By Brad Mitzelfelt, San Bernardino County Supervisor

May 14, 2012 – Reprinted with permission from FlashReport.org

[Publisher's Note: As part of an ongoing effort to bring original, thoughtful commentary to you here at the FlashReport, I am pleased to present this column authored by San Bernardino County Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt - Flash]

Link the the Online Article at the FlashReport website: http://www.flashreport.org/featured-columns-library0b.php?faID=2012051407321475

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Solar energy development in California is largely driven by artificial state mandates that now have utilities increasing their use of expensive renewable energy.

It’s a dubious legacy of a state government that can’t maintain its highways or keep felons in prison but can arrogantly assign itself the responsibility of curing “climate change” by destroying its citizens’ economy.

The tools to fast-track this renewable energy development include preferential regulatory treatment by federal and state agencies along with government “stimulus” incentives, tax breaks and loan-guarantee subsidies.

The costs of all of this will be fully realized when the electric bills come due in the near future.  That indicates that this is hardly being driven by economics, but rather by politics.  And the politics of saving the planet derive from the same movement that ostensibly tries to protect the environment from the impacts of development.

However, this new, well-connected renewable energy development sector – in the form of unionized large-scale solar energy generation projects on California’s federal desert lands – has elbowed its way ahead of all other types of development, including mining, which actually produces things people need.

This is one of several attempts to grab more desert away from average Californians.  The U.S. Marine Corps is proposing to take over a majority of the Johnson Valley Off-Highway Vehicle recreation area to add to its sprawling Twentynine Palms training base.  Eight-hundred-thousand people a year visit Johnson Valley – as many as 40,000 in a single weekend.

As a former Marine who served in a desert war, I certainly want the Marines to have the land they need to realistically train.  But I also believe that if they don’t have enough room on their current base, they could simply apply for BLM permits for periodic training exercises on the nearby lands as is done in other parts of the country with no problems.

At the same time, Senator Dianne Feinstein is proposing a second so-called “Desert Protection Act” that would take 1.6 million additional acres of BLM land out of potential development, including mining exploration, by designating two new “National Monuments”, one adjacent to the Mojave National Preserve (which was created by the 1994 Act, taking 1.5 million acres out of BLM multiple use in addition to 800,000 acres out of private ownership), and one adjacent to the Joshua Tree National Park.

These proposals sound harmless, but what most people don’t realize is that just about every square inch of the desert is spoken for, either for military use, national parks, wilderness and special conservation areas, Indian reservations and other types of land management.  Half of the lands under BLM management, the supposed “multiple use” agency, are protected under wilderness or special conservation area restrictions.

Projects that would disturb or destroy habitat, say, of the desert tortoise, must make up for that loss by purchasing private habitat at ratios of usually at least three acres for every one acre disturbed.  At that rate, even in the nation’s largest county – San Bernardino – just three solar projects on federal land will require an unacceptable amount of private land acquisition – 22,000 acres, or roughly 34 square miles.  And that land will come off of the county’s tax rolls.  We will literally run out of mitigation land after a handful of projects.

The federal Energy Policy Act of 2005 requires that 10,000 megawatts of renewable energy be generated on public lands in the west.  To meet California’s mandate of having 33 percent of our energy come from “renewable” sources, it requires more than 20,000 megawatts of production and they are looking mainly to public lands.

If we approved that much solar, the result would be a regulatory lockdown on the rest of the desert by the federal Fish and Wildlife Service and the state Department of Fish and Game.

And we still wouldn’t be making a dent in the problem these projects purport to solve.  California has the ninth largest economy in the world (and falling) but we generate less than 1.5 percent of the world’s so-called greenhouse gases.  If we slash emissions by half, we’ve reduced global emissions by a scant three-quarters of a percentage point.

I do support accommodating our fair share of renewable energy as part of a portfolio of economic land uses.  More than $5 billion is currently being spent in San Bernardino County on projects and there is some economic benefit there.  That benefit would increase if we were to direct those projects to private lands, where they can have more positive economic benefits and less environmental impact.

