It isn't surprising but the VC Reporter came out against Audra Strickland running:

http://www.vcreporter.com/cms/story/detail/raising_the_bar_for_county_treasurer/7412/

I'm so tired of people attacking Audra! So what if she is completely unqualified for this job or any other! So what if she will bankrupt the county the way she and Tony bankrupted California! George W. Bush the greatest President in the history of the Country did not have a brain in his head and we let him be President! I'm sure Audra will do as good a job as George W. Bush did!

I am in the running too, as an unannounced write-in candidate.

My promise to the people, as Tax Collector, I will collect no taxes from the people until the supervisors cut the County budget in half back to the 1999 levels.....

Run Andy Run!

This is a technical position which requires skill in a particular area. This is not a position for someone without any background or relevant job history.

There really needs to be some basic standards for offices such as this. Maybe a math test or something. Is that asking too much?

We need to get rid of our action figure govenor and start hiring people with talent. Maybe we need to start a draft. This is an emergency just like any other.

" Looking for anyone with time & interest in running a no dollars all heart campaign. This can't be that hard."

Whoever wrote this line never run a successful campaign against an intrenched political figure.

It is a fact of political life that to succeed in a such a campaign, as a candidate you would have to have one of more of three things:
1.) A name that is very well known; and/or
2.) An important issue with which your leadership is uniquely identified; and/or
3.) Money enough to establish a fully fledged campaign needed to achieve voter awareness and preference over the opponent.

Yes, it is hard!

"It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it great." -- Jimmy Dugan, A League of Their Own

Harold,

I don't know if we should expect a successful county treasurer to be well known, but I agree that it would help to get elected. This position doesn't have term limits as far as I know.

Thanks for reading and commenting on my blog.

Aside from what I see as a lack of the basic math skills for this position;

What kind of culture fit is Audra Strickland when John Chiang demolished her husband in the Controllers race? How would they work together? I don’t see a cohesive unit developing.

Nobody,

Do you trust the voters to decide if someone is qualified for this position or do you want the board of supervisors to approve the candidates?

Is that a loaded enough question?

Thanks for reading and commenting on my blog.

Brian,

Do you believe the average voter understands the responsibilities and duties of the office of Treasurer of the State of California enough to make a proper decision?

I don't.

I feel strongly there should be some basic requirements relative to the position of treasurer and controller just like successful organizations do. After that the voters can pick who is the rock star treasurer or controller. I personally think John Chiang is a rock star controller that dude rails. I would like someone with his math skills but a marketing background for the treasurer position if I may be so bold.

We cannot pander to the way things are if we want progress.

Nobody,

Does that mean you support Kathy Long's proposal to create requirements to run?

Even though I can think of many times I feel voters made the wrong choice I believe in our democracy voters make the correct choice more often than they make mistakes.

Now, let's make sure they have some informed choices! Who else might be running? Are they qualified?

Perhaps there should be a discussion of just WHAT the county treasurer actually does and doesn't do before the voters are given a choice of who should fill that position.

I guess I'll start that discussion:

If you are covered by any county retirement program you may not want Strickland being your Treasurer. State Code makes the county treasurer one of the voting board members that oversees the county retirement program and that would give Strickland an opportunity to support the No Public Pensions movement that her political friends are quietly promoting. Having such a person tamper with your retirement or your retirement plans could be fatal, financially.

Brian:

Ostensibly, in the name of political fairness, the VC Star now advocates delaying the imposition of State sponsored minimum baseline qualifications for the office of Ventura County Treasurer Tax-Collector until AFTER the 2010 election...

At the moment, as the only one announced candidate for County Treasurer-Tax Collector, Ms. Strickland, much like that old bandito in the Treasure of Sierra Madre, can disdainfully shout, "..Qualifications, we don't need no stinkin qualifications.."

