The Antelope Valley Times

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Hofbauer one of first to visit new Legislature

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Steven Hofbauer

SACRAMENTO – Palmdale Mayor pro tem Steve Hofbauer is in Sacramento for a couple days this week as the Legislature convenes to meet with lawmakers, especially those in the huge incoming freshman class, to discuss issues of importance to local government, and especially to cities that contract for essential city services.

Hofbauer arrived in Sacramento Sunday evening for strategy sessions with other city mayors and council members. Hofbauer has been a member of the Legislative Committee of the California Contract Cities Association, where he has served as Palmdale’s delegate for almost 10 years. He has traveled to Sacramento as part of the contingent of city representatives at the start of the legislative session each year to advocate for local control and community issues.

“It’s important for us to make our case and get our priorities before the legislators and their senior staff early, as they will be getting bombarded by all the various special interests” Hofbauer said. “The vast majority of the new legislators are coming in from local government, so they have that important background, and will have 12 years under the new law in their seat. Unlike previous lawmakers with more restrictive term limits, these folks will be around long enough to have the ability to make a difference, as well as see the results of their actions. You didn’t have that cause and effect relationship before. We are hoping this will bring positive results for the state and for local government.”

Monday morning Hofbauer’s  team met with Assembly members Ken Cooley, Jim Frazier, Scott Wilk, followed by Raul Bocanegra, Al Muratuchi and our own Steve Fox in the afternoon. Other representatives met with most of the incoming lawmakers in both houses throughout the day.

“The discussions were open and candid. We are seeing a different attitude coming from the members, in that there [is] less finger pointing, and a sense that they want to govern from the center, instead of the fringes,” Hofbauer said. “We can only hope, and do what we can to encourage that.”

Councilman Hofbauer explained how the Contract Cities Association priorities, from a group perceptive, don’t differ much from our own city’s priorities: Post-redevelopment economic development; Prisoner and parolee realignment and early release concerns; Enhancing our relationships with state representatives; and Pension reform and budget sustainability.

“Tuesday we have more member cities joining us, and will have briefings by Assembly and Senate members, house leadership, and constitutional officers, followed by a short reception to get together in a less formal environment with the legislators and their staff,”Hofbauer said. “I will be getting together one-on-one with Mr. Fox and Mr. Knight over dinner and breakfast, as well, to reinforce our local issues, as well as offer our support for their legislative terms.”

Hofbauer reports continuously throughout the sessions to the community on twitter @stevehofbauer.

(Information via press release from Palmdale Mayor pro tem Steve Hofbauer.)

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Filed Under: Palmdale, Politics

21 comments for "Hofbauer one of first to visit new Legislature"

  2. I really think that Hofbauer believes his own PR and would not be surprised if he announced that he invented the internet as well. Wow I guess the ego is a terrible thing to waste and Steve is in full self promotion mode and has been for a very long time.

  3. I have to wonder how much money Hofbauer will receive for whatever he sold is soul to Rex and the chinless bailiff for.Let me guess its lots of money from Visco and the chinless bailiff will design all of his hit mailers for Steve Hofbauer for Free.

    • What else does Lancaster’s valerous baliff has to do these days. Rex won’t let him carry his lunch nor walk the dogs. I don’t think they’ll even trust him with hit mailers. Looks like mayor pro temptuous got a deal here.

      • It was all part of the master plan except the bailiff lost. Poor Marvin has to work with a guy he cannot stand and reminds himself of his own trickery every time he see’s his chinless face at city hall.

        • Wonder if the White Bearded Wonder pulls his indorsement of the baliff next election so he can run one of his 2 appointed Wonder Women?

  5. Why does this councilman who was loser Ron Smith’s election committee co-chair think he has any pull whatsoever with the new majority? He does not. The taxpayers have just given him a taxpayer paid junket because he cannot be very effective with his poor choice of character. In fact the AV might be better off if he would not remind Fox that he worked against him. This guy just does not get the fact he does not represent the views of the city he pretends to represent.

    • Why don’t you grow up “Doc”?

      It is called political maturity and the ability to see past differences in order to do what’s best for the people of Palmdale.

      • I wish that was the case. I’ve seen what this guy posts on several different Facebook sites and twitter, and he comes across as a pure political hack, unwilling to even consider the fact that his city is now pretty clearly progressive.
        The people of Palmdale wants someone to represent their views, not someone who has nothing good to say and blames all the states problems on Democrats. With the way things are going, having 5 Republicans on Palmdale City Council is not something that can last.
        Ledford, YES. The other 2 bozos, not so much.

        • In what sense is Palmdale “progressive”?????

          You ought to know that simply having a majority of voters pick the “democrat” box on their registration forms does not make a place “progressive”!

          Newport Beach and Irvine are far more “progressive” than Palmdale and they are both majority GOP.

          • ” … In what sense is Palmdale “progressive”?????

            Because most of the Democrats in Palmdale vote for Ledford, who is a moderate; former Dem.

            Anyone who tries the crap that goes on in Lancaster will for sure get voted out.

        • “Is Palmdale progressive”?

          Not really, but it is also not dominated by the Runners political machine and the Lancaster Baptist church with a fixation on all things social conservative. Palmdale and the Eastern side of AV is probably more fiscally conservative and socially moderate. Although, I do have hard time explaining the late Pete Knight’s, and his wife’s fixation on all things gay and Knight was a Palmdale city councilman. Steve Knight seems to not be fixated on the social nonsense the Runner machine is famous for.

          Remember the seminal highlight of Sharon Runner’s time in office was legislation controlling underage tanning.

      • You can’t throw partisan bombs at your rivals and then talk like you have had a sudden change of heart that makes you work in a mature fashion. This is pandering at its worst and that is Ron Smith and his election co-chair Steve Hofbauer.

        • Hofbauer is on his personal learning curve, learning how to pander and throw up smoke screens that he wears the White Hat. He should know a lot about smoke…so it’s not that difficult to figure out who he’s representing – himself.

          • Hofbauer should have helped Tom Lackey in his bid, not Ron Smith!

            Ron Smith has basically been tarred and feathered now by AV residents.