Joel Anderson
Encyclopedia
Joel Anderson is a California
politician
and Republican
member of the California State Senate
in the 36th Senate District
. Before his election to the State Senate he was a member of the California Assembly representing the 77th Assembly District
, and he also served on the Padre Dam Municipal Water District Board. Anderson graduated from Grossmont Community College, with an Associate's degree
in business administration, and received a Bachelor's degree
in finance and business administration from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
. He is married and has three children.
On March 3, 2010, Anderson announced his intention to seek a seat in the California State Senate
being vacated by Senator Dennis Hollingsworth
and on June 8, 2010, won the Republican
primary for California State Senate. He won the general election against Democratic candidate Paul Clay in a heavily Republican district.
in business administration. He attended California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
, and received a Bachelor's degree
in finance and business administration from the university. Anderson has served within his community as treasurer of the Resource Conservation Board of Greater San Diego, a member of the board of the Water Conservation Garden, director of proceedings of the Alpine Chamber of Commerce, and as a volunteer at River Valley Charter High School.
Anderson is married to Kate, and has children Mary, Maura and Michael. Anderson's daughter, Mary, was home schooled. Mary successfully gained admission to the United States Air Force Academy
. In 2008, Anderson lived in La Mesa, California
, and in 2009 he lived in El Cajon, California
. In 2010 he resided in Alpine, California
.
. His campaign issues included border security, combatting illegal immmigration, decreasing taxes and fighting government waste, and promoting Jessica's Law
in order to prevent sex offender
s residing nearby educational facilities and local parks. He received endorsements in his 2006 campaign from Republican politicians in San Diego County including Ray Haynes, State Senator Bill Morrow
, and Assemblyman Mark Wyland
.
In 2007, Anderson wrote legislation in the California Assembly which mandated that the two main pension funds in the state must divest from businesses that conduct defense or energy affairs in Iran
. This proposal garnered Anderson notice on a national level. AB 221, the California Divest Iran Act, was co-authored by fellow legislators from both main political parties. The bill focused on the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) and the California State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS), and ordered them to divest from businesses in Iran. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger spoke favorably of Anderson's legislation, and acknowledged that the state should position itself to have a "powerful stand against terrorism". In a statement about AB 221, the Governor said, "California has a long history of leadership and doing what's right with our investment portfolio." Sherry Reser, spokeswoman for CalSTRS said that the pension fund "will never tolerate support of terrorism", and acknowledged, "We will implement the bill." James Hawley, co-director of the Elfenworks Center for the Study of Fiduciary Capitalism at St. Mary's College
in Moraga, California
, predicted that Anderson's legislation would have an impact on other state governments, "There is political pressure out there. This is going to resonate with a lot of state legislatures." Anderson's bill received support from both Jewish and Iranian groups in California. Associated Dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center
Rabbi Abraham Cooper commented, "The Iranian regime is up to no good. The only thing that is going to derail them is to hit them in the pocketbook." Upon news that the Governor would sign the bill, Anderson stated, "This is a common sense bill. Money is the mother's milk of terrorism."
Anderson proposed legislation in 2007 to give disabled veterans a free pass to attend state parks. The bill passed the Assembly with a 73-0 vote. Democratic State Senator Christine Kehoe
commented in favor of the legislation, "It's the public's way of saying thank you." Vietnam War
veteran and Dana Point, California
resident Bill Manes noted, "It's just a nice gesture, particularly for those men and women coming back now." Anderson also put forth an amendment intended to give the same parks benefit to those that had received the Medal of Honor
. State Senator Darrell Steinberg
, a Democrat and the Chairman of the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee, commented in favor of this amendment, "I'm certainly in favor of extending the privilege to recipients of the Medal of Honor. That makes complete sense." On July 27, 2007, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the legislation into law, as Senate Bill 60. Upon signing the bill, Governor Schwarzenegger stated, "We owe our veterans a tremendous debt of gratitude for the contributions they have made to our state and for their dedicated service to our country. This bill is an important step forward in ensuring that these homes become a reality for our many veterans who need them."
