BOS 3 UPDATE: Candidate Neil Derry Struggling For Endorsements, Support For Supervisorial Bid
Posted by: SB Insider | 04/07/2008 8:28 PM
Earlier today, "SB Veritas" highlighted the support given to San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors Third District candidate Neil Derry by the San Bernardino County Public Attorneys Association, the county's leading organisation of taxpayer-paid lawyers. Neil Derry, a city councilmember from San Bernardino, is challenging veteran incumbent Supervisor Dennis Hansberger in the June 2008 election.
"SB Veritas" reports that the lawyers' group's endorsement of Derry was accompanied by a generous donation of $50,000 to the challenger's campaign. Thus, the lawyers' contribution to Neil Derry represents one of the councilmember's largest single-source of financial support.
SB Veritas, a Neil Derry campaign supporter, apparently thinks voters are looking to support a candidate backed and financed by the region's leading attorneys organization. In announcing the 50K from taxpayer-financed lawyers, SB Veritas wrote "This new boost to the Derry effort by the Public Attorney's (sic) Association combined with more than $185,000 in direct and indirect already authorized funding from the San Bernardino County Safety Employees' Benefit Association (SEBA) equals nearly one-half of Hansberger's war chest, and both unions combined still have over $700,000 in political funds on hand".
Although candidate Neil Derry is no doubt pleased with the lawyer cash his campaign just received, a look at the two camps' endorsement rosters reveals a startling disparity - the incumbent is endorsed by at least 61 elected officials in the Third Supervisorial District. San Bernardino City Councilmember Neil Derry is evidently endorsed by just three elected officials, and those three Derry supporters are all Derry's council colleagues from the city of San Bernardino.
Among Supervisor Hansberger's notable endorsements are San Bernardino County District Attorney Mike Ramos, Sheriff Gary Penrod, the Third District's State Assembly delegation, and all four of Hansberger's supervisorial colleagues.
Further demonstrating Dennis Hansberger's strength heading into June is the support he has from nearly every city mayor in the Third District.
The endorsement disparity in the race for the Third Supervisorial District speaks volumes about the character and effectiveness of the two candidates. Dennis Hansberger has a record of accomplishment that has been endorsed from community leaders representing all segments of the diverse Third Supervisorial District.
In contrast, Neil Derry has a record of little accomplishment and is merely attempting to move up the political ladder. He has demonstrated a complete and total inability to garner support for his insurgent political effort from real community leaders and instead is funded and backed almost exclusively by labour and employee organisations that clamour for even more benefits at the expense of the county's beleaguered taxpayer.
Simply put, the list of organisations supporting San Bernardino City Councilmember Neil Derry reads like an accounts payable list of government employees - leading to the obvious question: what, exactly, has Neil Derry promised the special interest groups who are now backing his bid for higher office?
In SB Veritas' closing statement in his report heralding Neil Derry's campaign support and financial backing from public lawyer associations, Mr. Veritas rhetorically questions "Why did Hansberger need to run again?"
Maybe the 61 elected officials standing in Dennis Hansberger's corner can best answer that.
"SB Veritas" reports that the lawyers' group's endorsement of Derry was accompanied by a generous donation of $50,000 to the challenger's campaign. Thus, the lawyers' contribution to Neil Derry represents one of the councilmember's largest single-source of financial support.
SB Veritas, a Neil Derry campaign supporter, apparently thinks voters are looking to support a candidate backed and financed by the region's leading attorneys organization. In announcing the 50K from taxpayer-financed lawyers, SB Veritas wrote "This new boost to the Derry effort by the Public Attorney's (sic) Association combined with more than $185,000 in direct and indirect already authorized funding from the San Bernardino County Safety Employees' Benefit Association (SEBA) equals nearly one-half of Hansberger's war chest, and both unions combined still have over $700,000 in political funds on hand".
Although candidate Neil Derry is no doubt pleased with the lawyer cash his campaign just received, a look at the two camps' endorsement rosters reveals a startling disparity - the incumbent is endorsed by at least 61 elected officials in the Third Supervisorial District. San Bernardino City Councilmember Neil Derry is evidently endorsed by just three elected officials, and those three Derry supporters are all Derry's council colleagues from the city of San Bernardino.
