California State Assembly candidate Mike Stoker answers questions with state Senator Tony Strickland after announcing his intention to run yesterday at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse Sunken Garden.
Amid dark overcast skies, past president of the Santa Barbara County Taxpayer's Association Mike Stoker, a Republican, announced yesterday he will run for State Assembly against Democratic rivals Das Williams and Susan Jordan at the Courthouse Sunken Gardens.
Stoker, who has served as a county supervisor for the 2nd and 5th districts, says California is in dire need of fiscal reform and claims he's just the man for the job.
"My strong point is economics and running government like a business," Stoker said standing in front of dozens of supporters.
With his wife Tara and state Senator Tony Strickland at his side, Stoker attacked Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for the state's current budget crisis saying he's confident he can cut the budget and still keep most services and emergency personnel in tact.
"I full-heartedly endorse Mike for this office," Strickland said. "We need tax reform in this state and Mike will be able to help me achieve this in Sacramento."
Strickland, who narrowly beat Democrat Hannah-Beth Jackson last November, is a staunch fiscal conservative and believes we need less taxes in order to encourage businesses to thrive in California.
Stoker said after the recent state special election, he knew he had to act now.
"Had you asked me a year ago what chance would there be of me running, I would have told you slim to none," Stoker said to the crowd of supporters.
Voters sent a reality check to state legislators when they cast their ballots in the special election, Stoker said, adding it's time for the "Governor and legislature to get real, roll up their sleeves and send California on a new course."
Stoker most recently worked with the controversy-plagued Greka Energy, a company that spilled hundreds of thousands of gallons of crude oil and polluted water over the past two years in Santa Barbara County.
Stoker aims to replace termed-out Pedro Nava who was Greka's most vocal critic. At the height of Greka's spills in 2008, Nava proposed and ultimately got approved legislation that gave state regulators the authority to shut down chronic polluters.
While Stoker down played his involvement with Greka and the company's environmental record, Nava, who's running for state attorney general, will likely use his hard-line stance on Greka as a centerpiece for his campaign.
"I am honored to be involved with Greka," Stoker said yesterday, "to help them become a good corporate citizen."
Even Stoker admits it will be an up-hill battle.
"I know the hit pieces are coming," he said of his involvement with Greka, "but the truth is, we haven't had a spill outside a containment area since January 2008."
Still, between October and December of 2008, Greka was responsible for 10 of the 17 spills at onshore oil facilities that county regulators responded to, according to a January 2009 story in the Daily Sound. Regulators respond to spills regardless of whether they go beyond containment areas.
Stoker lives in Buellton with his wife and their two children, Brandon, 21, and Courtlin, 18.
There is a GOD! : 5/30/2009
Somebody to outrun Das thank you God thank you God...let's quickly compare tax and spend records BUZZZ!! times up we have a winner..
Well Shoot! : 5/30/2009
Ya can't just be sendin someone who worked WITH (not for) Greka to the Assembly, he'll be spillin oil all over the place! This will be grasping at straws...Jeramy could you tell us exactly what his involvement was before the rumors start to fly? Was he the one running around uncorking the oil pipes or what?
Dubious Record : 5/30/2009
I remember the days when Stoker was a Santa Barbara Supervisor. His record was not very impressive. Having Strickland by his side and representing Greka reminds me of the politics of the past. He may present himself as a new solution, but I don't see it. California's budget problems are not due to anything that Das or even Susan Jordan have done. It's due to the politics of the past, of which Stoker is an historical part.
Stoker Ace
politics of the past? : 5/30/2009
as in Pedro? as in Hannah Beth? as in Gray Davis? as in Jack O'Connell?...and um, er, as in Das Williams??
we need Mike
Greka : 5/30/2009
Greka's problems started long before Stoker stepped in to help and they will likely exist long after he's left...which I think he already did. Blaming Mike for Greka's record is like blaming Obama for Iraq.
the other One
Not impressive? : 5/30/2009
Stoker's record on the board not impressive? Did I hear that right? Under Mike's leadership he help the county move from a large deficit to surplus. Sounds like our county could use that now and we all know Sacramento could. Not only was he effective, he was selected the Most Valuable Elected Official...in America! To the author of the "Dubious Record" post, thanks for trying the revisionist history angle. But forunately for all of us, just because you write it, doesn't make it true.
Bob Nelson
STOKER : 5/30/2009
Mike Stoker scares liberals because he's too smart for them. They are quaking in their boots at the thought of debating him. Can you imagine a debate between Mike Stoker and Das Williams??? HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA...OMG...I can't stand it.