In March 2008, Anderson endorsed Duncan D. Hunter
, the son of Congressman Duncan Hunter
, in his campaign for the United States House of Representatives
. Anderson also served as the chairman of the junior Hunter's congressional campaign. Anderson and his daughter Mary spoke up in support of home schooling in March 2008, after a state appellate court in California issued a ruling that children who are the product of home schooling need to be credentialed. Anderson proposed legislation in the Assembly, ACR 115, which requested of the California Supreme Court to overturn the precedent of the lower court. In 2008, Anderson brought the issue of divestment of funding from businesses related to Iran to the educational institution of the University of California
. He brought forward a resolution, ACR 79, which called upon the university to divest its funding and investments relating to any corporations that conduct business operations with Iran. In May 2008, the resolution had successfully passed through the Assembly Appropriations Committee. Anderson commented, "as a matter of human rights, it is the right thing to do" to divest from Iran, and also noted it was a fiscally responsible decision.
In 2009, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
signed two bills proposed by Anderson into state law: a piece of legislation which assisted home-schooled children in getting work permits, and another bill that protected some of an individual's equity in their home from liability. In February 2009, Anderson proposed legislation, AB-255, that would mandate blurring detail on Google Earth
images of areas deemed sensitive locations including schools, places of worship, government buildings and medical facilities. When asked how he had determined the list of locations proposed to be blurred, Anderson commented, "Well, I looked at where we've had security issues in the past and potentially, might have issues in the future. Churches and synagogues have been bombed. So have federal buildings and then, of course, 9/11. So, the threats are out there and as a state legislator, public safety is my No. 1 job. To ignore that fact would be irresponsible."
Anderson in March 2009 opposed a non-binding resolution that declared the process flawed by which Proposition 8
, which had made same-sex marriage unconstitutional in California, was adopted, and described same-sex marriage as discriminatory towards heterosexual marriage. Anderson received a zero percent scorecard rating from gay rights group Equality California
for the years 2007 through 2010.
Anderson introduced legislation in 2009 regarding a concern over California's use of IOU
s: AB 1506 proposed to allow individuals to utilize California state issued IOUs in order to fund payments towards university education, car payments, and payroll taxes. Anderson said of the proposed legislation, "Hopefully, this will allow California businesses to stay alive while the state is unable to pay them." The bill would mandate that the state must accept its own registered warrants as payment. The bill was considered by the Assembly Business and Professions Committee in July 2009. The bill received unanimous support from the Assembly Business and Professions Committee, as well as bipartisan support from both Republicans and from Democrats in the majority. Democratic leadership member in the Assembly, John Perez
, commented favorably on Anderson's proposed legislation, "It is the recipients of these IOUs who are being punished for the actions of the governor and others who have gotten us into this situation. I appreciate what you're attempting to do here." After the July 7, 2009 vote by the Assembly Business and Professions Committee, the bill was sent to the Appropriations Committee. Dr. Stuart A. Cohen, president of the San Diego County Medical Society, wrote to Anderson in support of the legislation, acnknowledging, "This bill would save many businesses and individuals from severe financial hardship."
Anderson was the only Assembly member to vote against AB2199, which would remove "the causes and cures of homosexuality" from the list of mental illnesses and sexual deviancies to be researched by the State Department of Mental Health.
In an August 2009 interview with The San Diego Union-Tribune
, Anderson identified private sector growth as a solution to decreasing unemployment and fixing the budget in California, and noted, "The long-term answer to the budget is to grow private-sector jobs as quickly as possible while stopping all new spending. My colleagues and I are committed to rolling back high taxes and oppressive regulation on businesses, thus encouraging new private-sector jobs." He characterized "a clean spending cap" as when asked what was "the single most important reform for California that could be passed in a ballot initiative". On September 12, 2009, Anderson was recognized at a gala event "Night To Honor Israel" with the "Watchman on the Wall" Award from the organization Christians United for Israel
. The organization recognized Anderson as the Assemblyman, "who spearheaded California's Iran Divestment initiative". In December 2009, Anderson was fined US$
20,000 by the Fair Political Practices Commission in California, relating to solicitations of contributions towards a campaign higher than the legally allowed amount. In an interview about the fine, Anderson stated, "I made the mistakes, and I corrected them as quickly as possible. We didn't spend the money. Once I realized there was a mistake, we went straight to the FPPC and tried to reconcile it."
