Mark Kirk has politics in his blood
9/12/08
By BEAU YARBROUGH - Staff Writer

Mark Kirk has loved politics for a very, very long time.

"I remember being six years old in 1980," the 34-year-old Kirk said, "Arguing with members of my first grade class that anyone was better than Jimmy Carter."

Despite that love of politics, he initially pursued a career in education like his father, school board president Robert Kirk, receiving a bachelor's degree in biology and later a master's of education.

"I always thought that I would teach, but after five years, I decided I needed to make a change."

He worked on the campaign to elect Sharon Runner to the state assembly, and landed a job working for her after her election. From there, he's advanced through the ranks, finally becoming the chief of staff for Fourth District Supervisor Gary Ovitt.

"I want to do what I can for my community," said Kirk, a Hesperia High School graduate. "I want to do my part to make this a good community."

He originally considered a run for first district supervisor against Brad Mitzelfelt before setting his sights on the empty Hesperia City Council seat being vacated this year by councilman Tad Honeycutt.

"They're going to have a new person there and I think I bring some new things to the party," Kirk said. Specifically, he brings experience working in government to a city council currently including a retired fireman, a retired fire inspector and two small business owners. "I have a great understanding of ... government, having worked for the state and worked for the county. ... I've seen some really creative ways of governance and seen some really great ideas."

Kirk emphasized that he's not running against the current city council.

"I really think that the current city council has done a great job," he said. "But I do think we can do a better job when it comes to bringing more tax revenue to the city, more jobs to the city."

He believes both of those can come to pass through "smart growth."

"It doesn't have to be helter-skelter, it doesn't have to drive itself," Kirk said. "You can't plan for today. You have to plan five years down the line."

Kirk said when he talks to business leaders around the county, they praise Hesperia's possibilities, even if they don't always see them coming to fruition.

"This city has more potential than any other in the county," he said. "It takes leadership to get it from potential to realization. ... You have to do that in a smart way, so that the quality of life [residents have] come to expect is protected.

"These are the same issues I've heard people talking about since junior high."

If elected, Kirk said he would add more firefighters, police officers and pave more roads -- goals shared by most candidates since the city's incorporation -- but he'd do it by tightening up on spending even further.

"Where can we make the city government more efficient?" he asked. "Our job is not to grow government; it's to make it more efficient and shrink it."

He also hopes to see the city's still-forming downtown center an important aspect of life in the city.

"I think it's a great idea and I think people want [public spaces] in their city," he said. "Other cities in San Bernardino County have done this ... and really increased the quality of life for people."

Kirk, Kirk & Blewett

But it's not only Sharon Runner's and Gary Ovitt's political careers that Kirk is associated with: Kirk helped his father get elected to the HUSD school board and is a regular at school board meetings, especially during the failed recall attempt that ended earlier this year.

"Early on, people are going to talk about my dad and me," the younger Kirk said. "I love him dearly, but we're two different people."

He stands by his father, who has borne the brunt of the criticism of the ruling three-member bloc on the school board, and his father's vision for the school district.

"We believe, not that he's perfect, but that he's doing the best he can," Kirk said. "I really believe that most of the anger towards him is from a small group of people who had things the way they wanted, and they got changed, and they hated him for that. ... I'd love to sit down and talk to those people but I don't think I'm ever going to get the opportunity, so I'm talking to the other people."

But school district politics and the attempted recall have followed Kirk into the city council race: One of his six rivals for the two open seats is Russ Blewett, the father of the woman who spearheaded the recall attempt against Kirk's father.

"I've decided to put that behind us," Kirk said. "It doesn't benefit us in the election. It doesn't benefit the city."

And if both men were elected, any bad blood that still existed would stay out of the council chambers, he said.

"His [political] issues sound awfully familiar to my issues. ... You have to be discerning enough to know when to fight."

Both Kirks have been the targets of criticism and outright attacks in the letters to the editor in area newspapers and on local newspaper Web sites, and Kirk said he's prepared for more of that, even as he hopes other voters come to know him a bit better, as distinct from his father.

"People who want to discourage Kirks need to understand us a bit better."

