Happy Father’s Day Abel!

State Senator Abel Maldonado had a little Father’s Day gift from the Editorial Board at his local paper, the Santa Maria Times.

Here are a few choice paragraphs from his hometown daily. Remember, these folks endorsed him for State Senate and they know his record:

“Now, only a few months after taking the oath of office for his first term in the Senate, Maldonado has announced his intention to run for state controller.

“It seems the young man with political goals has turned into just another ambitious politician, clamoring for whatever job he can get. You have to wonder what happened to the idealism and the promises he made while campaigning for those offices.

“We are surprised and disappointed that Maldonado would be looking to move on so soon after being elected to the Senate. We are strongly opposed to him bailing out of his commitment to Central Coast residents, just seven months after being elected.

“We would encourage him to reconsider his decision to run for controller, and we would urge residents of the Central Coast not to vote for him if he does run…

“We can all appreciate spunk and ambition in a political candidate, but more important is meeting commitments already made. Maldonado has had a singularly unspectacular career in public office, with far more smiles and handshakes than actual accomplishments with regard to creating good public policy.

(“What Happened to Commitment?”, Editorial, Santa Maria Times, June 19, 2005)