“The California of today is not the Land of Promise that I was born and raised in. Our present state of affairs appears daunting – high unemployment, misguided state spending like the proposed High Speed Rail and public schools that can be better,” declared Wilk. Wilk continued, “The State Legislature is facing more than a budget deficit, it has a trust deficit. I want to restore the trust with the people by holding the line on taxes and reforming regulations, re-prioritizing government spending and improving our public education system.”

Wilk, with his wife Vanessa at his side, announced his intentions in the lobby of the University Center on the Valencia Campus of College of the Canyons. Dignitaries from the community joined Wilk as he laid out his vision for California and the 38th Assembly District. Wilk offered praise of Smyth’s leadership, “Cameron has been a dedicated public servant who has been able to get things done in the Legislature even though he is in the minority party.”

In closing Wilk stated, “I enter the arena based on a lifetime of preparation. My real life experience guarantees I will be able to deliver on my first day on the job! My faith, family and life experience has taught me that personal responsibility and accountability is the pathway to success – in business, in government and in life. I will be accountable to the people.”

The 38th Assembly District covers most of the greater Santa Clarita Valley, the communities in northwestern San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, as well as the City of Simi Valley in Ventura County. Wilk is a longtime resident of the Santa Clarita Valley. The Signal Newspaper has honored Scott multiple times as one of the 51 most influential people in Santa Clarita. Scott also serves on the Board of Directors of the Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital Foundation and on the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Legislative Committee. www.Wilk2012.com

The following is the complete text of Wilk’s Assembly Announcement Speech:

February 22, 2012

Thank you all for coming….

I also want to thank Lena Smyth for the wonderful introduction. I want to acknowledge my friend, Assemblyman Cameron Smyth, for his stellar service to our state. Cameron has been a dedicated public servant who has been able to get things done in the Legislature even though he is in the minority party.

Cameron was named Chair of the Assembly’s Local Government Committee because of his ability to work with all parties. It is quite an accomplishment because he is the first GOP committee chair since the mid-1990’s. I plan to follow his footsteps in striving to reach compromises that move the state forward.

I am honored that Cameron believes that I am the best person to continue his work and that he has endorsed my candidacy.

I’ve chosen to make this announcement at College of the Canyons because I have always been drawn to causes that are larger than me. Miracles happen on this campus every day because our faculty, administration and staff challenges and assists students to be all that they can be. It’s been an honor to serve on this Board and I want to thank my colleagues for joining me this afternoon.

I have worked consistently and purposefully behind the scenes to make things better for our community. In fact, the SCV Press Club’s awarded me the 2006 Newsmaker of the Year “Behind the Scenes Award.”

Today I stand before you as a candidate for the 38th Assembly District, now leading the way – I intend to work in the public eye, in the middle of the scenes, to improve our great state.

The state of California has made choices that have created many challenges and propelled itself into difficult times. . Yet with leadership, courage, vision, and by making strategic decisions that are good for the long haul, California is also capable of overcoming those obstacles.

As your state assemblyman, I want to take your voice to Sacramento. I want to be part of doing what it takes to return California to being a state that leads our country as a place of opportunity; a place that serves as a model for sound policies; a place that employs effective practices that promote and support business growth and vitality. I want a place where policy decisions fuel, not destroy, our future.

In the next few minutes I want to share how I arrived at the decision, what I plan to do once I’m there, and why you should trust me to do what I say I’m going to do.

First….a little about my background and what I learned that brought me to this decision today.

My first recollection of politics was when I was five years old and my parents took me to their polling place at my kindergarten classmate Renee French’s garage. My mother, who at the time was a Democrat, told me, “The country is making a mistake today by re-electing President Johnson.” I remember lying in bed that night so concerned! I learned early that convictions motivate action.

At thirteen I rode my bike every day after school to Richard Nixon’s re-election headquarters. I stuffed and licked envelopes, but the paper cuts on my tongue was a small price to pay for victory! I learned that if you care about something, you show it through your actions.