For projects on public land, we must stop the unsustainable private-land acquisition requirements in favor of scientifically supportable efforts to effectively recover species on existing federal land.  Head-starting (raising juvenile tortoises until their shells can withstand predator attacks), which is successfully used by the military, should be allowed for other types of land management.

Aggressive predator control to protect tortoises from ravens and coyotes would also be more effective than simply putting land off limits.  They have been doing that for 20 years and the tortoise is still going extinct.

These public lands have long supported a range of beneficial uses.  Let’s not destroy the desert, or our ability to use and enjoy it, in the name of saving the planet.  All we’ll get in return is a world and a way of life less worth saving.

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Brad Mitzelfelt is Vice-Chairman of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors, representing the Mojave Desert.  He is also a candidate for the newly drawn 8th Congressional District.  He is Chairman of the Quad State Local Governments Authority, which includes nine Western counties that advocate for access and economic opportunity on federal lands.  And he is a Member of the Public Lands Steering Committee of the National Association of Counties.

… From www.VoteBrad2012.com …

APPLE VALLEY – Congressional candidate Brad Mitzelfelt received a significant boost today in his campaign for the new 8^th Congressional District as a majority of the elected Town Council of Apple Valley is now endorsing the First District Supervisor to replace the retiring Jerry Lewis.

“Supervisor Mitzelfelt has earned my support because of his accomplishments on behalf of the entire Victor Valley and desert region,” said Councilman Scott Nassif, who is also a local business owner.  “Brad has proven himself as a regional leader in transportation, economic development, public safety and government reform.  He knows our district better than any of the other candidates and he is ready to go to Congress right now and represent us.”

Added Councilman Curt Emick: “Brad Mitzelfelt cares about all of the cities in the High Desert, and he has proven that in his various leadership roles, from his Chairmanships of the Victor Valley Economic Development Authority, the Local Agency Formation Commission, the Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District and SANBAG.  He is an honest broker who treats us all equally and wants all of our communities to succeed.”

“Supervisor Mitzelfelt knows the challenges our region faces, from lagging transportation infrastructure to public safety challenges resulting from prison realignment to over-regulation that drives businesses out of California,” added Mayor Pro-Tem Ginger Coleman.  “He is working hard on those problems and will continue to do so.  I know that Brad is the best choice in this election.”

Former Mayor Peter Allan, who is also endorsing Mitzelfelt, said the supervisor is assisting the town with land use planning and economic development and partnered with the town to rescue the struggling Victor Valley Museum.  Allan, also Vice President of Victor Valley College, also praised Mitzelfelt’s support of education.

“Brad helped establish our School of Aviation Technology and more recently the Apple Valley High School Precision Machining Academy,” Allan said.  “These efforts will help keep and attract quality jobs for our residents in the High Desert.”

Apple Valley represents the most conservative and most likely to vote population of voters of the Victor Valley cities that form the majority of the population of Mitzelfelt’s current supervisorial district.  The Supervisor represents more than half the new Congressional district currently, which is more than twice that of any of the other 12 candidates in the June open primary.

“I am honored to have the support of these Apple Valley councilmembers,” Mitzelfelt said.  “I am proud of what Apple Valley has accomplished and look forward to continuing to assist them in making their community an even better place to live, supporting an even better way of life.”

… From the Daily Press, May 08, 2012 … By Rene De La Cruz, Special to the Daily Press …

APPLE VALLEY – High Desert jobs may be scarce, but a number of Inland Empire manufacturing firms have difficulty finding highly skilled machinist, fabricators and designers.

Apple Valley High School’s Precision Machining Academy may be able to help fill that void, after San Bernardino County 1st District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt secured $95,000 from the Board of Supervisors to help the academy.

