Lines blur between lame-duck assemblyman duties, local politics
Jason Pesick, SB Sun Staff Writer
Take Assemblyman Joe Baca Jr., who's had a tumble from his lofty state office and is now seeking election to City Council in Rialto.
The Legislature is no longer in session. But Baca still has his title until Dec. 4.
As Election Day draws closer, the candidate is putting himself front-and-center with the voters of Rialto, using every advantage he can exploit - including drawing on his Assembly office to leverage public events, using his dad's name - Rep. Joe Baca - and even borrowing dad's staff, who "volunteer" to help Joe Jr.
That Assembly title looked good on banners at the Boys and Girls Club in Rialto last week.
And it sounded good Wednesday at a Town Hall meeting for small businesses in the Community Room of the Rialto Park and Recreation Center. The invitation was from Assemblyman Baca.
Nothing political, of course.
And there are other fringe benefits to being a Baca, especially when your dad is a congressman from - oh yes, Rialto.
Professional staffers from Rep. Baca's office are willing - make that eager - to volunteer to help you out.
Rafael Hernandez Trujillo sent out the press release for last week's child-safety event at the Boys and Girls Club. The news release lists him as a press secretary for the younger Baca.
But Trujillo is an employee of Rep. Baca, the assemblyman's father.
A May 18 article in "The Hill," a publication based in Washington, D.C., reported that former staffers for Rep. Baca said the congressman sent them to California in 2004 to campaign for Joe Baca Jr. in his primary campaign for the state Assembly.
In response to questions about why he is working for both Bacas, Trujillo said he often works for Baca Jr. during his lunch hour or after work.
"The congressman doesn't have anything to do with that. It's on my own time," he said.
And Trujillo must have spent his own time to attend Thursday evening's Stranger Danger Camp at the Boys and Girls Club. Baca co-hosted the event with the Rialto Police Department. Rialto Mayor Grace Vargas and San Bernardino County Supervisor Josie Gonzales also attended. The event aimed to teach children how to be safe and to teach parents about Megan's Law, a database of sex offenders.
"Timing is everything," said Councilman Ed Scott, referring to the approaching election. Scott said that although he supports the safety program and its goals, helping a City Council candidate put on an event may not be an appropriate use of police resources.
Inside and outside the Boys and Girls Club were signs that read "Joe Baca Jr., Assemblyman 62nd District." He told his audience "Congressman Baca" got the funding for the building.
Rialto police Lt. Joe Cirilo and a contingent of police officers represented the department at the event. Cirilo is a member of the Boys and Girls Club's executive board and is also the department's community-relations officer.
When asked if he worried it might appear the Police Department was supporting Baca, Cirilo said, "That's not why I'm here." He said he was there to discuss children's safety.
The town-hall meeting was aimed at the local business community. It backfired a bit. The Rialto Chamber of Commerce was listed as co-sponsor, but the chamber's executive director, Roslyn Garner, said the organization never gave permission to be listed as a sponsor.
Garner sent a letter to Baca on Friday asking him to remove the chamber's name from the event.
"We are very concerned about this misrepresentation of the Rialto Chamber of Commerce's position related to this item at a time when you are running for the Rialto City Council," she wrote.
Larry Thornburg, Rialto's director of Recreation and Community Services, said it is the city's practice to allow other government entities to use facilities at no cost. "A political event wouldn't be acceptable."
Garner said the chamber does not endorse political candidates and doesn't want to get involved in city politics.
In addition, Garner said Baca is no longer a member of the chamber because he did not pay his dues this year.
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BSRanch Perspective:
Joe Baca Jr. is just using what he has at his fingertips to help him get elected to the City Council. As we have seen in all Politital Races every thing is a go as long as it is legal, and that is just what Joe Baca Jr. is doing. We here at the BSRanch don't get involved in any Political Races, however due to the underhanded Political Tactics that were used in the past against their own Division, namely the Police Department, We are giving our full Endorcement for the Candidate, Joe Baca Jr. for City Council. He really wants this and we need a person like him to keep our Police Department safe. I feel that he also might fight for a 3% at 50 Retirement plan for the Officers that are there to keep them happy and that way Rialto is not just a 1.5 year training ground for Officers to gain good traing in Policing and then they take that training to other departments and advance with thier knowledge.
BSRanch
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