, was not able to run for another term due to term limits. On March 3, 2010, Anderson announced his intention to run for the California State Senate seat. Other candidates in the Republican primary election included Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Air Force
retired Lieutenant Colonel
and Murrieta, California
school board member Kenneth Dickson, and Riverside County
Supervisor Jeff Stone. In a statement upon declaring his intention to run for California State Senate, Anderson noted, "Over the last three years I've carried major legislation. I've worked hard in a bipartisan way to solve California 's problems. We have solutions to California 's problems, but they aren't all politically correct. I want to be part of that solution." In the Republican primary for the State Senate, Anderson received endorsements from San Diego Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher
, the California Republican Assembly, Congressman Duncan Hunter, the San Diego Deputy Sheriff’s Association, Assembly member Martin Garrick
, and San Diego City Attorney Jan Goldsmith.
On June 8, 2010, the day of the Republican primary for the State Senate seat, the Associated Press
reported: "Assemblyman Joel Anderson, R-La Mesa, was the early leader to succeed Senate Minority Leader Dennis Hollingsworth". The Press-Enterprise noted, "Assemblyman Joel Anderson, R-Alpine, was on pace to top a four-person field in the GOP primary for the 36th Senate District". The North County Times reported that Anderson led the candidates in the Republican primary, with his closest opponent receiving 24 percent of the vote. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that Anderson had a "strong lead over his Republican competitors in the East County 36th State Senate District primary race". According to the paper, with 15 percent of votes counted, Anderson received 45 percent of the votes; other candidates in the Republican primary received 25, 21, and 10 percent. East County Magazine, and The San Diego Union-Tribune declared Anderson the winner of the Republican primary in the State Senate election. In an error compared to "Dewey Defeats Truman
", the publication Valley News of Riverside County, California
, erroneously reported that Anderson had lost the primary. The publisher of Valley News had only obtained the results from Riverside, and not the entire district. The Valley News later posted a new article with the correct results, and deleted the prior incorrect reporting without posting a correction
. The State Senate district is considered a "Republican stronghold"; the Democratic candidate in the general election was Paul Clay, who ran uncontested in the primary.
Anderson won the general election by a wide margin.
2010 primary, Republican party, California State Senate (SD 36)
2008 Race for California State Assembly (AD 77)
2006 Race for California State Assembly (AD 77)
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
member of the California State Senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
in the 36th Senate District
California's 36th State Senate district
California's 36th State Senate District is one of 40 Senate Districts. It is currently represented by Republican Joel Anderson of Alpine.-District profile:Riverside County*Lakeland Village *Murrieta*Murrieta Hot Springs...
. Before his election to the State Senate he was a member of the California Assembly representing the 77th Assembly District
California's 77th State Assembly district
California's 77th State Assembly District is one of 80 districts in the California State Assembly. It is currently represented by Republican Brian Jones of Santee.-District profile:...
, and he also served on the Padre Dam Municipal Water District Board. Anderson graduated from Grossmont Community College, with an Associate's degree
Associate's degree
An associate degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, technical colleges, and bachelor's degree-granting colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years...
in business administration, and received a Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in finance and business administration from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, or Cal Poly Pomona, is a public university located in Pomona, California, United States...
. He is married and has three children.
On March 3, 2010, Anderson announced his intention to seek a seat in the California State Senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
being vacated by Senator Dennis Hollingsworth
Dennis Hollingsworth
Dennis Clark Hollingsworth is an American politician who represented California's 36th State Senate district, which includes portions of San Diego and Riverside County, from 2002 to 2010. In 2000, Hollingsworth was elected to the Legislature as a member of the Assembly, and in 2002, Hollingsworth...
and on June 8, 2010, won the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
primary for California State Senate. He won the general election against Democratic candidate Paul Clay in a heavily Republican district.