“Manufacturing is one of the bright spots in the local economy, and that industry needs highly trained workers to continue growing,” Mitzelfelt said during a special presentation Tuesday at the school’s welding shop with school and county officials, students and community leaders in attendance.

The funds, which came from Mitzelfelt’s 1st District discretionary funds, will be used by the academy to purchase tools and equipment that will help train the next generation workers.

“I’m excited for the students who will have the opportunity to take advantage of this,” said instructor Casey Penfold, who teaches 120 academy students each year. “Once we get approval, we’ll start ordering.”

The need to develop skilled workers is being advocated by the High Desert Chapter of the Alliance for Education’s STEAM 2020 initiative. STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math.

The initiative seeks to create a partnership of education, industry and local government to train workers needed in a growing high-tech manufacturing sector.

The facilities will also be open to students throughout the High Desert after hours, similar to Regional Occupation Programs.

The Inland Empire manufacturing sector added more than 3,000 jobs in the past year, according to a country report, but with the county’s unemployment rate at 12.7 percent, local manufacturers report that they have difficulty finding skilled blue collar positions.

School Superintendent Thomas Hoegerman said the school’s academy will be able to provide skilled workers directly to industry.

Eric Schmidt, vice president of Exquadrum, a manufacturing firm in Adelanto that works with the Department of Defense, said America became a world leader during the industrial era of the 1930s and ’40s.

“This program will help our country get back to where we were,” Schmidt said, “in a country that makes things, accomplished things and gets things done.”

Rene De La Cruz can be reached at mrrenedelacruz@gmail.com.

- Move aimed at improving safety for dangerous roadway -

… From the Daily Press, May 08, 2012 … By Katie Lucia, Staff Writer …

FORT IRWIN – The first of 32 call boxes has been installed along Fort Irwin Road — a move county officials say will make the historically dangerous road safer to travel.

By the end of the week all call boxes should be installed along the 30-mile highway that connects Barstow to Fort Irwin. Fort Irwin Road is notorious for the number of serious or fatal car accidents that occur, including a collision last week that took the life of Fort Irwin woman Jonell Davis, 24.

“It will be a much safer drive for those who live and work at Fort Irwin,” said Brad Mitzelfelt, vice chairman of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors. “I just think it’s a great revolution in San Bernardino County and the call box program in which we’re using them where they are most needed, where they will do the most good.”

These are among the first call boxes in the county to be installed on a non-state highway.

“You know, emergency call boxes should go where they’re most needed,” Mitzelfelt said. “And I just feel strongly that in San Bernardino County in particular we have these rural highways that are technically county roads, but they are traveled by a tremendous number of motorists.”

Approximately 5,000 vehicles per day travel on Fort Irwin Road to and from the Army post, according to a statement by Mitzelfelt’s office. An estimated 25 percent of those travelers are Victor Valley residents traveling to the post for work.

Cell phone coverage is spotty along the route and there are no services between the base and Barstow, meaning there can be major delays in notifying officials about an emergency, or seeking help in the event of a breakdown, the statement said. The call boxes were positioned based on cell signals. They are more powerful and have taller antennas, meaning even if a motorist cannot get a cell signal, the call boxes will still function. During collisions cell phones are also often lost or destroyed.

The project cost $41,276 and is funded by a fee for call box services on vehicle registrations.

Katie Lucia may be reached at (760) 256-4123 or KLucia@DesertDispatch.com.

… From the Press-Dispatch, Sunday, May 6, 2012 … VALLEY VOICES …

By Brad Mitzelfelt

As our region continues the painfully slow economic recovery, there is a surprising bright spot. Manufacturing in the Inland Empire is adding jobs.

The sector added 3,300 manufacturing jobs between February 2011 and February 2012. That’s 60 percent of the manufacturing jobs added in all of California.

We’re also seeing the Inland Empire’s logistics sector making a comeback. As international trade has recovered, Inland Empire warehousing and shipping firms added 3,500 of these logistics jobs.

