fresno elections 2008

Lemoore should put a moratorium on any expansion to the west of Highway 41. That would give them time to do a land use study which the Navy has suggested. During the last BRAC process, the Fresno Bee called me and asked what we would do if L.N.A.S. were to be shut down. My answer was, "I can't even imagine it, because it would be so devastating to our economy". We could never replace the jobs. Our Board has done everything to support the base as has the City of Lemoore. We have maintained a united front that says you are wanted and we will protect you from the first day the base was built. Now you have people who have not been around as long as most of us, and who believe that this is not that big a deal and that the Navy is overreacting, that the Navy has plenty of green belt to protect them from encroachment. These people are wrong. The base is competing for new aircraft, new aircraft tend to be louder; and speaking from a "hail cannon" perspective people are not understanding of loud noises that impact their homes. In balance, the risk of allowing growth in this area outweighs the benefit, period. In war, you cannot show weakness. We are at war with other areas of our country for military bases. We cannot afford to show any chink in what has been a united front for 45 years.

"Quay Valley" may or may not ever get built. It is our job to make sure that the people of our county do not get stuck holding the bag for a failed project or having their tax dollars spent on it. We are doing that. The project itself is interesting. You are using pretty unproductive ag land, they have proposed to use recycled ag drainage water that has been purified and to implement all of the latest green environment designs and technology. Existing cities are constantly trying to implement the Livable Community ideas of in-fill, walkability, putting services in areas where residents can walk instead of driving, creation of jobs that do not require a commute, cutting down on the use of cars and busses and trucks that create the majority of our air pollution. This proposed community builds on those principles and provides hybrid vehicles for its new residents, it is built around the maximum use of solar power, with all possible recycling of resources. It is proposed to be the pilot project for the cities of the future in a world of dwindling resources. If they can make it pencil out, which is the big question, why would we oppose it? If we get the population growth projected for the Valley, do we want to grow our cities to accommodate that population? Can we carry more traffic on 12th, 11th, Lacey, Grangeville? Our cities are built on the most productive farmland, do we want to pave it over to accommodate growth or do we want to build a new city to hold them? I always keep an open mind.

The outside activists and a few residents of Kettleman City will always claim environmental racism. They have a victim, poor me, mentalility, that ignores the fact that they have never suffered from the fact that Waste Management has a landfill near their town except perhaps from added traffic. In all these years there have been no documented deterioration of their water or air quality due to the Waste Management facility. Waste Management built and maintains their children's sport's fields, donates to their Family Resource Center, and supports their school. The County has bent over backwards to provide a Community Center, a Family Resource Center, and provide them the money to take care of their water needs. The majority of Kettleman City residents appreciate this support. A few permanently disgruntled, you can't do enough for me, residents and professional activists are the ones you hear about. I once told them " you are not the victims of racial discrimination, you are the victims of geographical discrimination. The place where Waste Management exists is the perfect place to discard of hazardous waste and trash." There is no water flowing beneath Waste Management to become contaminated, there is very little rain to cause run-off, the prevailing wind is to the South where there is nobody. So until society finds a way to not create trash and hazardous waste, it should be disposed of in the safest place possible. If you knew half of the inspections and paperwork requirements, including EIR after EIR, this business goes through, you would not question whether to support their expansion and bioreactor, you would just do it.

It is difficult to generate more jobs in California. We are the #l worst state in the country to do business in, the cost of labor is one of the highest, the rules and regulations are the most onerous. In the Valley, you have to add the air quality restrictions and fees that are discouraging new business. Our best bet has always been to build on what we have. Agriculture and ag related business and expansion of the Lemoore Naval Air Station are key job creators. We have very good people running our Economic Development organization in Kings that have been successful, despite the handicaps, in bringing new jobs We intend to keep them at it.

U. C. Merced will go a long way toward helping with this problem. Our kids can go to a top institution within driving distance of the home.

We had enough of a fight to bring the two community colleges into the county, it is not realistic to believe that a 4 year institution would be built this close to Fresno State. The answer lies in technology. West Hills has already started using telecommunications links to Fresno State that will allow a student to get a four year degree without physically driving to Fresno. Opening up this service to more majors will benefit students and air quality. I believe that C.O.S. either has this option or is planning to offer it at the new campus site.

Every effort is made through organizations like KCAO, First Five, and the schools to communicate with parents in their own language. Teachers love to find parents that want to be partners in their children's education and they will find a way to make it happen.

We are exploring the pros and cons of a countywide dispatch center at this time. Presently, the county is talking with the cities of Avenal and Lemoore about forming a J.P.A. (joint powers agency) to oversee a joint dispatch center. The cities of Corcoran and Hanford each have their own dispatch centers and are at this time not part of the discussion. A J.P.A. is a voluntary union by entities to achieve a more efficient or cheaper way of delivering a service. You cannot force any entity to join. There are provisions in the J.P.A. to allow for new entities to join at a later time if they wish.

