76th Assembly News

(Carlsbad, Calif.) – Businesswoman and Carlsbad City Councilwoman Farrah Douglas announced that Encinitas Mayor Jerome Stocks has endorsed her campaign for State Assembly.  Farrah is running for north San Diego County’s 76^th Assembly District, currently held by Martin Garrick, who is leaving office due to term limits and has endorsed her candidacy.

“Farrah is my choice for Assembly because she has the private-sector orientation we need in Sacramento,” said Mayor Stocks. “Her experience as both a City Councilmember and business owner set her apart in a state legislature that continues to burden taxpayers, small business owners and local governments”.

Mayor Stocks joins an ever-growing list of local leaders who are lining up behind Farrah.  Recently, Farrah released the endorsements of Carlsbad Mayor Pro Tem Ann Kulchin, Carlsbad Councilman Keith Blackburn, Encinitas Councilman Mark Muir, and Solana Beach Mayor Joe Kellejian. They join other prominent regional leaders like campaign co-chairs Assemblyman Martin Garrick, Carlsbad Mayor Matt Hall, County Supervisor Pam Slater-Price, and businessman and civic leader Tom Sudberry.

In the latest campaign finance reporting period, Farrah out-raised her opponents by a wide margin. Chavez reported $103,287 for this period, but deducting his $47,000 personal loan shows he only raised $56,287 from actual contributors. Likewise, Hodges reported a total of $86,819 for the same period but deducting her $27,000 personal loan shows that she only raised a total of $61,819 from contributors.  In the same reporting period Farrah has raised $114,261.83 from actual contributors with no loans.

By Thomas K. Arnold | Wednesday, February 8, 2012

While much of the nation is focusing on the Republican Presidential primary, North County politicos are buzzing about the increasingly heated race to represent the GOP in the newly redrawn 76th Assembly seat.

Consisting mostly of the coastal cities of Carlsbad, Encinitas, and Oceanside, along with Vista and Camp Pendleton, the 76th —- a venerated seat that propelled former California Governor, and San Diego Mayor, Pete Wilson into public office in 1967 —- is now largely Republican, which means the winner of the three-way GOP primary will probably win the general election in November.

Much of the smart money is on freshman Carlsbad City Councilwoman Farrah Douglas, who leads the two other contenders —- Rocky Chavez, a former Oceanside councilman who was acting head of the state veterans affairs office in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s final days as governor, and former legislative aide Sherry Hodges —- in both fundraising and what I call “pol-appeal.”

Douglas, a Carlsbad business owner since 1990, collected $114,262, virtually all of it from individual donors in the second half of 2011, according to financial disclosure forms.

Chavez on his filing lists cash contributions of $96,891, but nearly half of that comes from a loan.

Hodges, who in January quit her job as chief of staff to Assemblywoman Diane Harkey to focus on the race, took in $86,423, of which $25,000 was a loan.

Douglas may not have put her own “skin” in the game, as Chavez and Hodges have done, but that’s because she didn’t need to. She collected plenty of money from supporters.

The second part of the equation, “pol-appeal,” is a little more difficult —- and that’s coming from me, who coined the term. It’s equal parts name recognition and perception.

In name recognition, consider it a three-way tie. Douglas is big in Carlsbad, Chavez is known throughout Oceanside and Hodges has the southern coastal towns wrapped up.

But in terms of perception, again, there’s a clear leader. Since winning her Carlsbad council seat in November 2010 with a record vote total, Douglas has endeared herself to her political cronies. Mayor Matt Hall is co-chair of her campaign; her former rival, Councilman Keith Blackburn, is one of her supporters. Douglas also has a lengthy list of high-profile endorsements from outside Carlsbad, including the mayors of Encinitas and Solana Beach.

Chavez, pun intended, has a rocky political past. He ran against Oceanside Mayor Jim Wood and lost, and then left the conservative wing of the City Council in the lurch when he took a cushy state job. Indeed, two of Chavez’s former council colleagues, Jerry Kern and Jack Feller, have endorsed Hodges.

