Can I rent a room in TO on election day and vote for Linda?

The VCRCC stated "they represent all Republicans in Ventura County" in a court of law. There are Republicans in Ventura County who have been supporting Linda Parks for years.

It is against the law for the VCRCC to receive contributions by telling people the money is going towards supporting Republican politicians in Ventura County when they aren't doing that they are using the money for their own personal vindictive agenda. It's a criminal act and a civil offense.

They should file a class action lawsuit against the VCRCC for breach of contract and malicious conduct. The VCRCC's actions caused the damage of years of hard work spreading the good word of Linda Parks. The VCRCC damaged that hard work I believe they are liable to pay for it.

If I was the VCRCC I would write a check to Hati for atleast $10,000 for good publicity before the trial.

Let's not forget that the VCRCC gets most of its money from the tobacco companies in return the VCRCC makes people like Strickland and Gorell sign the No Tax pledge that was written by the tobacco companies in order to try and prevent higher taxes on cigs that could reduce youth smoking and could reduce the cost to taxpayers who pay for many smoking related deaths. The stock market is down again today because of the election of Brown, if more republicans are elected in November we could see a full blown 1929 style crash and depression.

Given the Supreme Court's gutting of McCain Feingold campaign finance law, corporations will be able to donate directly to candidates as part of their First Ammendment rights. That will put Mike Osborn and company out of business.

Now we will see how important Osborn is to the Stricklands when they don't need to use him.

Yep, Osborn and his cronies on the VCRCC routinely funnel/launder $$ to campaigns they favor. Word has it that Mike Gibson received $10,000 from the VCRCC that went unreported in his last bid for Ventura City Council. I wonder who else is getting money passed under the table from the VCRCC.

I just sent the VCRCC a note to at least update the candidate list - it is an embarrasment - half the candidates aren't listed and it is inaccurate to boot.

I also asked them to list all of the committee members - that is equally inaccurate.

Takes two seconds to do.

Gibson's also their new guy for County treasurer from what I understand. We all know who'll be pulling the strings on that puppet.

As a lifelong Thousand Oaks Resident since 1968. I have a solution . Currently the voters of Supervisor District#2 have one choice: The current incumbant former LA West Side Democratic Elitist(RINO) LINDA PARKS(moderate Republican per the VC STAR) or Moorpark Republican Assemblywoman, Audra Strickland if she decides to run.
Assemblywoman Audra Strickland please run, the voters of Thousand Oaks want a alternative to the past 8 years of Linda Parks puppet show with Supervisor Bennett. Please run soon.
If not I offer a alternative, I will run, the voters can then vote for a truly moderate republican and a non politician,a business owner who is used to working 12 hour days to make ends meet, a person who believes in the good fight for each and every citizen. I would work for everyone in all six corners of the county and the 2nd district. I will protect the enviroment for real and re establish funding of the testing of ocean water off the Ventura County Coast so people could enjoy the gold coast again.
I would create surplus by cutting back, all departments would have to cut budgets each year in relation to property tax revenue decreases and State of California cut backs.
I would freeze all hiring in every dept and any new hires would be on probation for 3 years,overtime would strickly be regulated and managers would be responsible for any abuses.In the case of disasters police and fire could use overtime (ONLY IF NEEDED). I would vote against any expeditures that would not have a dramatic improvement for the citizens of district 2.
NOW IS THE TIME FOR CHANGE!
DEMOCRAT PARKS VS. REPUBLICAN AUDRA STRICKLAND.

Gibson won't run for county treasurer. I doubt he meets the qualifications.

I'm a Reagan Republican and I like to ride my horse out on the open range in Thousand Oaks. Linda Parks is responsible for that open range still being there. We like Linda Parks.

I'm not sure I like the VCRCC. I believe they have been destroying the reputation of the Reagan Library by trying to make it a Bush Republican command center.

We appreciate the offer from Audra Strickland but Thousand Oaks isn't someone's third choice for a job. We are a first rate city who deserves a first rate supervisor. So we will keep Linda Parks.

Thank You,
Brett Wagner

Very well said, Brett. Thousand Oaks and its neighbors certainly is an area that others would like to emulate and one big reason for that is the efforts of Supervisor Parks. She's fought alongside her constituents to maintain a near-perfect blend of community, business and environment.

With one of the Stricklands in place the 101 corridor would quickly resemble the San Fernando Valley.

Nice quote from our legislator in this article - he didn't know where the money was coming from....

Firms, trade group held fund GOP legislators' retreat
Companies pressing an agenda in Sacramento, including oil and tobacco firms, funneled $120,000 to a group that covered much of the three-day event at a luxury resort in Santa Barbara.
By Patrick McGreevy

January 24, 2010

Reporting from Sacramento

When Republican state legislators decided last month that they needed to escape Sacramento and kick back in a more relaxed environment to hash out issues, they headed for a luxury beach resort in Santa Barbara.

