I have confirmed that Marta Jorgensen is going to end her campaign for the Democratic nomination for congress. She faced an uphill battle in the primary against Tim Allison and of course after that the winner will be facing Rep. Elton Gallegly.

I have often given Marta Jorgensen a hard time for her campaigning skills but at a time like this we should remember that she did what so many of us will never do. She stepped into the arena and declared she is running for office. Marta, this TR quote goes out to you:

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

I haven't seen Marie Panec or Shawn Stern campaigning much lately. So far Tim Allison is the clear favorite for the nomination.

In related news Marta Jorgensen long agoendorsed Das Williams in his race against Susan Jordan for the Democratic nomination in the 35th State Assembly District.

Washington DC Chancellor of Public Schools Michelle Rhee is among the most controversial educators in America. She is a staunch defender of public education but she has constantly challenged teachers and others to reform. I created a Facebook Fanpage to show support for her goals. Please read a few articles on her and consider becoming a fan. Wikipedia in often a decent starting point in your research. Also check out the WashingtonPost.com page dedicated to news involving her.

She took over as Chancellor of the urban school system rated simultaneously as among the worst academically and among the highest per student expenditures in the nation. Since taking over she has pushed to put into place high performing principals and to reform teacher tenure. Like many, she favors some changes to No Child Left Behind but she is a stalwart supporter of the law overall. She has also upset many with brash decisions and not always working well with other stake holders. All of this has upset many people, sometimes for good reasons.

She has the support of President Barack Obama and DC Mayor Adrian Fenty. Many Republicans have supported her along the way too. If you go through the fans on the Facebook page I created you will see an amazing diversity of people from across the nation. A fellow administrator of the site worked for McCain in 2000 while I was proud to support Barack Obama.

When you talk to someone running for an office that deals with education ask them if overall a law, like NCLB, has been a net benefit or negative to education.

I believe that people like Michelle Rhee are needed so much I am supporting the re-election of Anthony Fenty for another term as mayor. Change doesn't always come quick but Michelle Rhee deserves our support.

I found this Tweet on Twitter that shows my sources are correct that Bob Huber is looking to run for Mayor of Simi Valley. The election is this November. Mayor Paul Miller has not announced if he is going to retire yet. The other candidates I have heard mentioned include council members Barbra Williamson and Steve Sojka. I am looking forward to a battle of ideas between the candidates.

No word if Mickey Jones will be running but some people sure like voting for him in my polls. Maybe the candidates should try to get his endorsement.

NOTE: I locked this from further comments because it veered off topic to discussing skate boarding. If skateboarding becomes a part of the campaign we can discuss it more. Thanks for reading and commenting on my blog.

Democratic State Assembly Candidate Susan Jordan has been going after Gov. Before the current campaign and disputes over offshore oil production they were much friendlier. In fact she even joined administration officials on a trip overseas.

Check it out this article from back when they were much friendlier:

The only LNG critic on the trip was Susan Jordan, leader of the California Coastal Protection Network, who said she went along to make certain that environmental and safety issues associated with LNG were raised.

"I don't think the administration officials are particularly that weak willed," Jordan said.

This article reminds me that in politics sometimes it isn't personal and even though sternly written press releases make people sound outraged, behind closed doors they are often willing to work together.

Susan Jordan has been running against Governor Schwarzenegger more than she has been running against Das Williams. Will she pivot to running against the Republican nominee for governor when they secure their nomination? I want to know if she can work with the governor, regardless of who holds the office next.

There has been many heated comments in recent days that use a variety of misogynistic or vulgar terms. If you see an objectionable comment please email me so that I can delete it. If you feel a female politician sells her votes to special interest groups come up with some other metaphor that doesn't involve street corners.

If you send me an email asking for a trashy comment to be deleted I won't post who you are or what campaign you might be connected to. I often delete comments that are too personal or too vicious. Don't worry, it doesn't take too much time and it isn't a big deal. Let's stay focused on good government and policy.

Keep it classy.

