THE RACE FOR STATE SENATE

Alex Coolman

Ross Johnson first ran for office in 1978, inspired by what he felt

was a tide of government interference in the lives of ordinary people.

More than two decades later, the state senator for the 35th district

is still fighting the battle against what he considers to be Big

Brother-style government intrusion.

“If we live in that kind of society, at least I’m going to be able to

look my grand kids in the eye and say ‘I tried,’ ” said Johnson, 61.

But the Republican from Irvine doesn’t think all government is evil;

he simply argues that the institutions we have in California don’t work

as efficiently or as effectively as they should.

“Government at all levels in California takes in enough money to

provide you the services you need and desire,” Johnson said. “To the

extent that we fail to do that, it’s because we aren’t setting the right

priorities.”

Johnson, whose district includes Costa Mesa and Newport Beach, is one

of the more conservative voices in the Senate, and he’s comfortable with

that position.

“I believe that my political philosophy is an accurate reflection of a

solid majority of my constituency,” he said.

Perhaps that explains why he’s bumping up against the upper limits of

his service allowed under term limit laws. If elected this fall, he’ll

have to duck out of the scene in 2004.

Between now and then, however, Johnson says he plans to push for the

same positions that have kept him in office so far: law and order,

education, and limited government.

Johnson was a vocal supporter of Proposition 13, the 1978 statewide

initiative that cut both property taxes and locally based funding streams

for education.

But the senator says he doesn’t think his small government position

makes him any less of an education proponent; in this matter, as with

many others, he argues that it’s simply a matter of where the money is

flowing.

“I have never regretted for a moment” having supported Prop. 13, he

said. “What is needed is to prioritize the spending” of available funds.