Hodges has a long record of political involvement, having worked for Assemblyman Martin Garrick, Sen. Mimi Walters and former Assemblyman Mark Wyland before going to work for Harkey. And yet as a member of the Tri-City Tea Party, she may be a bit too right-leaning for the progressive-Republicans mindset of our coast —- a perception heightened by the fact that she’s also endorsed by San Diego Minutemen founder Jeff Schwilk.

Observers also note that Garrick, Hodges’ former boss, not only has not endorsed her, but has signed on as co-chair of Douglas’ campaign.

Granted, the primary election is not for another four months, and in politics that’s an eternity. Anything can happen. But for now, most observers agree Douglas has the upper hand.

The race is hers to lose.

Friends,

We did it! Thanks to your overwhelming support we raised more money than both of our opponents in the latest campaign finance period — by a wide margin!

Because of generous donors like you our campaign raised $114,262 from individuals.  Here is how we did compared to my opponents:

-$114,262 for Farrah
-$61,819 for Hodges
-$56,287 for Chavez

Not only did we raise more money, but we nearly raised as much as both of our opponents combined! We also didn’t need to pad our numbers with personal loans to prove that our campaign has real momentum.  The real numbers are more compelling: we were able to raise over $100,000 from real individuals, voters, families and businesses in just over three months.

We’ve come a long way, but we still have a ways to go — and another campaign finance reporting period is due in another 6 weeks.  Please help us keep the momentum going by making a contribution today.  If you already gave, would you consider matching your previous contribution?

Please consider making an online donation today by clicking here.

I sincerely thank you for all you have done and continue to do for my campaign. With your help, I look forward to serving our north San Diego County in the Assembly.

Longtime Community Leader Says Douglas has the Best Experience and Command of the Issues

(Carlsbad, Calif.) – Mark Muir, Encinitas City Councilman and former longtime Olivenhain Municipal Water District board member, announced his endorsement of businesswoman and Carlsbad Council Member Farrah Douglas for State Assembly. Farrah is running for north San Diego County’s 76th Assembly District which is largely held by Martin Garrick, who is leaving office due to term limits.

“Farrah is my choice for Assembly because of her background, experience, and command of complicated issues,” said Muir. “Having worked with Farrah on complex regional water issues, I have seen first-hand how detail-oriented she is and how quickly she can find solutions to complex problems. I have the utmost confidence that she is the best candidate to fight for our region’s families, businesses, local governments, and our water supply.”

Muir has been a longtime fixture in Encinitas. He recently retired as the Encinitas Fire Chief and stepped down from his board position on the Olivenhain Municipal Water District after 11 years of service to fill a vacancy on the Encnitas City Council. Muir was also once considered a potential contender for the 76th Assembly district.

The endorsement from Muir is the latest announcement from a long list of 76th District leaders in support of Farrah Douglas’ campaign. Last week her campaign released the support of Solana Beach Mayor Joe Kellejian, who joined Assemblyman Garrick, Carlsbad Mayor Matt Hall, County Supervisor Pam Slater-Price, and businessman and civic leader Tom Sudberry, who are co-chairing the Douglas campaign, in support. Farrah also recently announced that her campaign raised over $110,000 in the latest campaign finance period.

(Carlsbad, Calif.) – Joe Kellejian, the Mayor of Solana Beach, has announced his endorsement of businesswoman Farrah Douglas for the 76th State Assembly District. Douglas is running for the seat currently held by Martin Garrick, who is retiring due to term limits.

“Farrah is exactly the kind of leader we need in Sacramento,” said Kellejian. “As an immigrant to this country, she has worked hard to build a business – and a family – in the 76th District and is a great leader in our community. She is a proud example of the American success story and will work harder than anyone to fix the broken California economy.”

A small businessman himself, Joe Kellejian has been an important voice in Solana Beach since serving on the Town Council in 1983. He was elected to the City Council in 1992 and is now serving his fifth term as mayor. He joins Douglas Campaign co-chairs Martin Garrick, Supervisor Pam Slater-Price, business and civic leader Tom Sudberry, and Carlsbad Mayor Matt Hall in supporting Farrah Douglas.

