Government roundup: Hanford Republican jumps into state Senate race
| Tuesday, Oct 27 2009 05:33 PM
Last Updated Tuesday, Oct 27 2009 05:33 PM
Hanford City Councilman David Thomas said Tuesday he'll throw his hat into the ring for state Sen. Dean Florez's 16th District seat in 2010.
So far the only candidate for the seat is Democratic Kern County Supervisor Michael Rubio.
Thomas -- a Republican -- is approaching the race from a party-neutral point of view.
"People are probably thinking this guy hasn't got a chance of winning unless he gets a big party to back him," he said. "The Democratic Party and the Republican Party are full of (expletive)."
Thomas, who said he owns a dairy and a security business, has a blunt, average-joe approach to his political ambitions and a colorful grasp on rhetoric.
He said legislators are failing the state and suggested cutting their pay in half so that the "bull-(spreaders)" could have been separated "from the people who really want to help the people."
Thomas said he's not worried about the campaign war chest of money Rubio has built up.
"I've got over a million dollars -- it's my money," he said.
Thomas said he'd reject any salary he made if elected and raise some heck in the state Capitol.
"I'm running because the people need somebody who is like them," he said. "There's no doubt that the people want a change. There's no doubt that people are fed up with Democrats and Republicans."
- Staff writer James Burger
REPUBLICANS OFFER WATER ALTERNATIVE
Jean Fuller of Bakersfield and two other Republican state Assembly members have authored their own water bill, the Capitol Weekly reported.
Here's what Capitol Weekly staff wrote:
"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 of 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."
- From the "Politics, anyone?" blog at bakersfield.com/blogs.
PUBLIC DEFENDER APPOINTED
Veteran Kern County public defense attorney Arthur Titus has been named the new county public defender after the retirement of former Public Defender Mark Arnold.
Titus has worked in the public defender's office since 1981 and has been chief assistant public defender since 2008.
"After interviewing many highly qualified candidates for the public defender position, our board selected Arthur Titus because of his outstanding experience both as an attorney and as an administrator," said Board of Supervisors Chairman Jon McQuiston.
- Staff writer James Burger