When I was 20, I was selected for a congressional internship program and I spent the summer working for Congressman Bill Thomas in Washington, DC. I learned from Congressman Thomas that to be in the game you have to be engaged!

Another thing I learned many years later…. COC’s Dena Maloney was working down the hall from me in the Cannon House Office Building! What a small world….

In my public service career I worked as a field representative to state Senator and former L.A Police Chief Ed Davis; and chief of staff to Assembly Members Paula Boland and Tom McClintock.

Senator Ed Davis was a living legend and I learned much about leadership and discipline from him. Also, attending his wedding to Bobbie Trueblood at the Piru mansion inspired me to first profess my love for Vanessa, my now wife of 26 years!

Although in the minority, working with Assemblywoman Paula Boland we were able to pass significant legislation including the bill to make it possible to break up the Los Angeles Unified School District. I learned that no matter how daunting the task, tenacity makes a difference.

As chief of staff to Assemblyman Tom McClintock, I spearheaded the effort to pass AB 62, the Valley Secession Bill. This legislation removed the veto power the Los Angeles City Council had over any citizens petition to secede from the City of Los Angeles. I learned that fighting for what is good is the most important thing.

In private enterprise I represented the California New Car Dealers Association and I also worked for an assisted living company. In addition, my wife, Vanessa, and I have owned a vending company and a public affairs firm. In the business world, I learned that California businesses need a leader who will streamline regulations and smooth the path towards success in order to help those who want to do business here.

My public affairs work in the Santa Clarita Valley has greatly enhanced the quality of life of every resident. Today we have more open space, greater access to health care services and more high-end retail thanks to my efforts, along with many others. I learned through working diligently with others, we can positively impact our community.

Life is fulfilling only when one pursues purpose with passion. My passion is to ensure Sacramento hears us again. My purpose is to use every life lesson and every fiber of my being to ensure Sacramento works for you.

So, what will I do when I get to Sacramento?

The California of today is not the Land of Promise that I was born and raised in. Our present state of affairs appears daunting – high unemployment, misguided state spending such as the proposed High Speed Rail and public schools that can be better.

The State Legislature is facing more than a budget deficit, it has a trust deficit. I want to restore the trust with the people by holding the line on taxes and reforming regulations, re-prioritizing government spending and improving our public education system.

To bring jobs back to California, we must focus on economic growth. That is why I oppose any new taxes and have signed the “Taxpayers Protection Pledge.”

And while other states are rolling out the red carpet, California is rolling out the red tape. I will lead the charge to address over-regulation by streamlining or eliminating needless regulations

As a husband and a father, I am concerned that my children will not have the opportunities that were afforded me. Vanessa and I often discuss our concern that Scott, Jr. and Alison Grace might be forced to leave the state due to lack of opportunity.

As a businessman, I am concerned that high taxes and red tape will choke any potential for an economic recovery. California’s hard working families balance their budgets, Sacramento should do the same.

I support and will work to establish a hard spending cap to ensure state government stays within its means, while supporting a two-year budget so the Legislature can implement performance-based budgeting.

Milton Friedman once said, “One of the great mistakes is to judge policies and programs by their intentions rather than their results.”

We need to move to performance-based budgeting which will help define our core governing principles, as it will also make state government more accountable, effective and efficient. I will work to establish a budget structure that rewards outcomes.

I will advocate for better schools as better schools translate into better jobs for our state. The Public Policy Institute of California claims by 2025 our state will face a shortage of 1 million workers without the proper college degree or certification.

One out of every four students attending community colleges in the country attends a California Community College. If we don’t start educating students and our workforce now, California will be unable to retain or attract business because we won’t have the workforce to fill the jobs.

Empowering parents and teachers coupled with higher academic standards will equip students to be able to compete in the ever-changing global economy. Education truly is an investment in our future.

As a former Santa Clarita Elementary School PTA dad, and school site council member and a college board of trustee, I am concerned that Sacramento is under-funding public education and we won’t be able to adequately serve the needs of our citizens. I will push to reform and fund public education

Why should you trust me to do what I say I will do?

