Colton councilman loses key backer over legal issues
10:00 PM PDT on Tuesday, October 3, 2006
As Election Day -- and his own arraignment -- approaches, embattled Colton City Councilman Ramon Hernandez has lost one of his most prominent political backers.
Weeks after calling Hernandez "a frontrunner" when it comes to the concerns of his district, San Bernardino County Supervisor Josie Gonzalez announced late Tuesday she was pulling her endorsement of the incumbent accused of 24 felony counts of misusing public funds.
Gonzales, who was attending a function and unavailable for comment, said through her chief of staff that a potentially slow-moving trial for Hernandez was the main reason for disassociating herself from him.
"The reality of the situation is that Councilman Hernandez will be consumed with his defense as the case moves slowly through the legal process," said Bob Page, Gonzales' chief of staff. "[Gonzales] believes that the residents of the city and district deserve to be represented by someone fully committed to attending to their needs."
Hernandez, who could not be reached for reaction late Tuesday, is accused by San Bernardino County prosecutors of using a city-issued credit card to rack up more than $5,000 in unauthorized charges for motels and to phone sex lines. He has denied the charges, and is expected to plead not guilty at his Oct. 19 arraignment.
Page emphasized that Gonzales still feels Hernandez is innocent until proven guilty, but that with less than a month to go until the election, "we can't really make a decision based on his guilt or innocence."
On the eve of Hernandez's first court appearance Sept. 25, Gonzales declined to pull her endorsement, calling the first-term councilman and former youth pastor "a team player on the Colton City Council."
Her support came alongside that of Rep. Joe Baca Sr., D-Rialto.
Gonzales will not immediately endorse Hernandez's challenger, David J. Toro, Page said. Typically, Gonzalez does not offer endorsements unless the candidate contacts her, and she has not heard from Toro, Page said.
Toro could not be reached for comment.
Reach Paul LaRocco at 909-806-3064 or plarocco@PE.com
BS Ranch Perspective:
It was only two years ago that Jose Gonzalez was facing a Recall effort by those in Bloomington and Muscoy, the bid was unsuccessful, in a way it was fortunately for the people that live by the Golf Coarse in Rialto, Jose went out of her way to get a large amount of funding to support the starting of the gardening of the center median of Riverside Ave, between Peach, on the north and I am not sure what the street to the south is., but it will be nice when it is all finished. The bulk of the cost was taken by the taxes in the county, but then the Taxpayers in the Country Club will be paying for the rest of the monies to go into there. Just to get that done. It will be nice, nicer then the oleanders ever were.
So, when someone is staring at a multiple amount of Felonies then it is no wonder why they are steered clear of by those that would stand to loose their position in life if they were to endorse back or even stay friends with!
BS Ranch
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