Off Beat: Obama wins – but not here

Yuba-Sutter has spoken with a clear voice. It has rejected the socialist collectivism of Comrade Barack Obama and his band of Chicago thugs.

But, as luck would have it, large chunks of the rest of America thought otherwise, so it's four more years.

Too bad, Yuba-Sutter. Wrong again.

As for your congressional representative, those new district lines have left Yuba-Sutter in quite a mess. Voters can't elect the Republican they want. They're outnumbered by Yolo and Solano counties.

That's pretty much what happened on Tuesday when Rep. John Garamendi, D-Walnut Grove, rolled up big numbers in the more liberal part of the district (throw in Lake County for good measure) and lost in the more conservative northern counties.

It's a recipe for Garamendi to keep his job for the next decade, if he wants to hang around that long.

The curtain is coming down on the Wally Herger years, so it's time for Yuba-Sutter to honor its long-serving congressional representative.

A gravel road, preferably full of ruts, should be renamed in his honor. Take your pick.

And what would the election be without a fond farewell to Yuba College Trustee Jim Buchan.

You may remember him. Back in 2010, some folks had the unmitigated gall to try to recall the guy after the college board took a mighty swing at giving college President Nikki Harrington an outrageous pay increase. Then they swung again to give a less outrageous, but still hefty pay boost as she was about to walk out the door.

"She's done a magnificent job in trying times," said Buchan back in January 2010. "She's the best."

The recall never got very far, and Buchan, dubbed "Jim 'Robert's Rules of Order' Buchan" in this column, continued to serve on the college board.

But election time arrived last week. Sutter County voters apparently have long memories. Down goes Buchan.

Not so for Kash Gill, whose political career has been miraculously resurrected. He'll be back on the Yuba City City Council.

Let's hope there aren't any more complicated issues for him to deal with, like the animal shelter. They like to keep things dull in Yuba City. For the most part, they've succeeded.

Not so in Marysville, where the Ricky Samayoa era is about to begin. Does this mean plans to turn over the Police Department to Yuba County are dead?

Well, it is Marysville, so you can expect good ideas to go nowhere.