I have the plan to help restore California as the Land of Promise, and I know I have the passion and experience to carry out that mission.

I enter the arena based on a lifetime of preparation. My real life experience guarantees Iwill be able to deliver on my first day on the job!

If you know me, you know three things – I am committed, I am competent and I am conservative.

My faith, family and life experience has taught me that personal responsibility and accountability is the pathway to success – in business, in government and in life. I will be accountable to the people, passionate, purposeful, persistent and committed to working towards the best solutions possible for the people all of the time, not only when it is easy and comfortable to do.

California is more than a place, it is an ideal. Working together we can once again make California the Land of Promise.

Someone once said “There are many things in life that will catch your eye…. But only a few will catch your head. Pursue those.

That is what I am doing.

Napoleon Bonaparte said, “Take time to deliberate, but when the time for action has arrived, stop thinking and go in!”

Today as I declare myself a candidate, I am asking the people of the 38th Assembly District to give me the opportunity to be a part of something larger than myself by serving as your Assembly representative.

I have the preparation; I have the plan; I have the passion and with your support, I will represent the 38th Assembly District with the dignity, honor and respect the residents of this district deserve.

Thank you.

(From the wsj.com) Every Friday morning, a small courtroom in this Texas city becomes a kennel of jurisprudence. Municipal Court Judge Daniel Guerrero carefully considers alleged crimes involving canines of all sort—Labradors, Chihuahuas, Shih Tzus—and even the occasional cat, whose owners must appear in court to defend charges that carry fines ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars.

San Antonio’s animal court may be unique in the U.S., legal experts say. City officials decided it was needed to crack down on recurring civic problems that weren’t getting requisite attention on regular courts’ dockets, such as dog bites, stray pets and residents who fail to register and vaccinate their animals.

But the 10-month-old court is part of a larger trend in which cities are forming specialized tribunals to deal with distinct populations, such as drug addicts or the mentally ill. The goal is to allow judges to develop a deeper understanding of certain kinds of offenses, and better fashion appropriate punishments for those who commit them.

Joe Angelo, the interim director of San Antonio’s Animal Care Services department, said the court is part of a larger effort to change the climate in the city of 1.3 million, where more than 3,000 residents annually are bitten by dogs and more than 150,000 stray dogs roam city streets on any given day.

Read more here: Special Court Puts Pet Owners on a Leash

(From Science Daily) University of California, San Diego researchers have developed a new injectable hydrogel that could be an effective and safe treatment for tissue damage caused by heart attacks.

Therapies like the hydrogel would be a welcome development, Christman explained, since there are an estimated 785,000 new heart attack cases in the United States each year, with no established treatment for repairing the resulting damage to cardiac tissue.

The hydrogel is made from cardiac connective tissue that is stripped of heart muscle cells through a cleansing process, freeze-dried and milled into powder form, and then liquefied into a fluid that can be easily injected into the heart. Once it hits body temperature, the liquid turns into a semi-solid, porous gel that encourages cells to repopulate areas of damaged cardiac tissue and to preserve heart function, according to Christman. The hydrogel forms a scaffold to repair the tissue and possibly provides biochemical signals that prevent further deterioration in the surrounding tissues.

Read more here: Injectable Gel Could Repair Broken Hearts

The following is political activity for Wednesday, February 22, 2012, going on in Washington and across the nation. It is courtesy of the Washington D.C. based Anchor Consulting group. The Beacon will be posting these daily as they become available.