Among Supervisor Hansberger's notable endorsements are San Bernardino County District Attorney Mike Ramos, Sheriff Gary Penrod, the Third District's State Assembly delegation, and all four of Hansberger's supervisorial colleagues.
Further demonstrating Dennis Hansberger's strength heading into June is the support he has from nearly every city mayor in the Third District.
The endorsement disparity in the race for the Third Supervisorial District speaks volumes about the character and effectiveness of the two candidates. Dennis Hansberger has a record of accomplishment that has been endorsed from community leaders representing all segments of the diverse Third Supervisorial District.
In contrast, Neil Derry has a record of little accomplishment and is merely attempting to move up the political ladder. He has demonstrated a complete and total inability to garner support for his insurgent political effort from real community leaders and instead is funded and backed almost exclusively by labour and employee organisations that clamour for even more benefits at the expense of the county's beleaguered taxpayer.
Simply put, the list of organisations supporting San Bernardino City Councilmember Neil Derry reads like an accounts payable list of government employees - leading to the obvious question: what, exactly, has Neil Derry promised the special interest groups who are now backing his bid for higher office?
In SB Veritas' closing statement in his report heralding Neil Derry's campaign support and financial backing from public lawyer associations, Mr. Veritas rhetorically questions "Why did Hansberger need to run again?"
Maybe the 61 elected officials standing in Dennis Hansberger's corner can best answer that.
CATEGORY:
2008 Campaigns, Blogger Editorials
61 Politicians = "The Good Ole Boy Network" (sic)
It's not like Hansberger has done anything with 20 years of full-time elected office with some years as a half-baked lobbysist in between.
Get a grip.....
I seriously doubt half of the 61 will even vote for Hansberger, since most of them can't refuse at the risk of the Supervisor retaliating.
Remember why he has lost so many long-time friends and supporters!
Next time reflect before spouting off.
Hmmm...Hansberger fakes attorney's endorsement on his website, and now it's no big deal that Derry has their endorsement. Question: What did Hansberger promise to SBPEA, the county's largest union, for their endorsement?
SBInsider
Be serious please. You should really make inquiry of those names on Hansberger's website. Many of them really aren't voting for him!!!
Sorry to burst your bubble.
Mr. Hansberger has had 20 years to do something positive in our communities. What has he done. Is it the success of the airport? No thats not it!. Is it taking care of the mountain communities with the bark beatle problems? No! Oh, I know what he did. He voted on multimillion dollar contracts for his girlfirends company. He supported his Chief of Staff for his unethical conduct. He championed a redevelopment project in the Cedar Glen area when he was the controlling force for his dad who owned a substantial amount of property in that same area. And you want to talk about 61 endorsements from the same people everyone is tired of. Oh, I almost forgot about the large pay raise he received in the amount of 40-50% within the last year.
Its interesting that SB Insider disparages Derry's endorsements with such descriptions as "taxpayer-paid lawyers" over against Hansberger's endorsements of Penrod and Ramos. As DA, isn't Ramos also a "taxpayer-paid lawyer"?
And might it not be significant, or at least fair to point out, that while Penrod and Ramos endorse Hansberger, everyone who works for them supports Derry?
And before you are too condescending about this "public lawyer association" of, in part, deputy district attorneys (aka the lawyers who forgo big corporate jobs in order to put bad guys in prison), remember it was Hansberger who tried to claim their endorsement before it was given...
and why not criticize the incumbent equally for the similar support given him by the other county labor association?
Sounds like so many sour grapes to me! Neil is a Postmus-style insurgent who is bored causing trouble on the SB city council where he can only claim a minority of his colleagues as endorsers and no other public officials in the district. Hansberger has the maturity and experience that Neil lacks as reflected by the suport of more than 60 elected leaders who work with him. Neil should be content to stay in the SB cesspool and play with his friends Jim, Wendy and Chas. He isn't ready for the big leagues!