Kramer

Nejedly

Contra Costa Community College Director John T. Nejedly has declared his intent to challenge Contra Costa County Assessor Gus Kramer.

Nejedly, son of the late state Sen. John A. Nejedly and sibling to Supervisor Mary Piepho and Central Contra Costa Sanitary District Director Jim Nejedly, had been considering a run for District Attorney but his short tenure as an attorney — he passed the bar in December 2007 — was a significant barrier.

This could get very interesting.

Kramer already had one declared opponent, Bob Brooks. And Kramer has suffered some bad publicity in the past year after a Times series chronicled allegations that the avid real estate investor misused his office for personal gain. The District Attorney’s Office has launched an investigation but Kramer has not been formally accused of any wrongdoing.

Nejedly has seen his share of negative press, too. The 14-year veteran of the college board sued his siblings after their late father disowned him, alleging they conspired to cheat him out of his share of the senator’s Walnut Creek estate. Court documents revealed Nejedly’s history of drug abuse and marital problems; Nejedly has said he has overcome those issues.

The candidates will appear on the June 2010 ballot. If any one candidate receives 50 percent plus one vote, he or she will win the seat outright. If not, the top two voter-getters will compete in a runoff in November 2010.

The national Tea Party Express II, a conservative protest movement will make a stop Wednesday in Walnut Creek.

It’s the ninth stop of its national bus tour. If you want to participate in the rally or protest the protesters, head on down to Civic Park 1375 Civic Drive at 5:30 p.m.

Be nice to each other. The Walnut Creek police have plenty of riot gear thanks to all those federal anti-terrorism grants. And if you’ve been watching the cable TV stations, you know all about the rowdy back-and-forth between liberal and conservative voices over the validity of the Tea Party movement.

I’ve heard that local Republicans plan to attend the rally dressed in costumes befitting the occasion, such as the “Grim Reaper.”

But one Republican, who shall remain nameless, has decided against dressing up as a hooker under the premise that she had to get a side job to pay her taxes. It’s just as well. She answers to a board of directors. There’s You Tube. It could all go bad.

Supervisor John Gioia

Bah humbug! Oh, wait, that’s Christmas.

Anyway, Contra Costa Supervisor John Gioia on Wednesday and Thursday will host the Healthy Halloween Supplies Giveaway at his El Cerrito office.

But don’t look for the Three Muskateers chocolate bars. (My personal favorite.)

The Halloween bags will include school supplies such as unsharpened pencils, erasers, fun stickers, non-toxic glue sticks and other similar items.

Whooopee.

All right. I’ll stop with the sarcasm. He is right, of course.

“Children today live in a world full of junk food and are heavily targeted by advertisers of unhealthy food,” Gioia said. “We should offer healthy alternatives at Halloween.”

He says he and his wife, Jennifer, began three years ago handing out non-candy items at his house on Halloween.

If you are so inclined, visit Gioia’s office at 11780 San Pablo Avenue, Suite D, El Cerrito from 3-5 p.m. on Wednesday or Thursday.

Here’s a project we can drink to, courtesy of Richmond Councilman Tom Butt:

Help stop violence in Richmond. Please help Richmond Rotary with the second year of their violence reduction project. Major wineries have donated a large quantity of premium wines to Richmond Rotary for the Peace Project. Here is a good chance to get a twofer and enjoy fine wines at bargain prices while doing good!

You can attend our annual Ghost luncheon or buy wine or do both.  Buy your tickets or wine today.  Thanks for your order.

Buy tickets:
www.richmondcarotary.org/ghosts/home.htm

Buy Wine:
www..richmondcarotary.org/ghosts/wine.htm

Description of Peace Project:

www.richmondcarotary.org/peace.htm

Tri-Valley Community TV will air a studio-recorded San Ramon City Council election forum on Channel 29 on the multiple dates:

Oct. 12, 6 p.m.

Oct. 13, 12 p.m.

Oct. 14, 6 p.m.

Oct. 15, 12 p.m.

Oct. 16, 11 p.m.

Oct. 17, 12 p.m.

Oct. 18, 12 p.m.

According to a press release from Tri-Valley Community TV, the moderated forum includes the four candidates seeking two open seats on the San Ramon City Council: Jim Brady, Doug Burr, Dave Hudson (i) and Jim Livingstone (i).

The candidates each made opening and closing statements and answered questions from the moderator, Carolyn Siegfried.

Tri-Valley Community Television is based in Pleasanton. It provides programming for channels TV28, TV29 and TV30 on Comcast Cable and AT&T U-Verse.

Contra Costa District Attorney Robert Kochly

Contra Costa District Attorney Robert Kochly made it official last night: He will not seek re-election to a fourth term.

Kochly spoke at last night’s campaign kick-off event for the man he has endorsed as his replacement, private attorney and former judge and prosecutor Dan O’Malley.

Kochly’s plan to retire has been one of the worst-kept secrets in Contra Costa politics. He still has more than year left to serve in his term and didn’t want to spend it as a lame duck.

But his potential replacements have started their campaigns and Kochly’s silence was proving awkward, particularly for friend O’Malley. Contra Costa is a big county and it will take every minute between now and the June 2010 election to raise the money and name identification required to win.

My Times colleague Malaika Fraley went to hear Kochly’s announcement (I was at the Contra Costa Mayors Conference in Oakley) and filed this report:

Contra Costa County District Attorney Robert Kochly announced Thursday he is retiring from the office when his term ends in December 2010.