IN THE HOUSE

1. The House is not in session.
2. Mike Quigley Urges Reforms on Travel Reporting- In response to reports that Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) was double-reimbursed for travel, Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) is drawing up a resolution to strengthen travel reporting requirements in the House. (Roll Call)

IN THE SENATE

1. The Senate is not in session.
2. Democratic senators want super PAC crackdown- Senate Democrats are calling on the Federal Election Commission to crack down on super PACs, arguing that voters deserve more information about who is funding independent political advertisements. (Politico)

 OTHER NEWS

1. Obama Will Propose Removing Corporate Tax Breaks While Cutting Rate to 28%  -  The Obama administration will propose today reducing the U.S. corporate tax rate to 28 percent from 35 percent along with removing tax breaks for companies to help offset lost revenue, an administration official said. (Bloomberg)
2. Transportation bills to get tune-up during recess  -  It may be recess, but House and Senate leaders are working overtime this week to make the massive transportation bills more attractive to skeptical lawmakers. (Politico)
3. Supreme Court to consider affirmative action in higher education  -  The justices will hear an appeal from a white student from Texas who seeks an end to ‘racial preferences’ in college admissions. A majority of justices appears likely to side with her. (Los Angeles Times)
4. In Tightening Race, Top G.O.P. Candidates Race to Capture 2 Battleground States  -  In the brilliant sunshine of Arizona, Rick Santorum aggressively challenged Mitt Romney in a state where the Tea Party is strong and the politics of immigration are poised to take center stage at a debate on Wednesday night. (New York Times)

FEDERAL GRANT OF THE DAY

• FY 2012 National Infrastructure Investments- Under the FY 2012 Continuing Appropriations Act, $526,944,000 is available through September 30, 2013, for the Department to make TIGER Discretionary Grants on a competitive basis for projects that will have a significant impact on the Nation, a metropolitan area, or a region. Projects eligible for funding provided under this program include, but are not limited to, highway or bridge projects eligible under title 23, United States Code, including interstate rehabilitation, improvements to the rural collector road system, the reconstruction of overpasses and interchanges, bridge replacements, seismic retrofit projects for bridges, and road realignments; public transportation projects eligible under chapter 53 of title 49, United States Code, including investments in projects participating in the New Starts or Small Starts programs that will expedite the completion of those projects and their entry into revenue service; passenger and freight rail transportation projects; and port infrastructure investments, including projects that connect ports to other modes of transportation and improve the efficiency of freight movement. The Department may also use an amount not to exceed $175,000,000 for the purpose of paying the subsidy and administrative costs of projects eligible for federal credit assistance under chapter 6 of title 23, United States Code, if the Department finds that such use of the funds would advance the purposes of this program.  For more information, see publication announcement of grant availability.

TODAY IN HISTORY

• February 22, 1980- On this day, in a stunning upset, the United States Olympic hockey team defeated the Soviets at Lake Placid, N.Y., 4-to-3. (The U.S. team went on to win the gold medal.)

Source and thanks to www.anchor-consult.com / For more information, contact Anchor Consulting at 703-333-6013

“It is the height of fashion to think, dress, and act like a homosexual. But, suddenly, it has become very unfashionable to be one. This may be the result of the immense fatigue everyone is feeling with the concept of equality. With blacks, Hispanics, dolphins, and so on all demanding to be treated as equals, homosexuals are just one more voice of complaint in a complaint-ridden world. And since homosexuals are often wealthy and famous, treating them as equals is not only difficult but can actually construed as rudeness. The whole thing is such a social mess.”- P.J. O’Rourke; I

Granted. When you have a name like John Boston, it almost begs that you carry a silver-plated .45 or, why quibble, a .46 caliber revolver. With my store-bought name of John Boston, I should be walking around in a wrinkled suit as a world-weary and chain-smoking private eye.

One small problem.

I don’t have a private detective agency. Never have and right up to this morning, I have no keen interest in standing in motel shrubbery snapping low-level light 8-by-10s of extramarital infidelity.

Best as I tried, I couldn’t convince this person I was not a private detective. I don’t know where she got the notion, but the conversation ended with her winking and walking away. She thought I was on some big case that required anonymity, hence my cover as a highly visible rural entertainment editor.

I remember one day at The Toxic Grief Daily Egregious Typo I found myself awkwardly not so much defending but explaining my heterosexuality.

I was greeted by the new reporter, a cheery and bubbly east coast lady. We exchanged howdies and she inquired about my best friend and soul buddy from childhood, Phil.

