As most regular readers probably know, I manage the campaign of Ron Shepston (aka CanYouBeAngryAndStillDream) for U.S Congress in CA-42 against ethically challenged incumbent Gary Miller. I want to post an update on the Santiago Fire, which while 90% contained still threatens Silverado Canyon, especially the east (highest) portion, which is where Ron lives. I've been almost entirely offline for the past six days with connections problems, so have not been able to post an update until now.
I would normally post campaign material from our Campaign account, but I try to review such material with Ron before I do so. Since the fire started, I've been posting from this account because I can't confer with Ron. In fact, except for one conversation, I haven't been able to find my candidate at all.
This is not because he's slacking off. It is, I'm told, because he's still helping to fight the fire.
(more below)
I did get a chance to talk to Ron for almost an hour on Sunday night, though, and what follows comes from that conversation. Ron has promised to write up his story when he is done with his time as a semi-deputized firefighter, and I don't want to step on any of the good stuff. But I will review some information for people who didn't see my earlier diaries.
There is a retired fire batallion commander in Silverado who is one of the state's top experts on firefighting. He is a neighbor of Ron's in the "Up Canyon" area of Silverado, the part that borders Cleveland National Forest. Ron describes this guy as a genius when it comes to firefighting; unfortunately, due to the beating this guy's body has taken over the years, he's not that mobile. Ron has been this guy's legs, running around getting things they have needed to protect Up Canyon, collecting and relaying information on the fire, and serving as the "native guide" to bring local, state, and federal firefighters up to lookout spots to track the progress of the fire, as well as clearing fuel and keeping properties in his area wet.
Last Friday, it looked like they were going to lose, as the fire closed in, through the forest, on Up Canyon. But, last Saturday, the weather cooled off enough to let them get the upper hand. Unfortunately, this weekend the Santa Ana winds look likely to kick up again, and would be aiming the remainder of the fire right at the entrance to Up Canyon, so the situation is far from over.
As I said, I don't want to get into too much detail both because I don't want to misstate things and I don't want to steal the thunder of Ron's diary when it appears, but this does seem like one hell of a way to spend a couple of weeks away from work. As a campaign manager, I want him raising money, of course, but I suppose that if he has to spend a couple of weeks helping to save his community I have to be a good sport about it.
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Ron also told me some information Sunday night about spending priorities that he said would shock people. Since, from what I can tell, it was much the same as what eugene presented here that day, and has followed up on today in his recommended diary, I get the sense that people did find it pretty shocking. (While I haven't had time to read all of eugene's work carefully, it looks very well-researched, except that if anything aspects of the story may be worse than eugene stated.) I'll leave the telling of that story to Ron, so it's not quite so much hearsay.
I will say this much, based on what Ron told me and what I just read from eugene's diaries. I believe in the basic goodness and intelligence of the people from our district. I believe that much of the problem is that they simply do not know what is going on with their representatives and can't imagine it's as bad as it is. They don't know that firefighting in the Canyon area has been so badly shortchanged, they don't know that our representative Gary Miller -- whose Congressional website still has no mention of the fires occurring in his district -- is a two-time loser on the "Most Corrupt Members of Congress" list, etc. Well, our priorities are not the ones that you've seen in eugene's story, and we surely don't think that fire protection is due only to the wealthiest few, and we damn sure would not spend times like this railing against firefighters unions for supposedly being greedy. That means that we have a story to tell in this campaign -- and we intend to tell it often and well.
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I am off to my local Democratic Club's monthly meeting tonight in Fullerton (Mike Farrell is speaking to the Democrats of North Orange County, and I have to be on time because I organized the raffle), so I won't be around for comments. I'm sorry for that, but now that I have a connection again I have just wanted to get the info out before I leave.