Ledger-Dispatch

By Helen Bonner=20

From left, Alyson Huber, the Democratic = candidate=20 for the state Assembly's District 10, enjoys a laugh with Amador = County=20 residents Tom Shirley and Caryl Callsen over the = weekend.

Photo by: Helen = Bonner
The=20 Democratic candidate for California State Assembly District 10 swept = into town=20 this weekend and greeted a small but enthusiastic group off its = feet.

The=20 welcoming party, hosted in the gardens of Tom and Melissa Shirley in = Jackson,=20 already knew Alyson Huber, an attorney running for a seat long held by = outgoing=20 Republican Assemblyman Alan Nakanishi. She will face off against = Republican=20 candidate Jack Sieglock, recently in Jackson as a panel member during an = economic forum hosted by the Amador County Republican Central=20 Committee.

"I've seen Alyson in this county more times than I've = seen any=20 other assembly candidate in the last 30 years," said Kathleen Trenam, a = member=20 of the Amador County Democratic Central Committee. Before Huber could = set down=20 her campaign signs, the gathering of some 30 concerned residents = peppered her=20 with questions. What about education? What about the environment? What = about=20 water? What about jobs?

Asked why she was running "when things = look so=20 bad," Huber said she "got tired of seeing the same bad decisions made = over and=20 over by the same career politicians. I don't always agree with Gov.=20 Schwarzenegger, but I agree with him that it is time for us to come out = of our=20 ideological corners and work together. We need to shift our focus from = the=20 gridlock of opposing parties to getting something done."

Huber, = an=20 attorney from Lodi, said education was the key. "We can't talk about = jobs=20 without talking about education," she said. "California used to be in = the top 10=20 on education. That's one reason Silicon Valley happened. With three = universities=20 in the area, growing new businesses knew they could get educated = employees. Why=20 would they choose California now? Why would they choose = Jackson?"

Mary=20 Molina, who calls herself a neighborhood mom, spoke up. "I worry about = the=20 kids," she said. "Many young men and women come through my doors. They = see the=20 military as their only option." "Or a blackjack dealer or prison guard," = added=20 another woman. "This used to be the land of opportunity. Is there any = silver=20 lining?"

"Kids find it hard to see the relevance of high school = today,"=20 Huber began. "Although your local schools do better, the state as a = whole has a=20 24 percent high school dropout rate, one out of every four = students.

"The=20 early childhood programs you have here are a good start," added Huber, = who has=20 two young sons. "The earlier kids get a love for education, the better = they=20 do."

Another voter said there was a need for law enforcement = classes.=20 "Yes, your fledgling community college (Cosumnes River College) should = offer=20 that," Huber responded. "The original vision for the state was to begin = with=20 community colleges. Make education more affordable, and there will be a = huge=20 return on the investment. That has proven to be true, for the state, the = community and for the student.

"California invested in me," Huber = continued. "I was a former welfare kid working in a dead-end job when I = went to=20 a nearby community college. A (professor) there encouraged me, I worked = my way=20 through law school, and a few years later I was practicing business = law."=20 Referring to Amador County, she added, "But I couldn't have done it if I = had to=20 drive 40 miles."

On the environment, Huber attempted to delineate = the=20 difference between her and Sieglock. "My opponent says dams dams dams," = Huber=20 said, "but from the state Assembly perspective, we should be looking at=20 oversight on planning. Decision making on land use is local, as it = should be,=20 but when there's bad planning, the state gets called in to undo the = damage. If=20 the state takes the risk of bad land usage, it should have oversight of = the=20 planning."

Huber called water the state's "next crisis." "Sen. = (Michael)=20 Machado (D-Linden) has been working on water issues for 10 years, but = the=20 problem is so complex it is hard for anyone to get a grip on it," Huber = told the=20 crowd. "I remember the drought in the '70s, when we were told not to = flush our=20 toilets too often. The next one will be worse if we don't face these = problems=20 now."

Sally Trestrail of the Progressive Women's Committee was = impressed=20 with Huber. "I've known Alyson since early last year," Trestrail said. = "She's=20 spent a lot of time in Amador County. She's just a hometown girl. I'm = proud of=20 the honest primary she ran. She stays away from partisan negativity and = focuses=20 on getting the job done."

Helen Bonner
Ledger Dispatch Contributor=20