Humboldt Bay Commissioner, Dist. 4

Like I said yesterday, I've never paid much attention to these Harbor Commissioner races. I really wonder just exactly what these folks do, anyway? Nonetheless, the Eureka Reporter ran a story on the recent candidate forum, almost verbatim what was in the Times- Standard yesterday. Dennis Hunter, a long time incumbent, is running against Maggie Herbelin, who's sat on some other local boards dealing with the bay.

Looks like one of those things where all parties are oriented toward the bureaucracy of the job. Hunter clearly looks like the more private business oriented candidate. Only problem is it looks like he supports the North Coast Railroad and its resurrection. I guess that's fine if enough commerce comes out of the bay and the rest of the county to support it but I think that's unlikely to happen.

Herbelin seems like the government for the sake of more government candidate, at least from what I can glean from the news article. First she says that private businesses are leading the way in providing a tax base for other [ government] projects and says the Commission needs to reach out to them. For what? Then she goes on to say she would like to see an esterine research institute, or some such thing, on the bay to support our fisheries and to bring jobs to the area. Thus, a government institution seems to be the goal of anything being done with the bay. That certainly rubs this libertarian the wrong way.

I won't make any commitments at this point. I'd rather see the two on TV where I can get a better feel for the two candidates. Right now it looks like it comes down to a choice between one who supports the defunct NC Railroad and one who apparently sees government not just as a means to an end but the end in and of itself. I obviously lean toward the former.