From The Star:

Simi Valley police have posted a video on YouTube of a carjacking Sunday in the 1800 block of Cochran Street and are asking for the public's help in finding a suspect.

A woman left her 10-month-old baby in the car while she went into a convenience store, police said. The video, which can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiBHazowttk, shows a man getting into the car and then backing up. Police described him as 40 to 50 years, with salt and pepper short hair, about 6 feet and 220 pounds.

The video shows the woman running to the car and grabbing the driver's door. She opened it, forcing the man out, and then got into the driver's seat. Police said the man ran north toward a Vons grocery store.

Simi Policed asked anyone with information on the man's whereabouts or the carjacking to contact them at 583-6993.

I am impressed that the SVPD is using this technology to ask for help from the public. Please post this on your social networks.

Long time Democratic Party activist Lynn Maxson has passed away. I first met him at Simi Valley Democratic Club meetings.

I didn't know Lynn Maxson for many years but anyone that discussed politics with him would quickly feel his passion for the causes he supported. Lynn was committed to supporting progressive issues and he always seemed to bring a sense of urgency to a topic. Being a Democratic activist in a Republican town can be frustrating but Lynn believed the issues he worked for were so important that had to be brought to the attention of more people.

If you knew Lynn you would have known he wasn't into politics for the power or the prestige. He character and commitment were refreshing in a field where so many are acting for their own self-interest.

He will be missed by his many friends in local politics.

In his memory his family is asking for donations to help the people of Haiti.

Click on continue reading for a email from the Ventura County Democratic Party with more details on donating money to help Haiti in Lynn's name.

The first week I asked the candidates to share who some of their most influential teachers have been in their lives. Here was this week's question:

Does your favorite music tell us anything about your worldview or ideology? Please share with us a few of your favorite groups or musicians.

Moby's "And God Moved Across the Face of the Waters", Gus Gus "Believe", The Staple Singers' "I'll Take You There", a Christian song "I Could Sing of Your Love", and lately Sade's "Soldier of Love". It means that I feel a deep faith in God using us as an instrument for a better world. I think I could sing of your love is the most genuine and true Christian rock tune ever.

I listen to a wide range of music. While driving around I like to hear top 40 because it keeps me going. At home though, I really like to listen to more mellow music, maybe classic rock or jazz. To go to bed I enjoy symphony music.

What my music selection says about me is that I am always adapting to my circumstances and that I like to hear from everyone because everyone is different. I don't limit my possibilities because if I did, I would only be selling myself short.

Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele has been called the Republican's Howard Dean. Although many would view that as an insult in light of the victories in 2006 and 2008 when Dean was leading the Democrats it should be a compliment.

Now that Republicans have earned victories in New Jersey, Virginia, and Massachusetts Michael Steele can defend his record from his critics too.

That being said the quote below the picture of Michael Steele signing books at the Ronald Reagan Library last week is funny.

See any problem in this quote:

Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele--whose name has come up as a possible 2012 presidential candidate.

I want to know who is mentioning Michael Steele as a presidential candidate.

Republicans: If you don't care to discuss Michael Steele feel free to continue to gloat about your victory in Massachusetts. Congratulations.

Just a few quick questions...

1. Is Steve Poizner on vacation? Meg Whitman has seized all of the momentum thus far. Looks like the local Republican activists are lining up to support her. Ventura County will be Whitman country, at least during the primary.

2. How strange is it that Jerry Brown cleared the field without even declaring he is running? Makes you think the nomination isn't valuable when people don't contest it. Maybe it is the job that isn't desirable. Jerry Brown was actually promoted to acting governor the other day when Arnold traveled away from the state.

3. If you had to vote today who would you support?

I thought Paul Miller was already set on retiring but this news story says he hasn't made up his mind yet.

Are you surprised?

If Mayor Miller runs again Steve Sojka said he would not. I assume Barbra Williamson wouldn't run against him either but I don't know enough about what motivates Bob Huber to say if he would run against Paul Miller.

