Last Feburary I challenged a young Sojka supporter to make a song about Simi Valley. He did and the video above is the product of that challenge. As a reward I kept Sojka for Mayor blog posts at the top of my page for a month over the summer.

I was out walking the other night and I came across the writer/singer of that song, Kyle Quiroz. We talked for a few minutes and he told me Youtube contacted him because they are now promoting his video. That basically means it is at the top of the search results for Simi Valley on Youtube and they are paying him. At around 4,000 views it isn't much but I am proud that my blog helped launch the most viral campaign video in Ventura County Campaign history. I am more impressed that Youtube is now sharing ad revenue with Kyle.

I offered a similar deal to Team Huber but they rejected it. I also offered to let them come up with some challenges but they didn't see the value in that either.

Go to my past entry for the lyrics and my original post on this video.

Until the election I am running a contest for candidates to get free coverage by sending in a picture of their signs. The goal is to make it difficult, but not impossible, to guess where the picture was taken.

This picture was sent in by a Bob Huber supporter. You don't need to register to post a comment but keep it classy. So, what's your guess? Post as specific as you can the location of the sign. Before the election I will post who correctly answered the most challenges and I'll post who submitted the winning pictures.

You can submit your own photos or view more photos on Facebook.

Note about comments: I respect the privacy of my posters but I don't allow people to create fake screen names to make their opponents look bad by posting outrageous statements supposedly from a rivial's supporters. If it was done to be humorous consider this a warning that I don't tolerate that practice.

In an era where many politicians are running negative campaigns designed to take advantage of a frustrated electorate Simi Valley School Board candidate Jeanne Davis's campaign has been running a more uplifting campaign.

To promote her new campaign Facebook page she asked people to nominate a local teacher for a start of the year of the giftbasket. To post a comment supporters have to click like, which helps her build up her Facebook page. There are two seats up for election on the SVUSD Board and Jeanne Davis is the only incumbent running. Of the four candidates only her and Arleigh Kidd submitted statements for the sample ballot. She might be strongly favored to win but she isn't taking her position for granted.

School Board Member Jeanne Davis gives the prize to Jill Craft of Sycamore Elementary. Congratulations Jill!

I am running a contest for campaigns to send in pictures of their signs from across Ventura County. The goal is to make it difficult, but not impossible, for my readers to guess where the picture was taken. Click here for a more detailed explanation.

This picture was sent in by Mary Anne Rooney. She is running for harbor commissioner and knows that it takes effort to attract attention to a campaign for a position most people don't pay much attention to, if any attention at all. You can read my interview with her or go to her website for more information.

Click on continue reading to post a comment with your answer. You don't need to register to comment but keep it classy.

I post guest blog entries from my readers when I am asked. This does not mean I agree or disagree with the entry. Here is the latest from school board member and teacher Denis O'Leary:

The November 2nd election brings 4 of 5 seats on the Rio School District Board up for a vote from the community. Big changes are needed.

I am endorsing Eleanor Torres, Ramon Rodriguez, Henrietta Macias and Mayra Sevilla for the Rio School Board.

The Rio School District has faced many challenges and distractions over the past year. The focus of educating students has taken a back seat to criminal conduct on the part of the Superintendent and a Rio School Board member. The Board President has serious conflict of interest issues between his employment and his duties as a Trustee.

While our schools are in need of new equipment and smaller class sizes, the Rio School District Board is spending thousands of dollars on a public relations firm to enhance the image of the Superintendent and Board Members.

The Rio School District needs to televise its meetings. No amount of public relations can stand up to open democracy. Parents should be allowed to address the Board Members, not having to submit a form at the beginning of meetings to speak at the end of the meeting. The School Board should encourage dialog.

With four new and capable Trustees representing the interests of the children and families of El Rio, I am sure that the district will not only leave the turmoil of the past, but rightly place the focus on the real needs of a better education for Rio's students.

Four seats on the School Board are on the ballot. One Trustee decided to not run, one is in jail and two incumbents want to continue.

On November 2nd, I ask that you vote for Eleanor Torres, Ramon Rodriguez, Henrietta Macias and Mayra Sevilla to be the new Trustees of the Rio School District. Working together we can build a better future for our children.

Denis O'Leary
Oxnard School District Board Member
Teacher in the Rio School District

The Simi Valley / Moorpark Democratic Club is opening an office next week

The Democratic headquarters will open Tuesday, September 28 at noon, at 2904 Cochran Street.

For more information, please call 805-210-6061 or 805-583-1770. Refreshments will be available.

They haven't updated their website in a long time but here is a link:

http://www.simimoorparkdemocrats.com/

Democrats need help setting up the office over the next few days. They said to contact them if you can help this weekend. They have invited the press and the Chamber of Commerce to attend their grand opening.

Some local progressives are also planning rallies to protest against George W. Bush when he comes to Simi Valley to speak at the Reagan Library. Think local Tea Party people will rally to support Bush?

