Valley officials raking in funding

[Kadie]

Valley officials raking in funding
San Joaquin lawmakers have collected more than $1.7 million since January
By Michael Doyle, FRESNO BEE



WASHINGTON — San Joaquin Valley lawmakers are vacuuming up political cash at a blistering pace, even though the next election is well over a year away.
The five House members representing the region from Stockton to Visalia have together raked in more than
$1.7 million since January, newly updated federal records show. The contributions keep flowing, often with little regard for party label or the likelihood of a competitive race.

There is no such thing as an off-election year, Lawrence Giventer, professor of politics and public administration at California State University at Stanislaus, said Monday. Its the permanent campaign.

Buoyed by his chairmanship of the House Resources Committee, Republican Richard Pombo outpaced his Valley colleagues by raising $558,000 since January. Even the incumbent who raised the least — Democrat Dennis Cardoza — collected $233,000.

Nor is there any sign the fund-raising will slow down. The money raised so far is more than the San Joaquin Valley incumbents raised during a comparable period in 2003, which, like this one, was a nonelection year.


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http://www.insidebayarea.com/trivalleyherald/localnews/ci_2890851

[Le Taz Hot]

1. The Bay Area

print media is just now figuring this out? Sorry, but I have to be amused. Anyone (attention, Bay Area and Southern California residents) who STILL wants to characterize the Central San Joaquin Valley as filled with poor, uneducated hayseeds just hasn't done their homework. There is LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of money here and there always has been. For example, Visalia's property values went up by 50% last year and this is no housing bubble -- they were undervalued to begin with and investors found out about the area. We have four universities in Fresno alone and a new UC (Merced) starting classes in September. This Valley is and always has been RICH with resources.

LTH
Fresno, CA