Early life and family
Anderson graduated from Grossmont Community College, with an Associate's degreeAssociate's degree
An associate degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, technical colleges, and bachelor's degree-granting colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years...
in business administration. He attended California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, or Cal Poly Pomona, is a public university located in Pomona, California, United States...
, and received a Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in finance and business administration from the university. Anderson has served within his community as treasurer of the Resource Conservation Board of Greater San Diego, a member of the board of the Water Conservation Garden, director of proceedings of the Alpine Chamber of Commerce, and as a volunteer at River Valley Charter High School.
Anderson is married to Kate, and has children Mary, Maura and Michael. Anderson's daughter, Mary, was home schooled. Mary successfully gained admission to the United States Air Force Academy
United States Air Force Academy
The United States Air Force Academy is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officer candidates for the United States Air Force. Its campus is located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States...
. In 2008, Anderson lived in La Mesa, California
La Mesa, California
La Mesa is a city in San Diego County, California. The population was 57,065 at the 2010 census, up from 54,749 at the 2000 census. It was founded in 1869 and officially incorporated as a city on February 16, 1912. Its official flower is the bougainvillea....
, and in 2009 he lived in El Cajon, California
El Cajon, California
-History:El Cajon is located on the Rancho El Cajon Mexican land grant made in 1845 to María Antonia Estudillo, wife of Miguel Pedrorena. In 1876 Amaziah Lord Knox , a New Englander who had recently moved to California, established a hotel there to serve the growing number of people traveling...
. In 2010 he resided in Alpine, California
Alpine, California
Alpine is a census-designated place in San Diego County, California. Alpine had a population of 14,236 at the 2010 census, up from 13,143 at the 2000 census.Alpine is the residence of former United States Representative Duncan Hunter...
.
San Diego Activism
In 1998, Anderson campaigned for a seat in the California Assembly but did not win the election. In November 2002 he was elected to the Division 5 seat on the Padre Dam Board—representing Blossom Valley, Flinn Springs, Alpine, Crest and Harbison Canyon—with 44 percent of the vote while campaigning on the issues of fiscal responsibility and decreasing spending. Anderson criticized incumbent members of the board for excessive travel and for putting together a customer service center that cost more than he believed was necessary. After Anderson was elected, the Padre Dam Board voted unanimously to postpone the building project. In August 2003, the Padre Dam Board voted in favor of a measure to build a new office building at the Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve; Anderson voted against the spending measure, and it passed 3-2 with a cost limit of $6 million. In 2006, Anderson was the Board President of the Padre Dam Water Board.California Assembly
Anderson was elected to the California Assembly in 2006, as a representative of the 77th Assembly district in East San Diego County, CaliforniaSan Diego County, California
San Diego County is a large county located in the southwestern corner of the US state of California. Hence, San Diego County is also located in the southwestern corner of the 48 contiguous United States. Its county seat and largest city is San Diego. Its population was about 2,813,835 in the 2000...
. His campaign issues included border security, combatting illegal immmigration, decreasing taxes and fighting government waste, and promoting Jessica's Law
Jessica's Law
Jessica's Law is the informal name given to a 2005 Florida law, as well as laws in several other states, designed to punish sex offenders and reduce their ability to re-offend...
in order to prevent sex offender
Sex offender
A sex offender is a person who has committed a sex crime. What constitutes a sex crime differs by culture and by legal jurisdiction. Most jurisdictions compile their laws into sections such as traffic, assault, sexual, etc. The majority of convicted sex offenders have convictions for crimes of a...
s residing nearby educational facilities and local parks. He received endorsements in his 2006 campaign from Republican politicians in San Diego County including Ray Haynes, State Senator Bill Morrow
Bill Morrow
William Phillip Morrow is a U.S. Republican politician from the state of California, who used to be in the California State Senate representing the 38th district which includes northern San Diego County and the cities of San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano in southern Orange County.-Early...