The union that represents Simi Valley police officers has been raising money for the upcoming city elections. But unless there is a strong challenger for mayor I don't think they would spend a significant amount of money. Simi Valley City Council and School Board races don't often draw many challengers that have experience running campaigns.

Democratic congressional candidate Tim Allison has announced he has added more staff to his campaign. His first task is to win the nomination of his party. His declared opponents include 2008 nominee Marta Jorgensen , Moorpark professor Marie Panec, and environmentalist Shawn Stern.

The other three candidates haven't been very energetic lately as far as I have seen. If he gets passed them he will be facing Rep. Gallegly who was first elected in 1986. Gallegly must feel very confident that a Democratic challenger isn't going to threaten him because he hasn't been holding town hall meetings, even as all of the other Members of Congress ( McKeon (R), Sherman (D), Capps (D) ) from this area have been holding events.

Will this be the time Democrats will unite behind a challenger and run a great grassroots campaign? I'm not convinced yet.

Tim, thanks for having your campaign email me the HTML for a fanbox. I am impressed with the way web 2.0 technologies make it easier for people to connect with campaigns.

Susan Jordan's campaign team is having a fundraising party in Oxnard this weekend and she has an impressive list of supporters from the area to support her. Click on continue reading for the event details and for the list of supporters.

Two of her supporters were recently featured in news stories.

Rev. Edgar Mohorko was featured in a story about how he is helping the fight against gangs and hopelessness.

Lupe Anguiano, a tireless labor organizer and advocate for women, was featured in a news story for winning an award.

Many of the people on the list are more easily recognizable to politicians but it is a boon to have two supporters that have been featured in the local paper for their work outside of electoral politics.

In related news I heard her top applause line at the recent debate came when she was defending herself from nepotism charges and after explaining her professional background said " My name isn't Audra Strickland." Even though Audra Strickland doesn't represent that area ( her husband's district does overlap with parts of the 35th State Assembly District) it is interesting that Audra Strickland brings up such passion from Democratic activists.

What will Democrats do if Audra Strickland retires from politics? Something tells me we won't find out soon.

I have become a follower on Facebook/Twitter of the candidates for sheriff and I have been impressed that both of them have been willing to campaign in front of a variety of groups. I want the next Sheriff to be so dedicated to their job they don't get overly involved with endorsing candidates for partisan positions. Their opinion matters on issues of public safety but at the same time it should be a nonpartisan office.

So far the campaigns have been encouraging in this regard. Has your opinion of the candidates changed since the campaign started?

Geoff Dean's campaign sent me the HTML for a Fanbox for me to post. When Dennis Carpenter's campaign sends it to me I will post it too.

The Ventura County Republican Central Committee Chair Mike Osbourn said they are against bailouts and the election in Massachusetts was a sign other people agree with them.

But the massive bank bailout was passed under George W. Bush. It may or may not be a good economic policy but it wasn't forced on the country by Democrats. Some people on both sides spoke out against them just as some people from both sides supported the bank bailouts. But I guess the local Republicans can only speak out when they are not in power.

I am not interested in the predictable spin game about what happened tonight but we should make sure the historical record shows it was Bush who signed the bailouts into law. This reminds me of how Glenn Beck was for the bank bailouts before he was against them.

Looks like The Ventura County Republican Central Committee is basically admitting they were responsible for the push poll attacking Republican Linda Parks. The committee is controlled by many people that are loyal to Tony and Audra Strickland. Some of them are current employees/consultants for them.

Here is Timm Herdt's article.

When the push poll was first reported this was the response from Strickland's office:

Rondi Guthrie, a spokeswoman for Strickland, said the assemblywoman was not aware of the survey and does not know who might have commissioned it. She said Strickland is focused exclusively on her job in the Assembly.

If it is true, as it appears, that the VCRCC was involved with the poll it is wild to think her close political allies, employees, and supporters didn't tell her they were conducting a push poll to support her. But I guess it could have been a surprise present or something.