Container traffic through the ports is nearing pre-recession levels, but the exciting thing is not just the full containers coming in. Full containers are heading out, too. Exports are at a record level.

In April, manufacturing nationwide grew at the fastest pace in 10 months. In the Inland Empire, the Purchasing Managers Index hit 60.8, its second highest level ever.

That bodes well for our predominantly blue-collar work force in two of our strongest sectors: logistics and manufacturing.

Manufacturing today is not the rote assembly line work we may think of. Many manufacturing jobs require a high level of skill and training, including machining, welding, design and fabrication. Inland Empire manufacturers report they are having trouble filling those kinds of positions. Among those is Scott Turbon Mixer in Adelanto, which is having a hard time finding qualified machinists. And there are many others who have notified us of this shortage. This is a situation in which local government can partner with industry and education to start filling that need. We already have a model. A few years ago, San Bernardino County at my request helped a public-private consortium launch the School of Aviation Technology at Southern California Logistics Airport to start training FAA-certified Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) mechanics to provide a skilled labor force for our growing aerospace industry. This included equipment, tuition assistance and later transitioning the school to a Victor Valley College program.

Now as part of VVC, A&P students get college credit and are eligible for financial aid. And most of the school’s students and graduates are working at SCLA in their new field of expertise.

So here’s another answer to another identified need that builds on the model of the A&P School at SCLA: Apple Valley High School now has classes in fabrication, including design, welding, computer numeric control (CNC) and CNC plasma cutting and 3D modeling.

Apple Valley schools Superintendent Thomas Hoegerman says let’s expand it to the next level: a Precision Machining Academy that will be able to provide skilled workers directly to industry.

I agree with that goal, so I will be recommending an appropriation of $95,000 this week from the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors to assist the district in purchasing precision measuring tools, CNC milling machines and other advanced equipment.

While the facilities will be located on campus, they will be open to students throughout the High Desert after hours, similar to Regional Occupation Programs. It will provide entry-level training and experience coordinated with local manufacturers. A higher level of certification could be developed in cooperation with Victor Valley College, and an even higher tier could be coordinated with Cal Poly Pomona.

I want to thank our public and private community leaders who take part in the Alliance for Education in cooperation with San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools Gary S. Thomas Ed.D., and the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) 2020 initiative, along with the Apple Valley Unified School District. Their efforts combined are what lead to programs like this that will address unmet work force educational needs.

Having a work force specifically trained for the industries that are here or are considering setting up shop here will bring more jobs. All of us in government, industry and education need to work together to create and support this new breed of skilled blue collar worker.

Brad Mitzelfelt is vice-chairman and the First District representative on the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors.

Link: http://epaper.vvdailypress.com/OLIVE/ODE/DAILYPRESS/LandingPage/LandingPage.aspx?href=VkRQLzIwMTIvMDUvMDY.&pageno=MTM.&entity=QXIwMTMwMg..&view=ZW50aXR5

… From the Needles Desert Star, Monday, April 30, 2012 …

SAN BERNARDINO - The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors has approved expanding County Route 66 from Goffs Road eastward through Needles and to the California/Arizona state line.

“This county route marker program, which began with County Route 66 last year, has already been a success, and this is the next step in expanding the coverage of the route markers,” said First District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt, who initiated the marker program. “This will make navigation much easier and supports tourism along the popular Route 66.”

In September 2011, the board formally established County Route 66, beginning on National Trails Highway in Oro Grande just north of Victorville, through Barstow and out to Goffs Road where it intersects with U.S. 95.

That same month, the Barstow City Council agreed to designate County Route 66 within its city limits.

The new signs designating County Route 66 will be funded with up to $10,000 from First District discretionary funds. Signs will be installed along the route, including U.S. 95 and Interstate 40.