The only thing that exceeds the shameless expression of Howry’s personal political bias in today's editorial on the subject is his complete disregard of the unbridled influence of special interest politics in what has passed for sound public financial management in this country, and particularly in this State, during the last several years. Shameful, Mr. Howry, to say the least.

Notwithstanding Mr. Howry's claim that the Ventura County's voters should decide the next Treasurer without the benefit of financial practioner recommended baseline qualifications for that office, his editorial today is a journalistic stalking horse for an eventual endorsement of his preferred candidate..

By framing the political issue as one of basic fairness to Ms. Strickland, instead of the fact that sound public finance management requires the existence of basic baseline qualifications for the office of County Treasurer, Mr. Howry is no friend of informed electoral choices. In fact, he is the political propaganda wolf in the editorialist’s sheep’s clothing…

It seems that Howry has taken Clemenceau’s quote about generals and the outcome of wars and twisted it to serve his true political agenda. Notwithstanding his choice of words, what Mr. Howry is really saying is, ".The outcome of the Ventura County Treasurer Tax-Collector election in 2010 is far too important to him to entrust to an electorate informed by the existence of basic qualifications for the office.”

And remember, the office of County Treasurer-Tax Collector is charged with guarding and growing the public purse, in the form of the County’s Pooled Investment Fund, which houses property tax, trust account, and other funds from not only the County government, but countless government entities, including special districts.

A sad day indeed for Ventura County when the Editor of the VC Star masks his private political preference by arguing for the electoral supremacy of a less than a maximally informed and therefore credibly engaged electorate.

Nostra-Demus

The treasurer is custodian of the county's money, pays county obligations on warrant from the auditor and assists in the collection of taxes.
------------------------------------------------------
On a side note:
The last person to have this job allowed his employees to steal from the people he was sworn to serve. The thefts went on for several years until there was a fight in the D.A.'s office and one of the deputy attorneys quit to write a book about all the crimes in county government he sat by and let happen because he was one of them at the time.

The "no experience needed" approach to running Ventura Counties business is reckless and negligent. It presents an attractive nuisance to people such as the Stricklands who earn their living running for offices without having the experience and knowledge to safely perform the duties of the position.

Nostra D! You're right that the STAR is inclined to favor whatever favors the area's entrenched political machine and in doing so it's placed its cozy relationship with that machine ahead of the best interests of its readers.

To use the excuse that "the time isn't right" to make a change in how we select those responsible for the publics' well-being is an act of moral and intellectual ambiguity that's become the hallmark of our local news resource. The STAR should have demanded more accountability from the Tresurer's office long bafore Strickland chose to run. It did not.

To suggest that we once again put off that demand for accountability until AFTER the wrong person is elected is cowardly.

If now isnt' the right time to start doing things right I don't when is.

The County Treasurer post in Ventura county has been used for a platform for illegal activity for years. It appears to me the VCRCC is pushing Audra Strickland not for the talent she brings to the table but the control they have over her.

It's quite amusing hearing these so called conservative excuses. All criminals have excuses why they do things and they never makes sense. This is situation is no exception.

The County of Ventura does not need someone with a chip on their shoulder and no relevant experience.

Audra Strickland's innocent school teacher enters politics act is as high on the comedy meter now as Nixon and his "law and order" and the Republicans and their family "values".

Ventura County is a educated intelligent community that deserve someone qualified for County Treasurer.

"Ventura County is a educated intelligent community that deserve someone qualified for County Treasurer."

I agree, the County is an educated and intelligent community, so don't you think they are educated and intelligent enough to decide if a candidate is qualified or not?

The threat of certain county supervisors to limit who the people can choose to elect implies that the people are too stupid to determine on their own if someone is qualified or not.

