By Ken Koerner
Register Staff

5-10-2008

The Big Pine Town Hall was the scene for another event where judicial and supervisorial candidates appeared before the public to answer questions and tell attentive voters why they deserve election to public office on June 3.
Hosted by the League of Women Voters, Eastern Sierra, this, the third Inyo County candidates forum held this week, drew a sizable audience on Thursday night to hear from the candidates on subjects ranging from the judicial hopefuls’ qualifications to the supervisorial candidates’ thoughts on the current economic downturn.

As with the candidate forums held Monday evening in Independence, that one scheduled by the Independence Civic Club, and at the League’s Tuesday event in Lone Pine, each candidate offered opening remarks, responded to previously submitted questions and then replied to queries posed by members of the audience.
The sequence and rotation in which speakers appeared was determined by lot.
“The League of Women’s Voters are pleased to welcome the candidates and all of you this evening,” event moderator Norma Kryder said. “This is a service to all of our interested community members to provide access to these fine candidates ahead of making the important decisions facing all of us when we enter the voting booth come June.”
Current Superior Court Judge Brian Lamb, running for re-election to the Inyo bench, was the first to speak.
“As I’ve realized, having gone door-to-door, I recognize that not everyone understands our system of courts,” Lamb said. “Inyo County Superior Court judges preside over cases ranging from traffic citations, to child custody cases, to capital crimes … I have during these past six years gained experience in all areas. I’m running for re-election because I believe that experience will remain valuable within our courts.”
Assistant District Attorney Mark Johnson, one of two challengers for the judicial office, followed with opening comments of his own.
“I’m not running for office because I need Judge Lamb’s job – I have a great job as your assistant district attorney that I enjoy doing in order to help keep our community safe,” Johnson said. “I’m running for office because I believe I can help improve how our courts have been functioning. I ask all of you to educate yourself about all three of us (running for judge) and vote for the person you feel can do the best job for our community on the bench.”
Private attorney and challenger Tom Hardy went next.
“I’ve spent my entire legal career – my entire life, really – trying to make things better here in the Owens Valley,” Hardy said. “I’ve worked as an assistant district attorney in Inyo County for many years. I’ve spent at least as many years working as a public defender for Inyo’s Juvenile Court. In private practice and in public service, I have handled all manner of cases. I know our court system and I know our community.”
Having acquainted listeners with their credentials and why they seek their vote, each man responded to a series of three questions, including: “What experience do you have that demonstrates your ability to adjudicate impartially and in accordance of the law?”

The League of Women Voters, Eastern Sierra Chapter hosted a candidate forum in Big Pine this week featuring an appearance by Butch Hambleton (l) and Marty Fortney who are seeking election as Fourth District Supervisor. The League’s Norma Kryder (r) served as the forum moderator. Photo by Ken Koerner

Hardy had this to say in response: “Over my career, I’ve had the opportunity to sit in on many cases as a ‘temp pro tem’ judge, which entails the same manner of deliberation required of a sitting judge. During my seven years working in the District Attorney’s Office of Inyo County, I’ve had a substantial role to play in the evaluation of cases and the evidence present and then to advise how a case should be adjudicated.  I’ve done this fairly and thoroughly in every instance, to the best of my ability.”
Lamb replied: “That’s my job – that’s been my job for the past six years. It’s important that a judge not pre-judge a case based upon anything similar they’ve presided over in the past. A judge must deal only with the evidence  and proper courtroom procedure in order to be as fair as possible.”
Johnson responded: “I’ve been doing litigation my entire career. During 15 years as an attorney, I’ve been called upon to predict outcomes. Judges predict outcomes. They do this by taking a factual scenario, researching it and then apply the relevant law to those facts. This will provide a fair and impartial outcome.”
Fourth District supervisorial candidates Marty Fortney and Butch Hambleton followed the judicial candidates in answering questions this night – the result of drawing for sequence at the beginning of the evening. As with the judicial candidates, they also offered brief opening remarks.
Fortney said: “I was born in Bridgeport and grew up in Big Pine. My family roots in Inyo County go back to the 1800s. I know our community and I am committed to serving our community. As a citizen and a business owner, I know very well what issues face Inyo residents. I’ve obtained a state license as a water system operator. I’m a captain and an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) with the Big Pine Volunteer Fire Department. I’ve earned an associates degree in Homeland Readiness. I believe I’m well qualified to serve as the Fourth District supervisor.”
Hambleton said: “I spent eight years as your Fourth District supervisor. I spent 13 years on the Big Pine School Board. I helped form the Big Pine Business Council, which later became the Big Pine Chamber of Commerce. I’ve served on the Local Transportation Commission, the Local Agency Formation Commission, the Inyo County Mental Health Board and the Inyo County Airport Commission. I believe I have the experience to deal with the issues challenging our community.”
Among the prepared questions asked of the supervisorial candidates, was: “How has the current economic downturn affected county finances? If negatively, what adjustments would you make in the budget?”
Fortney offered his thoughts first, saying, “It’s hard to try and provide specific figures as I stand here tonight. While Inyo County does receive 48 percent of its revenue from non-governmental sources, it’s hard to precisely predict how state and federal budget cuts could impact us going forward. I think relocating the Inyo County Water Department is one recent example of how the county will need to respond to fiscal realities. There are other things that voters may have to decide in the future about county spending that will come into play. Belt-tightening may not be enough – and there could be some hard choices to make.”
Hambleton responded: “The current economic downturn is more ‘problematic’ than actually affecting Inyo County right now. We likely experienced some downturn in visitors for this year’s fishing opener, but it may also turn out that families will rethink taking longer vacation trips ahead and this could result in some upswing in tourism for our area, due the proximity to the population base in southern California. The new owners of the Coso Geothermal operation in Southern Inyo have the Board of Supervisors giving thought to a potential negotiation on that commercial tax base’s contribution to county coffers. I have the experience to help in this area. How the overall economy will affect us will certainly loom as Problem One when the next Board of Supervisors are seated. It’ll be tough; but we can survive tough times. And it isn’t going to result from just one decision. There’s going to have to be ongoing evaluation of the county’s fiscal health in the years ahead.”
After a brief intermission, audience members had the chance to have some of their questions asked of the candidates present. In each instance, everyone had a two-minute opportunity to respond.
Perhaps not surprisingly, audience queries mirrored the questions asked by the public during Monday’s candidate night held in Independence – and reported on in The Inyo Register’s May 8 edition.
The next candidate forum will be held on Tuesday, May 13 at the Bishop Senior Center at 6:30 p.m. It, too, will be hosted by the League of Women Voters, Eastern Sierra.
During that forum, the three judicial candidates are expected to appear, as well as current Second District Supervisor Susan Cash and her sole challenger in this election, former Bishop City Councilman Ted Gardner.