This year’s City Council election is shaping up to be truly great theater; take for example the most recent exchange between the three incumbents and challenger David Gauny over illegal immigration. Councilman Bob Kellar started it off by focusing attention on the problem of illegal immigration.

Instead of rising to their colleague’s defense Laurene Weste, Frank Ferry and Marsha McLean put as much distance between the issue and themselves as humanly possible, even going so far as to abandon a colleague and leaving him twisting in the wind. With friends like them who needs enemies!

But leave it to David Gauny to not only come to Bob’s defense but to also challenge Frank, Laurene and Marsha to explain their positions on the issue of illegal immigration.   Their lame excuses, “it’s a Federal issue”, “there’s nothing we can do about it”, and Ferry going so far as to defend illegal aliens saying God doesn’t distinguish between legal and illegal immigrants is an thorough embarrassment.

The latest happening to watch as this drama unfolds will occur Thursday evening, February 25, 2010, at the IHOP restaurant on Lyon’s Avenue in Stevenson Ranch at 7:00 PM. The SCV chapter of the conservative California Republican Assembly (CRA) will hear from the candidates running for Santa Clarita City Council and then offer their endorsement. 

Why is this worth mentioning? Well, while the Republican Party typically supports incumbents without question, as evidenced by the 38^th Assembly District Republican Central Committee endorsing the three City Council incumbents without any debate, the SCV CRA has a long and storied history of supporting real conservative candidates, regardless of whether they are incumbents or not. The CRA’s hero’s Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan stood for a strong defense of our nation’s laws and borders.  The CRA has taken a similarly strong stance as well in opposition to illegal immigration and does not wavier in its support for those who adhere to that position.

Which brings us to the million dollar question; will the local CRA chapter support those who are in agreement with this important issue like David Gauny?  Or will they roll over like other cowards in SCV and endorse Ferry, McLean and Weste who claim immigration “is someone else’s problem?”

There is certainly a great deal of cross over in both these organizations, for instance all of the elected members of the 38^th Assembly District Republican Central Committee are also SCV CRA members. Joe Messina is one of the Republican Central Committee members who also serves as the President of the SCV CRA chapter.  Messina was the one person that seemed to pepper the all the candidates with questions in regard to their position on illegal immigration and most importantly what they would do about the issue if elected to the Santa Clarita City Council. While Gauny hit a home run answering the questions, Ferry, Weste and McLean struck out.

No wonder Joe Messina was spotted at the Gauny fundraiser hosted by Bob and Kathy Kellar weeks ago! 

So as I asked earlier, will the SCV CRA stay true to their principles and resist the trend to endorse the chosen ones or will they instead support the one candidate, David Gauny, who has the courage to stand by Bob Kellar and express opposition to the City’s continued sidestepping on the issue of illegal immigration? 

Our street corners and communities are being overrun by those who have broken our laws entering the Country illegally. The continued inaction on the City’s part also permits those who hire illegal aliens to exploit them and break our laws as well.

But then again who will cut the lawns or clean the houses of Frank, Marsha and Laurene’s supporters? 

Let’s hope the SCV CRA demonstrates the courage of their convictions and stands proudly by their principles.  

We’ll have to wait and see. But do check back on Friday morning for an update!!

Dave Bossert- Commentary

Dave Bossert is a community volunteer who serves on a number of boards and councils. His commentaries represent his own opinions and not necessarily the views of any organization he may be affiliated with or those of the West Ranch Beacon