By Clyde Noel

Town Crier correspondent

Last Thursday, the Los Altos Rotary Club heard 21st Assemblyman Joe Simitian share his personal observations on his first year as the assemblyman from the 21st district.

“When we started last December we didn’t know the other 79 members in the assembly so we used flash cards,” Simitian said. “You have to come to grips with an entirely new culture very quickly.”

Simitian said the biggest change in the political culture between county and state politics is the partisanship. The 50 Democrats and 30 Republicans caucus separately. “It’s a challenge because it’s an ‘our team’ and ‘their team’ concept and neither party has inter-party debates.

“As to the work, it involves energy, the state budget and reapportionment,” Simitian said, “and reapportionment does not bring out the best in human nature. It’s not the way we do business here on the Peninsula. They (the California legislature) don’t do business the Silicon Valley way.”

Things became different after the Sept. 11 disasters. The Assembly had 600 bills on the agenda and only 100 were passed before the capital closed and work stopped out of respect for the victims and concern for the security of the Capitol.

“As far as I’m concerned, when we closed the capital it was one more small victory for the terrorists,” Simitian said. “I kept working to avoid thinking about the terrorist assault. After the legislature reopened, we passed 500 bills in the next three days, staying until early in the morning.”

Simitian said it takes a tragedy to put things in perspective. He takes joy in what he does for the 423,000 people he represents in the 30 cities spanning Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.

“Because of short-term limits you get to know your colleagues quickly. Everyone has to hit the ground running and be ready when you get there,” Simitian said. “You need to send people to Sacramento with experience. My experience with the Palo Alto City Council came in handy.”

Simitian said there is a budget crisis this year, but it will be more severe next year because of the depressed economy.

Simitian, who grew up in Palo Alto, was sworn in last December to represent the 21st Assembly district. He previously served as Palo Alto mayor, city councilman and school board member. He also represented the 5th district on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors.

Simitian opened a new local office at 160 Town and Country Village in Palo Alto last week. For information, logon to Joe.Simitian@asm.ca.gov, call 688-6330, or attend his sidewalk office hours 1-3 p.m., Saturday, in front of the Los Altos main library, 13 S. San Antonio Road.