Stoked and Stoker
The tip of the iceberg : 5/30/2009
Taxes are a hundred billion silent dollars a year, to underwrite the illegal impoverished immigrants in our nation. We must all support Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) E-Verify (R-NC) Phone; (256) 533-0979, Rep. Heath Shuler (D-NC ) Phone: (828)-252-1651;author of E-Verify and SAVE ACT, Nathan Deal (R-GA) (202) 225-5211; introduced the Birthright Citizenship Act of 2009 (H.R.1868) Rep. Paul Braun (R-GA) 706-447-3857; ,Kenny Marchant (R-TX) 972-556-0162; are also Sponsoring Birthright Citizenship Act to amend this misinterpreted law. Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) (202) 225-2811 introduced, H.R. 2406, the Clear Law Enforcement for Criminal Alien Removal (CLEAR) Act of 2009. Reach all participants at: (202) 224-3121 Businesses pay--NOTHING--to the upkeep of the illegal alien occupancy of our country. NOTHING towards health care or Education. It's all free to illegal aliens, without paying a cent into the system. The free traders have also assisted in bringing total collapse to our wilting economy, as you read the frustrated expressions of jobless Americans. Looking through tired eyes they see the padlocked industries that have been producing "Made in the USA" products for generations, now standing silent and empty. All Americans and legal residents need to march on Washington, like Europeans. We need a million man march, except make it 5-10 perhaps in 30 million man march as the African Americans did and protest the travesties of of our constitutional rights, that are fading under liberal judges interpreting law from the bench. No more exporting of jobs, no importation of cheap labor--the devious agenda of free traders. The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) says the flow of remittances to Latin America has doubled in the past four years, to an estimated $55 billion this year--and that's just Latin America? What about China and other foreign countries? The grand-slam example is the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). Economics writer Ed Rubenstein’s new report, “The Earned Income Tax Credit and Illegal Immigration: A Study in Fraud, Abuse, and Liberal Activism,” The author says immigrants collected about $12 billion from the EITC last year, the majority not paying a cent towards it. Robert Rector of the Heritage Foundation found high school-dropouts-who headed households pay an average of $9,700 a year in taxes but collect an average of $32,138 a year in benefits. All this money in real dollars is procured from unaware taxpayers. Jobless American workers should--REMOVE--Sen.Harry Reid, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Sen. Chuck Schumer and others listed on NUMBERSUSA website as they are conspirators, to defund the border fence, weaken or kill E-Verify, SAVE ACT, police enforcement program (247(g), and the Real ID act. or push for another AMNESTY Read these legislator nefarious resumes on pandering to OPEN-BORDER ENTITIES. Learn the truth, not propaganda by the left at NUMBERSUSA. Copy, Paste and Distribute freely.
Brittanicus
Strokit Ace : 5/30/2009
"California's budget problems are not due to anything that Das or even Susan Jordan have done." Nope not yet that's because Das hasn't been elected to the Assembly. That's exactly why he shouldn't be - he would only make an out of control problem worse. We know his record on the Council. Apply that to the state in the condition it is already in and we are doubly screwed.
Support/Follow Mike on Facebook/Twitter : 5/31/2009
I could not be more enthusiastic in my support for Mike Stoker's candidacy for the State Assembly. I believe Mike's experience in government and in business, together with his nearly unparalleled knowledge of public policy and commitment to lower taxes and economic growth, makes him the absolute best person for this very important job. California is at a crossroads and we need the proven leadership that Mike Stoker can and will provide when he is sworn in as our next Assemblyman from the 35th District. I intend to do all I can to help Mike win this seat in November 2010, and I urge every resident of the District who cares about the current condition of our state to support Mike Stoker so we can get California back on track. Mike is on Facebook...become a supporter by going here: http://bit.ly/MsGfm Mike is also on Twitter, follow him by going here: http://twitter.com/mbstoker/ Team Stoker understand this is a supposedly "safe" Democrat district, but Mike is going to run the most professional, hard driving and inclusive (Republican, Democrat and Independents) campaign this District has seen since 2004. Join us and help us fix California!
Mike Supporter
Santa Barbara politics... : 5/31/2009
What redeeming quality does Lois Capps have other than being a voting pawn for the Democratic party line...She received support for the position simply based on her late husband Walter's... Now Pedro Nava feels he is qualified to be Attorney General(?) Please, someone tell me his qualifications... He will no doubt be campaigning (posing for photo ops at major incidents) from now until the election rather than paying attention to his current duties as Assemblyman in our bankrupt State of California. I understand his live in companion is looking to take over his assembly seat as well.... By the way, What real world job does Das Williams have beside being on SB City Council ? (snicker-ha ha).
disgusted with local politics
: 5/31/2009
Yeah, let's face it: none of these people are the sort of dynamic leaders we need tackle local or state-wide problems. Stoker's main asset is that he has hung around politics so long and been elected to anything so seldom that he has less of a negative record to dredge up, thereby escaping blame for the current morass simply by virtue of being a loser. It's a good tactic -- Nixon used it in 1968 and won 12 years after his last previous election win! How long has it been for Stoker?
passing-by
Greka : 6/1/2009
nice to see Stoker isn't trying to hide his association with Greka. "We haven't had a spill"...etc. With Stoker's past actions and current associations he will be an easy target for the democrat who emerges from the June 2010 Primary.
white lines
Greka : 6/1/2009
Only Susan Jordan has the ability to play the oil card...Das is officially pro oil per his huge support for PXP. Sorry Das...you lost the only issue a Dem has in Santa Barbara
sotomayor
Mike and Greka : 6/8/2009
Mr Nava's (aka Barbara Jordan?) brilliant solution was to grow government bigger and knock out another business. Stokers solution was to negotiate between the warring parties and fix what was broke. One has to admit, Stokers approach worked. As for Mr Nava(aka Barbara Jordan?) ..this kind of big government thinking is exactly whats wrong with this county and this state.
H Felt
411 E. Canon Perdido, Ste 2
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Phone (805) 564-6001
Fax (866) 716-8350
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