“I didn’t think I would serve more than two terms when I started, but you get attached to the job and the people,” said Kochly, 62, who joined the District Attorney’s Office in 1973. “It’s just time.”

Kochly was elected district attorney in 2002 and re-elected in 2006. He announced his retirement late Thursday through an e-mail to his staff and publicly at a campaign party for district attorney candidate Dan O’Malley, a private attorney who previously worked as a Contra Costa County judge and prosecutor.

Deputy District Attorney Mark Peterson, a Concord city councilman, and Danville attorney Elle Falahat also are vying for the job up for grabs in the June election.

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Three-term Antioch Councilman and Sheriff’s Office Lt. Brian Kalinowski officially entered the run for Contra Costa County sheriff a few minutes ago.

Kalinowski made the announcement just after 5 p.m. today before about 35 people at the Deputy Sheriffs Association union hall.

“We all want a better working environment and to deliver more efficient services to the community,” Kalinowski told the group. “I have the experience going back to the time when my mother was a deputy sheriff in this agency to move us forward. I am looking forward to a vigorous debate on the issues that are important to this agency and the community. ”

The 41-year-old lawman is the second declared candidate for the county’s top law enforcement post.

Incumbent Sheriff Warren Rupf disclosed publicly last week that he will not seek re-election to a fifth term.
Concord Police Chief Dave Livingston, 44, has also entered the field and others may file, as well.

Kalinowski enters the race as a department insider who also boasts nearly a decade of experience as a local elected official. He has worked for the department for 16 years.

As an Antioch councilman, Kalinowski is often outspoken and frequently blunt, especially when it comes to public safety. He recently lambasted East Bay State legislators for their votes on a budget he said hurt cities’ ability to provide public services.

Kalinowski will run without his boss’ support.

Rupf recruited and has endorsed Livingston as his successor, a key vote of confidence in a specialized post where voters pay particular attention to the candidates’ references.

Livingston has never held public office but has led the Concord Police Department for the past five years. Before Concord, he was the Pleasant Hill police chief.

The men, along with any other candidates who join the nonpartisan race, will appear on the June 2010 ballot. If a single candidate fails to win a majority of the vote, the top two vote-getters will advance to a November runoff.

Antioch Councilman Brian Kalinowski

Antioch Councilman and Contra Costa Sheriff’s Lt. Brian Kalinowski has put out an email invite telling folks he will host a short meeting Tuesday night, further fueling speculation that he will announce his plans to run for county sheriff.

The meeting will be held at the Deputy Sheriffs Association union hall in Martinez at 5 p.m.

If Kalinowski enters the race, he will run without his boss’ support.

Incumbent Sheriff Warren Rupf, who announced last week that he will not seek a fifth term, has already recruited and endorsed Concord Police Chief David Livingston.

This could prove to be a barn-burner of a race between two career lawmen from two of the county’s largest cities.

San Ramon Mayor and Assembly GOP candidate Abram Wilson

San Ramon Mayor and GOP Assembly candidate Abram Wilson is featured in National Review, the well-known conservative publication.

National Review senior editor Jay Nordlinger captured Wilson’s personality in the piece, titled “The Making of a Mayor,” through family stories and anecdotes. The author used a unique bullet-style format, which I liked (and may well borrow) for its simplicity.

Wilson says he has received numerous responses to the story, including emails from all over the country.

Check it out.

So far, Wilson is the only declared Republican candidate in Assembly District 15. If he remains the only GOP name on the June 2010 primary ballot, he will mostly likely face incumbent Assemblywoman Joan Buchanan, D-Alamo.

UPDATE: So what did Wilson do? He turned it into a fundraiser. What else? Read on for his email solicitation:

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Sheriff Warren Rupf

Veteran Contra Costa County Sheriff Warren Rupf informed his top management team a few minutes ago that he will not seek re-election next year.

The announcement is not unexpected although it would not have been out of character for him to change his mind.

A 45-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office, where he started as a deputy and was appointed to the top job in 1992, Rupf has been talking about retiring for months. He has even recruited and publicly supported his potential replacement, Concord Police Chief Dave Livingston. (Livingston even has a campaign web site: http://www.livingstonforsheriff.com/)

The 66-year-old lawman had intended to announce his retirement several weeks ago but held off until after the fervor had died down over one of the biggest crime stories to hit Contra Costa County, the appearance of kidnapped victim Jaycee Dugard in a house near Antioch and the arrests of her alleged kidnappers, Phillip and Nancy Garrido.

Rupf tells me that he would have retired as soon as six years ago but felt he was in the best political position to hammer the Board of Supervisors on questions of funding and resources for the Sheriff’s Office.

The prospect of an open seat will likely attract other candidates although Livingston has some obvious advantages: Rupf has been singing Livingston’s praises for several years and as a result, he has had ample advance notice in order to put together a campaign.

Rupf was appointed sheriff in 1992 after then-Sheriff Dick Rainey was elected to the California Assembly. The sheriff was elected in his own right in 1994 and has never had a serious opponent.

The sheriff’s term ends when his replacement takes the oath of office in January 2011. The sheriff’s candidates will run in the June 2010 primary. If no candidate receives a majority of the vote in the primary, the top two vote-getters will compete in a runoff in the November 2010 general election.