Candidate balances work, life, campaigning
8/24/08
By Lauren McSherry - Staff Writer

Mark Kirk is a behind-the-scenes political mover and shaker in San Bernardino County.
Kirk, 33, is the chief of staff for 4th District Supervisor Gary Ovitt, who is also the chairman of the county Republican Party.
Kirk spent his early childhood in Oklahoma, and later attended junior high and high school in Hesperia, where he lives with his wife, Erin.
In June, Kirk was elected to the San Bernardino County Republican Central Committee. He has also taught education courses at Azusa Pacific University and Chapman University. Now, he's running for a seat on the Hesperia City Council.
Question: How did you get interested in politics?
Answer: I've always been interested in politics. My first recollection of my involvement in politics was in 1980. I remember being in Oklahoma, being 6 years old, arguing that anybody would be better than Jimmy Carter.
I've always had interest in those who lead our communities and the decision-making process that they use.
Q: What was your first political job?
A: My first paid political gig was working as a field rep for then-Assemblyman George Runner. That was in 2002. George was very dedicated to strong constituent services, and I think that's probably what I took away the most - the importance of communicating with constituents, solving their problems and working with them.
Q: What challenges do you see facing the Republican Party in S an Bernardino County?
A: I think the major challenge for the party is to focus on policies and not people. I think the problem where we are now with people losing interest in the party revolves around the personalities.
And what we have to do is we have to get people refocused on the policies and the platforms. That's going to be what returns people or keeps people with the Republican Party - smaller government, no taxes, pro-small business, pro-life. These are the issues where the Republican Party is on the right side, and what I mean by that is they're on the side of the majority of America.
Q: How do you balance political campaigning, your county work and your personal life?
A: The tougher part is the personal-life aspect. You can't be a chief of staff without putting in lots of hours. We may go home at 5 or 5:30 or 6 o'clock, but the job doesn't stay at the office. We get calls with issues we need to deal with at 8 o'clock (at night), in the morning, on the weekends. In a lot of ways the job never stops.
The political aspect is easy because you just don't do it during county time.
It does mean some challenges in the evening, in the mornings when county issues are still coming at you, and when you're still trying to get political issues wrapped up.
I don't normally take time off until campaign season. You kind of save it up. You take a day, and you use your personal vacation time to get that done.
Q: How do you spend time with your family?
A: I'm very fortunate. I have a very understanding wife. She understands there is a certain season when I'm going to be sparse.
That part I think is the bigger challenge, but it requires diligence and self-discipline.
Q: Why are you running for Hesperia council?
A: This is an opportunity for me to take what I know, take what I've learned and make some positive impact on the community.
Q: You recently started blogging on your campaign Web site, www.mk4council.com. How do you like blogging?
A: It's an interesting thing. I've never done it before. I enjoy it. It took us a little while to work out the kinks.
What I enjoy is constituents, people who care about the campaign being able to ask me questions. Even though I've published my cell phone number so people can just call me, I think some people like to anonymously e-mail me and ask me questions.
I've had a lot of fun. Too many times, politicians have all the answers. I think at times people would prefer that politicians listened more. This is a listening time for me. It helps me form some positions I need to take into this campaign.
Q: What's your take on recent corruption scandals in the county?
A: I think there's one unique facet of this set of scandals, as opposed to 10 years ago.
This set revolves around one individual, rather than 10 years ago when we had a group of individuals who were conspiring to take advantage of taxpayers.
I have my personal feelings about it. I'm holding back as much as I can to hear the assessor respond to these accusations and claims. I think everyone deserves that.
You see from the Board of Supervisors and the (county administrative) office that we're trying to do the right thing and trying to respond appropriately to these challenges.
That's different from the past. In the past, you had an administration and supervisors who were trying to cover it up. You don't have that now.
We're in a better place now, but I can see why taxpayers and constituents are frustrated, because they deserve a county with no scandals, and until we get to that point, we'll continue to see frustration. People deserve better.

More than $81,000 raised for city council campaigns
Blewett, Kirk spend almost $32,000 combined through June 30
8/1/08
By BEAU YARBROUGH - Staff Writer

Only two of the eight likely candidates running for Hesperia City Council this fall have begun raising or spending money, according to campaign disclosure statements released this week.

California law requires that any candidate who has raised or spent more than $1,000 must file California Form 460, the Recipient Committee Campaign Statement.

Only three likely candidates filed the form in time for the July 31 deadline, which covers funds raised or spent between January 1 and June 30 of this year: Russ Blewett, the 1st District county planning commissioner; Mark Kirk, the chief of staff for Supervisor Gary Ovitt; and Mayor Mike Leonard, a retired San Bernardino County firefighter and the only incumbent expected to run in this fall's election.

Russ Blewett

As of June 30, the Friends of Russ Blewett had raised $33,550 and spent $8,397. His largest contribution, for $2,000, was received from Desert Valley Hospital. He received $1,200 donations from Kathryn Blewett, Citizens for Brulte, Brutoco Construction Management Group, Palm Desert Development Company, Inland Group, Rancho Las Flores LLC and Robertson's. Blewett received $1,000 donations from Lewis Investment Company, Rialto Development Company, Robert Michael Ozell and Viking Run.

Blewett, who was formerly a planning commissioner for the city of Hesperia, received donations from his former colleagues Joline Bell Hahn ($300) and Paul Russ ($150).

Mark Kirk

Like Blewett, many of Kirk's contributors are in real estate development in some fashion.

