fresno elections 2008

In regards to the issue of new residential development in the flight path of the Naval Air Station in Lemoore, I would be very concerned about any development that would jeopardize the viability of the Naval Air Station. The importance of the base to the local economy (and to the nation’s security) is of higher importance than a residential development; however it is my understanding that the property in question was zoned for residential development in the General Plan several years ago, thus giving the property owner a reasonable expectation to be able to develop the property for residential use. It is unfortunate that this potential conflict was not realized when the General Plan was adopted several years ago. The issue is primarily a City of Lemoore issue to decide and I hope that they will be able to come to a solution that is fair to the property owner without compromising the viability of the Naval Air Base.

In regards to the “Quay Valley” project, it is of little importance if any candidate is in support of the project or not. Of more importance is how the candidate and the county will deal with the development as it proceeds. The development may never happen, but if fully realized it could mean as many as 150,000 new residents in the district and $10 billion in investment! This would be a doubling of the county’s population and a 600% increase within the current boundaries of District 2. This could mean tremendous problems or opportunities, and it is imperative that county leadership be able to discern the difference between the two. It is of utmost importance that if the project is allowed to proceed, that the development is undertaken in the proper manner and that it would not be allowed to become a “boondoggle” or an unfair burden or infringement upon current residents of the district or the county. Water is a big concern in the district and the project must be required to demonstrate adequate water supplies and reserves to support such a development. If the development proceeds, it is also important that county leadership work to maximize the potential benefits that could result from such a development. Obviously, if the development occurs, it will bring a significant number of new job and business opportunities to the county and the district.

The Waste Management Kettleman Hills Facility appears to be a well managed facility that has been responsibly operated for many years. The facility has not only provided jobs, but has also generated significant revenues for the county. If expansion of the site is not allowed, the facility will close when the existing cell is full, resulting in a loss of both. The site was originally chosen because the natural geologic conditions are favorable for a landfill of this nature and I do not believe that expansion of the facility poses any significant new environmental risks. Of course any expansion must meet all environmental and safety regulations.

To attract jobs, and just as importantly, to retain jobs, we need to cultivate conditions that are favorable for business and to capitalize on our strengths. Past efforts to obtain the Kings Enterprise Zone Designation and its recent renewal are important components of any strategy to generate new jobs. We need to keep in mind that new jobs go hand in hand with commercial development. No significant number of new jobs will be generated without new commercial development. We must keep in mind the strengths we have in the county. We have a very significant agricultural base and recent years have produced many new agricultural or agricultural related developments such as dairies, and food processing facilities such as tomato processing and packing plants and cheese processors. These developments make sense in our county, and our zoning and infrastructure decisions should keep that in mind. Other strengths that we have are relatively inexpensive land for development and easy access to major metropolitan markets by Freeways I-5 and 99 via Highways 198 and 43. These conditions helped attract a precast concrete plant to Corcoran and could be significant issues in attracting other businesses to the county. The county has three California state correctional facilities and a Department of Corrections regional accounting office, all located within the boundaries of District 2. I believe that significant opportunities exist to capitalize on the Department of Corrections presence. We should pursue other opportunities to locate ancillary services such as the regional accounting office within the county and especially within District 2. Discussions have circulated about the possibility of the department establishing a new correctional officer training facility. We need to maintain a good relationship with the Department of Corrections and pursue location of such ancillary services here in Kings County. AB 900 passed last year and the Federal Court order regarding prisoner health care reform both may offer opportunities for job development in Kings County.

The best way to attract students to return to Kings County once they are finished with college is to make sure that jobs exist here. You cannot expect students to return to the area if they are unable to find suitable employment. A four-year college would be beneficial to the county, especially to our economic base of course. I would be supportive of any efforts to bring such a facility to the county; however it is probably not an achievable goal in the foreseeable future. A more achievable goal and perhaps of more imminent importance is to improve the educational opportunities for our youth in the K-12 grade range. That is why I am a charter member of CAST (Community and Schools Together) in Corcoran and why I have been supportive of the Air Force Junior ROTC program in Corcoran, and the efforts to build the new “Learning Center” to be located at Corcoran High. I believe your question on integrating parents into discussions about their children’s education is really a question more appropriate for school board candidates.

I believe a countywide dispatch center is an idea with enough merit that it should be considered. Criminals have no respect for jurisdictional lines and it matters little to citizens in need of emergency response as to what jurisdiction they are in at the moment. On the surface it would appear that a county wide dispatch center might improve communication and response times, and may result in efficiencies to the departments involved and potentially could allow economic resources to be reallocated to other public safety needs. It is worth considering; however the ultimate decision should be made by the leadership in the Departments involved. They are in the best position to assess whether such a system would be an improvement to their operations or not. I do not think that any City should be mandated to join. Even if it is a terrific idea, if the leadership involved is not convinced that it is the proper solution, then it would be destined for failure.

Unfortunately, I think it is not a question of “if” county revenues will decline, but rather how much. The budget problems of State government will most likely be shifted to the cities, counties and school districts as has happened in the past. I am not in favor of new taxes, fees or other charges; however I would not take a “No New Taxes” pledge either. I have been through the budget process numerous times at the City level and of course, have learned to prioritize needs in my business as well. There are always plenty of needs and wants, but revenue is always limited. The county cannot operate without a balanced budget and reality dictates that priorities must be set and the highest priorities must be funded first.

I am proud to be a resident of Kings County. I think the values evident in the county and the spirit of our residents and their willingness to work hard to achieve worthwhile goals should be a source of pride. I believe that we are a community more concerned about substance than image and are willing to do the hard work necessary to continue improving upon past success. The question of how to improve the county’s image somewhat implies that the image is somehow more important or perhaps independent from substance, when in reality it is not. The way to improve our county’s image is as simple as working to improve conditions in the county. When you improve reality, the image will take care of itself. Significant real improvements take time and work and require responsible leadership.