Such sojourns don't come cheap, so oil and tobacco firms and other companies that are pressing an agenda in the Capitol funneled $120,000 to a group that picked up much of the tab. About 25 Republican senators and Assembly members and a dozen aides attended the retreat at Fess Parker's Doubletree Resort.

The three-day event featured a budget briefing and included a tour of the nearby Ronald Reagan ranch, gift bags worth up to $299 each, gourmet meals and a cocktail reception where lawmakers mingled with a dozen lobbyists.

Senate Republican leader Dennis Hollingsworth of Murrieta solicited the $120,000 from 11 trade groups and businesses including Anthem Blue Cross, tobacco company Altria and oil firms Chevron and Plains Exploration & Production. Another contributor was the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians, which operates a casino in Temecula under a compact with the state.

The donations were made through a nonprofit called the Council for Legislative Excellence, which is headed by the wife of a legislative aide, according to the organization's most recent tax filing.

Legislators said the financial arrangement allowed the retreat to be held without cost to the state. But it drew objections from Kathay Feng, executive director of California Common Cause, who likened it to "money laundering." The contributions amounted to "buying access by interested parties through a third-party conduit," Feng said.

Hollingsworth did not return calls from The Times, and his representatives declined to say what the retreat cost. But his spokesman Hector Barajas said he believes some money was left over and would be applied toward future events. Barajas also noted that leaders from both parties, including the governor, do similar fundraising.

"There is a firewall between legislation and money raised for various events," he said.

Democratic lawmakers solicited $14,000 in 2008 to cover gourmet meals, rooms and cocktails for a retreat at a wine country hotel that 24 of them attended. The event included a reception that also drew eight Senate Republicans. The money came from the California Professional Firefighters, the Consumer Attorneys of California and the Northern California Carpenters Regional Council.

Barajas said most of the Republican lawmakers paid for their own hotel rooms in Santa Barbara, many from accounts made up of political contributions. The Council for Legislative Excellence helped rent meeting rooms and pay for meals and receptions, he said.

The council also gave those who attended the retreat a gift bag that included a $150 briefcase, cuff links for the men and charm bracelets for the women, one lawmaker said.

Some legislators said they did not know who footed the bill for the retreat and did not feel pressured by lobbyists who attended.

"I didn't know who paid for it," said state Sen. Tony Strickland (R-Thousand Oaks). The important thing, he said, is that all financial details be disclosed publicly, "and let the people decide what they think about it."

Lawmakers said they expect a written account of the gifts so they can properly report the information.

Lobbyists who attended the reception included a representative of Chevron, according to company spokesman Sean Comey. Chevron and Altria were the biggest donors, giving $25,000 each to the council. Both actively lobby lawmakers on bills before the Legislature.

Altria has for years fought proposals to raise the state's tobacco tax. The latest such proposal died last year in a legislative committee after Republicans voted against it.

Chevron and other oil companies have long battled a proposed oil-extraction tax. One such proposal was vetoed last year by Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Asked why Chevron donated the money for the retreat, Comey said, "We wanted to attend the event and we made the contribution." He added that the firm supports such conferences for legislators of both parties "to facilitate their ability to reinvigorate the economy."

Plains Exploration would have been the major benefactor of a bill last year to open the door to more oil drilling in the Tranquillon Ridge field off the coast of Santa Barbara County. Fourteen of the 15 Republicans in the state Senate voted for the legislation. The bill failed, but the proposal is back in Schwarzenegger's proposed budget for the next fiscal year.

The company sent a representative to the retreat "to get the message out on the Tranquillon Ridge project," Plains Exploration spokesman Steve Rusch said.

patrick.mcgreevy@ latimes.com

Copyright © 2010, The Los Angeles Times

Brett,

If you believe in small government and low taxes why do you want to use government power to preserve a place for riding you horse instead of creating a cooperative with your fellow horse riders? The free market, not socialist parks, could be your solution.

So riders would have to subscribe for basic trail use service at $29.95 per month or upgrade to premium trail use at $59.95 per month?

Gibson actually does qualify for the Treasurer position. Whether he'll run or not is another question.

Most if not all of the Gibson posts are written by Gibson. I suspect there was no money funneled to him unless it was done without the knowledge of ANYONE on the Central Committee. Mike Osbourn did endorse him so he could have sent some money his way. But I doubt it because Tony wouldn't like it.

Katie
That's an interesting article.

Why doesn't someone do a push poll about Tony Strickland?

How about this for a Tony Strickland push poll questions:
Did you know Tony Strickland is being financed by a gay meth dealer in San Bernardino? Knowing this would you like Tony Strickland removed from office?

It's simple and to the point. I need to go to sleep so I can start making calls first thing in the morning.

I would like to know about the warrant TS was served in the San Bernardino mess.