In an earlier post I was critical of Democratic State Assembly Candidate Susan Jordan for an answer she gave in a recent debate between her and Das Williams. She seemed dismissive of charter schools whereas Das Williams, who serves on the board of a charter school, was more supportive.

The quote seemed pretty clear but her campaign emailed me her extended remarks which provides a deeper understanding of her concerns regarding charter schools.

Read it yourself:

"Good intentions but lots of potential pitfalls and dangers, mostly for public education. I understand that charter schools were designed to give greater flexibility and parental input but as I watch what is happening in California right now and the way the governor has pushed through the ARRA funding and the way he tied teacher performance to student test scores I have to wonder what he's up to as he is systematically defunding education.

"My biggest concern about charter schools is I believe what the governor's
agenda is here is to privatize public education and I believe when that
happens, our children lose and I don't feel we have the protections in place
that will stop undermining public education."

Her extended remarks are more nuanced and although it is clear she wouldn't likely support more charter schools under the present rules she isn't as dogmatic as the quote in the news story depicted her.

Thanks to her campaign for responding so quickly. I am sure the rapid response team will serve her well as the primary gets closer.

I am curious what education reform ideas my readers would like to see State Assembly candidates champion. I want elected leaders to first start with the premise that the status quo is not good enough anymore.

Simi Valley City Council Member Glen Becerra has announced he is running for re-election to the city council. He was first elected to the city council in 1998 when he defeated incumbent Sandi Webb, who was popular with libertarian minded people.

Glen is often mentioned as a candidate for higher office but he has said he doesn't want to move away from his young family. Since Peter Foy has declared he is running again the only other offices would be countywide offices. I would be surprised if he hasn't given serious thought to those offices before.

Because of his long service on the city council, substantial name ID, and activism within the Republican Party ( He has supported Bush, Schwarzenegger, and McCain) in a normal year he would be easily favored to win re-election. This year though the union representing police officers has been raising significant amounts of money that they could spend to defeat him if a credible challenger runs.

Full disclosure: Even though we have often disagreed I am thankful that Glen Becerra alongside Paul Miller interviewed me and recommend to the full council that I serve on a volunteer committee that advised the city. I appreciate that honor I had to help.

Click on continue reading to see his recent email to supporters.

Das Williams has announced some new endorsements from the Oxnard area following his debate. Some of the names I have seen listed as endorsing him before but together this list is impressive. If you would have asked me before who had the advantage I would have said Susan Jordan. But over the last few months I now would say it is a toss-up between Susan Jordan and Das Williams. The finance reports that are coming out will provide strong insights.

I do not have a favorite candidate and I haven't studied the oil deal that many say is the most important issue in the campaign. But this answer from the debate surprised me:

Williams serves on the board of a Santa Barbara charter school and said charters are "part of the solution" to education reform, while Jordan said she thinks charter schools are an attempt to "privatize public education."

I want to know what reforms the candidates do support for California public schools. Charter schools are not a fix all and they do have their own problems but they do have their place in reforming our schools. Democrats, especially in primaries, will often say they support fully funding education but that isn't the only education issue they will be dealing with.

The issues that divide them don't make it easy to classify one of them as more or less liberal from what I have seen thus far. That makes this contest even more interesting.

For the record: Susan Jordan has a long history in business but a recent news story that labeled her a lawyer was wrong. To read her background go to her website.

( Jeff Gorell @ a Tea Party protest.)

Republican State Assembly candidate Jeff Gorell has been successful so far in clearing the primary field of any challengers. His latest finance reports that will be sent out to newspapers Wednesday will show he has a strong foundation for the general election.

Here are some of the numbers he is going to be report:

1. $226,000 raised
2. 350 donations from the region (Santa Barbara, Ventura, and parts of Los Angeles County).
3. 412 donations total

When the reports come out we can look at it to see what % comes from individuals or interest groups.