I was here in 04-05. It will be harder this time since the state budget deficit is larger. As with any business, the largest cost of doing business is labor. Kings County has always been proactive in not increasing staff more than is absolutely necessary. Our department heads are some of the best in the state. They have already stopped filling vacant positions that they need but do not want to hire and have to fire. County employees will do what they did in 04-05, provide services to the public in as timely a manner as possible with the increased workload they will have. The County is obligated by the state lawmakers to deliver the services we do. Cutting services is not an option. Charging higher fees is an option based on our cost to deliver a service. Taxes are established by the Legislature or the voting public, not the County.

The image of Kings County within the state is exceptional. We are known to be innovative, cooperative, easy to work with, open, honest, and sharing. We freely share with other counties our successful programs and advice. I have never heard one word of criticism of our county or its employees at the state level in 10 years, only praise. Locally, the County's image is determined by the service delivered by a county employee. When a person does not feel that they have received good service, they call their Supervisor. Our job is to check out the situation and determine if the complaint has merit . If it does, we apologize and make sure it does not happen again. If it is a case where the person just did not get the answer they wanted, it is our job to explain to them our inability to satisfy their need and direct them to a possible solution if one exists.

Small business is the key to creating new jobs in our county. We need to make our county friendlier to entrepreneurs wanting to start their own businesses. The answer to job creation is twofold. First we need to streamline the process required for any needed permits and business licenses. Second we need to help ensure new business success through guidance and advocacy.

Often people may have a great idea for a business but not know where to start. Our county should embrace the concept of business development as espoused by the Central Valley Business Incubator (CVBI). Using this concept, start-up businesses are given guidance and support for up to their first two years in areas such as business planning, governmental regulations and reporting and securing sources of finance. Sometimes these start-ups share subsidized office facilities to keep their overhead expenses down. The latter is critical in any businesses first few years.

The vast majority of all new jobs are created by small business in our country. Their successful development in Kings County is critical to improving our employment outlook.

By making it easier for existing employers to expand and becoming friendlier for startup small business we can grow the availability and diversity of jobs in our county. Partnering local educational institutions such as West Hills College and College of the Sequoias with local employers helps match graduate skill sets with the needs of business. This Hybrid approach means graduates meet the needs of local employers making them ready to work locally upon graduation. In addition we need to begin looking at “Smart Growth” strategies which will result in more attractive, pedestrian friendly, and urbanized mixed use development rather than the prevailing sprawl pattern. Livable neighborhoods as found in cities like San Luis Obispo and Davis coupled with our lower cost of housing and central location may prove an irresistible option for young professionals.

Through the current partnership with Fresno State University, UC Merced and Fresno Pacific College students at West Hills College and/or College of the Sequoias can take most classes for a variety of four year degrees without leaving Kings County. These type of partnerships should be expanded to the greatest extent possible. The building of a four year institution is a worthwhile goal. The first step should be the formation of an exploratory committee to access unmet educational needs and make findings as to possible options for such a facility.

I am supportive of enrolling ESL (English as a second language) children in preschool programs to build their communication skills. As a supervisor I will support outreach programs to the parents of these children as administered through KCAO (Kings Community Action Organization) and First Five.

There should be a countywide dispatch center established. Under the current system we have a patchwork approach that does not work very well. If you make a 911 call with a cell phone you are connected to the California Highway Patrol who may or may not know that site of the emergency is a county island within the city, this may create possible service delays with disastrous consequences. In addition, the duplication of services within the various law enforcement agencies is wasteful. As a County Supervisor you have a fiduciary responsibility to the taxpayer to prevent this kind of wasteful spending.

County finances should first be closely examined to determine the reason for the decline. Cutting the budget of certain departments that the county uses to collect revenue (i.e. Assessor/Recorder or Planning could actually make the problem worse. Generally speaking hiring freezes, deferred purchases of new equipment, dipping into reserve funds or figuring out a new cheaper way of providing required services are the preferred methods of getting through tough budget times. Raising taxes or fees should always be looked at as a last resort and never the preferable option.

Kings County is blessed with great people but is need of better educational opportunities,. As the District 5 Supervisor I will advocate for sustainable development based upon smart growth strategies that preserve our farmland and open space; better paying jobs fueled by small business startups and educational/corporate partnerships; more public participation in decisions affecting our citizens; providing Kings County citizens the highest quality fire protection, law enforcement, roads, public health and other essential services. With a new vision and better leadership we can make Kings County a shining star in the San Joaquin Valley.

I believe that in these difficult budget times that we must protect our jobs and the economy. The naval base is a significant employer in Kings County that translates to tax revenue. I believe that there is enough room for growth in other directions rather than encroach upon one of the most valuable economic engines for this county and this valley. That said, I believe in smart growth. We don’t necessarily always have to grow out, we can grow up.

I believe that master plan communities are a better means by which to plan. We should take advantage of smart growth principles that have development around schools and commercial areas, reducing traffic, pedestrian friendly, transit oriented developments. As I stated before, we also need a balanced approach and recognize the need to preserve our precious agricultural land.

This is a significant project for not only the residents of Kettleman City but for Kings County in general. I am currently researching information to help me form my position. I would like to review all the facts in detail of which I am currently in the process of doing by attending meetings and speaking directly with the residents & leadership of Kettleman City.