Link: http://www.thedesertstar.com/articles/2012/05/02/news/local/news884.txt

- G Avenue lead track expected to create 400 jobs -

From the Hesperia Star, April 27, 2012 … By Beau Yarbrough, Staff Writer …

Hesperia officials rolled out a steel red carpet for industry on April 19, cutting — or rather, snapping — the ribbon on a new train track intended to allow businesses direct access to the BNSF Railway and generate 400 jobs.

A BNSF locomotive snapped the ribbon on the G Avenue Industrial Lead Track. The rail spur provides rail access which opens up 200 mostly undeveloped acres of property in the city’s industrial zone. Officials expect the rail line will attract new businesses to the city and allow existing businesses to ship their goods more cheaply. The city is also considering building a “transload” facility that will allow businesses not located along the rail line to load and unload goods from rail cars.

“We have a resurgence, right now, of manufacturing,” 1st District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt said, “and it’s happening right here.”

The one-mile rail line is located within the city’s enterprise zone. Officials expect the rail line to ultimately create 400 new local jobs.

“The journey’s not over until we find the right clientele,” said Michael Devine, BNSF Director of Economic Development. “Some day, we’ll look back on this day as a significant milestone.”

The city’s $5.6 million contribution to the $8.6 million project was provided by the now-defunct Hesperia Community Redevelopment Agency. According to officials, the area surrounding the track is the only available real-served industrial area in the Victor Valley.

“This track will revitalize the industrial area of the city,” Mayor Russ Blewett said.

Beau Yarbrough may be reached at (760) 956-7108 or at beau@HesperiaStar.com. Follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/Hesperia.Star.

Link: http://www.hesperiastar.com/news/industry-4828-hesperia-red.html

… From The Sun, April 25, 2012 … By Ryan Hagen, Staff Writer…

An air quality report released for the first time as a companion to the American Lung Association’s annual report shows the same steady decline in pollution, but more accurately reflects differences between regions, say those in charge of regulating air quality locally.

The report by the California Air Pollution Control Officers’ Association, released last week, compares fine particulate matter and ozone pollution among the state’s 35 air quality management districts. The lung association’s “State of the Air” report compares counties nationwide.

“The lung association report that came out tends to lump areas together,” said San Bernardino County Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt, who chairs the Victorville-based Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District board. “For instance, the High Desert might be lumped in with the city of San Bernardino, when the Mojave Desert is not only in a different air basin, it’s very different from a meteorological standpoint and as far as the issues we face.”

Mitzelfelt, who also represents much of the High Desert on the county Board of Supervisors, said the area is much healthier than the San Bernardino and Pomona valleys.

“(The report) tells a story about the High Desert and the fact that our air is more healthful than you would think putting us with the rest of the county,” he said.

The Mojave Desert exceeded federal ozone standards for 35 days in 2011, compared with 66 days in 2010, according to the report. Combining ozone and particulate matter, the number of “good” Air Quality Index days for the desert region grew from 173 in 2000 to 277 in 2010.

By contrast, San Bernardino County had the worst ozone pollution in the country, according to the American Lung Association’s report. The South Coast Air Quality Management District – which includes the urban portions of Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties plus all of Orange County – had slightly more unhealthy ozone days in 2011 than 2010. Overall, the San Bernardino County portion had 175 healthy air days in 2011 and 155 in 2000.

The South Coast AQMD has reduced particle pollution through dozens of measures, with some of the most effective involving regulation of diesel engines, said spokesman Sam Atwood.

“The progress is especially dramatic when you look at the worst form of pollution, which is fine particle pollution,” Atwood said.

The highest levels of ozone – responsible for asthma and other health conditions – are found in communities in the San Bernardino Mountains such as Lake Arrowhead, Atwood said.

“Complex atmospheric chemistry comes into play, but…that smog is pushed inland by prevailing winds, and it keeps going until the mountains,” he said. “People are surprised that places we think are pristine are the worst for ozone, but for fine particulates the levels are very low in the mountains.”

