2 IN 34TH DISTRICT VYING FOR ASSEMBLY.

Byline: Charles F. Bostwick and Jim Skeen Staff Writers

In the only contested state office primary in the Antelope Valley, former assemblyman and state senator Phil Wyman and former Victorville city manager Jim Cox are vying for the Republican nomination in the 34th Assembly District.

Wyman and Cox are competing for the right to run for the seat that represents the Kern County portion of the Antelope Valley, the Tehachapi Valley, Ridgecrest, Bishop, Inyo County and desert portions of San Bernardino County. The winner of the primary will face Democrat Robert Conaway in the November election.

The seat is being vacated by Keith Olberg, a Victorville Republican who must leave the office as the result of the state term limits. Olberg is eyeing the 2002 race for secretary of state.

Cox, 60, worked as the city manager of Victorville for 30 years before resigning in October to run for the Assembly seat. In the past, Cox has served as the board chairman of the Victor Valley Transit agency and has taught public administration courses at California State University, San Bernardino, and at Victor Valley Community College.

Cox's only bid for public office was in 1996 when he and Wyman both were defeated in the Republican primary for the 17th Senate District seat by W.J. ``Pete'' Knight, R-Palmdale. Knight is endorsing Cox for the assembly race.

Wyman, 55, represented the Antelope Valley as an assemblyman from 1978 to 1992. After an unsuccessful try in the 1992 congressional election, he went back to Sacramento from 1993 to 1995 as a state senator after winning an election to fill the remaining two years of a term that came open when Sen. Don Rogers opted to run for another district.

In 1995, Wyman lost a bid for re-election to Jim Costa after his Senate district was shifted by reapportionment into the San Joaquin Valley. In 1996, Wyman ran and lost to Knight in a bid for the senate 17th district seat.

Since leaving office, Wyman has worked as a business consultant, representing utilities and mining, agricultural and chemical businesses.

``I'm not running to get a title. I've had a title,'' Wyman said. ``I'm running to accomplish things I think are important for the future of the high desert.''

Cox said he would work to secure funding for highway improvements, including the Antelope Valley Freeway (14) and the proposed High Desert Corridor, which would link the Antelope and Victor valleys.

Cox said he would work to try to restore revenue taken away from cities and counties by the state during budget crises in the 1990s. Cox said the state should provide a guaranteed revenue stream to cities and counties.

``The state legislature needs to quit dipping into the county and cities' revenue when they get short of money,'' Cox said. ``Now that's there's budget surplus, they should be giving that back.''

In education, Cox said he wants the state to cut its bureaucracy and return more of the tax dollars directly to the school districts. Cox also wants to tighten the management of the state lottery to ensure more of the profits go to schools.

``I believe local voters hold locally elected officials accountable,'' Cox said. ``The state should give them funding and let them do their job or cut taxes and let them (local districts) raise the money locally.''

Cox said the state should provide tax credits to encourage businesses to come to California. Companies willing to make significant investments in the state should be provided tax credits for health insurance, allowing more people to be covered by insurance and reducing the amount of money taxpayers have to pay to pick up the tab for indigent patients.

Cox has what he describes as a ``crime control, not gun control'' platform on law enforcement. Cox wants to ensure that no prisoner is given an early release from prison sentences for violent crimes. Cox also advocates having juveniles who commit violent felonies tried as adults.

Among those endorsing Cox are Rep. Howard ``Buck'' McKeon, R-Santa Clarita; Rep. Bill Thomas, R-Bakersfield; Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Redlands; Assemblyman George Runner, R-Lancaster; the California Association of Realtors; and the California Building Industry Association.

Wyman said he wants to protect the ``Three Strikes'' law, of which he was one of the legislative authors; limit death penalty appeals; ensure fair state funding for high desert schools; and push for a four-year college in the high desert.

Wyman also said he wants to widen Highway 395 to a full four lanes, push for construction of Auburn Dam and increase the height of Shasta Dam to store more water for drought years, and supports turning Avenue P-8 into an expressway bypass around downtown Palmdale.

Wyman also says he wants to improve communication between constituents and his office.

Wyman says he would reopen a 34th Assembly District office in east Kern County, so residents don't have to travel to the Victor Valley to talk to his staff, and schedule ``mobile office days'' in communities like Lone Pine and California City.

``State representatives need to come to where the constituents are,'' Wyman said.

Wyman said his endorsements include the National Rifle Association, former state senators Rogers and H.L. Richardson, and former Assemblywoman Kathleen Honeycutt, who represented the 34th District in the early 1990s. He also said he was endorsed by California City Mayor Larry Adams and Vice Mayor Harry Bailey.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo: (1) Jim Cox

Former city manager

(2) Phil Wyman

Ex-state senator