Steven,

Thanks for agreeing to be interviewed on my blog.

Early in the campaign season the Board of Supervisors passed new rules requiring experience in the field of a college degree in finance. Did you agree with their new rules?

Were you going to run regardless of who the other candidates were going to be?

Hello, Brian. Thanks for the opportunity to talk with you.

The "new" rules are reasonable. They should have been enacted years ago. As it was, the various decisions made it look like the office was a political football. This office can't be a political football.

I would not have run against Audra Strickland.

Steven,

Are you a fan of Milton Friedman?

When I first told the Star reporter I was interested, I had no idea Audra Strickland was also interested. As soon as I learned of her interest, I said that I was not running.

Why weren't you interested in running against her? Is she more qualified for the job or is she too effective at campaigning?

Speaking generally, and referring to his post-Keynsian views . . . yes, I am a Friedman fan.

Who are some of your other favorite economists? Do you how you were introduced to their ideas?

She was not more qualified than I. The financial aspects of a campaign against her were significant issues. And I had supported her as an assemblywoman.

Arthur Laffer. His theories were right for the times. The USA would be better off if the politicians had adopted them.

Steven,

I know that you have been involved with the conservative legal group The Federalist Society. When did you first get involved with them and how long have you been a member?

Do you watch any current financial or investing shows? Which get your attention the most?

Would you suggest I buy gold, shares in Facebook, or property in the desert?

I became a board member in 2007. I had been to Federalist Society events in LA and I was impressed with their programs. When there was interest in starting the Gold Coast Chapter, I agreed to join the board. I have particularly enjoyed being the moderator for four Federalist forums since then. It was a great follow-up to those 19 years of teaching law, but in a different forum.

Do you know what the total compensation package is for the job you are seeking? Will you push to make available to the public easy online access to information about total compensation for local elected officials?

I read the Wall Street Journal daily. Since I have been the Chief Financial Officer for the California State Railroad Museum Foundation, in charge of managing its investment portfolio for the last five years, I have spent more time reading investment analyses of various asset types. And, I took a class in investing theory to bring my knowledge of finance and investing up to current standards. I have derived great satisfaction from that experience.

I would have to know your risk tolerance to tell you about those three investment possibilities.

Personally I do not own shares in Facebook or property in the desert. But that may be because I have a very low risk tolerance.

I don't know the details of the compensation package. I intend to find a way to roll back some of the salary into the general fund, and I intend to decline the use of a county car if it is offered. I have my own cell phone, too.

Will you be attending the upcoming Tea Party rally on April 15th? Do you share the same values and concerns as local Tea Party leaders?

Is the total compensation package easy to find?

The Treasurer-Tax Collector website needs work. Information is not easy to find. If I am fortunate enough to be elected, I will work to add access to quite a bit more information.

For example, the older monthly Treasury reports are not easily available. There should be more comparative reports that will show trends and performance.

The public wants to have better access so they have better knowledge. It is their money and they have a right to know.

I may be a little off your question here, but the website for VCERA needs even more work. The reports are six months apart and it is a real struggle to navigate. Since the Treasurer is an ex officio member of that board, I would work to improve the ability of the taxpayer to access that information too.

Will you pledge tonight on my blog to put a link showing the total compensation for each county elected official on the front page of the Treasurer / Tax Collector website?

The compensation isn't a big issue for me. I am campaigning for this job because I have a passion for public service and this job would fulfill that passion.

The Tea Party is on a busy day, in which I am already scheduled for three meetings in Ventura County and a lengthy telephonic meeting for the Railroad Museum. I doubt I will be at the Tea Party.

I share the Tea Party enthusiasm for citizen participation in the electoral process.

Are you surprised that some Tea Party leaders don't believe Barack Obama was born in the United States?

Have you been able to attract bipartisan support for your campaign? Can you name any prominent Democrats supporting you?