Mitzelfelt said his district has successfully partnered with many companies to lower pollution while protecting business, despite standards in California that he says are more burdensome then in other states.

But the key to economic growth and air quality improvement is development, he said.

“The fact that we (in the High Desert) have so few jobs compared to houses means people are driving great distances to work, which generates even more pollution than would be the case if we had industry close to home,” he said. “So what we’re really all about is to bring the jobs closer to home, so we’ll not only have a greater quality of life, we’ll also have cleaner air.”

Read more: http://www.sbsun.com/ci_20481971/study-inland-empire-air-quality-improving-high-desert#ixzz1tBSS3XYo

- Mojave Desert region had no unhealthy air quality days in 2011 -

VICTORVILLE – The High Desert region saw no unhealthy air quality days for the general population in 2011, as the Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District continued to boast some of the cleanest air in the state, according to a new report by the California Air Pollution Control Officers Association.

The report came as no surprise to local air quality officials: The High Desert hasn’t had any days fall below 200 on the federal Air Quality Index over the past decade, according to Violette Roberts, spokeswoman for the MDAQMD.

“High Desert residents continue to breathe some of the most healthful air anywhere in Southern California,” San Bernardino County 1st District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt, who serves as chairman of the MDAQMD, said in a statement. … (Continued below) …

… From the Daily Press, April 25, 2012 … By Natasha Lindstrom, Staff Writer … (Continued below) …

… Meanwhile, Los Angeles County’s South Coast District had 10 unhealthy air quality days in 2011 and San Bernardino County’s South Coast District had 27 unhealthy days. Neighboring Riverside County logged 14 unhealthy days. A total of 12 counties registered unhealthy air quality days in 2011, according to the report.

On those unhealthy days between 151 and 200 on the federal index, everyone living in a region can suffer adverse health effects, and members of more sensitive groups — children, seniors with heart or lung problems and asthma or bronchitis patients — can experience more serious effects.

The measurements for the general population differ from figures released by the MDAQMD in December that dealt with unhealthy air quality days specifically for sensitive residents based on ozone concentrations.

But the Mojave Desert region is seeing those days decline, too, by what the new report referred to as a “dramatic 47 percent reduction,” from 66 days in 2010 to 35 days in 2011.

Cooler than normal temperatures during the May-through-October smog season have contributed to better air quality, Roberts said. The smog that does make its way to the High Desert generally is windblown up the Cajon Pass from the Los Angeles Basin area, she added.

Mitzelfelt credits public and private investment in voluntary, incentive-based measures to advancing improvements to California’s air quality. He said he is against involuntary measures in the form of stringent regulations.

View the full CAPCOA report, called “California’s Progress Toward Clean Air,” by click here.

Natasha Lindstrom may be reached at (760) 951-6232 or at NLindstrom@VVDailyPress.com.

Unhealthy air — by the numbers:

Here is a sampling of unhealthy* air quality days for the general population reported by region in 2011:

• 0 — San Bernardino County’s Mojave Desert District (High Desert)

• 10 — Los Angeles County’s South Coast District

• 14 — Riverside County’s South Coast District

• 22 — Fresno County’s San Joaquin Valley District

• 27 — San Bernardino County’s South Coast District

* Unhealthy air quality days signify air pollution levels falling between 151 and 200 on the federal Air Quality Index.

Source: California Air Pollution Control Officers Association

Link: http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/victorville-34138-breathe-easy.html

From High Desert Daily, April 25, 2012 … By Nolan Patrick Smith …

(Hesperia) In the last article, High Desert Daily spoke with San Bernardino County First District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt to talk about the legacy he feels he is leaving behind as he moves forward to the race for Congress. In this article, we talk about the future and what Mitzelfelt sees in the coming months and years.