, and Assemblyman Mark Wyland
Mark Wyland
Mark Bryan Wyland is a U.S. Republican politician from the state of California, who represents the 38th District in the California State Senate.-Biography:...
.
In 2007, Anderson wrote legislation in the California Assembly which mandated that the two main pension funds in the state must divest from businesses that conduct defense or energy affairs in Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. This proposal garnered Anderson notice on a national level. AB 221, the California Divest Iran Act, was co-authored by fellow legislators from both main political parties. The bill focused on the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) and the California State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS), and ordered them to divest from businesses in Iran. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger spoke favorably of Anderson's legislation, and acknowledged that the state should position itself to have a "powerful stand against terrorism". In a statement about AB 221, the Governor said, "California has a long history of leadership and doing what's right with our investment portfolio." Sherry Reser, spokeswoman for CalSTRS said that the pension fund "will never tolerate support of terrorism", and acknowledged, "We will implement the bill." James Hawley, co-director of the Elfenworks Center for the Study of Fiduciary Capitalism at St. Mary's College
Saint Mary's College of California
Saint Mary's College of California is a private, coeducational college located in Moraga, California, United States, a small suburban community about east of Oakland and 20 miles east of San Francisco. It has a 420-acre campus in the Moraga hills. It is affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church...
in Moraga, California
Moraga, California
Moraga is a suburban incorporated town located in Contra Costa County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is named in honor of Joaquin Moraga, whose grandfather was José Joaquin Moraga, second in command to Juan Bautista de Anza...
, predicted that Anderson's legislation would have an impact on other state governments, "There is political pressure out there. This is going to resonate with a lot of state legislatures." Anderson's bill received support from both Jewish and Iranian groups in California. Associated Dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center
Simon Wiesenthal Center
The Simon Wiesenthal Center , with headquarters in Los Angeles, California, was established in 1977 and named for Simon Wiesenthal, the Nazi hunter. According to its mission statement, it is "an international Jewish human rights organization dedicated to repairing the world one step at a time...
Rabbi Abraham Cooper commented, "The Iranian regime is up to no good. The only thing that is going to derail them is to hit them in the pocketbook." Upon news that the Governor would sign the bill, Anderson stated, "This is a common sense bill. Money is the mother's milk of terrorism."
Anderson proposed legislation in 2007 to give disabled veterans a free pass to attend state parks. The bill passed the Assembly with a 73-0 vote. Democratic State Senator Christine Kehoe
Christine Kehoe
Christine T. Kehoe is an American politician from San Diego, California. A Democrat, she has served since 2004 as a member of the California State Senate representing the 39th district...
commented in favor of the legislation, "It's the public's way of saying thank you." Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
veteran and Dana Point, California
Dana Point, California
-Climate:Dana Point enjoys a mild climate where temperatures tend to average around the 60's. The warmest month of the year is August with an average temperature of 79 degrees Fahrenheit. The coldest month is December with an average minimum temperature of 44 degrees Fahrenheit.-2010:The 2010...
resident Bill Manes noted, "It's just a nice gesture, particularly for those men and women coming back now." Anderson also put forth an amendment intended to give the same parks benefit to those that had received the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
. State Senator Darrell Steinberg
Darrell Steinberg
Darrell Steven Steinberg is a Democratic politician from Sacramento, California. He is currently serving his second term in the California State Senate, representing the 6th District. He has been the Senate President Pro Tem since 2008...
, a Democrat and the Chairman of the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee, commented in favor of this amendment, "I'm certainly in favor of extending the privilege to recipients of the Medal of Honor. That makes complete sense." On July 27, 2007, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the legislation into law, as Senate Bill 60. Upon signing the bill, Governor Schwarzenegger stated, "We owe our veterans a tremendous debt of gratitude for the contributions they have made to our state and for their dedicated service to our country. This bill is an important step forward in ensuring that these homes become a reality for our many veterans who need them."
In March 2008, Anderson endorsed Duncan D. Hunter
Duncan D. Hunter
Duncan Duane Hunter is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. He is a member of the Republican Party. He is the son of his predecessor Duncan Hunter...