We can not let Audra Strickland become Treasurer. She is a Hack married to an empty suit. "Special Interest" should be her middle name. By the way, the empty suit, her husband Tony, our current State Senator ran on a platform of creating "new green jobs". Where are they? He hasn't even tried. Those who voted for him were fooled. Don't make the same mistake twice.
When I have my taxes done, I go to a licensed CPA. I don't know anyone who goes to a professional politician to have their taxes done. Why would you put her in that spot? She will steal. She will call it something fancy and her husband will introduce legislation to make it legal (or illegal after the fact like they did with the co-mingling of their respective campaign funds).
So your next question is "well who then?" How about a CPA with experience. That would be more than we'd ever had. And I bet we can find a few.

Ventura County is better than this. We deserve better than Audra Strickland.

I agree with you Eric but unfortunately the people are being blatantly lied to and your argument doesn't address that issue. Sure, if people are given the facts they will vote intelligently. But when they are told that a person is independent (which the Stricklands aren't), or the Leglislature is working hard (which it isn't) or people's jobs are being put first (they aren't) - it is obvious that the people's itelligence is being insulted and the recipient doesn't deserve either the votes or even to run.

You must be kidding Audra can't even do her own personal checking account let alone the county. Isn't it time we stopped allowing the Strictlands to simply inherit political offices and sucking off the tax payers.

I for one as a Republican will never vote for Tony or Audra. How about some fresh Republican blood with a brain. I'm getting ready to switch to an Independent.

Give me a break.

Eric,
How much of your decision is based on the fact Audra is a Republican? Don't say none you will be lying. I'm guessing 90% if not more. Local Republicans don't care how inexperienced or uneducated their politicians are as long as they are right-wing radical Republican. That's how we got a college drop out for a Congressman.

What would you say if the tables were turned, and a left-wing inexperienced liberal was running for County Treasurer?

I have called local Democrats out when I think they are wrong. I never seen you call out a local Republican are wrong and you have had PLENTY of opportunities.

Excellent points, Katie! Its the lies and bamboozling by BOTH parties and too many of our politicos that have screwed up the system to a point that the ballot box has become almost useless.

All this time she's been in office I've never received a mailing from Audra Strickland. Now that she's announced a run for county treasurer I get one a week...paid for courtesy of the California taxpayer. Two very blatant lies stick out like a fork in the eye: her suggestion that she's working to protect funding for public safety and for education.

Where do people like this get the nerve to screw us out of police, fire and health services, cut the education budget till we're almost in last place among the fifty states, then use our dollars to tell us that they didn't?

If she's so damn proud of her stance on cutting the budget and shifting taxes from the wealthiest to the poorest, then why doesn't she say so? Why does she have to lie and say she's doing what she obviously isn't?

Jeez, I just received another taxpaid mailer from Audra Strickland - and it is a total say nothing puff piece - what a waste!!!! This proves yet again why she is totally unqualified to be a tax collector.

In January 2004, records from the Assembly Rules Committee showed that Tony Strickland’s
office spent upwards of $113,000 between December 9, 2003 and January 2, 2004 to
send more than 630,000 pieces of mail to his constituents, more than twice that of any
other expenses by the rest of the assembly members in that period.

The 24 days before the “mandatory pre-election blackout period” served to inform constituents of Strickland’s bills in the legislature, and opponents criticized the mailings
as a way to build name recognition for Strickland’s wife whose primary was in March,
since Strickland himself was not running for office in 2004. The total cost of postage
spent by Strickland between July and January, $149,776,was the highest out of the 80
members of the state Assembly. An aide to Sen. Tom McClintock said the use of
taxpayer money was controversial at such a critical time regarding the state budget,
stating:

“At the time of a severe budget crisis, this is probably not the best way to
spend taxpayers’ money.” (The Desert Sun [Palm Springs, CA], “Postal
Perk Offers Incumbent Advantage,” February 17, 2004; Ventura County
Star, Strickland Mail Costs Taxpayers $113,000,” January 27, 2004)

RE:Ventura County is a educated intelligent community that deserve someone qualified for County Treasurer.,,,,from Nobody

Why?