Mary Osborn is the wife of Mike Osborn and has approved of this poll and sanctioned all the money being laundered. She is also a member of Van Gundy's diamond Necklace "Jewelia" along with other women in the county. I'm sure they wouldn't like it if they knew and it could cost them ALOT of good will.

Why would a person's political affiliation have anything to do with where they shop? The necklace " Jewlia" is owned by the women in the group not by the VanGundy business. What Ms. Osborn does on her own time is her own business. Did you boycott her grocery store as well?

It is not about political affilation - it is about an utter lack of integrity - and I assure you that the members of Jewelia do care. As does Van Gundy because his wife is/was one of the members and he sold the necklace to them. She is on the "executive committee" and her husband blithely drags her through the mud.

Talk about adding injury to insult - the Reps are losing even more ground here in the county! Except from a new article on the VC Star follows:

The report submitted to the secretary of state reflects registrations as of Jan. 5. It shows there are now 13,444 more registered Democrats than registered Republicans in the county, up from a difference of 11,829 a year ago.

As a percentage of the total, Democrats now make up 40.1 percent of the county electorate, compared to 36.9 percent for Republicans. Nonpartisan, or “decline-to-state,” voters make up 18.3 percent, with the remainder registered as members of the American Independent, Libertarian, Green or Peace and Freedom parties.

Want to save the Republican party in Ventura County?

Get rid of the crime family running the VCRCC. Let's get some honest law abiding folks in there before it's too late. I want to be proud to be a Republican again. I heard today what's going on down there and I am disgusted. We need to fix this fast before it becomes even more embarrasing.

Good job Mike and Mary Osborn on the Republican voter registration! You must be very proud of your work on the Executive Committee. It's really working!

When you consider all the ACORN-type voter registration being done by the Democrats these days, it's not that surprising that their registration numbers have gone up slightly from last year.

The proof is always in the pudding, however. It really doesn't matter if you've been able to register a few more illegal aliens since last year. What matters is how that translates to actual new votes for Democratic candidates. We'll see with the upcoming elections for State Assembly and other offices how those numbers actually work out for the Democrats.

Don't forget, Democrats had a 3-1 registration advantage over Republicans in Massachusetts.

The dems can phony up the voter registration numbers all they want, the proof is in the elections.

Last primary Reps out voted Dems in Ventura County by 5000. This year it'll be even worse. Most likely 7-8000.

We'll see how timm spins it then.

And Brian,

How is it that nobody can say;

"Did you know Tony Strickland is being financed by a gay meth dealer in San Bernardino?"

And I can't point out that that's probably nobody's target demographic?

You think nobody's statement is the kind of class you want in your blog, but somehow mine isn't?

Fair play for all, right Brian?

Voter,

If you think it is a partisan thing then you missed the part where I defended the Republican State Assembly Member. Here it is:

"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."

That's on the front page.

My policy that has seemed to work is to handle this by email instead of debating each comment.

Voter!
He defended the working girl and the guy with the mink coat and velvet hat what are you complaining about?

Voter,
It's not my fault for saying it. It's not Brian's fault for not deleting it. It's Tony Strickland's fault for being financed by gay meth dealers from San Bernardino!

Bill Postmus was gay but I don't know if he was a dealer - he was a user. He was the darling of the GOP and was endorsed by many and many seeked his endorsement. He was on the San Bernadino Central Committee and was most recently the County Assessor for San Bernandino. He gave one of his flings a job in the office that he was totally unqualified. Bill Postmus did not want to leave his office despite being arrested for drugs and I believe for using a public office for campaign activities (or maybe that was something the BOS accused him of). In any event, he FINALLY resigned. Tony Strickland did have dealings with him and there was a warrant issued regarding his compaign contributions run through some PAC that Bill was involved with. There have been numerous articles in the local San Bernandino paper.

Yet The Star never covered the story.

Went to the Santa Claria GOP website and found this link. He's the guy in the LA Times today who is on the Santa Clarita City Council, was the mayor, and is being denounced for saying he's proud of being a racist regarding a recent anti-immigration rally. He and Tony Strickland have mutually endorsed each other...

Our guest speaker for March:

Mayor Bob Kellar
He will be speaking on the State of the City

***

YOU'RE INVITED!
Thursday, March 20th 2007

Dinner is $11 per person and includes all you can drink.

Om my gosh, all the Republican organizations have the same address in Santa Clarita!! If it like Ventura County, it is probably the same people too.

Audra Strickland should renounce the "push poll" done on her behalf or remove herself from the race. Ronald Reagan would be embarassed by her (llth commandment of Republican politics: "Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican"). She is dispicable for letting this be done in her name and I for one could never bring myself to vote for her.
The fact she has failed to be effective in Sacramento, is beholden to special interests, is a career politician and now a carpetbagger take a back seat to her most recent antics.