, the son of Congressman Duncan Hunter
Duncan Hunter
Duncan Lee Hunter is an American politician. He was a Republican member of the House of Representatives from California's 52nd, 45th and 42nd districts from 1981 to 2009....
, in his campaign for the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
. Anderson also served as the chairman of the junior Hunter's congressional campaign. Anderson and his daughter Mary spoke up in support of home schooling in March 2008, after a state appellate court in California issued a ruling that children who are the product of home schooling need to be credentialed. Anderson proposed legislation in the Assembly, ACR 115, which requested of the California Supreme Court to overturn the precedent of the lower court. In 2008, Anderson brought the issue of divestment of funding from businesses related to Iran to the educational institution of the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
. He brought forward a resolution, ACR 79, which called upon the university to divest its funding and investments relating to any corporations that conduct business operations with Iran. In May 2008, the resolution had successfully passed through the Assembly Appropriations Committee. Anderson commented, "as a matter of human rights, it is the right thing to do" to divest from Iran, and also noted it was a fiscally responsible decision.
In 2009, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
signed two bills proposed by Anderson into state law: a piece of legislation which assisted home-schooled children in getting work permits, and another bill that protected some of an individual's equity in their home from liability. In February 2009, Anderson proposed legislation, AB-255, that would mandate blurring detail on Google Earth
Google Earth
Google Earth is a virtual globe, map and geographical information program that was originally called EarthViewer 3D, and was created by Keyhole, Inc, a Central Intelligence Agency funded company acquired by Google in 2004 . It maps the Earth by the superimposition of images obtained from satellite...
images of areas deemed sensitive locations including schools, places of worship, government buildings and medical facilities. When asked how he had determined the list of locations proposed to be blurred, Anderson commented, "Well, I looked at where we've had security issues in the past and potentially, might have issues in the future. Churches and synagogues have been bombed. So have federal buildings and then, of course, 9/11. So, the threats are out there and as a state legislator, public safety is my No. 1 job. To ignore that fact would be irresponsible."
Anderson in March 2009 opposed a non-binding resolution that declared the process flawed by which Proposition 8
California Proposition 8 (2008)
Proposition 8 was a ballot proposition and constitutional amendment passed in the November 2008 state elections...
, which had made same-sex marriage unconstitutional in California, was adopted, and described same-sex marriage as discriminatory towards heterosexual marriage. Anderson received a zero percent scorecard rating from gay rights group Equality California
Equality California
Equality California or EQCA is a non-profit civil rights organization that advocates for the rights of LGBT people in California.-Early history:...
for the years 2007 through 2010.
Anderson introduced legislation in 2009 regarding a concern over California's use of IOU
IOU
An IOU or I.O.U. is an acknowledgment of debt. The term may also refer to:*I.O.U. , by jazz fusion guitarist Allan Holdsworth*"I.O.U." , by jazz-funk group Freeez*I.O.U in Western Australia...
s: AB 1506 proposed to allow individuals to utilize California state issued IOUs in order to fund payments towards university education, car payments, and payroll taxes. Anderson said of the proposed legislation, "Hopefully, this will allow California businesses to stay alive while the state is unable to pay them." The bill would mandate that the state must accept its own registered warrants as payment. The bill was considered by the Assembly Business and Professions Committee in July 2009. The bill received unanimous support from the Assembly Business and Professions Committee, as well as bipartisan support from both Republicans and from Democrats in the majority. Democratic leadership member in the Assembly, John Perez
John Pérez
John A. Pérez is a union organizer and politician from Los Angeles, California, who has been the Speaker of the California State Assembly since March 1, 2010. A Democrat, he represents the 46th district in the California State Assembly.-Early life and career:Pérez grew up in El Sereno and Highland...
, commented favorably on Anderson's proposed legislation, "It is the recipients of these IOUs who are being punished for the actions of the governor and others who have gotten us into this situation. I appreciate what you're attempting to do here." After the July 7, 2009 vote by the Assembly Business and Professions Committee, the bill was sent to the Appropriations Committee. Dr. Stuart A. Cohen, president of the San Diego County Medical Society, wrote to Anderson in support of the legislation, acnknowledging, "This bill would save many businesses and individuals from severe financial hardship."
