LAKE COUNTY — Elizabeth Wilson, 22, is a co-author of The California Political Almanac 2006-2007 edition. It is a political reference guide. New members of the California Legislature, after their November swearing in, read the book during their “Intro to the Legislature” course they attend in the winter before the session starts.
Wilson co-wrote the almanac as part of an internship at the UC Center Sacramento with the Institute of Governmental Studies at Berkleey with a student at the Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism from June 2006 thru December 2006. She is actually still a college senior at UC Santa Cruz majoring in Feminist Studies with an independent minor in Journalism, and will graduate this June. She plans to continue her graduate studies after taking a year traveling and reporting. Also, last summer she interned with Capitol Weekly, a newspaper for political insiders. The Record-Bee is employing her during her winter break. The Lake County section of the book is written by Wilson:
Lake County
Area: 1,258 sq. mi.; Population: (2000) 58,309, (1990) 50,631, (1980) 36,366; Registration (Sept. 2004): D-44.5%, R-33.3%, DS-16.4%; County supervisors: Ed Robey, Jr., Jeff Smith, Gary Lewis, Anthony Farrington, Rob Brown; 255 North Forbes St., Lakeport 95453, Phone: (707) 263-2368; Assembly District 1; Senate District 2; Congressional District 1; Median income: $29,627; Median home value: $122,600; Ethnicity: White-74.8%, Latino-11.4%, Asian-0.1%, Black-2.1%; Largest cities (2004): Clearlake (13,950), Lakeport (4,820).
The county is, as its name implies, dominated by a lake, Clear Lake. An hour from San Francisco, Lake County is a tourism and retirement mecca. Catering to the mostly middle-class retirees provides major fuel for the local economy, where pension and Social Security checks are important. The 2000 Census revealed that 40% of the county”s population was older than 50. Ranching and geothermal development also stimulate the local economy.
The county trends Democratic, although it narrowly voted for the recall of Governor Gray Davis in 2003 and backed the candidacy of his eventual successor, Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger. Prior to the recall, the last top-of-the-ticket Republicans to carry Lake County were Pete Wilson (governor) and Michael Huffington (U.S. senator) in 1994. Republicans didn”t fare much better in 2004 as Democrats John Kerry (president) and Barbara Boxer (U.S. senator) scored victories.
