THE PRESS-ENTERPRISE
Published: 29 April 2012 08:19 PM
As the lone Democrat on the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors for several years, Josie Gonzales has often endorsed and contributed funds to her Republican colleagues, a stance that has irritated some of her party cohorts.
On Thursday, the ill will was out in the open: the San Bernardino County Democratic Central Committee voted on a resolution calling on Democrats to actively not support Gonzales in her bid for re-election as Fifth District supervisor in the June 5 election. Critics cited her backing of former Supervisors Bill Postmus and Paul Biane — both later arrested as part of the county corruption scandal — and said she had failed to help other Democrats.
Committee Chairman Ron Wall, who remained neutral, said her critics felt it was important to “make her aware of their dissatisfaction.”
The resolution, calling on party members not to help her financially or work on her campaign, failed by a one-vote margin, 13 for and 14 against.
Gonzales, who was there to defend herself and ask for the committee’s endorsement, said she made no apologies for building relationships with other officials.
“The fact is I need two other votes to get anything done,” she said. “It’s irrelevant to me who gives them to me.”
In a separate vote, the committee voted not to endorse Gonzales either.
This isn’t the first time Gonzales has differed with those in her party. Last fall, she clashed with Rep. Joe Baca, D-Rialto, after she endorsed state Sen. Gloria Negrete McCleod, D-Chino, his opponent in the 35th Congressional District.
Another candidate fared better at the committee meeting. Former San Manuel tribal Chairman James Ramos won the endorsement in the 3rd District supervisorial race despite some criticism over whether he, too, had done enough to support Democrats.
AT THE RACES
There was a lot of action in Inland congressional races last week, with four candidates — a pair of Republicans and a pair of Democrats — getting significant boosts.
On the GOP side, Rep. Gary Miller and San Bernardino County Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt, got help from SuperPacs, the political action committees allowed to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money through independent expenditures.
Miller was the big winner. The National Association of Realtors Congressional Fund dropped more than $136,000 in support of the Diamond Bar Republican’s bid to represent California’s 31st Congressional District, according to Federal Election Commission reports. The money went toward mailers, polling and consulting expenses.
Meanwhile, the conservative Jobs Opportunity & Freedom PAC spent more than $23,000 on radio advertising and production in support of Mitzelfelt’s campaign in the High Desert’s 8th Congressional District, according to the FEC.
In Riverside County, Democratic candidates Pete Aguilar and Raul Ruiz got new backing from Washington, where national party officials included them in the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s annual “Red to Blue” program, an initiative that targets competitive races in traditionally conservative areas.
To read entire story, click here.
It’s asham that both of the parties can’t cross party lines to get business done, it’s very unfortunate and discusting! Democrats and Republicans need to work together and not against each there!
The poloarization of political parties is the worst since the first election of Abraham Lincolnin 1860. The vile that comes from the mouths of the TEA Party, evangelical Christians and others is heart wrenching. They believe that the First Amendment gives them the right to say anything and that those who oppose them have no FIRST AMENDMENT rights to defend their candidates/positions.
I wish more Republicans would cross the political lines like Josie Gonzales has done in San Bernardino County.
JOSIE IS A JOKE. Yesterday, (one month away from the election) after forcing opposition residents to sit through hours of Cadiz Corporation’s sales pitch for privatizing and mining our precious East Mojave desert water aquifer (to be sold to coastal water companies) at the public’s expense and for Cadiz private profit…Mitzelfelt, Gonzales, Ovitt and Rutherford gave opponents each 3 minutes, then voted to move the project one step further by making it impossible for future Supervisors to contest the in-process EIR unless they sued, whereas before their “MOU,” they could just vote against it. Cadiz stands to make billions on water that now is a beneficial San Bernardino public resource in Mitzelfelt’s district…Mitzelfelt has taken at least $48,000 in campaign contributions from Cadiz and ties. Does anyone know how much Gonzales got? Thank you Gonzales for 3 minutes after driving 3 hours from the East Mojave. Josie Gonzales give away. Privatize water profits–socialize liability…that is her idea of being a Democrat. I am joining the local Democrats…the Central Committee is right on about her.
Privatize Profits – Socialize Costs/Liability: Reap Campaign Contributons the mantra of Josie Gonzales, Brad Mitzelfelt, Gary Ovitt and Janice Rutherford who did indeed vote to push forward on Cadiz Corporations mega million precedent setting, water mining grab of our scarce public water resources out in the East Mojave. We stopped Cadiz 10 years ago, but these Supes and their attys brought the project back and argue against PUBLIC control of the water…then vote to place legal hurdles in the way of anyone who opposes the privatizing water grab…even those who currently depend on it for their property and livelihood. A high calculation of 32 acre feet per year natural recharge–the plan is to mine 75,000 acre feet per year…sure to deplete the desert water table and stricken local wells. Just to be sure, a couple of weeks ago these Supes voted to supplement $350,000 for legal fees related to this private project…so the opponents must pay on both ends–as taxpayers supporting the Supes and as private citizens to fight a private project that the Supers are taking campaign contributions to support.
The City of Needles rejected support of the Cadiz proposal and so should have the SBCo BOS. Board meetings are three hours away for desert people…What has Mitzelfelt done this entire time to make meetings accessible to the east county folks via video conferencing? NOTHING. His personal mantra could be “3 Hours – 3 Minutes” because that is how long it takes for east County residents to get to a Board of Supervisors meeting where they are limited to 3 minutes to put their many objections on the record. The 3 minute rule must go and so must these Supes…We not only need public change…we need public dollars—the East Mojave tourism industry, the salt mines, the plants, the wildlife, the ranches, the residents–all rely on that water.
Vote them out to stop give away and privatization of our precious East Mojave public water resource. NO MITZELFELT.
whoops not 32…recharge estimated at 15000 to 32000 acre feet, but whose counting? Cadiz. Fox in the hen coop.