Mike Newman - Fourth District Questionnaire 

What are the two biggest challenges facing the Fourth District and what are your plans to address them?

Issues of mental health/addiction which go together. There are many things that people want the county to do, but city of Eureka has jurisdiction over whatever's within their city limits so the Board of Supervisors doesn't have that much that can be done to influence what's happening within the city's limit. But what happens is that the services that are provided to the public who have mental health challenges etc. certainly impact the city of Eureka disproportionately.

Another big challenge that is also a huge opportunity, is getting the peninsula up and running for business and residential use. I specifically will concentrate on the part when you go over the bridge and turn to your left because that's the Fourth District piece. Although the entire peninsula goes together, I think getting that portion of the peninsula up and ready for business is a huge challenge but also can really be a huge opportunity as well.

What is the county government's largest flaw in responding to residents' needs and how do you plan to fix it?

Perhaps its biggest flaw is that many of the county's social services are located in the city, under a mixed jurisdiction between the city of Eureka and the county of Humboldt. That's why a good working relationship between the two is very important. It's hard to try to distinguish challenges from flaws but to me, a flaw is something that's just inherently going to exist no matter what you do.

Why are you the right person to represent the Fourth District for the next four years?

I have the experience to move our county into the next phase. Being a prior city councilmember and then serving on the Measure Z and Humboldt County Planning Commission along with having had a business and working with many types of businesses, that must make payroll. This has enabled me to get a grasp on the magnitude of the challenges that every employer has in navigating the many rules and regulations that federal, state, county, and city have set up to follow.

Age: Left blank.

City/town of residence: Eureka

Where did you grow up? Up through sixth grade, it was Kansas. After sixth grade it was Santa Rosa and Anchor Bay on the Mendocino County coast during high school.

How long have you lived in Humboldt County? 39 year

Can you please provide a brief education history? Graduated high school in Point Arena, some college.

Can you please provide a brief work history? Ten years with Longs Drug Store in management; 14 years with Allstate operating my own Agency I started from scratch with no accounts given to me and only had lived three years in Eureka; 21 years as a commercial insurance broker with Shaw & Petersen and now George Petersen.

What is your current occupation? Commercial insurance broker.

What do you consider the three most important endorsements you have received to date in your campaign for county supervisor? The incumbent Supervisor Virginia Bass, the past Humboldt County CAO and currently secretary/treasurer of Humboldt Bay Water District (and many other boards in past) plus small business owner as a Realtor, Bruce Rupp; our current and past two Humboldt County sheriffs.

Now, a few questions to give voters a taste of your personality:

What is your favorite movie? Lord of the Rings Trilogy

What is your favorite book? The Bible

What magazine do you read most regularly? Harley Owners Group magazine

If your campaign had a theme song, what would it be? The theme from the movie "Mission Impossible."

Who is your favorite fictional politician? Tom Kirkman in Designated Survivor played by Kiefer Sutherland.

Who is your favorite real-life politician? Abe Lincoln

Dogs or cats? Both.

What is your favorite hobby? Exploring/hiking national & state parks; motorcycle riding.