Yes, I was disciplined in 1992 by the Commission on Judicial Performance. I allowed searches by the sheriff to occur in my courtroom. In hindsight, it was inappropriate at the time. The issue was courtroom security, at a time before the metal detectors were installed. There was also a dispute about my disagreement with a jury verdict, and about comments I made during a case settlement conference. I admitted the charges, received a reproval, and continued working. I was elected without opposition twice afterward and became a Superior Court judge in 1998.

On the issue of compensation, I am not sure that it would be the business of the Treasurer-Tax Collector to post everybody's compensation package. But I will pledge to post mine, if I am elected.

After 27 years on the bench, there are few surprises left. After all, I had a case where a party complained that the government was interfering with her plans for a space station that was made out of cardboard and aluminum foil. How many surprises can be left?

What letter grade would you assign to the current holder of this office?

Some leading Democrats who have endorsed me include former supervisor John Flynn; Oxnard City Councilman Bryan Macdonald; Trustee Stephen Blum of the Ventura County Community College District; and John R. Hatcher, III, President of the Ventura County Chapter of the NAACP. I don't actually know what party Bob Gonzales of Santa Paula belongs to, but I am proud to have him beside me. The truth of it is that I have not paid that much attention to party affiliation.

Larry Matheney represented the county well. His staff likes him so much they signed a newspaper letter saying how much they will miss him. He has been available to all the candidates during this campaign. He has been a voice of reason at VCERA and the county's investment pool has maintained the principal in the face of economic adversity. I would say, "Well done, Larry, and thank you."

Does he deserve an A?

Do you intend to use the platform of your office to speak out on state level issues or on county employee pension benefits?

What's your favorite sports team?

Have you ever been a judge in a case involving any of the current elected officials in Ventura County? What did you learn from that case?

Tradition partisan politics have nothing to do with this office. I am proud of the endorsements by statewide taxpayer associations (the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and The People's Advocate,the Gann Group) and Hal Pittman, the former Treasurer-Tax Collector for many years, endorsements that reflect my traditional values of conservative fiscal management.

Dodgers, all the way.

If I am elected I intend to mind the business of the Ventura County Treasurer-Tax Collector. It is a full-time job that does not make policy.

No cases come to mind involving any elected officials as individual parties. I don't remember any.

I had the occasional probate or conservatorship trial that seemed likely to last more than the two-day limit for the judges who were assigned to those calendars. I don't think there were more than five such trials.

Steven,

Good luck on the campaign trail. Thanks for taking my oddball questions. Please keep us updated on your campaign.

Thanks for your time!

Thanks, Brian, for providing a forum designed to reach the people who get to make the electoral decisions.

Regards, Steve Hintz

When did you first become aware of the fraud occuring in the Ventura County Treasurer's Department and what did you about it?

When did you first become aware of the fraud occuring in the Ventura County Treasurer's Department and what did you do about it?

He likes Milton Friedman, the Laffer Curve, AND the Dodgers? *swoon*

Seriously, though, I like his straightforward answers. The Judge told the Young Republicans he would even scale back his own salary, I believe.

Eric, see the 7:14 entry . . .

Ah, there it is. Thanks, Judge. Go Blue.

A tax-collector whose a fan of the McCourts. There won't be any dangling chads on this one huh Eric?

If Linda Parks was a tree what kind of tree would she be?

Are you still going to wear the robe?

Steve -- point of order. Bryan MacDonald is a Republican.

Steve, I didn't realize you were a Dodger fan. All the more reason to vote for you.

All the best,

Mike

Another point of order... The past treasurer let crimes occur for years and either he was completely negligent or part of the criminal activity. You gave him high marks.

You also stated as a judge you "only handled the long cases" which I believe probably means the "high value" probate and conservator cases! And what would you say if I had proof you handeld many more than five?

I'd like to ask you not to leave Ventura County without checking with the Dennert blog first.

Thank You.

