincidence?

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:54:57 PST

What do you know, a couple hours after we posted a blog about Pete Parra's Assembly endorsements, we got a similar list from his opponent Fran Florez.

Here they are: Assembly Majority Whip Fiona Ma; Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez; Assembly member Warren Furutani; Assembly member Paul Fong; Assembly member Mary Salas; Kern County Supervisor Michael J. Rubio; Fresno County Supervisor Henry Perea; Arvin City Council member Jose Flores; Coalinga Mayor Pro Tem Ron Ramsey; Delano Mayor Sam Ramirez; Delano City Council member Grace Vallejo; Porterville City Council member Felipe A. Martinez; Shafter City Council member Jon Johnston; Visalia Mayor Jesus Gamboa; Wasco Mayor Pro Tem Danny Espitia; Wasco City Council member Cheryl Wegman; Fresno County Democratic Central Committee Chairman Gary Alford; Kings County Democratic Central Committee Chairwoman Carol Farris; the National Women's Political Caucus of Fresno County; and the Central Labor Council of Fresno and Madera counties.

“I am humbled by the amount of support we are receiving each day," Florez said in a news release. "My supporters know where I stand on the issues and of my unwavering commitment to serving the district that I have called home my entire life."

- Government editor Christine Bedell

Pete Parra announces endorsements

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:39:16 PST

Former Kern County Supervisor Pete Parra has announced endorsements from local police officers, elected officials and other community leaders in his bid for the 30th Assembly District seat.

Parra, running in the June Democratic primary, said he’s been endorsed by the National Latino Peace Officers Association, Tulare County chapter; Assemblyman Juan Arambula; Avenal Mayor Harlin Casida; Delano City Councilman Ruby Hill; Delano Union Elementary School Board Trustee Frank Herrera; and Hanford Police Chief Carlos Mestas.

Parra is running against former Shafter Councilwoman and Mayor Fran Florez in the Democratic primary. The seat is currently held by Republican Danny Gilmore of Hanford, who has said he’s leaning against running for a second two-year term.

“Pete Parra stands out for his commitment to public safety, and he has earned the support of front-line law enforcement officers,” Gabe Cano, president of the National Latino Peace Officers Association, Tulare County chapter, said in a news release.

“He has the experience and personal knowledge needed to best represent the 30th Assembly District; we know his experience will serve the communities of the district well, and we are happy to add our organization to the growing list of elected officials and Valley leaders supporting Pete Parra for state Assembly.”

Conservative group releases legislative scorecard

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:18:27 PST

Nine legislators rated perfect scores on the annual Legislative Scorecard published by the California Republican Assembly, a drop from 13 perfect scores last year.

More significantly, the average Republican score dropped from 87 to 81, while the averages for Democrats remained constant at three.

“It’s clear that Republicans moved to the left this year,” said CRA President Ken Mettler.

“Overall, the budget crisis seems to have brought out the worst in our Republican legislators. Too many of them supported tax increases and growth of government in the middle of the worst recession in a generation.”

Mettler praised the legislators who achieved perfect scores: Sens. Sam Aanestad, Dennis Hollingsworth, Bob Huff, George Runner and Mimi Walters; and Assemblymembers Joel Anderson, Chuck DeVore, Curt Hagman and Jeff Miller.

“These legislators continue to demonstrate their commitment to Republican principles and should be thanked,” Mettler said.

CRA reviewed hundreds of bills before settling on 18 key votes. Notable among the bills are measures to increase taxes and fees, provide for early release of criminals and declare “Harvey Milk Day.”

The complete scorecard can be downloaded here.

The purpose of the scorecard is to focus on bills that may not seem important on the surface, but clearly demonstrate the divisions within the Democrat and Republican caucuses.

“Once again, Democrats accounted for all of the zero ratings in the scorecard,” said Mettler. “Although the total number of zeros dropped from 63 last year to 56.”

The highest scoring Democrat on the CRA scorecard was again Sen. Lou Correa, who received a weak 39 percent – an increase of 20 points from his score last year. On the Assembly side, Assemblywoman Alyson Huber was tops among Democrats with a score of 28 percent.

Of the 120 legislators, the lowest scoring Republican was Sen. Abel Maldonado, scoring a paltry 22 percent. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger nominated Maldonado, from Santa Maria, to be lieutenant governor Monday.

“This is the first time in recent memory, perhaps in the history of the scorecard, that a Republican scored lower than two Democrats,” Mettler said.

- California Republican Assembly press release

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