Anderson was the only Assembly member to vote against AB2199, which would remove "the causes and cures of homosexuality" from the list of mental illnesses and sexual deviancies to be researched by the State Department of Mental Health.
In an August 2009 interview with The San Diego Union-Tribune
The San Diego Union-Tribune
-Predecessors:The predecessor newspapers of the Union-Tribune were:* San Diego Sun, founded 1861 and merged with the Evening Tribune in 1939.* San Diego Union, founded October 10, 1868.* Evening Tribune, founded December 2, 1895.-Ownership:...
, Anderson identified private sector growth as a solution to decreasing unemployment and fixing the budget in California, and noted, "The long-term answer to the budget is to grow private-sector jobs as quickly as possible while stopping all new spending. My colleagues and I are committed to rolling back high taxes and oppressive regulation on businesses, thus encouraging new private-sector jobs." He characterized "a clean spending cap" as when asked what was "the single most important reform for California that could be passed in a ballot initiative". On September 12, 2009, Anderson was recognized at a gala event "Night To Honor Israel" with the "Watchman on the Wall" Award from the organization Christians United for Israel
Christians United For Israel
Christians United for Israel is an American pro-Israel Christian organization that defines itself as "a national grassroots movement focused on the support of Israel." It is the "largest" pro-Israel organization in the United States....
. The organization recognized Anderson as the Assemblyman, "who spearheaded California's Iran Divestment initiative". In December 2009, Anderson was fined US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
20,000 by the Fair Political Practices Commission in California, relating to solicitations of contributions towards a campaign higher than the legally allowed amount. In an interview about the fine, Anderson stated, "I made the mistakes, and I corrected them as quickly as possible. We didn't spend the money. Once I realized there was a mistake, we went straight to the FPPC and tried to reconcile it."
California State Senate
The incumbent State Senator, Dennis HollingsworthDennis Hollingsworth
Dennis Clark Hollingsworth is an American politician who represented California's 36th State Senate district, which includes portions of San Diego and Riverside County, from 2002 to 2010. In 2000, Hollingsworth was elected to the Legislature as a member of the Assembly, and in 2002, Hollingsworth...
, was not able to run for another term due to term limits. On March 3, 2010, Anderson announced his intention to run for the California State Senate seat. Other candidates in the Republican primary election included Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Air Force
Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Air Force
The Judge Advocate General's Corps also known as the "JAG Corps" or "JAG" is the legal arm of the United States Air Force.- History :The United States Air Force became a separate military service in September 1947. On 25 June 1948, the Congress established an office of The Judge Advocate General ...
retired Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
and Murrieta, California
Murrieta, California
Murrieta has a Mediterranean climate or Dry-Summer Subtropical . Murrieta has plenty of sunshine throughout the year, with an average of 263 sunshine days and 35 days with measurable precipitation annually....
school board member Kenneth Dickson, and Riverside County
Riverside County, California
Riverside County is a county in the U.S. state of California. One of 58 California counties, it covers in the southern part of the state, and stretches from Orange County to the Colorado River, which forms the state border with Arizona. The county derives its name from the city of Riverside,...
Supervisor Jeff Stone. In a statement upon declaring his intention to run for California State Senate, Anderson noted, "Over the last three years I've carried major legislation. I've worked hard in a bipartisan way to solve California 's problems. We have solutions to California 's problems, but they aren't all politically correct. I want to be part of that solution." In the Republican primary for the State Senate, Anderson received endorsements from San Diego Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher
Nathan Fletcher
Nathan Fletcher is a Republican member of the California State Assembly in the 75th Assembly District which includes the City of Poway, portions of Escondido, La Jolla, University City, Mira Mesa, Scripps Ranch, Rancho Bernardo, Rancho Peñasquitos, and Carmel Valley, and the communities of...