As of today he is going to go into the general election as the frontrunner. It is unclear if Democrats can organize enough local grassroots support to hold him off until the state parties get more involved. So far Democrats are divided between Ferial Masry and Ernest Morell. because Ferial Masry has name ID left over from her last three runs for this seat I assume she is currently the frontrunner for the nomination.

If my question of the week for 35th State Assembly District is popular enough I will start asking questions for the candidates for this seat too.

I will post a widget for Ferial Masry's campaign when she sends it to me.

I am asking the 4 candidates vying for the 35th District State Assembly Seat a question a week from now until the June primaries.

Last Week I asked the candidates to discuss some of their favorite teachers. Susan Jordan, Das Williams, and Daniel Goldberg were all kind enough to reply. Das sent his answer in a little later but I have now included it.

There are many policy questions I could ask but between debates, news interviews, questionnaires from interest groups and editorial board interviews I feel confident most of them will be asked. That's why I am asking a mix of traditional and more quirky questions.

Here is this week's question:

Does your favorite music tell us anything about your worldview or ideology? Please share with us a few of your favorite groups or musicians.

Send in your answers by Wednesday if you can. I don't want to take too much of your time so feel free to keep your answers short.

Mike Stoker: If you send me in a widget of Fanbox I will post it for you too.

I am trying something new by writing movie reviews in two minutes or less. Here goes my first entry:

Just watched Terminator 4. The writers must have gone mad. They really used the exact same terminator versus terminator plot device 4 movies in a row. They also ended the movie with the idea there would be a 5th. A writer for Terminator must be the easiest job in Hollywood. Formula: Evil robot versus good robot. Add in a few motorcycles and end it in a factory where their feet clang fighting on the steel steps.

Why did I get tricked again?

Plot aside it was a good movie.

A friend of mine Owen Paun updated us as he worked for the McCain campaign in the primaries. Some of his posts were deleted but I will see if I can get them posted again. After the campaign was over he came and spoke about his experiences to a class of AP Government students of mine and now I am plugging his new website that seeks to encourage people to help Haiti during the current crisis and beyond.

His website has cool interactive features that move it beyond a simple website with a donate here button. I encourage you to check it out and get involved.

The masthead reads "A blog designed for us to express our grief and support to all those affected by the tragic earthquake in Haiti".

Owen, it is a noble cause and I appreciate your efforts. How about you issue a challenge to my students? How much do we need to raise to help Haiti for you to come back and talk to them this semester? Give me a number and let's see if they can do it.

I am thankful that Owen Paun and Serge Spisovsky have given us this opportunity to help.

The Facebook Fanpage I created for Happy Face Hill was mentioned in a Ventura County Star story detailing the conflict between who is going to take care of the hill. With all of the upcoming rainstorms I am looking forward to the hills of Simi Valley being green. You would be surprised the passion people feel towards the hill. Go to the Facebook page and read some of the comments to see for yourself.

Here is the article from Ventura County Star Reporter Anna Bakalis:

City officials said they have heard good things from the community about Happy Face Hill, particularly younger people. There is a Facebook page dedicated to "a hill with a smile" that has about 2,300 friends listed.

Instead of allowing the negative attack to go unanswered Linda Parks has posted the questions she said she was asked along along with added commentary. Posting the questions was a smart move.

Although there isn't any public proof who funded the poll Linda Parks isn't equivocating in her belief that Audra Strickland does in fact know who sponsored it. I wonder if Timm Herdt will ask Audra Strickland's office if they now know who funded it.

I find it hard to believe that thousands of calls can be made by a large company without it getting out who paid for it.

Readers: Thanks for the tips you keep sending in.

Click here for my earlier entry on this poll.

Republican State Assembly candidate Mike Stoker is the first to put out a press release with his latest fundraising numbers. Click on continue reading for the full statement. In his email he also relates how much he expects to see Democrats Susan Jordan and Das Williams report that they raised.

What do you think? Is this enough money to convince people he is seriously contesting a seat that was assumed to be a safe Democratic district? I will be convinced he is serious if I see that State Senator Tony Strickland donated a large amount of money.

