Bakersfield Californian Endorses Costa
Bakersfield Californian Editorial, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2004
Kern County voters will choose between two veteran legislators to replace retiring Rep. Cal Dooley, D-Hanford, to represent the 20th congressional district.
Former state Sen. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, and Sen. Roy Ashburn, R-Bakersfield, are squaring off in the November general election.
Both have given Kern County yeoman legislative service. Both are men of substance and public conviction.
But Costa clearly has demonstrated the leadership, courage and independence needed in these dangerous and trying times. He has a long-established record of working in a bipartisan, collaborative manner -- bridging the differences between people, rather than embracing wedge issues that polarize.
Costa should be sent to Congress to represent Kern County.
As a Kern County supervisor, who left the board to run for Assembly and then moved to the Senate, Ashburn is well known in Kern. In his state legislative career, the Bakersfield Republican has been identified mostly with partisan campaigns.
A noticeable exception was his long involvement in the push for state funding to help develop a valley fever vaccine. For that effort, he will be thanked by generations of San Joaquin Valley citizens.
But Costa's career has been one of vision and commitment to issues of great importance to the valley. Mention his name and his expertise in water, agriculture and transportation issues comes to mind.
While these issues and others he has embraced as "specialties" may not grab the headlines that Ashburn's recent campaign to allow high schools to keep Indian mascot names grabbed, they are vastly more important to the valley's residents and industries.
Costa knows well the area and the people he represents. We are a fairly conservative lot. We often bristle at the antics and policies of California's Democrat political leaders.
So rather than fall lock-step into place with his party, Costa has often bucked it. Consider his opposition to the selection to liberal John Burton of San Francisco as the Democratic Senate leader. Costa paid a hefty political price for this and other independent stands -- siding with his valley constituents, rather than his party's bosses.
Ashburn has shown no such independence. During his endorsement meeting with The Californian's editorial board, he cited as his major asset his membership in the Republican Party, which narrowly controls both the House of Representatives and Senate.
With a Republican majority, Ashburn contended bipartisanship and consensus building between parties is unnecessary.
We disagree. Excessive partisanship has created unproductive legislative gridlock, with the parties placing their business before the people's business.
Costa's proven ability to work with both Republicans and Democrats is both practical and productive. Costa's abilities and commitment to broad, important valley issues will best serve Kern's interests.
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