Or, as my dearly departed and daft mother used to call him: “That Lousy Phil Lanier.”

I shrugged. “Philly’s fine, last time I checked a couple of days ago.”

Standing at my desk, I was opening mail. Non-private detective kind of mail, mind you. My brow furrowed a micron. How did this latest human sacrifice to bad community journalism know of the legendary Phil Lanier? Ah, yes. I had mentioned some shared hijinx of ours in a column earlier.

“Is Phil your partner?” she asked.

“Well. Not any more,” I said. “Gosh. In our youth, Phillip and I shared several ill-fated Amos ’n’ Andy business enterprises — lawn-mowing corporation, weed abatement, a used car lot and college satire magazine, to name just a few.”

“Oh,” she said.

My head jerked. A sour, pained look etched my face as I stood frozen, mentally translating what used to be Perfectly Good English into 21st century Politically Correctspeak.

Partner?

“Excuse me,” I said, looking at her. “What — exactly — do you mean by the word — ‘partner?’”

I had a sinking feeling it wasn’t what Hopalong Cassidy meant after he said the words, “Well, howdy…”

“Well. I saw you bring your daughter in the other day by yourself, and you mentioned Phil was your ‘friend,’” she said, animated and subtly punching the last word. “Then you sometimes come into the office wearing a cowboy hat. I thought maybe you were gay.”

That lousy “Brokeback Mountain” movie. It set The Life Western back a thousand years.

And then, I did it.

I performed the Over 50 Male Heterosexual Hee-Bee Gee-Bee Cooties Wiggle.

That’s when the topic of Men Liking Men In An Ancient Greek/Let’s Go Shopping For Open Toed Sandals Kinda Way is introduced in a public place.

When one is the actual spotlight of the simple question: “Are you gay?” then that reaction mutates into the Double Over 50 Male Heterosexual Hee-Bee Gee-Bee Cooties Wiggle.

It’s a tough and embarrassing dance step, involving blushing, raised shoulders, stammering and a lot of back pedaling.

America is fickle and the current flavor of the month is gayness — and I don’t mean that in an 1890s Victorian not-a-care-in-the-world springtime exuberance connotation.

For one thing, when the inquiry is made, you can’t just blurt out: “No. I’m NOT A HOMO!!!” especially in the work place because if there just happens to be a delicate flower of masculinity who faints at the word, he’d call Gloria Allred and not only would he and Gloria own my one possession, my truck with 200,000 miles on it, they’d paint it pink.

Alas, if there were an overly masculine gay guy in the newsroom and I announced: “No. I’m not a HOMO,” he’d just yell: “Hey. Why don’t you just shut the ¡#%*# up!!??”

I’d, of course, answer back, “I’ve got a better idea. Why don’t YOU just shut the ¡#%*# up!!??”

We’d glower at one another and probably become best friends, although, if there were to be an office touch football team, I would never, under any circumstances, be the center while he was the quarterback.

No.

Affirming one’s heterosexuality in public is a delicate issue in these hepcat daddy times. It’s almost like you have to apologize for it.

I minimized my stammering, lowered my voice four octaves and clarified: “Nope, ma’am. I’m straighter than Interstate 5. Well. Once you’re north of Bakersfield.”

Outwardly, you drop the issue. But inside, you take a quick inventory.

Am I giving off gay vibrations? Did the new reporter mistake my aftershave — WD40 — for My Sin? Granted. I know most of the words to Pat Boone’s rollicking solo: “My State Fair.” But that was only because as a child, I saw the musical three times a day for two weeks because of a heat wave and the American Theater was the only place in town with air conditioning. We had a guy reporter in the newsroom who showed up dressed like Mamie van Doren sometimes. How come she didn’t ask him if he were gay?

At the time, I was seeing someone special. A girl someone special. I mean, from a hill 6,000 yards away with a smudged hunting scope, there’s no mistaking this person was a woman.

A tall, blonde, hubba-hubba woman.

