Senator, residents critical of state government

Road safety, government regulations and corruption, high-speed rail, medical marijuana and state-mandated water restrictions were just some of the topics brought up at Sen. Joel Anderson’s community coffee Thursday evening.

Held in Ramona Community Center, the event hosted by Ramona Unified School District trustees Rodger Dohm and Bob Stoody drew just over 100 people. Both trustees commended Anderson for being engaged with the Ramona community.

While residents expressed their dissatisfaction with government, Anderson, a Republican, was critical of Gov. Jerry Brown and the Democrat-led legislature.

Resident George Boggs brought up a concern that appeared to be shared by many at the meeting: public safety on state Route 67 at the Mt. Woodson trailhead. Boggs said vehicles are lined up along both sides of the highway and hikers often have to run across the four lanes to the trailhead.

“I’m amazed that somebody hasn’t gotten killed there,” said Boggs.

“It’s a big problem,” someone called out from the crowd.

Anderson said he has been going after Caltrans since he was elected, and the state agency is shifting a lot of resources to mass transit instead of roads.

Anderson said he would make inquiries about the issue. “I agree with you wholeheartedly,” he said.

The state senator said the money that is being spent on the state’s high-speed rail, which is supposed to run from the Silicon Valley to the Central Valley, would be better spent on new technology for vehicles, road infrastructure or water projects.

“It’s going from nowhere to nowhere. It’s a big scam,” Anderson said of the bullet train, to which many voiced agreement.

One resident asked about the state-mandated water restrictions, saying that the San Diego County Water Authority (CWA) invested in infrastructure and had such a surplus of water that it had to dump treated water into a reservoir.

Anderson said he believes the governor is becoming sympathetic to the San Diego region and has promised some relief.

Several were concerned about new groundwater management laws and how they would affect their wells. Dan Summers said there was a rumor that Jerry Brown will put water meters on private wells.

Anderson said there are a lot of bills and he was not sure which one they were referring to, but added that he voted for a bill that county water authority and other water agencies endorsed. The senator said if metering wells was in the analysis of a bill he would not have voted for it and doubted that CWA would have supported it.

He encouraged residents to contact him when there is a bill or issue of concern, saying he takes note if 25 people contact him about a particular topic.

“Your input is really valued,” he said.

Debra Lorenzen with Mental Health Systems told Anderson that four medical marijuana dispensaries are planning to open in Ramona and asked Anderson what he can do to stop them in the community.

Anderson said that is up to the county, but he gave his opinion on medical marijuana:

“I don’t think marijuana today is a safe drug that doesn’t lead to worse things.”

The senator said he voted against dispensaries and today’s marijuana is six times more powerful compared to what it was in the 1960s.

“I don’t support marijuana. Never have. Never will,” he said.

Anderson warned his constituents of a proposition that will be on the June 2016 primary ballot to allow a legislator to be suspended without salary or benefits if there is a basis for the suspension. That is not enough to punish those who do not follow the law, he said.

He referred to three Democratic colleagues (Leland Yee, Ron Calderon and Rod Wright) who were indicted in 2014 on multiple federal corruption charges. Anderson said Sen. Rod Wright was found guilty of eight felonies and still serving in the senate when he wrote a resolution to expel him, but instead the legislator was suspended with pay.

“If you don’t follow the law, you don’t have the right to be in office,” said Anderson, noting that when a lawmaker is suspended, his constituents do not have representation.

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According to the Republican senator, his own party did not support him, and his actions led to him being stripped of committees. The June proposition, Prop 50, is a scam to go soft on elected felons, he said.

Anderson, who said he works full days until 11 p.m., stayed around afterward to talk one-on-one with residents and answer additional questions.