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| Written by PI Web | |
| Friday, 30 May 2008 | |
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Four more years for DeMartini During the past four years, Supervisor Jim DeMartini has worked hard to represent his West Side constituents, even as the county tackled one of the most controversial topics in its history — the development of the Crows Landing Air Facility. Through it all, he has remained a stalwart supporter of his constituents, one who has never been afraid to speak his mind. These attributes and his hard work, which often goes unnoticed, make him the top candidate in the District 5 supervisor’s race. And he deserves a second term. DeMartini has become known by many for his opinionated stances, but possibly his greatest assets are the countless hours of work he spends each week on behalf of individual constituents and his attendance at various meetings and events. No supervisor in recent memory has been as present at Patterson City Council meetings. He is in tune with the needs and concerns of the local cities, and for this reason he has received endorsements from the vast majority of Patterson and Newman City Council members. The Republican Party vice chairman of Stanislaus County has received the support of many people with different political philosophies who were not necessarily inclined to like him at first. The fact that the supervisor received applause before he even spoke at a forum on gang activity in Crows Landing speaks volumes about how he is regarded by constituents. His opponent, Newman Mayor John Fantazia, is certainly accomplished, particularly as chairman of the Stanislaus Council of Governments policy board and president of the League of California Cities’ Central Valley division. However, his campaign has foolishly focused on DeMartini’s perceived weaknesses — often feeding on gossip and innuendo — rather than on the mayor’s strengths. It is also unclear how Fantazia’s policies would be any different than those of DeMartini, who seems to be doing a more-than-adequate job. Even Fantazia’s supporters are often more quick to talk about DeMartini’s perceived foibles than they are about why the Newman mayor should take his place. Fantazia also failed to get the support of his own City Council. It might be true that DeMartini could use a few lessons in diplomacy — his attempt to paint most West Park supporters as paid activists, for instance, seems grossly unfair. Still, his work ethic and willingness to hold his ground more than make up for his faults. He has represented his district well, asking the tough questions when needed, and even voting counter to the typical Republican stance regarding rent control when it served his constituents. At a time when it seems the county is ignoring the West Side’s concerns, the region has a strong advocate in DeMartini. Voters should step up and reward the supervisor with another term in office.
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