I considered. Perhaps I should bring her by the elbow to the reporter’s desk, push her close and urge: “Go ahead. Tell her.”

Which would be a bad idea. Besides being knuckle-bitingly sexy, she also had a sense of mischief wider than Texas and I knew she’d just announce, before striding off with those killer legs: “He’s gay. I just keep company with him for shopping and to talk about my feelings.”

As I helplessly watched her retreating and heterosexual figure becoming a dot on the office horizon, I’d be left with but one choice: the Triple Over 50 Male Heterosexual Hee-Bee Gee-Bee Cooties Wiggle.

Isn’t it funny? All the countless pairs of opposites on this planet: man/woman; Arab/Jew; gay/straight; Arab gay/Jewish straight — you pick one.

I think we all share a commonality more ache than prayer that has nothing to do with plumbing parts, religion, color or politics.

Without words, it is: “Please. Someone see me correctly.”

John Boston has earned 119 major awards for writing stuff. Besides The Mighty West Ranch Beacon, his work appears in the prestigious thebostonreport.net just about every darn day. 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. Read Boston’s daily blog, his Daily English Muffins, the Adventures of Job Hunter and more of John Boston’s award-winning commentary on thebostonreport.net

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved Landmark Village, the first phase of the Newhall Ranch development, on Tuesday, February 21, 2012. The project received the support of Supervisors Antonovich, Knabe and Ridley-Thomas with Molina and Yaroslavsky abstaining.

Marlee Lauffer, vice president of marketing and communication for Newhall Land commented to The Beacon; “We are very pleased with the Boards approval of landmark Village. The Newhall Ranch Specific Plan and Landmark Village has been thoroughly reviewed and analyzed and has had significant public input and support; it will continue the great Valencia tradition of well-planned neighborhoods, significant jobs, great schools, plentiful parks and important natural preserves.”

The county District Attorney’s Office filed 17 charges against Moon, District Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons said.

Those charges are one count of first degree burglary; two counts of attempted murder; six counts of sexual penetration by a foreign object; one count of first degree residential robbery; three counts of forcible rape; three counts forcible oral copulation; and one count of false imprisonment by violence.

Read more here: Stevenson Ranch man faces multiple charges

The warm weather will result from high pressure, which is expected to last at least through Friday and keep temperatures above normal, the weather service said.

The region is expected to experience a cool-down beginning Saturday.

The Santa Clarita Tourism Bureau meets monthly to exchange business leads, brainstorm, build a professional network, and to discuss partnership opportunities, local events, and news. Meetings also include quarterly educational sessions.

All Santa Clarita Tourism Bureau members receive a complimentary listing and link on the City’s tourism website, VisitSantaClarita.com, which receives thousands of visits per month. There is also the opportunity for inclusion in bi-weekly electronic newsletters sent to visitors who have expressed interest in Santa Clarita, highlighting applicable news about special events, community happenings and attractions, packages and seasonal offerings.

All members have the opportunity for key placement in the annual Santa Clarita Visitor’s Guide, a lifestyle publication available at member businesses, the City’s Tourism Office, City facilities, Six Flags Magic Mountain, and at member hotels throughout the area. The annual Visitor Guide is a key component of the tourism package sent to travelers interested in visiting Santa Clarita and is distributed at various special events and trade shows throughout the year. The Santa Clarita Tourism Bureau offers members opportunities for joint promotions and co-operative marketing, while members also make recommendations regarding appropriate trade shows, advertising co-ops and partnerships with local businesses and organizations.

Partnering with the Santa Clarita Tourism Bureau allows tourism-focused businesses opportunities to market products or services direct to those who make travel decisions, including individual travelers, families, group travel planners, meeting and event producers, and those interest in visiting the area.

The Santa Clarita tourism industry plays an influential role in shaping the local economy, with more than three million domestic and international travelers visiting the community each year.

For more information about becoming a member of the Santa Clarita Tourism Bureau, contact the City of Santa Clarita Tourism Office at (661) 286-4084 or send an email to tourism@santa-clarita.com.