Local Political Stuff
The Eureka Reporter takes a look at the two candidates for 1st district, state assembly this morning. I was beginning to think Republican Jim Pell was a paper candidate only as he doesn't seem to even have a campaign web page. Since he at least went along with an interview with the Eureka Reporter, I guess we'll grant him slightly more than just paper candidate status.
More of the same from Wes Chesbro. I usually vote for the Republican in state level races if there's no Libertarian Party candidate running. If nothing else, the Democrats have a pretty much insurmountable majority in the state legislature. The closer we can even things out, the better off we will be. Gridlock is good.
In this case, I'll definitely be voting for Jim Pell, despite his silly letter- to- the- editor the other day. Unlike Patty Berg, Wes Chesbro was a relatively major player in bringing the state to the financial mess it's in today- he already having served at least two terms in the state senate back when they blew all the money from the dotcom boom. Jim Pell is clearly the only choice in that race.
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Speaking of local politics, I didn't see any coverage of the Eureka City Council Race civil liberties forum the ACLU held last night. Did anybody attend? How'd it go?
posted by Fred Mangels @ 8:17 AM
14 comments
14 Comments:
Do you blame Wes Chesbro for doing what his constituents asked him to do?
I don't know his constituents wanted him to help blow all the money from the dotcom boom. Some special interests, sure, but not the average voter.
Fred:
Would you kindly explain how Mr. Chesbro was a "relatively major player" in bringing the state, as you claim, "to the financial mess it's in today?" Please provide details supporting this statement. Please explain your perception of Mr. Chesbro's role. Please no generalizations.
When Mr. Chesbro chaired the Budget Committee in the Senate, budgets came in much earlier than they have the past two years. Contrast that with the record-breaking stalemates we have recently witnessed. Maybe that's why he said he would help bring together the "big four," the two party leaders of the two houses of the Legislature, much earlier in the year, to work on ironing out partisan differences earlier in the process, instead of waiting until the last moment.
One more thing, Fred. Would you kindly explain why you believe Mr. Pell is qualified to represent the North Coast in the state Assembly. Thank you.
The Chesbro folks themselves have said what an "effective leader" he was in the Senate. I believe his seniority was at least one reason for his being picked for Chair of the Senate Budget Committee.
You mention how the budget came in much earlier under Chesbro's leadership than under the leadership we have now. I've mentioned before that the last time we've had a state budget approved before deadline was the 2000-2001 fiscal year. That was the year the state legislature had so much money they didn't know what to do with it and most didn't feel any need to argue over it, save a few Republicans that warned of spending the money on projects that amounted to permanent spending increases (like hiring 20,000 new state employees).
Sure, there's plenty of blame to go around with that budget, but, Chesbro was a member of the controlling majority. He's touted by his campaign as having shown great leadership in the Senate. I'm sure, if honest, you'll admit that his great leadership in the Senate included making sure the 2000-2002 budget was passed before the deadline?
Not sure if he was Chair of the Budget Committee in 2000-2001. Seems a bit too long ago. Was he?
I might add that, while Chesbro's campaign web site mentions his chairmanship of the Senate Budget Committee, it doesn't give a time frame.
A reason for that? Maybe not. I've noticed a lot of campaign folks seem to leave out dates.
I know I looked up, a while back, what the law was that required cities to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills or face the big fines we're hearing about now. To me that had Chesbro written all over it.
I was wrong. He wasn't in the senate when that law was passed. He was in the senate during the 2000-2001 fiscal year, if memory serves me correct. I checked that also.
Oh, why is Pell qualified to represent the North Coast? Perhaps because he's not Wes Chesbro? And don't come back with the argument that Pell won't be "as effective" as Chesbro. As Chesbro's shown, being effective in the senate can have bad consequences.
Has Wes Chesbro no shame--what a perfect Poster Boy for "term limits." Please Wes, quietly fade away and leave the Public Trough. Enough Already.
At least Patty Berg had a record of representing Senior Issues, that is until she fell in to the Majority Party Orbit in Sacramento--then all of her actions in the Assembly did nothing but add more burdens on the backs of Seniors, making it harder for them to just survive day to day. She took away more senior benefits, through higher taxes and reduced programs, as an Assembly Member,than she was able to create during all of her tenure at AIAA.
well put Fred.Wes is juat another in a long line of carear politicians who cant get off the public trough. He uses the wasste managment board as his $100,000 a year fill in job. What private sector jobs has he ever had? (inlude dates and lenght of time with any reply please). What qualifies Pel? How about fiscal conservatgism and common sence, 2 things lacking in most of our current elected officials.
Fred, you really haven't proven anything you are saying. Facts please? You are just muttering nonsense at this point. The fact that you admit you don't even have any facts coupled with your insistence that Chesbro is horrible says TONS about you. It exposes your lack of intellectual curiosity (to put it politely) and outright prejudice.
You claim anybody could be better than Chesbro, but what exactly do you know about California budgets Fred? Have you taken a look at it? Tell us what you would cut. Add some intelligence to what you are saying. Otherwise you just look like a fool.
Fred,your assesment of Chees-bro is spot on. He pretended to work for me while in college. He was a bum then and still is now. I knew from the first that he would be a con man.Specific ass it gets bull
"You are just muttering nonsense at this point.".
Maybe so, but you seem to be just saying, "Is not. Is not. IS NOT!".
6:07 wrote, "He was a bum then and still is now.".
Thanks, except I don't believe I referred to him as either a bum or someone who didn't work. I simply said he's been a big part of the problem with what's wrong in this state.
Fred, Chesbro got his seniority because We the People elected him time and again. Since you have no respect for the people of the north coast, why do you think they should have any respect for you?
People elected him time and time again because he's the incumbent. People usually vote for the incumbent (and then vote for term limits the same day, strangely enough). Power of incumbency aside, the way the districts have been gerrymandered nearly guarantees the incumbent getting elected.
That's what Prop 11, coming up for vote in November, deals with: trying to change redistricting that leads to protecting incumbents.
Weird situation though, isn't it? He stays in office because of the power of incumbency. He's removed from office because the people voted in term limits.
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