Some of my readers have asked what has Democratic nominee Tim Allison been doing lately in his campaign against unRepresentative Elton Gallegly. If you click on continue reading you can see some of his upcoming events.

I don't agree with Gallegly on many of the issues in front of Congress but what really disappoints me is that he won't debate his opponents and he won't schedule town hall events that are free to the public. Since he has time to fundraise and attend Tea Party events he should have time for town hall events. All the other Members of Congress, of both parties, schedule open events for the public except for him.

Barack Obama won more votes in Ventura County and in CA 24. Gallegly shouldn't assume a mandate from the voters just because he has beat weak candidates like Marta Jorgensen in the past.

The leader of a Ventura County Tea Party group and a leader of the local chapter of the NAACP have both endorsed Steven Hintz for Treasurer-Tax Collector. How does a candidate for a low profile office unite a birther with a civil rights group leader? Hintz has been running an energetic and impressive campaign. Unless something changes I expect him to win.

Click on continue reading for a list of the people endorsing him.

I have a new contest where candidates send in pictures for readers to guess where in Ventura County they were taken. This picture is in Simi Valley but a much more specific answer is needed to win. I'm not looking for an address but instead an approximate location including which way the camera is directed in.

You don't need to register to comment, but keep it classy.

School Board candidate Arleigh Kidd is a personal friend of mine. Because of his background in education, including teaching at Valley View Middle School in Simi Valley, I know he will make a strong addition to the School Board. He is the parent of one student that graduated from Royal High School and another student currently at there. Anyone that knows him knows he is a very passionate defender of public education. If you ask him a question on education he gives very specific answers. I haven't always agreed with him but I have come to deeply respect his dedication.

He has been endorsed by the Simi Educators Association and 4/5 of the current school board members including Jeanne Davis, Janice DiFatta, Debbie Sandland, and Rob Collins.

I am going to be interviewing him a week from this Thursday night on my blog. Read over his website and then send or post some suggestions for questions.

Yesterday I went to an event organized by education activist Donna Prenta, School Board Member Rob Collins and Former School Board Member Diane Collins. The meet and greet was put together to support candidates for SVUSD School Board Arleigh Kidd and Jeanne Davis plus candidate for Mayor of Simi Valley Bob Huber. I talked with Bob Huber and his campaign manager Scott Santino about the negativity in the campaign and other issues. Bob Huber agreed to be interviewed on camera without me telling him all of the questions first. I did tell him that I would ask about the plan to fix the Arroyo bike path, which is an important issue for me.

Overall the event was well-attended and have people a chance to talk to many community leaders. I finally had a chance to talk with June Ewart who has been helping me with the Shop Simi Valley First Facebook page. If you ever want to discuss intervention strategies for at-risk youth in Simi Valley you should contact her.

To see the other videos and pictures from the event go to my Facebook page for my blog. I don't have a budget for fundraisers but if you would like to invite me to take videos and pictures send me a message. I don't need to agree with your candidate to attend.

For the June Primary I asked campaigns to send in pictures of their candidate with a dog. Steven Hintz and Heather Lacayo won the contest and went on to win their elections. Is there a strong connection? Probably not.

For this election I am asking candidates to take pictures of their signs as they campaign across Ventura County. I will post every entry with the winners being announced the night before the election. The goal is to make it difficult, but not impossible, for readers to determine where the picture was taken. I want readers to look at the picture for clues and then post a comment with their guesses. The more specific the guess the better.

Like all of my blog entries you don't need to register to post a comment. But please keep it classy. The reader that accurately answers the most challenges will also be recognized.

There will be several awards campaigns can win. So, campaigns can send in multiple entries. I am thinking about categories like most memorable location, most obscure, funniest, best representation of a city, and a few others. Feel free to post suggestions with new categories. I will be asking The Star to cover this contest in the print edition and with online ads. They did support the cutest dog contest with a link on the front page and I expect they will do the same this time. So start taking pictures. To submit a picture send it to me at my email address posted on the right side of this page or upload it to my Facebook page for my blog.

For this first entry let's see who can most accurately determine where Treasurer / Tax Collector candidate Steven Hintz was when it was taken. Thanks to Steven Hintz for getting this contest started.

This contest was inspired by blogger Andrew Sullivan's View from your window blog posts that have now been made into a book.

Democrat Tim Allison is running against Republican Rep. Elton Gallegly for Congress. After Barack Obama won this district and Ventura County in 2008 Elton Gallegly has drifted farther and farther to the right. He doesn't hold scheduled and open to the public townhall events but he does invite people to pay to attend fundraisers to ask him questions and he has time for Tea Party events.

