(April 22) Big Bear Mayor Jay Obernolte said his campaign for California Assembly in the 33rd District is a push toward righting the state’s overregulated business climate.
Obernolte said he was prompted to seek state office “mostly because of my kids. Twenty-five years ago I started a videogame development company in my dorm room. We developed games, creating them, designing them, doing the programming, art animation and sound. We made games that are compatible with consoles such as Nintendo, Plays Station, Wi and for hand held devices, such as iPhone. My company, FarSight Studios, now has 25 full time employees up here in Big Bear. My children have aspirations of their own and they have confided in me that they one day want to start businesses of their own, and grow them as I did, so they can have jobs, and an income for their families. But I realized that with the toxic business environment we are in, even if they work as hard as I did in the last 25 years, they would not be able to succeed because of the business environment and the overregulation in the state of California. That is why I am running. We need more business experience in Sacramento. That is what convinced me to run.”
Of the major issues facing the 33rd District, Obernolte said, “Our primary problem is economic. We need more jobs and better paying jobs. We have way too many unemployed and underemployed. People are struggling. We need to improve the business environment in California and in the 33rd District specifically, so more businesses come here and we create jobs. We need business here. We should be creating better paying jobs rather than driving them away, which is what we are doing now.“
Obernolte said he would be able to work on the problem “through business experience. We need people in Sacramento who know what it is like to shepherd a business thorough upturns and downturns. We need them to understand how stifling the business climate is in California. We need legislators who know what it is like to be on your knees on Thursday night praying because you do not have enough money to cover payroll on Friday. We need lawmakers who understand that businesses face a lot of issues.”
There are other issues, Obernolte said, but he maintains that “If we solve the economic problems, a lot of the other difficulties will be eliminated.”
Turning to the challenges to the state beyond the limited confines of the 33rd District, Obernolte said the major focus, “on the state level, should be preserving Proposition 13. I am appalled there have been recent attempts to chip away at the taxpayer protection provisions of Proposition 13. I find particularly galling the way we are attempting to modify Proposition 13 to increase the tax on business property. We are sending a message to businesses that they are no longer welcome in California. What I would like us to do is stand firm and protect Proposition 13.”
Proposition 13 was an amendment of the Constitution of California passed by voters and enacted in 1978 that decreased property taxes by assessing property values at their 1975 value and restricting annual increases of assessed value of real property to an inflation factor, not to exceed 2 percent per year.
With regard to other major state issues, Obernolte said, “We need a meaningful rainy day fund to protect the state against further economic downturns. I think the governor and legislature are being irresponsible with the current surplus. We cannot rely on deficit spending. We need to close the budget deficit and when the opportunity to do so presents itself we should pay down the debt rather than spend it on programs.”
A Republican, Obernolte said he recognizes the disadvantage his party faces in the overwhelmingly Democratic state, but expressed a belief that a sober assessment of the means available to fiscal conservatives can be the basis for formulating an effective strategy for effectuating change.
“It is clear that no matter who is elected, no one will become master of the universe once they go to Sacramento,” Obernolte said. “I find it troubling that others in this race are making promises and commitments about what they will do that they will not be able to keep. To succeed, it will take patience and perseverance, someone who over the years in office will gain the needed seniority and respect to deal with the problems facing the state. Solving the problems for the people in the 33rd District is going to require establishing relationships in Sacramento. It will entail more than just voting. It will require planning, patience, cultivating relationships and respect, perseverance, experience and execution. “
Obernolte said he believes he possesses the requisite traits to be the most effective representative of the constituents in the 33rd District.
“I have by far the most business experience,” he said. “I am in the best position to fight against the overregulation of business that is stifling the economy of our state. As a two term mayor of Big Bear, I have the legislative experience to go into an environment where I am a member of minority party and still get things done for my constituents.”
A graduate of Edison Computech High School in Fresno where he was valedictorian, Obernolte attended Cal Tech, obtaining a Bachelor’s degree in engineering and applied science. He then obtained his master’s degree in computer science from UCLA. He is married with two sons. Prior to his elected service on the Big Bear City Council, he was a member of the board of the Big Bear City Airport District. He has been endorsed by the Republican Central Committee, the San Bernardino County Young Republicans and the National Tax Limitation Committee.