Brad Mitzelfelt is currently the Vice-Chairman of the Board of Supervisors for San Bernardino County. According to the San Bernardino County website, the district Mitzelfelt represents includes the incorporated municipalities of Victorville, Apple Valley, Hesperia and Adelanto in the Victor Valley, as well as Needles on the Colorado River. The First District also includes unincorporated communities measuring more than 15,000 square miles from Wrightwood in the San Gabriel Mountains to Trona to Baker, four military bases and two national park units, and bordering Arizona and Nevada. With this year being his last as Supervisor, Mitzelfelt has Congress in his sights as he continues his campaign for the 8th Congressional District. Regarding the future, the first question asked is what makes him the best person to represent this district.

“I have absolutely unmatched experience when it comes to dealing with federal issues that affect the High Desert. I have sued the National Parks Service, I have sued the Bureau of Land Management, I have been fighting battles for public access to public lands to protect our ranching industry, to protect our mining industry, whether it be as Chairman of the Mojave Air Quality Management District or as Supervisor or any of the other roles that I have. I feel it is my responsibility to protect our economic future and in order to do that we have to protect the historic uses of the desert. There is a place for conservation, for recreation, for military training: we can accommodate all these uses. But when a politically popular type of development comes forward, like solar, and the federal government is ready to throw out many of the hurdles other industries have to overcome in an unsustainable way, the only long term outcome is reduced access to the desert for people who live here and the people who visit here, so I am really concerned about that. My involvement with the federal government is a daily undertaking. What I find is, everyday, I find laws like the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act; well-intentioned laws that certainly do some good, are in desperate need of reform. The agencies that implement these laws are unelected, unaccountable and very powerful, and often times very arbitrary. That impacts people, that impacts opportunity and it needs to change.”

One issue that always seems to be present in the desert is that of the Desert Tortoise. Mitzelfelt explained how though (m)illions are being spent, the outcome of saving this species just isn’t happening. “We find that with the Desert Tortoise mitigation, they’re costing our economy hundreds of (m)illions of dollars but they aren’t saving the tortoise: the tortoise is still going extinct. They are not addressing the root cause of its decline, which is ravens and coyotes. Because its philosophical and political that they won’t address predation, all they want to do is limit access to land and acquire all the private land they can: that’s a bad formula for us, people who live and work in the desert because it takes away our opportunities. So I will address those things.”

Another aspect Mitzelfelt made clear was the intention of staying proactive, just as he has been as Supervisor. “My approach again is to be proactive, to find ways to be a leader. I don’t want to go to Washington and wait for thirty years to have influence. I don’t want to go there for thirty years, quite frankly. I hope I’m not doing this in thirty years, because I want to enjoy my life. I look at the example of Kevin McCarthy from Bakersfield. He has only been there for a few terms, and he is the number 3 or 4 most senior member of Congress as far as his position. He’s proven that it can be done; you can achieve opportunities to serve at a higher level and to be more effective for your district or for your state even if you haven’t been there for twenty years. That would be my intention from day one, to get into positions on the committees where I can do the most good for the people I represent. I’m running not for myself, but for the people I represent. I could have probably very easily been reelected for another term on the board of supervisors, but I feel I owe it to the people I represent to find the best opportunity to serve them, and that’s why I chose to run.”

What about the far future? Passed the Congressional campaign, what are his plans for the future? “I dedicated my adult life to public service for the most part. I’m a veteran of the Marine Corp, I worked in local and state government, and my goal is to serve in Congress and be the best representative that San Bernardino County has ever had. Other than that, there are a lot of things I could do and am interested in. Eventually I would love to write and publish some works. Other than that, I am interested in business; I am very interested in the financial and development sectors. I worked in the building industry for several years, and I have a lot of interests, but I don’t really have a plan other than to run for Congress and be elected. I didn’t plan to ever be a Supervisor either: the opportunity presented itself. I like to work that way, not put all my eggs in one basket.”

For more information on Mitzelfelt’s campaign for U.S. Congress, visit his website at http://votebrad2012.com/.

Link: http://highdesertdaily.com/2012/04/brad-mitzelfelt-part-2-future/

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