As of June 30, the Mark Kirk for City Council committee had collected $47,920 and spent $23,578. Kirk's biggest donations include $2,500 donations from the Lewis Investment Company and Majestic Realty and $1,000 donations from Bill Emmerson for Assembly, Inland Group, Mitsubishi Cement, Palm Desert Development, Rialto Development, San Bernardino County Firefighters Local 935, Veritas Health Services and Young Homes.

Kirk received donations from some prominent names in the Hesperia Unified School District, including a $500 donation from the HUSD's law firm, Wagner and Pelayes, a $250 donation from retired schoolteacher Lee Samuels, $150 from Hesperia Teachers Association President Jim Pace and $1,002 from school board president Robert Kirk, who is also the candidate's father.

Mike Leonard

The Committee to Re-Elect Mike Leonard had raised and spent no money by June 30, according to his campaign disclosure statements.

Other filings

Some campaign financial disclosure forms for Hesperia Unified School District school board members and Hesperia Recreation and Park District board members were only available directly from the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters and will be subject of a story in the August 12 edition of the Hesperia Star.

Campaign disclosure forms covering period between July 1 and September 30 are due October 6. The period between October 1 and October 18 is covered in a filing due October 23. Contributions received between October 19 and November 3 must be reported in special filings within 24 hours of receipt. The comprehensive list of contributions received between October 19 and December 31 is due on February 2, 2009.

Mark Kirk raises $60,000 in first city council fundraiser
District Attorney Ramos speaks at event held for son of school board president
6/13/08
By BEAU YARBROUGH - Staff Writer

The son of a Hesperia politician is getting into the family business, and leveraging his extensive connections right from the start.

Mark Kirk, the son of Hesperia Unified School District school president Robert Kirk, and the chief of staff for San Bernardino County Supervisor Gary Ovitt, held his first fundraiser Thursday at the Quality Inn and Suites Green Tree in Victorville.

Hesperia City Councilman Ed Pack, former councilman Jim Lindley, County Assessor Bill Postmus, Victorville Mayor Terry Caldwell and school board member Hardy Black, among others, attended the event. Ovitt hosted the event and the keynote speaker was San Bernardino County District Attorney Mike Ramos.

"I was very pleased, very humbled by the turnout," Kirk said Friday. "We're still sifting through the $50 and $100 checks that came in through the door, but we know we raised over $60,000 last night."

While other well-connected figures have run for office in Hesperia before, Kirk's fundraiser was attended by more than the typical number of High Desert politicians.

"Certainly, I've been blessed in my career to work for George and Sharon Runner, as well as Gary Ovitt, and that's allowed me to build a lot of good friendships with other elected officials," Kirk said.

One of those in attendance was San Bernardino County Planning Commissioner Russ Blewett, who has also declared that he will be running for one of the two open seats on the city council this year. The two are familiar with each other beyond passing each other in the halls of the board of supervisors: Blewett's daughter Lori Nielson spearheaded the recall attempt that failed to recall Kirk's father earlier this year.

"Russ and I agree on some things, and we certainly have some disagreements, and there's certainly some history there," said Kirk, a 1992 graduate of Hesperia High School. "I'm happy that he was able to come, but my campaign is my campaign. I'm not running with anyone, and I don't plan to run against anyone. I'm going to put my ideas out there and let the voters decide."

The recall attempt just reinforced for Kirk that politics is not for the faint-hearted.

"I think anyone who wants to get into politics because it's fun doesn't know anything about it and is probably getting involved for the wrong reasons," he said. "I want to make sure that Hesperia continues to be the great place to be a kid, the great place to raise a family, that it was for me and my family. I think right now, we face some challenges, and if we don't get in front of some key issues, that'll be in jeopardy."

Kirk's key issues are ones that will be familiar to Hesperia voters.

"I think that public safety is an important issue that we keep on the forefront," he said. "Quite often in these sorts of economic times, you see an increase in crime, so it's important for local government to keep their eye on the ball."

He praised city officials for budgeting an additional two San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department deputies for the next fiscal year.

"I think transportation is always going to be a big deal in Hesperia with constituents," Kirk said. "We have to continue to work hard on that."

The city's economy rounds out Kirk's three main issues.

"And then I think the other big issue is economic development. We still don't have the number of high-paying jobs here in the desert that we need to have. So our residents are driving down the hill for their jobs," Kirk said. "We need to do a much better job as a city and as a region to get those high-paying jobs up here."

Two-term councilman Tad Honeycutt has said he will not run for reelection this year, and 2008 may be a year with many candidates throwing their hats into the ring.

"I don't think this is going to be an election cycle where people have to choose the lesser of two evils," Kirk said. "I think they'll have a lot of good choices, and hopefully they'll think that I'm one of them."