Notes, quotes and dust motes

More than 500 participants and supporters rallied in front of the main fire station in Redwood City — state and federal legislators, representatives of the county and cities, health care, labor, public safety and the array of nonprofits that fill the service gaps in local government. Not the largest crowd ever; just the largest of its kind.

It was long overdue for this particular issue — a decision by the state that San Mateo County is sufficiently wealthy that it no longer needs, or is entitled to, funding that was promised in legislation dating back 20 years.

The county used to muster this kind of energetic unanimity. But it has been undermined by an era of parochialism spawned by district elections, a brand of modern politics that seems entirely too personal and too frequently descends into bickering, and a style of public discourse that may best be described as trickle-down anger.

Not every disagreement has to devolve rapidly into battle lines.

But there you go. Our national politics has tainted our local environment and made acceptable anger and harsh, foul language.

Candidates for governor routinely drop words you could not say on TV a few short years ago. And they all seem to have the same message: Fight, fight, fight.

No doubt, internal campaign polls show this is a winning pitch to the most loyal Democrats likely to vote in the June 2 primary.

But I have to wonder if it is what we need to hear now, or whether the focus ought to be on someone who can get something done.

At every level.

DATA POINT: Perhaps the most striking detail to emerge from Tuesday’s event was that San Mateo County provides 15% of California’s total income tax revenue, estimated at $100 billion. The county is less than 2% of the state’s population.

A PERMANENT FIX: County officials say negotiations are underway with the state Department of Finance over this funding issue, and maybe they will resolve it for now. But the deal has to include a permanent, codified end to this rip-off, or they will do it again.

MEANWHILE: In the race for assessor-clerk-recorder and elections chief, Jim Irizarry, assistant of all that stuff and a candidate for the top job, has loaned his campaign $125,000 and says he is “prepared to go to $200,000.”

He called it “seed money to begin the process” of raising the $350,000-$500,000 it takes to run for a countywide office.

“I haven’t been out there soliciting donations,” Irizarry said.

No kidding.

But he has been endorsed by three of the best-known political figures in the county, supervisors Noelia Corzo, Ray Mueller and Jackie Speier, as well as such notables as former state Sen. Jerry Hill and former Supervisor Dave Pine. The initial expectations were that these luminaries would help Irizarry raise money. Not so far.

Yes, it remains significant that the three supervisors who have endorsed Irizarry serve on the board with David Canepa, who also is running for the job.

As expected, Canepa has been raising money with characteristic gusto, tapping into his own network of donors, and benefiting from the endorsement of the county Central Labor Council.

In 33 days, from March 4 through Tuesday, Canepa raised $36,000 in $1,000 donations. His fundraising reports are chockablock with names from the Asian-Pacific Islander community, where he has built close ties while representing North County. And $8,000 of the total came from labor unions.

Irizarry says he is beginning to hold events, coffees, etc. But the real waiting game is to wonder when, or if, the political establishment that so disdains Canepa actually will show up and work to beat him.

ON THE AIR-ISH: The Foster City Council has been unable to livestream its meetings because of its recent cyberattack. So, Councilmember Phoebe Shin Venkat is doing it on her phone via YouTube, which shows that what needs to be done can be done despite the technical hurdle for the city.

OK, BOOMER: To gubernatorial candidates U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan: Either grow a full beard or shave off that mangy facial hair that seems stuck in a state of scruff. If you cannot be serious, at least look serious.