In 1996 this man Steven Hintz through back room deals with lawyers and prosecutors put this innocent man in state prison ruining lives all around. This is not an honest man. This is true and this is NOT the kind of man you want in any kind of public office. Just play with your trains MR. Hintz and retire into obscurity.

Yeah, they are all really "innocent." We get it.

Peter,

You seem to have a fundamental misunderstanding of a judge's role in the process. No judge can put an innocent man in prison; he can only sentence someone to prison if:

a.) A jury of his peers found him guilty after a trial; or

b.) He entered a guilty plea, i.e., admitted culpability for the crime.

When you talk about "back room deals with lawyers and prosecutors," what you're really describing is defense attorneys and prosecutors discussing a case with a judge. If Judge Hintz sentenced your friend to prison, it could only have happened if your friend either pled guilty or was convicted by a jury.

Judge Hintz is as honest a man as I've ever met, and for you to impugn his honor and integrity because he sentenced a convicted felon to prison is outrageous.

I have concerns Steven Hintz didn't answer the question from Rex Eckles. Mistakes were made in the treasurers office and if he can't see that it's a problem.

Mike Lief,

Judges can make or break a trial.

Steven Hintz seems to have a problem acknowledging the crimes that were perpetrated in the Ventura County Treasurer's office against the most vulnerable citizens in the community. None of those diabled people were Federalists. They were simply Americans. For some judges that's not enough.

If a person has a public defender and he or she doesn't have the ability to defend themselves "innocence is no guaruntee of victory". People can be easily taken advantage of by the court system.

Peter Young,

This is not the first time I have seen the term "backroom deals" used on discussion boards involving Judge Hintz. My question is, if these "backroom deals" did in fact occur, how do all of you people know about them?

I am not saying you have received misinformation, or are trying to smear a man who exemplifies what "honor" and "fairness" mean,
I'd just really like to get on the same information line as you!

Jim,
Are you saying you believe Steven Hintz was never involved in a single backroom deal with any prosecutors and/or lawyers in his whole career as a judge?

That's the information line he's on.

We're talking about alot of money. We have to be tough. Does Steven Hintz have the guts to answer these questions?

When did Steven Hintz know about the crimes that were occurring in the Ventura County Treasurer's Office and what did he do to fix the problem?

I learned about the Public Guardian issues the same way everybody did, by reading the newspaper. And then I did what every good judge would do, which is reserve an opinion until I was presented with a case. Not only wasn't it my job to "fix the problem" it would have been inappropriate. The DA prosecuted the offenders; the Board of Supervisors addressed the supervision issues. Either Open Forum, Peter Young, and Nobody have a basic misunderstanding about just what judges are supposed to do, or they are just looking for an argument instead of an answer. Either way, there is the answer. Thank you again, Brian, for offering a forum which allows anybody to express an opinion.

I see Mike Gibson (AKA Ventura County's answer to Karl Rove) is supporting Hintz. That helped me make my decision.

Mr. Hintz,

I'm asking questions about the treasurer's office. It's one thing to play down the crimes as a county judge but we can't have the next treasurer playing down problems. That's why the crimes went on for years. As a citizen it's my job to speak up when another citizen is victimized by public officials.

If you can't understand that then either have a basic misunderstanding about just what citizens are supposed to do, or you're just not used to answering questions.

Thank you again, Brian, for offering a forum which allows any politician to express their opinion.

There isn't a corporation in the world who would put a person in charge of $6 billion dollars with Steven Hintz's past unethical behavior as a judge, someone who refuses to acknowledge the criminal activity that took place while Tim Matheney was in office, and Steven Hintz's complete lack of relevant experience.

It is a City of Bell size mistake to elect Steven Hintz as County Treasurer.

I am shocked by the number of endorsements for Steven Hintz. I am shocked that so many people in Ventura County would turn their backs on the children and disabled citizens that were victimized by Tim Matheney's county treasurer's office. They bring shame to Ventura County just like Steven Hintz did to the bench.