San Diego County Supervisors District 2: A Definition of Insanity?
Now serving a seventh consecutive term, termed out Supervisor Diane Jacob has held elective office longer than anyone in San Diego County government history.
As the Republican Party has moved to the right over the past three decades, Jacob has remained as a reminder of what her party used to stand for; well-managed government, stewardship of the environment, and enough empathy to see beyond the profit motive.
Running to replace her in the most conservative of the supes districts (R + 8.37%) are Poway Mayor Steve Vaus and former State Senator Joel Anderson, who I’d describe as Republican and Republican neanderthal.
Both the No Party Preference (Brian Sesko) and the Democratic (Kenya Taylor) candidates for the position were eliminated in the primary.
Should Anderson win, I’d describe his tenure as a repeat of the worst we’ve seen on the County Board of Supervisors for the past 25 years. If Vaus wins, we can think about him every time we have another monster heat wave caused in large part by our addiction to automobiles.
Incumbent Jacob thinks Vaus is the better choice. I'm not sure better is the word I would use. Less dangerous, maybe. Call me crazy, but I’m thinking doing the same thing over again with different faces is not a good idea.
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Politician Vaus made it onto the national radar as the face of his community in the wake of the 2019 shooting at the Chabad of Poway synagogue. He came across as a mayor who deeply cared about his constituents.
“The phrasing that I used over and over again was that we were going to put our arms around one another and we’re going to walk through this dark day.”
The Poway mayor has another persona as Grammy Award winning musician Bucky Howdy, whose genre involves classic cowboy themes repurposed with humor for younger audiences.
The first political controversy in the race for the D2 seat came after a clogged storm drain led health authorities to declare a Precautionary Boil Water Advisory following reports of “discolored water” coming from taps in Poway.
Vaus weathered criticism for being overly optimistic about the time frame for resolving the issue, admitting to his error when questioned by the press. A group of water district representatives now known to be supporters of Joel Anderson held a press conference, claiming the Poway mayor was guilty of ignoring the health and safety of residents.
The former State Senator chimed in with a press release stating, "Vaus has turned Poway into a third-world country where the safety of water is in question."
Poway as a third-world country. Think about the implications of that statement, especially if you’ve ever visited the city. Is that like the President’s “sh*thole countries?”
Joel Anderson’s reputation makes me wonder whether being sleazy is a qualification for being a conservative in his mind. This does seem to be a trend, with so many of the current president’s associates indicted, convicted or under investigation.
Let’s start with the money. The County Board of Supervisors changed campaign rules in 2015 to limit donations from political parties to $25,000 in supervisors elections. Anderson had made it clear that he was intending to run against Jacob in 2016, calling her a RINO.
The day before the new rule went into effect, the County GOP donated $200,000 to his campaign. Anderson ended up not running, but the money was his to keep to be transferred for a future campaign. So he had a huge head start going into this year’s effort.
Along the way, the former State Senator made a run for California State Board of Equalization District 4 in 2018. Outside observers thought it would be a cakewalk, especially since his general election opponent, Mike Schaefer, was underfunded and considered to be eccentric.
The Blue Wave that swept California in the last election swept Schaefer into office. Surprise!
2018 was a bad year for Joel Anderson. In August of 2018, he was accused of physically and verbally harassing a lobbyist for the California Nurses Association at a fundraising event.
State Sen. Joel Anderson was at least a little tipsy and rubbing a lobbyist’s shoulders during a political fundraiser at a steakhouse near the Capitol last month when he leaned in close and told her he wanted to “bitch slap” her.
That’s the finding of the latest sexual harassment investigation released by the California Legislature on Tuesday as the fallout of the #MeToo movement continues to ripple through the state Capitol. The records include a letter reprimanding Anderson, a Republican from Alpine, and calling his behavior “completely unacceptable.” The letter from Senate leader Toni Atkins, a Democrat, instructs him to “interact in a professional manner going forward” and says he will face more severe discipline if he doesn’t.
Going forward, it’s clear the race between Anderson and Vaus is a good indicator of where local Republicans think they are headed.
The former State Senator has the endorsement of Tony Kvaric’s County Republican Party, which has set the pace for losing political power in its jurisdiction statewide in this century.
Poway Mayor Vaus has the backing of the four Republicans on the Board of Supervisors and the mayors of eight of the county’s cities.
His early foray into the world of politics was as the recording artist responsible for “We Must Take America Back” (2009) and “Come and Take It” (2011), both tapping into anti-Obama/Tea Party sentiment. More recently, his obedience to the Freeways First movement in transit as Chair of SANDAG speaks volumes about his vision for the future.
Vaus vs Anderson are the choices in the Second District for 2020. Changing party registrations/demographics mean this will be the last election in this district with a majority of Republican voters. Should Democrats win the First and Third districts this year, they will have a bigger say in redistricting in time for the 2024 elections.
It is what it is for this election. Either hold your nose or leave this part of the ballot blank.
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Joel Anderson
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Endorsements
Bio: Small business background, has been active in a wide variety of civic and professional groups including Padre Dam Municipal Water District, the County GOP, the Lincoln Club, East County Chamber of Commerce, and Kiwanis Club of Alpine.
Education:Anderson graduated from Grossmont Community College, with an Associate's degree in business administration He attended California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and received a Bachelor's degree in finance and business administration from the university
Relevant experience: In 1998 campaigned but lost election for a seat in the California Assembly.Ran again in 2006, becoming representative of the 77th Assembly District. Elected in the State Senate in 2010 representing the thirty-sixth Senate district. Was redistricted to the thirty eighth and won again in 2014.
A significant accomplishment: Anderson is a member of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), serving as California state leader. Anderson was the only Assembly member to vote against AB2199, which would remove "the causes and cures of homosexuality" from the list of mental illnesses and sexual deviancies to be researched by the State Department of Mental Health.
Politics in a nutshell: Very conservative Republican
$$$$
Aggregate Fundraising Numbers for Joel Anderson: $297,949.56
(Inherited $200,000 from previous campaign- see above)
PAC Support: San Diego County Electrical Contractors PAC National Electrical Contractors Assoc.$7000
A sampling of links concerning Joel Anderson:
Column: Sen. Joel Anderson's political trajectory screeches to a halt
San Diego County's District 2 Supervisor Seat Is On The Cusp of Change
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Steve Vaus
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Endorsements
Bio: Born in Los Angeles, moved to a cattle ranch in Grants Pass, Oregon, and later to Westchester County, New York before relocating to San Diego County Grammy and multiple Emmy Award winning artist who records country music for children. Is also known for Christmas recordings including The Stars Come Out for Christmas series
Education: None listed
Relevant experience: Recently reelected to a second term as mayor of Poway. Served on the Poway City Council for two years. In December of 2018, was unanimously elected as the Chair of the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG).
A significant accomplishment: Was a voice for his community following the 2019 Chabad of Poway synagogue shooting.
Politics in a nutshell: Republican
$$$$
Aggregate Fundraising Numbers for: $555,412.00
PAC Support: Deputy Sheriffs' Association of San Diego County PAC $9,456.00
Public Integrity Advocates opposed to Joel Anderson for Supervisor 2020 $21, 866.21
A sampling of links concerning Steve Vaus:
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Up Next: County Supervisors D3
Special thanks to The Ballot Book for financial donations research.
Voter Guide – You’ve Voted for President, what’s next?
I’ll be writing about many ballot measures and candidates between now and the end of September. That work will be condensed into a handy-dandy voter guide just in time for your mail-in ballots to arrive. I’m the guy who coordinated San Diego Free Press’s Voter Guides over the past decade, so this won’t be my first effort. Stay tuned.
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