LAKEPORT – Lake County Community Radio, KPFZ 88.1 FM, will replay the  two-hour live debate between the candidates in the race for Lake County Sheriff on Monda , Feb. 8 at 3pm

Longtime Lake County Sheriff Rodney Mitchell will square off with his outspoken opponent, Deputy Francisco Rivero, in their first public debate on “The Law Show.”

Host Herb Gura will moderate and ask questions of the two and then open phone lines so listeners can participate with questions of their own.

Join the California Democratic Party and meet new activists in these two-day grassroots trainings.  Get the tools and information you need for success:

 A number of vacancies on county boards, committees, and commissions were recently announced. Service on these bodies is a great way to make a real difference to our community.

The following positions are open:

 – Animal Care and Control Advisory Board: Two vacancies, one in Supervisorial District 2 and one in the member-at-large category.

 – Area 1 Developmental Disabilities Board: Two vacancies.

– Big Valley Groundwater Management Zone Commission: Four vacancies, two in agricultural users category and two in the water district category.

 – Child Care Planning and Development Council: Three vacancies, two in the consumer category and one in the public agency category.

 – Lake County/City Areawide Planning Council: One vacancy in the member-at-large category.

 – Library Advisory Board: One vacancy, Supervisorial District 5.

 All the vacancies are countywide unless stated.

 For applications, or if you have questions regarding a vacancy on one of these advisory boards, please contact the Clerk to the Board at 707-263-2371.

 Applications also are available at the Lake County Courthouse, Clerk of the Board Office, Room 109, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.

State Senator Pat Wiggins
January Newsletter

On January 8, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced his proposals to deal with what he says is a $19.9 billion gap between state revenues and state spending over the course of the next year-and-a-half.

He wants to use a combination of spending reductions, fund shifts, and a substantial influx of funds from the federal government. Regarding that last item, one could make a case for a larger California share of federal funds, and while I applaud the Governor for calling for that increase and hope that at least some additional support will be forthcoming, I also think it would be a mistake for any of us to hold our breath over it. Which is to say, we should probably plan to deal with this latest round of deficits without help from the feds.

Over the last year, the Legislature has made a number of difficult decisions about reigning in state spending and cutting state programs. All told, we addressed roughly $60 billion worth of deficits, shrinking the amount of overall spending even though people’s need for many government-provided programs has increased due to the severe economic downturn.

Despite this latest discouraging news about the state budget, we must find a way to look forward – growing our economy and getting Californians back to work, as well as making infrastructure and education investments with long-standing benefits for our future.

Carol Bettencourt, Chair,
Lake County Democratic Club


This is an exciting new year. It is an election year and the Congressional and Senatorial choices will be critical to the near future of America. Will the financial climate and the incessant negativity and lies of the opposition cause the Conservatives to win?

There are important local elections, state, and Federal.

I believe that we all must work to get this great big ship of state go in the correct direction. We won't be happy with everything that the President and Congress does but we need to look for the positive and support them.

We are all called to do what we are able. I know that I must say Yes!

Yes to gathering signatures, yes to making phone calls, yes to fund raising.

This is not the year of saying no.

This is the year of saying yes to good government, yes to supporting our Democratic candidates, and yes to working a little harder than we think we can.
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The Lake County Democratic Club meets on the 2nd Saturday of every month, at noon,  at the Lucerne Alpine Senior Center, in Lucerne