Cogdill in hot water with GOP, but budget vote earns him a fan

By Judy Sly
jsly@modbee.com

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Dave Cogdill, R-Modesto, lost his position as Senate minority leader, but he's still got friends in Sacramento, including Democrats in high places. Darrell Steinberg, president pro tem of the Democratic-controlled Senate, named Cogdill to head a new Select Committee on State Surplus Property.

According to a press release from Cogdill's office, the committee will:

Consider the current land-use regulations associated with each property;

Examine the operational costs and deferred maintenance costs;

Review the method by which the state appraises properties;

Conduct an examination of the pros and cons of selling existing fee-title to lands versus purchasing conservation easements;

Provide necessary oversight to facilitate the sale or lease of surplus property.

As a real estate appraiser, Cogdill has knowledge and experience that make him qualified for this position. But I'm also confident that Steinberg is saying thanks for Cogdill's support of the budget.

Coincidentally -- or not -- Sen. Jeff Denham, R-Atwater, has been pushing the state to sell some of its excess property, such as the Los Angeles Coliseum, to solve some of its budget problems. But I wouldn't expect Denham to get a committee chairmanship. He opposed the budget and is running for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor.

Steinberg showed his thanks to Cogdill in another way, according to The Sacramento Bee's Capitol Alert. Steinberg shuffled office assignments so Cogdill didn't lose too badly when he moved out of the spacious third floor office reserved for the Senate Republican leader. Steinberg assigned Cogdill to the office of Sen. George Runner, a leader of the GOP hard-liners against taxes. Runner, R-Lancaster, was moved to the smaller office of another senator. According to Capitol Alert: Runner's former digs "have long been the home of the Senate Republican caucus chair, the post Runner holds. But Steinberg is breaking that tradition to land Cogdill in the spacious office. The move has rubbed some Senate Republicans the wrong way."

Later, Runner updated his Facebook status with this: "George Runner (is) packing up his Capitol office and being moved to smaller space because he stood up for taxpayers and voted no to higher taxes, that's the way it works in Sac."

Not everything that goes on in Sacramento is so serious. One of the more interesting news releases last week announced that Assemblywoman Cathleen Galgiani, D-Livingston, was declared the winner in the California Rice Commission's Annual Sushi Rolling Contest. It turns out, however, that it was just a three-way competition.

Former Modestan Stevan Allen has launched a blog on state politics and policy issues aimed at folks in the middle. The address is www.calbluedog.wordpress.com. Allen describes it as "a place where centrists of all political stripes can find a voice amid the din of the fringes." Allen is the son of Dr. C.V. Allen, who regularly contributes community columns to The Bee.

The Latino Community Roundtable of Stanislaus County is being brought back to life, according to longtime member Maggie Mejia. Ana Rocha, a housing program case manager for Community Housing and Shelter Services in Modesto, is the new president. The roundtable has been active in political and community activities.

About 100,000 of Stanislaus County's almost 230,000 registered voters have opted to vote by mail permanently. Now the others are invited to sign up for vote-by-mail status for the May special election and beyond. The election office mailed post cards Thursday to people who traditionally vote at the polls.

"In the past, registered voters could only apply for permanent absentee voter status if they met specific disability requirements," said Lee Lundrigan, Stanislaus County's clerk-recorder and registrar of voters. "Since 2002, California law has allowed any elector to register as a permanent vote-by-mail voter who will automatically be mailed a ballot for every election held in their precinct."

Those who still prefer to go to the poll on election day need to know that their polling place is likely to change. Lundrigan's office is consolidating polling places from more than 200 to about 80. The only items on the ballot are the state propositions on budget issues.

Voters who have not received the post card application and are interested in permanently voting by mail may go to the Stanislaus County registrar of voters office at 1021 I St., or call 525-5200.

Sly is editor of The Bee's Opinions pages. Contact her at jsly@modbee.com or 578-2317.