The County's main function is to redistribute other peoples' tax to rich public employees...and keep the countys' multi-billion pension fund investments sound

I'm running against Audra as an un-announced write-in candidate....vote for me an I promise to collect no taxes until the Supervisors, who seem too have lifetime positions at the county, roll back taxes to the 1999 level, which would be half what it is now....

Why is Katie Teague so hell-bent on ripping the Stricklands to shreds at every opportunity? I'll tell you why. Because she's a bitter old coot.

Why don't you think up a new mantra, Katie? This one is wearing a bit thin.

KB, do you think it's OK for an elected official to use taxpayer funds to deliberately misrepresent their record to the voters, in an effort to fool those voters into reelecting that person?

That doesn't seem like bitterness. It seems to me that every responsible citizen ought to bring such unethical behavior to the voters' attention.

Ahh, c'mon, who are you kidding, gs? We all know that Katie has had a personal vendetta against the Stricklands for years now. It dates back to her time serving on the VCRCC when she ran into conflicts with Mike Osborn and some of the other mainstays there.

It's not so much that I have a problem with her raising legitimate concerns or issues about elected officials, but just the fact that she keeps beating on the same drum over and over again and it's always about the VCRCC and the Stricklands.

She needs to give it a serious rest and maybe spend her energy making some reasonable commentary on local political issues, rather than the same old venomous attacks that reek of personal animosity.

But Katie didn't attack the VCRCC. She commented on a local political issue, ie, Strickland's use of tax dollars to cover up her record in the Assembly and bamboozle voters into thinking she supports issues that they do, when she never did. There may well be personal animosity involved but that shouldn't be used as an excuse to defend unethical behavior by an elected official.

KB - if you knew what you were talking about you would know that Mike Osborn wasn't even at most VCRCC meetings when I was on board. And yes, I don't think the STricklands have ever done a good job for the citizens of Ventura County and I have thought this and said this all along. As evidenced by the recent taxpayer paid mailers sent out by AS in a desperate bid to fool the public.

Whatever, Katie. I'll let your zillion posts attacking the Stricklands over the years speak for themselves. If, just once, you would speak to an issue about the merits of the issue itself, rather than going off on some flaming tirade about how the Stricklands are conspiring to undermine the very principles of democracy in our country, I might give you some credence.

Until then, it's all blowing smoke, as far as I'm concerned.

KB, that someone would judge a person over a lengthy period is not an indication that there's something wrong with someone's credibility. It may just as likely be an indication that the person in question has, over the years, proven herself not worthy of holding public office.

As for Katie's credibility: she's one of the few posters who are prepared to stand by their opinions and that gives her credibility like few others on this blog.

You do raise a good point, however. We should speak to the issue and right now the issue is whether or not Strickland has shown a lack of ethics, a failure of integrity and an arrogance towards the voters and taxpayers of her district by making them pay for what many of us consider blatant misrepresentations about her record in the Assembly, simply to try to clear that record before she runs for another public office. This next office requires the utmost of ethics and integrity.

So, what's your take on the issue of Strickland's claims on these last mailers?

Osborn has to get a laugh out of the fact that Katie has mentioned and typed his name so many times when no one has any record of him ever mentioning her's.

gs, I have not seen Audra Strickland's mailer (and probably never will, since I don't live in her district), so I can't comment on the validity of its content.

I appreciate your willingness though to at least try and speak to the issues at hand rather than constantly slamming an individual because of some perceived slights that go back many years when Katie was involved with the VCRCC.

With regard to Audra's qualifications for County Treasurer Tax-Collector, I say let the voters decide. If the Board of Supervisors was truly concerned about the qualifications for this position, they would have acted long ago to address it. Trying to do it now because someone from the other political party of the Board majority has announced she is going to run for this office smacks highly of political motivations.

Brian, let me know if you would like me to scan the mailers - I can do so. Then KB can comment on the validity (or lack thereof).

I'm sure Mike wishes I would go away. I just wish he wouldn't call me (and others do too!). You wouldn't not believe the complaining that has gone on...

