Campbell a busy candidate

As if to show the political world isn’t completely revolving around

the Oct. 4 election to fill the 48th District congressional seat,

state Sen. John Campbell has had his fingers in several other pies

lately.

He signed on as co-author of state Sen. Tom McClintock’s

constitutional amendment to blunt the effects of the recent U.S.

Supreme Court decision on eminent domain.

The ruling allows government entities to force the sale of private

property for private development that officials believe will have

public benefit.

“Under that decision, any local government [or] state government

could condemn your house and force you to sell it to them and replace

it with a bigger house because the bigger house would provide more

tax revenue,” Campbell said.

“That, in my view, is an abuse of the power of government to use

eminent domain.”

McClintock’s measure would require governments to use any property

they take for a public purpose, and they could take it only after

proving there was no feasible alternative.

An identical measure was introduced in the Assembly, with local

Assemblymen Chuck DeVore and Van Tran signing on.

Surf war underway

between two cities

Campbell also jumped into another battle that’s closer to home.

He said Wednesday he’ll try to talk colleagues out of supporting a

measure to settle, legislatively, the long-simmering battle between

Santa Cruz and Huntington Beach over which should be called Surf

City.

The bill, backed by state Sen. Joe Simitian of Palo Alto, would

officially recognize Santa Cruz as Surf City. Campbell said there’s

no reason for the legislature to take sides on such an issue.

“I’m not sure the state needs to involve itself in whether

Huntington Beach or Santa Cruz should really be Surf City,” Campbell

said. “Huntington Beach has as much claim as anybody -- and I believe

more claim -- to the title ‘Surf City.’”

Endorsements pour

in for candidates

And now, for those who don’t believe there’s any political action

other than the 48th District House race, more endorsements came out

this week.

Former Rep. Bob Dornan threw his support to American Independent

Party candidate Jim Gilchrist. Campbell sent out a list of 95

endorsements from elected officials -- including one from his Senate

colleague Dick Ackerman, who had announced his own candidacy but

dropped out of the race after Campbell got in.

Also endorsing Campbell are Costa Mesa City Councilman Gary

Monahan and Newport Beach City Councilman Steve Rosansky.

Candidate asks governor

to move special primary

Democratic candidate Steve Young said he’s asking the Governor to

move the special primary from Oct. 4 -- the first day of Ramadan for

Muslims and the day Jews celebrate Rosh Hashanah -- to Oct. 18.

Young said he also plans to deliver absentee voter materials to

every synagogue and mosque in the 48th Congressional District.

“I really don’t think it’s appropriate to frankly disenfranchise

people on the basis of religion, scheduling an election on a day when

everyone knows they won’t vote,” he said.

Costa Mesa man

joins fair board

Costa Mesa resident David Padilla was appointed to the Orange

County Fair’s board of directors, the Governor’s office announced

Wednesday.

Padilla is president of Net Media Compaq and Strategies and a

member of the Orange County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.