I think that economic growth and jobs often come from growth from within. I would like to spend time making sure that the current existing businesses are getting what they need in order to grow and be healthy.

I have already started speaking to students in the classrooms and I am committed to spending significant amounts of time talking to graduating high school students about the need for them here at home. I understand what it is to leave and come back. I believe we have some of the best and brightest in this county. There is the need for their leadership right here at home. With that, we must provide the right kinds of economic development for them in terms of jobs, housing, and school systems. At the end of the day, I believe many people enjoy living in Kings County.

I think we need to continue to be supportive of the existing junior college system that we have. I believe that if an opportunity presented itself to bring a four- year institution to the County, yes I would be supportive.

Current ESL classes and existing non-profits such as Parent Institute for Quality Education are doing a great job of tackling this issue.

I believe it this issue comes down to a difference in service levels. Local dispatchers know the people and are connected to the community. They know who they are talking to on the phone and they know them when they come into the local police departments. They are not detached because they are working locally versus being in one large facility 20 miles away from the community.

At local centers the dispatchers do multiple job tasks – jail matrons, front desk, dealing with walk-in traffic, they monitor audio & video for the safety of inmates. After records personnel go home at 5 p.m., they act as the records department which is needed 24 hours a day. If these local folks are removed these holes would have to be plugged meaning the local departments would have to create and hire for these jobs.

Also, at the local level a Police Chief can walk up the hall to solve a problem at dispatch versus trying to work on problem in a facility that is 25 miles away.

Our current Kings County budget is $222.8 million dollars. We need to prioritize and live within the current budget that we have. I do not believe in raising taxes. We need to prioritize and deliver the services that are absolutely essential to the constituents of Kings County. Services like Law Enforcement and Public Safety. We need to appropriate revenues according to the list of priorities.

Kings County should display and be aggressive about telling the story about our agricultural engine. I am and would continue to be an advocate of Kings County on my travels. Statistics tell us that we are set to triple in population in the next 15 years. We need to show that we are ready for this growth and that we have dedicated elected officials that have the time and the energy to focus on current and upcoming important issues.

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.

I feel that Lemoore should curtail the development area to the west of Highway 41. They have not been building home in this area yet. On this side of Highway 41 they have the West Hill College and Laprino Cheese plant with these noise and the odor from the plant I feel that this is not a compatible use of the land and that the home owners might complain. Keep this as an industrial area and it will be a buffer zone. But again this is the choice of the City of Lemoore to decide. They need to build on the east side of Highway 41 where they have housing now.

I do support the Quay Valley development. This will bring development to the west side. With the many of the things planned will help the development of the west side. The development of green area and housing this will be a state of the ark development. Growth will increase the population for the county and also economic development by the creation of jobs for industry that will be developed in this area. The idea of many other activities for this development will help not just the people living here but also many other who travel here to participate in these. It will not be a quick fix but it will be a long time increase. It will also increase the total population for this county which will help us gain in size and clout with other counties. This will give us additional funding for the many agencies that are funded by the county.

On the development of the bio-reactor and new landfill for hazardous waste. My feelings on this is that it is not desirable for this community. These hazardous facilities need to be in an area which is least populated. This is something that the community should talk with the County supervisor if they have a concern.

The use of grants for economic development and the cities try to involve the business to settle in the community. The cities will have to use enticements for business wanting to settle. You might give up so money in the begriming but you will make it up later in taxes and wages for the employees.

We need to create positions that will entice and attract these valuable assets back to Kings County. These need to have manufacturing, technical, and medical facilities that are state-of-the-art. .Once these people come back and see what we now have and the way of life the will want to stay. This will increase the type of educated students that have returned to our way of life.

We had enough of a fight to bring the two community colleges into the county, it is not realistic to believe that a 4 year institution would be built this close to Fresno State. The answer lies in technology. West Hills has already started using telecommunications links to Fresno State that will allow a student to get a four year degree without physically driving to Fresno. Opening up this service to more majors will benefit students and air quality. I believe that C.O.S. either has this option or is planning to offer it at the new campus site.

Our students come from many different socio-economic and cultrual backgrounds. We must realize that many students, and their parents, are English language learners and their needs must be met. This is especially important when a child's educational path is concerned. Tutors, programs and aid support must be readily available. Having these parents coming to the school and actually seeing what the student is learning not just taking the students word

It would be nice to have fire, ambulance and police/sheriff into a common and compatible dispatch system, but because of different terminology this might be hard to do. If we could integrate this into a centralized facility this would terminate many problems occurred. The dispatching of one or another unit would have to come from just one source. Again the would be cost efficient means of using government money

We must always be concerned with declining revenues and the answer must focus on places where the budget might be able to give. Public safety, as an example, is vital and probably wouldn't be touched. Taxes are currently high and many people would not vote for additional taxes, fees should be looked into county-wide and the ones using the items would be the ones who would be charged eg. Building fee, licenses.

Kings county is an excellent, and affordable, place to live and we have many opportunities for growth. We are a rural county and have lots of open space for people. We do have to travel to get to some of the larger areas, but it is nice to come back home to peace and quite. Our centralized locale makes travel to the Bay Area and Southern California ; Mountains and the Coast easy.