Impressive Fundraising Shows Broad Support

(Carlsbad, CA) – Farrah Douglas, small business owner and Carlsbad City Councilwoman, has raised $110,000 in her first campaign finance period since entering the race for the 76th Assembly District. In September of 2011, Douglas announced she would seek the seat currently held by Assemblyman Martin Garrick, who is retiring due to term limits.

Garrick, who is co-chairing the Douglas campaign said, “The clearest test of a candidate’s support is their ability to raise money from those that they live and work with. By any measure, Farrah has demonstrated that she has great support and it’s a testament to her hard work for the people of the 76th District. She is off to an incredible start.”

In addition to Assemblyman Garrick, Carlsbad Mayor Matt Hall, County Supervisor Pam Slater-Price, and businessman and civic leader Tom Sudberry, are also co-chairing the Douglas campaign.

“I’m excited by the outpouring of support for my campaign,” said Douglas. “California is at a crossroads and I think it is time that people with small business experience lead the reform fight in Sacramento so we can turn our economy around and get Californians working again. I am the only candidate with business experience. I know what our business owners and families have been through in the past four years. I will use my experience to help lift our state out of this recession so that we can move forward.”

(Carlsbad, Calif.) – Carlsbad City Councilwoman Farrah Douglas has announced that Encinitas Mayor James Bond has endorsed her candidacy for State Assembly. Douglas is running in the newly created 76th Assembly district which includes north San Diego County coastal cities of Carlsbad, Encinitas, and Oceanside, along with Vista and Camp Pendleton.

In announcing his support of Douglas, Mayor Bond said, “Farrah’s experience and perspective as both a small business owner and local elected official is most refreshing and desperately needed in state government. That is why I am proud to endorse her and be a part of her team.”

The pick-up of Mayor Bond is the latest high-profile district leader to join the campaign. Douglas’ campaign is chaired by Assemblyman Martin Garrick, the incumbent who is retiring due to term limits; Carlsbad Mayor Matt Hall, who works closely with Douglas on the City Council; County Supervisor Pam Slater-Price, who will be retiring in January of 2013 after 20 years of service on the Board of Supervisors; and businessman and former Lincoln Club Chairman Tom Sudberry.

“I am very honored to have the trust and confidence of Mayor Bond,” said Douglas. “I am running to get Sacramento off the backs of our families, small businesses and local governments – it’s humbling to have the support of Mayor Bond.

Douglas, her husband Rick and their young son, fled Iran during the 1979 Islamic Revolution. They have lived in Oceanside and Carlsbad for three decades and own a printing business. The San Diego Business Journal named Farrah one of 2009’s “Women Who Mean Business” and Congressman Darrell Issa awarded her his Outstanding Community Service Award. In her victorious election to the Carlsbad City Council, she raised over $125,000 and is the highest vote-getter in Carlsbad history.

I recently received this email from the Carlsbad Desalination Project. I wanted to share their progress on the desalinization plant in Carlsbad.

Dear Farrah,

Poseidon Resources would like to thank you for your continuing support. We are pleased to announce that we are moving closer to full-scale construction of the Carlsbad Desalination Project. Last week, the San Diego County Water Authority released the following media statement:

Water Authority Takes Steps to Advance Carlsbad Desalination Project

Staff estimates final draft water purchase agreement will be ready for review in early 2012

October 27, 2011 – The San Diego County Water Authority will begin direct negotiations with Poseidon Resources on an agreement to purchase water from the Carlsbad Desalination Project early next month and expects to have final draft agreement ready for review in early 2012, staff reported to the Board of Directors today.

The Water Authority expects to complete a first full draft water purchase agreement and provide it to Poseidon by November 4. This first draft agreement, which would include terms for price, reliability of deliveries and other factors, will be the starting point for the negotiations.

“We now have all the pre-conditions in place to allow us to discuss face-to-face with Poseidon the exact terms for buying desalinated seawater from the Carlsbad project,” General Manager Maureen A. Stapleton said.