, the California Republican Assembly, Congressman Duncan Hunter, the San Diego Deputy Sheriff’s Association, Assembly member Martin Garrick
Martin Garrick
Martin W. Garrick represents the 74th district in the California State Assembly. He was elected to the Assembly in November 2006. Garrick served in the Reagan Administration and is a small business owner.-Background:...
, and San Diego City Attorney Jan Goldsmith.
On June 8, 2010, the day of the Republican primary for the State Senate seat, the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
reported: "Assemblyman Joel Anderson, R-La Mesa, was the early leader to succeed Senate Minority Leader Dennis Hollingsworth". The Press-Enterprise noted, "Assemblyman Joel Anderson, R-Alpine, was on pace to top a four-person field in the GOP primary for the 36th Senate District". The North County Times reported that Anderson led the candidates in the Republican primary, with his closest opponent receiving 24 percent of the vote. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that Anderson had a "strong lead over his Republican competitors in the East County 36th State Senate District primary race". According to the paper, with 15 percent of votes counted, Anderson received 45 percent of the votes; other candidates in the Republican primary received 25, 21, and 10 percent. East County Magazine, and The San Diego Union-Tribune declared Anderson the winner of the Republican primary in the State Senate election. In an error compared to "Dewey Defeats Truman
Dewey Defeats Truman
"Dewey Defeats Truman" was a famously inaccurate banner headline on the front page of the Chicago Tribune on November 3, 1948, the day after incumbent United States President Harry S. Truman beat Republican challenger and Governor of New York Thomas E...
", the publication Valley News of Riverside County, California
Riverside County, California
Riverside County is a county in the U.S. state of California. One of 58 California counties, it covers in the southern part of the state, and stretches from Orange County to the Colorado River, which forms the state border with Arizona. The county derives its name from the city of Riverside,...
, erroneously reported that Anderson had lost the primary. The publisher of Valley News had only obtained the results from Riverside, and not the entire district. The Valley News later posted a new article with the correct results, and deleted the prior incorrect reporting without posting a correction
Correction (newspaper)
A correction in a newspaper is usually the posting of the notice of a typographical error or mistake that appeared in a past issue of a newspaper. Usually, a correction notice appears in its own column....
. The State Senate district is considered a "Republican stronghold"; the Democratic candidate in the general election was Paul Clay, who ran uncontested in the primary.
Anderson won the general election by a wide margin.
Electoral history
Sources2010 primary, Republican party, California State Senate (SD 36)
- Joel Anderson (R), 45.18%
- Jeff Stone (R), 26.14%
- Kenneth C. Dickson (R), 19.07%
- Greg Stephens (R), 9.61%
2008 Race for California State Assembly (AD 77)
- Joel Anderson (R), 55.4%
- Raymond Lutz, (D), 38.9%
- Rich Belitz (LLibertarianismLibertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
), 5.7%
2006 Race for California State Assembly (AD 77)
- Joel Anderson (R), 60.6%
- Chris Larkin (D), 36%
- Rich Belitz, (LLibertarianismLibertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
), 3.4%
See also
- California's 36th State Senate districtCalifornia's 36th State Senate districtCalifornia's 36th State Senate District is one of 40 Senate Districts. It is currently represented by Republican Joel Anderson of Alpine.-District profile:Riverside County*Lakeland Village *Murrieta*Murrieta Hot Springs...
- California's 77th State Assembly districtCalifornia's 77th State Assembly districtCalifornia's 77th State Assembly District is one of 80 districts in the California State Assembly. It is currently represented by Republican Brian Jones of Santee.-District profile:...
- Politics of CaliforniaPolitics of CaliforniaThe recent and current politics of the U.S. state of California are complex and involve a number of entrenched interests. .-Political issues:...
- San Diego County, CaliforniaSan Diego County, CaliforniaSan Diego County is a large county located in the southwestern corner of the US state of California. Hence, San Diego County is also located in the southwestern corner of the 48 contiguous United States. Its county seat and largest city is San Diego. Its population was about 2,813,835 in the 2000...
External links
- California State Senate website
- Joel Anderson, JoinCalifornia