Former State Assemblyman Mike Briggs (R) is contemplating yet another political run, this time for his old City Council seat in Fresno, District 1. A brief background: Briggs served one term on the City Council before running for State Assembly in 1998, winning a contentious four way primary and then breezing through that fall’s general election. Briggs, in his first two years in the State Assembly, made a name for himself in working across the aisle in attempting to craft legislation to help his Central Valley District. Alas, in 2000, Briggs went a little too far. It was his disastrous vote on the 2000 State Budget that set the wheels in motion for California’s fiscal meltdown and massive deficits. Without his vote on that budget bill, California’s fiscal problems wouldn’t be nearly as severe as that are today. I estimate that his vote cost Californians somewhere north of $40 billion in principal and interest.
"Coincidently", a new Congressional District was created by the Democrats right over the top of his Assembly District, again, "coincidently" right after his collaboration with the Democrats on the budget. So, in 2002, after his budget busting votes, he ran in the new Congressional District 20 against former Fresno Mayor Jim Patterson and dairyman Devin Nunes. Nunes, from the Southern part of the District, won a close primary as Patterson and Briggs split the Fresno area vote. Briggs then took a job with the Democrat Speaker of the Assembly, Herb Wesson, creating an outcry among local Republicans. That job didn’t last very long.
Finally, Briggs ran for Assembly, again, in 2004, against the Lincoln Club backed Mike Villines, and former Fresno Councilman Chris Mathys. Villines easily prevailed in the primary and general elections. Villines is now serving with distinction and making a real difference in Sacramento.
Fresno Bee columnist John Ellis reports that Briggs has "been asked by dozens of people to consider running for his old seat". I presume that most of these "dozens" are relatives. I cannot imagine any informed voter wanting Mike Briggs back in any elected capacity after his performance in the State Legislature. In a sense, he is directly responsible, along with a couple of other now discredited Republicans, for creating the California nightmare we all face everyday as taxpayers and citizens. I once supported Mike Briggs. Not again. Fool me once………