Front Page  »  

Ed Waage considering supervisor race against Adam Hill

September 15, 2011

By KAREN VELIE

Pismo Beach City Councilman Ed Waage is “seriously considering” challenging incumbent District 3 county supervisor Adam Hill in 2012.

Waage discussed the possibility of entering the race Wednesday in an exclusive interview with CalCoastNews.

“I believe there is a role for government, but there should not be too much government, and government should be accountable,” Waage said when asked about his views and added that he would discuss county issues after and if he declares his candidacy.

District 3 includes a large portion of San Luis Obispo, Avila Beach, Pismo Beach, and Grover Beach. Hill, a former Cal Poly English instructor, defeated incumbent Jerry Lenthall in 2008 to claim the seat.

A graduate of the University of Washington, with a Ph.D. in chemistry, Waage taught chemistry at Illinois State University and later headed up the State of Illinois Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness program and the Nuclear Power Plant Emergency Response program.

In 1981, he joined PG&E to support emergency preparedness efforts at Diablo Canyon Power Plant. Waage retired from PG&E in 2000.

For one year, he came out of retirement to work at the International Atomic Energy Agency (a United Nations agency based in Vienna, Austria) in 2005 which is the year the IAEA received the Nobel Peace Prize.

Waage served four years on the Pismo Beach Planning Commission before being elected to the Pismo Beach City Council in 2008.

If Waage does ultimately enter the race, he will be the first formal challenger to Hill, who has already announced his re-election bid. Grover Beach mayor John Shoals decided earlier in the year not to run.

Waage provided no timetable for his final decision.


Loading...
Subjects:                 
Related:


33 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Do the research: PG&E has a long history, in all the areas they have power plants, of larding government bodies such as City Councils and Board of Supervisors and Community Service’s Districts, etc. with their employees and “ex-employees”. These people, in addition to voting in ways that benefit PG&E, are given perks by PG&E for their “services to the community.”


0

ie. my post above, John Shoals is a case in point. It’s hard to believe that no one has made an issue of that.


0

I just learned that John King is a sponsor of Adam Hill’s fundraiser at the Ventana Grill. What a sell out and disappointment.


0

Well, looks like the fix is in. Either way Hll or Waage Price Canyon is doomed.


0

Where do I sign up as a Waage campaign volunteer?!! Adam Hill is a frightening, pompous, condescending man. I will have to do some homework on Waage but I can’t imagine he would be anything but a major upgrade!!!


0

If the race is between Ed Waage and Adam Hill, my vote goes to Adam Hill. I’ve followed Mr. Waage’s voting record with the Pismo Beach City Council and feel he lacks the courage to speak out on items he obviously finds questionable.

It would be an interesting race considering Kris Vardis, an Adam Hill supporter sits on the Pismo Beach City Council.


0

Yes, it will be interesting. I agree completely with your evaluation of Ed.


0

I saw Waage at the 2010 Prop 23 forum (Prop 23 was to overturn Prop 32, the Global Warming/Climate Change bill – Prop 23 tanked at the polls). I think it was very unfortunate for Waage that his fellow speaker/debater was Andy Caldwell (who has about as much depth to bring to the subject as a thumbtack), because it made the two look like Dumb & Dumber. Waage unconsciously adopted the dismissive tone of Caldwell, made scientific assertions without any attempt to present references to studies or evidence to back up those assertions, and overall did little to help his cause (the case against contributions by humans to the climate change/global warming phenomenon).


So when you think of Waage, think of Caldwell.


0

Wish that I would have seen that forum.


“So when you think of Waage, think of Caldwell.”


Not good for Waage.


0

“So when you think of Waage, think of Caldwell.”


Yes, for a pen-and-ink artist, you’re painting with a pretty broad brush.


0

I gave a pretty good sense of the context in which I got my impression of Waage. I never claimed to know the man well or professionally, nor to have experienced his contributions as PB councilman.


If you were at that presentation and had a vastly different impression, please share it. As I’m sure you can grasp, the most challenging thing to do in a single-panel cartoon is to present context and subtlety. It really requires a well-informed and critical readership, because I can’t do the drawing AND have a thousand-word caption.


Thanks,

Russell Hodin


0

Great response, thank you.


I was poking at you in my weariness of black-and-whiting all issues.


I know nothing of Waage, and very little of Caldwell, but my sense is Caldwell is a lightning rod for Hill’s installed base. So if you want to make Hill look better, all you need to do is compare his competition to Caldwell. Which is clearly a cheap shot.


0

Nice reply. I don’t believe Caldwell and Waage appeared as a team as much as separate panelists on the same side of the issue. Caldwell comes from political activism, whereas Waage is a scientist. Caldwell is outspoken, but Waage is not. Waage is reserved and thoughtful and far from brazen. If I remember correctly, Caldwell had much of the microphone time at that debate. Equating the two as the same is a fairly shallow view. Additionally, Supervisors deliberate a wide variety of issues that I don’t believe can be predicted based upon the one debate. Hill has come off as quite caustic lately and that is the major mark against him at the moment aside from partisan side-taking.


0

I am so glad to hear this news and I urge Ed to get in the race. Adam Hill continues to be a major disappointment, bordering on an embarrassment with his churlish behavior. Ed is a family man, well-respected, calm and extremely intelligent. I predict a very competitive race.


0

Heh, welcome to the progressive academia left! Don’t like something, you must be a !


Yeah, I would agree with your comment about Hill. Ed would be a perfect candidate if only he had more private sector experience; still, I’ll take public work (non-college) over purely academic career any day.


0

“I’ll take public work (non-college) over purely academic career any day.”


Then Ed’s not your guy, he’s highly educated and has some amazing academic credentials.


My biggest issue with Waage is that he’s like Texiera (spelling way off) as that he’s not aggressive enough. Like Tex he just goes with the flow.


0

There couldn’t be a smarter, more dedicated public servant than Ed Waage. I hope he runs/wins.


0

Anyone but Hill!


0

Careful what you wish for. At least Adam Hill is ineffective. Can you imagine how bad it would be if he were as effective a conniver as, say, Gibson?


0

Careful with the “anyone but…” thought. That’s what got us Obama. (and Bush was pretty bad).


0

Best comment posted on this site… Truth to the core! Talk about deceit.


0

Will this be the first of several candidates?


0
1 2