It is time for a few weeks of the different campaigns spinning their numbers and fact checking their opponents.

The typo in the announcement from the Ventura County Republican Party above isn't too hard to spot. In their defense the F and V key are close on a keyboard.

I am not claiming to be better at catching my own mistakes. Instead, I am using it as an opportunity to ask you for help. The Star does not offer me the services of an editor and sometimes I post entries in a rush. If you ever see a grammar mistake, a spelling error, or a typo please let me know.

You can email me directly or leave a comment with the correction. You don't need to register to leave a comment.

I appreciate your help. Especially my loyal reader Nostrademus that likes to use Latin phrases.I am sure you have some input!

( Check out Barack Obama roasting Michael Steel)

There is a book signing and a free lecture at the Reagan Library with Republican Party Chair Michael Steele. Go to the Reagan Library website to RSVP.

Think any reporter will ask him to explain how this is possible?

I would like to see him explain what he meant when he said he wrote a book that discusses current events before he became Chair of the RNC. I assume he meant he wrote parts of the book before he took over the party.

Michael Steel has made many statements that have created discord in his own party including his assessment that Republicans would not be winning back control of congress in 2010.

What do you think of his leadership so far? If you want to give any Republican bloggers a hard time ask them to rate his leadership on a scale of 1 to 10 thus far.

UPDATED: Das Williams sent in his reply several days ago and I have now included it.

I am starting a new weekly feature where I ask the candidates for the 35th State Assembly District a question and then I post their replies.

This week I asked them to name some of the most influential teachers in their lives. Susan Jordan and Daniel Goldberg replied to my questions. Please read through their replies and then leave a comment with your thoughts. You don't need to register to comment but keep it classy.

Das Williams and Mike Stoker have not replied yet but I will add their thoughts if they send them in.

I appreciate the time of the candidates that sent in their replies. Please show them your appreciation by checking out their platforms, becoming a fan on Facebook, voting in the poll, or posting a comment. Show some appreciation for their time, especially for Susan Jordan's extended answer , and I am sure they will be back again.

The most influential teachers in my life:

I would have to start with the nuns at the St. Lawrence School in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, starting with the Mother Superior, Sister Mary Nazareth and Sister Theresa. As the only child in my Catholic school who was being raised by a divorced working mother, my early years in Catholic School provided a strong framework for my work ethic and self-discipline. I became responsible at a very early age for tracking and completing my school assignments which was an important early lesson in independence and follow through. Also, the Mother Superior selected me as the student who would clean her office. Being selected for such a responsibility was a high honor and I felt empowered knowing that she had such tremendous confidence in me.

In undergraduate school, I was most influenced by the poet Robert Creeley and literature professor Art Efron. I was an admirer of Creeley's poetry and when I learned that he was teaching at the State University of New York at Buffalo, I chose that campus to complete my undergraduate liberal arts degree. His classes, held in a freezing trailer, consisted mostly of graduate students. I was inspired by his honesty and his dedication to fostering creativity in his students. We were not expected to accept the status quo but encouraged to test our boundaries and create our own interpretations of important works of literature regardless of the critics. I was also very lucky to be accepted into Dr. Efron's graduate literature class that met at his home. The debate was lively and though I was the lone undergraduate, I felt that my views and interpretations were valued on an equal basis. The exploration of a range of themes - political, social, historical in literature gave my literature studies their first strong sense of the important role that politics plays in literature and every day life.

Finally, at graduate school at the University of Pennsylvania, I was most inspired by the woman who headed the University's Student Health Center. I regret that I cannot recall her name. What I do recall is the confidence she demonstrated in my judgment and her commitment to providing the students that used the Student Health Center the best information and treatment available. Under her supervision of my internship for my Master's in Social Work, I was allowed to create and teach the Student Health Center's first programs on reproduction, birth control and sexually transmitted diseases to my fellow students. I understood the importance of access to medical information early on and it informs my goals to this day. Access is power.