Hesperia Resorter

12/10/03

Bob Nelson Files Against Postmus for First District Seat

By William F. Couey

SAN BERNARDINO-Perennial government critic Bob Nelson last week threw his hat into the ring for First District Supervisor.

Nelson, 66, of Victorville, added his name before the registrar's filing deadline closed Friday. He was the only person to file against incumbent Bill Postmus for the March 2 election.

The district covers much of San Bernardino, Rialto, Colton, part of Fontana, and unincorporated Bloomington.

Nelson, long termed a "gadfly" by local media, has been a philosopher-critic of the Board of Supervisors for some two decades, speaking out against time limitations imposed on public speakers at board meetings and other alleged abuses of power by government officials.

He has a long record of arrests for refusing to concede the podium when his three-minute speaking limit ran out, but his requests to continue speaking have usually been polite and reasonable, for example asking to finish his sentence when interrupted by timekeepers. His last arrest occurred at last week's board meeting.

Nelson, formerly of Summit Valley, is a third generation resident of the Victor Valley. He is a retired systems analyst but has pursued a lifelong interest in free-speech issues. Nelson was the focus of a prominent story in the Los Angeles Times last fall on the subject of freedom of speech before government bodies.

Until the mid-1980s there were virtually no time limits on the public's right to address public bodies at public meetings. State law now allows agencies to set "reasonable" time limits, but Nelson has documented many abuses of the practice and questions its legitimacy.

Nelson said Sunday he has two goals "not held by the incumbent" - making new growth fiscally responsible for itself, and restoring open government. He wants to "work to restore open government, as guaranteed by our state's open meetings law and its public records act," he said.

"San Bernardino County has been designated a 'black hole' by the California First Amendment Coalition for suppressing those rights," Nelson noted.

"To the extent that the democratic process produces the wisest community decisions by enabling that 'knowledge in the making' that comes from the open exchange of honest opinion, bringing the sunshine of open government to the county's decision-making process will benefit everyone living in San Bernardino County," Nelson said.