Jim Patterson likes the good fight. The Bee believes he deserves another Assembly term
Jim Patterson relishes a good political fight. He better — he’s part of a group of lawmakers that has been in decline for years.
Patterson is a Republican from Fresno who represents the 23rd District in the state Assembly. That makes him just one of 25 Republicans in the lower house. Democrats hold 55 seats.
It is on purpose that Patterson calls the Democrats “the ruling party” when he talks about dysfunction and problems with state government, like wait times at the DMV. He is also a willing foil to those in the majority and their pet projects, like high-speed rail and the gas tax (he opposes both).
Patterson has represented the district since 2012, and is running again this fall for a new term. The Bee recommends him to voters in the district for two key reasons: He is valuable as a critic of the Democratic majority as it muscles legislation through the Assembly; and he can still manage to get legislation passed that benefits his home territory.
Running against him is Democrat Aileen Rizo of Fresno. She is first-time politician, but no stranger to the media spotlight. Rizo won a highly publicized case against the Fresno County Office of Education over pay equity. She was being paid less than a male counterpart for the same work because of how the county office based her salary on her prior wage history. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeal ruled in April that was wrong. The county office has appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The 23rd District covers most of eastern Fresno County, including parts of Fresno, Clovis, and areas of Tulare County. Republicans have a 39.5 percent to 33.2 percent registration advantage over Democrats; voters choosing no party preference are another 21.8 percent.
Patterson does not mince words when asked about high-speed rail or the gas tax the Legislature instituted last year.
On high-speed rail, the bullet train that will link Southern California to the Bay Area via the Valley and is now being built in Fresno County but which has been bogged down by cost overruns and delays: “We are way past politics with this. We are at a place where any objective individual who looks at the high-speed-rail business plan must conclude it is a going-out-of-business plan.”
On the gas tax: “We saw the state government make a calculated taking of substantial amounts of surplus money and use it for other things, and then come to the people and say we don’t have any money” for road repairs.
His solution to fix the bullet train is for the Democrats and rail proponents to go back to California voters and admit they underestimated the cost and time demands. Give voters updated information with firm costs and deadlines, and let them decide, Patterson says.
As for the gas tax, Patterson can rapidly identify ways the state government can live with the monies it collects now, to the tune of about $5 billion annually that could be put to repairing roads and bridges. For that reason, he supports Proposition 6 on the November ballot, which would repeal the tax.
When it comes to water for Valley farmers and communities, Patterson backs building the Temperance Flat dam on the San Joaquin River, a project that was viewed negatively by state officials when dividing up funding in the last water bond.
With much of his district including the national forests east of Fresno and Clovis, Patterson was able to get bills passed and signed by Gov. Jerry Brown in this last session that help homeowners living in wooded areas who face fire dangers due to dead trees. Pine trees in particular have been dying off in huge numbers, the result of drought and bark-beetle infestation.
One Patterson bill lets homeowners clear vegetation 300 feet from their residence, not the usual 100 feet, and do it without needing a timber harvesting permit from Cal Fire. Another bill authorizes state fire officials to work with homeowners on prescribed burns to clear brush from private properties, thus lowering risk of wildfires.
Rizo says she entered the race after a visit to Patterson’s office at the capital. She went to Sacramento to speak in favor of bills dealing with economic security for women. She briefly met with Patterson and asked him to back the bills. When vote came later that day, “I watched him vote no. That was one of the key factors that sent me to run for this office.”
A mother of three young daughters, Rizo is a researcher at Fresno Pacific University and also teaches math classes. She has been an educator for more than 20 years.
Where Patterson is brash and forceful, Rizo is low key and steady. Hers is a classic Democratic agenda: pay equity for women; alternative transportation like high-speed rail and hyperloop technology (super-high-speed travel by pneumatic force); environmentally sensitive farming practices that reduce water and acknowledge climate change; support of the gas tax to make roads and bridges safe to use.
She expects to spend only $40,000 on her campaign, utilizing volunteers for door-to-door outreach and social media to spread awareness.
Rizo is smart and dedicated, but lacks any political experience, making the jump into the fire of Sacramento politics that much bigger a challenge.
Voters should return Patterson to that fray, as he has shown the willingness to engage in verbal combat with its ruling party as well as pay attention to constituent needs.
How The Bee came to this recommendation
The Bee’s Editorial Board consists of Publisher Ken Riddick, Editor Joe Kieta, Editorial Page Editor Tad Weber, Vida en el Valle Editor Juan Esparza Loera, and Vida Staff Writer Maria Ortiz-Briones. They conducted in-depth, in-person interviews with Jim Patterson and Aileen Rizo. Additional research about the candidates was also done using publicly accessible online sources and The Bee’s archives.
The recommendation is just that: a helpful opinion meant to guide readers as they reach their own decision on which candidate to choose. This recommendation is the consensus opinion the Editorial Board; the news staff does not play any role in its creation.