KB, that's a cop out. The problem with politics all over is that the voters are deliberately being lied to and bamboozled to such an extent that they can not possibly make an informed decision. Instead they make default decisions, voting for candidates by party, rather than by qualification. Thus those candidates who lie and bamboozle best become the candidates who get elected, encouraging the obstructionist politics being waged all over the country and in Congress.

I agree that the voters should decide but when a candidate is caught trying to bamboozle the voters every responsible citizen should call her out on it to make all voters aware that they're being scammed. If it were some less-than-honest Dem, Libber or Indie running for office I'd expect the same.

gs,

I'd say you've just described how the election of Barack Obama happened to a tee.

Ron, I fully agree with you there! And in his case I've been blogging elsewhere since Oct 2008, saying so. Now, I think he should resign.

The County Treasurer seat is wide open for anyone qualified to win. This office should not be treated by the supervisors or this newspapers editor as a token office to be given away as a favor to another political party.

I want a real treasurer.

This is no time or place for a politician with radical wingnut views. It would expose the County of Ventura to a huge amount of liability especially taking in consideration the crimes that occured in this offices recent past.

Ron,
The stock market is soaring, housing is coming back, the Nixon inspired health system is being torn down, jobs losses are dramatically down. This is what it looks after a year when a Nation is fixing eight years of Republican problems. Get used to it.

McCain showed his cards when he picked Sarah Palin as V.P.. People were worried what decisions he might make like that in Whitehouse.

Obama was elected because the Republicans couldn't come up with a rational and coherent candidate that could come close to winning.

The real issue here is if we can trust the voters to do what's right. Certainly, Audra Strickland will not be the only candidate emerging to run for the Treasurer-Tax Collector position in 2010. I've heard from good sources that Mike Gibson is putting together an exploratory committee to examine his chances in a race that will undoubtedly lure some other talented, well-qualified, albeit less known, candidates from the Democratic ranks.

Mike would be an interesting entry having served very successfully for over 28 years in various fiscal/financial management positions for two Ventura County Cities (Simi Valley & Oxnard) before moving on to Santa Barbara County where he's been for over 15 years. The guy seems to have a midas touch with money and has been instrumental in turning around a flailing, barely solvent Parks Department in Santa Barbara County during the 1990's to one of the most respected, well-run, entrepreneurial public agencies in California today. And it was mostly due to outside the box thinking, applying some key business principles to the Department's operations, and instilling a mind-set in the managers that work for him that above all else, you have to continually strive to make a profit, that is, to make the programs, facilities, and services you provide to the public so unique, special, and desirable that the public will not think twice about spending the fees required to participate in these programs and services.

It's a business model that Walt Disney employed quite successfully in a little venture he started back in the 1950's called Disneyland.

Mike's ideas and promotional skills have saved the Parks Department from having to cut millions from its budget due to declining local revenues and the State take-aways. He's somehow been able to keep parks afloat and relatively unscathed while the County is laying off deputy sheriffs, firefighters, probation officers, and social workers.

He has a Masters degree in Public Administration and a recently attained Juris Doctorate degree in corporate law. And he's apparently willing to spend a significant amount of his own money to launch a serious campaign.

I think we need to give this guy a serious look in 2010.

Damn the torpedoes. There's alway torpedoes; it's politics, it's always a dance through the "mind field". Whoa! Book Name! I meant mine field. Mike Gibson is already in election mode. He needs to take advantage of the momentum he's built. It's a race against a qualified person and one that's not.

As far as Audra Strickland being known; she will be known as not being qualified for County Treasurer after this election.

Go for it Mikey!

I think Gibson must also have a Masters in self-promotion.

Hopefully, he decides to run. We need someone who has half a clue about government finance in this office. Audra just doesn't cut it.

When I heard about her wanting to be in charge of our $$$,I said, "HUH?"

Come on now...at least be a business major or at least have some accounting experience. She is desperate and will be in need of a job when her term is up.

Totally ridiculous.

-D