Wow. Four full columns on the state Senate candidates. (“Here we go again,” July 22). Looks impressively in-depth. But it breaks down like this: one full column on two third-party candidates who got single-digit vote totals in the primary; one and a half columns on how much the election is costing; and a column and half on the opinions of the two major party candidates on this ‘n’ that.
Since giants and midgets can both talk big, readers might have hoped you would have mentioned the actual records of John Laird and Sam Blakeslee, the two candidates who have held statewide office, one of whom will be elected our senator on Aug. 17. Since you didn’t, and I doubt I’ll be given equivalent space to correct that oversight, I’ll just do a once-over-lightly on the record of one of them, based on info available on the Internet:
John Laird is the guy who made the Williamson Act actually protect agricultural land; created the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, the largest land conservancy in the country; found a way for coastal cities to keep oil rigs out of their local waters; and, four years ago, delivered a state budget that restored funding for public transportation and K-12 education while reducing the deficit.
Laird vs. Blakeslee is a contest between a legislative giant and an amiable empty suit who is mouthing vague, feel-good conservative nostrums while floating on a slick of oil company money.
That’s the reality of this election. Heaven forbid New Times or the Santa Maria Sun should actually expose their readers to it.
This article appears in Aug 12-19, 2010.