During negotiations, Water Authority staff also will work with Poseidon to complete planning and technical studies related to what capital improvements will be necessary to deliver and integrate water from the desalination plant into the Water Authority’s regional water storage and pipeline system. This information will help determine the total costs that need to be reflected in the final draft water purchase agreement.

The Water Authority expects water from the Carlsbad project will be available by 2016. It also estimates that its wholesale water rates would rise approximately 8 percent to 11 percent if desalinated water from the Carlsbad project is added to its supply mix.

“While desalinated water would be more expensive than imported supplies, the advantage of desalinated water is the greater supply reliability,” Director of Water Resources Ken Weinberg said. “Locally produced desalinated supplies would not be cut back if droughts or regulatory restrictions led to cutbacks in imported water deliveries.”

Once negotiations on a draft water purchase agreement are complete, the Water Authority will circulate the final draft for review by its member agencies and the public. Member agencies must review the agreement and declare whether they intend to purchase directly from the Water Authority, at full cost, a portion of the desalinated water supply from the Carlsbad project as a local supply for their agency.

The Water Authority Board expedited that process today by reducing the previously planned 90-day review period to 60 days.

The public review period will run concurrent with the member agency’s review and will include two Board workshops. The specific dates for those workshops will be determined later.

The Carlsbad Desalination Project, which has been in development since 1998 and has obtained all required permits and environmental clearances, will be the first large-scale seawater desalination plant in California. When completed, it will produce 56,000 acre-feet of highly reliable local water annually – enough to meet the needs of more than 110,000 average single-family households. In 2020, water from the plant would account for about 8 percent of the total regional supply.

Under a term sheet approved by the Water Authority Board in July 2010, the Water Authority could not begin direct negotiations with Poseidon on a water purchase agreement until a number of conditions were met. These conditions included Poseidon terminating all confidentiality agreements with the Water Authority, Poseidon submitting a binding equity commitment from a construction equity investor, and all nine Water Authority member agencies that previously had water purchase agreements with Poseidon indicating in writing their willingness to cancel those agreements and release the Water Authority from all claims. The last of these requirements was fulfilled on September 11 when the city of Carlsbad approved such an agreement with the Water Authority.

(San Diego) –  Elected officials, candidates for public office, professional staff members and civic leaders learned about the complex issues encompassing public pension systems at the first Pension Certification Program held by the San Diego County Taxpayers Association.

Twenty-two individuals attended the day-long event. Topics included the basics of defined benefit, defined contribution, and hybrid pension plans, the collective bargaining process, and retirement plan design options.  All attendees passed an exam at the conclusion of the program.

Expert instructors included April Boling, Certified Public Accountant, Boling & Boling; Rod Crane, Senior Director – Government Market, TIAA-CREF; Bill Sheffler, Actuary, Sheffler Consulting Actuaries, Inc.; and M. Carol Stevens, Attorney, Burke, Williams & Sorenson, LLP.

The program received unanimous positive reviews. “This should be a required seminar for every elected official or candidate,” said Oceanside City Councilmember Jerry Kern. Carlsbad City Councilmember Farrah Douglas said, “I highly recommend this conference not only to the candidates and elected officials, but also to the representatives of the labor unions. It does create a vision of the big picture and the future of all cities.”

Lani Lutar, SDCTA President and CEO, said she was impressed by the focus and attention of every person in attendance. “We recognize that government pension systems are extremely complex,” said Lutar. “Without a good foundation on pensions, it can be challenging for elected officials to make fiscally responsible decisions.

You have a chance to meet Farrah Douglas at Pat & Emmy O’Day’s cocktail reception on Wednesday, November 2nd from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. The reception will be held at their beautiful French Country home in Rancho Santa Fe.

For more details, view the invitation.

Farrah Douglas for State Assembly 2012 can accept contributions in amounts up to $3,900 per election ($7,800 total for primary & general) from individuals, partnerships, corporations and PACs. Contributions are not tax deductible as
charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. Paid for by Farrah Douglas for State Assembly 2012, 2262 Rutherford Rd, #106, Carlsbad, CA 92008, FPPC ID#1340192.