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| Friday, Mar 23 2007 11:40 PM
Last Updated: Friday, Mar 23 2007 11:43 PM
The names are out, but what else is there to know about Ken Weir's top dozen clients?
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A search of state and online records Friday revealed a bit more about the $10,000-plus customers of Weir's accounting firm -- information state regulators wanted from the new city councilman. The Californian also called a few of the businesses, but reached only one who would talk to it.
* Gary Chambers, president of Ace Hydraulic Sales & Service Inc. in Bakersfield, which services hydraulic and pneumatic equipment for oil, ag, mining and other companies, its Web site shows.
* Connie Smithson, president of Brittan Industries Inc. in Bakersfield. The general contracting firm's efforts include site construction, dredging and demolition, online records indicate. The woman-owned company, a definition needed for some federal contracts, earned more than $5 million from federal contracts in the 2006 fiscal year, according to fedspending.org, making it No. 5 on the site's list of top 10 federal contractors in the congressional district of Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno.
* Baldo Cisneros of Cisneros Restaurants Inc. of Bakersfield, which includes Los Hermanos Restaurants, Que Pasa Mexican Cafe and The Catering Shop.
* Rhonda Van Tassell of Europro Inc. in Bakersfield, a tanning salon company.
* Mike Maggard of Maggard & Co., the accounting firm of the former city councilman who is now a county supervisor.
* Brett Prather of Prather Drywall & Plastering Inc. in Bakersfield, a drywall and finishing contractor.
* Mabel and William McKelvey of Wexford Capital, LLC in Bakersfield, a land development company, state records show.
* Jimmy Spicer of Spicer Wireline Inc. in Bakersfield, an oilfield equipment and supply company.
* Phil Keeler and Vic Gifford of Technical Wireline Service Inc. of Bakersfield. Technical Well Services International firm shares the same Aldrin Court address and phone number as Wireline and lists itself as a division of Wireline on its Web site, www.twsi.com. The site lists Gifford as president and Keeler as vice president of Well Services. State business records list Keeler as the contact for the Wireline company.
* John Osborne of Tri-Steel Corp in Bakersfield, a construction company that manufactures and installs rebar, among other things.
* Bruce Bryant, president of Western Service Inc.. in Bakersfield, a trucking company specializing in local construction.
"I've been doing business with him for 20 years," Bryant said of Weir. "He's always been up front, trustworthy and honorable."
Bryant said he didn't know all of the details driving the disclosure episode but said: "It's not important to me. I'd give him a good recommendation to anyone."
* The St. John Missionary Baptist Church was also a $10,000-plus client.
Weir turned in his updated disclosure form to the city clerk Friday morning. The state Fair Political Practices Commission had asked for the names by Monday.
Disclosures of investments, business income, top clients, rental property and other information is required of all public officials under state law.
Weir initially declined to name his $10,000-plus clients, saying state accounting rules required them to remain anonymous. The commission on Monday ordered disclosure or a separate legal argument for anonymity in each case.
Earlier this week, Weir said he was contacting clients to get permission to reveal their identities.
When asked in an e-mail Friday what he would have done if any or all of his clients hadn't OK'd the disclosure, Weir e-mailed this reply:
"My goal was to comply with the FPPC while maintaining the trust and confidence of my clients," he wrote. "I am thankful that I have permission to disclose each client and that this process is over."