Tim Allison is having an event to help fund getting his message out. Here is the email from the Ventura County Democratic Party inviting people to attend:

Please join host David Maron for an afternoon with friends, refreshments and a magnificent view from his Spanish Hills garden

An event in support of Congressional Candidate Tim Allison

Co-Hosts: Mark and Terri Lisagor • Melissa DeMarco • Peggy and Jim Tranovich
• Ed and Susan Lacey
Sponsors: Richard A. Shimmel • Fred and Gail Rosenmund
• Dr. and Mrs. Ramon Flores
Sunday, September 26 • 2-4 p.m.
Camarillo
Wine and light appetizers will be served.
Casual Dress, we will be outside (weather permitting)
Donation: $50. You may donate online at www.TimAllison.com

Please RSVP after making your donation to Nancy Frawley nancyfrawley1@verizon.net

School Board Member Rob Collins, Past School Board Member and his wife Diane Collins, and education activist Donna Prenta are putting together a meet and greet event this weekend for three of their favorite local candidates. Here is the flyer for the event:

Although the candidates are appearing together that doesn't mean they have all endorsed each other. Arleigh Kidd posted this comment on Facebook:

I plan to be at this event to take pictures and to interview the candidates briefly. I have interviewed Jeanne Davis a few weeks ago and I will be interviewing Arleigh Kidd soon. I am personal friends with Arleigh Kidd and I am supporting him. He has been a teacher in Simi Valley and has a passion for public education.

I am helping to raise money for the Simi Valley Education Foundation. If you like what you read on this blog please consider donating to this worthy cause. The money is used to fund their enhancement grants that teachers in SVUSD can apply for. Grants have been funded in the past for classroom materials and teacher training.

If a candidate donates, or someone donates on behalf of a candidate, I will recognize them here on my blog. I won't post how much someone donates unless they as me to include that information.

Jeanne Davis is running for a second term on the Simi Valley School Board. In the last election she beat a candidate endorsed by the union representing Simi Valley teachers. This time she has their endorsement and she has wider name identification. She worked in SVUSD as a teacher and as an administrator until she retired. There are four candidates running for the two positions on the school board. Only two candidates filed candidate statements, and she is one of them. Her campaign isn't taking chances though and has been working on getting their message out. All of those factors combine to show she is very likely to retain her position.

Thanks for helping me raise money Jeanne.

Go to the foundation's page to see a great group of people helping to raise money for local schools.

Click on the image below to donate:


( Note: I didn't write my bio statement. Thanks for the kind words and help for local schools goes to the Education Foundation.)

Click on continue reading to see Jeanne Davis playing drums in her rock band.

A group of Ventura County Tea Partiers have created a Facebook page to help organize their followers and share their views. According to their Facebook page that includes trying to prove Barack Obama was born in Kenya. This screenshot above shows they are sharing a video from a military member that has sued to stop his deployment because he has fallen for the conspiracy theory that he doesn't have to follow orders because Barack Obama isn't our legitimate president.

His birth certificate is posted online. His birth announcement was published in two newspapers in Hawaii. It doesn't make sense that his 18 year old mother would fly to Kenya from Hawaii, and then fly back. But all of these facts won't stop people from trying to smear the president, even if it makes it harder on the military to do their job.

Simi Valley School Board candidate Josie Hirsch donated to help my fundraising drive for the Simi Valley education Foundation. The SVEF runs great programs for local schools including a grant program available to all SVUSD teachers.

If you like at least a little of what you read here please consider it a form of tipping to donate to our local schools. I will recognize candidates that donate with an entry on my blog. I won't say how much you donated unless you request that I include that information. So for as little as $5 you can get some publicity for your campaign.

I interviewed Josie Hirsch about her qualifications and plans for the district last week on my blog. Read through the interview and let me know what you think. Thank you Josie for helping me raise money for local schools. I teach at Royal High School and I can tell you the grants are very valuable resources in our classroom. A teacher applied for a grant for a class set of books called "The World That Trade Created" that I use in my classroom frequently.

Click here to donate to the Simi Valley Education Foundation.

For months I have been criticizing Rep. Elton Gallegly for not holding scheduled and free townhall events where the people can go and ask him questions in public. Every Member of the House of Representatives, of both parties, hold free townhall events except for Elton Gallegly. His defenders come up with many excuses for him, none of which I accept.

I was forwarded this invite recently for a fundraiser of his that has already happened that caught my attention because it advertises that you can ask your Member of Congress questions in a public setting, if you pay him.

"Old Fashioned Whistle Stop Campaign Tour"

Here is a chance for you to ride the Fillmore train with the Gallegly's...Anyone who wants to interface with our US Representative and have a great afternoon, one you can also use as a fun time with kids and grandkids that have never ridden in a train, should make this event! Congressman Gallegly has important actions he is undertaking for the future of our county, state and country. Hear about them personally and you can ask any questions you may have. This is a crucial time in America and we must see Congressman Gallegly continue his great work.

Time: August 29, 2010 from 11am to 2:30pm
Location: Fillmore Train Depot
Event Description:
Congressman Elton Gallegly is inviting us to his "Old Fashioned Whistle Stop Campaign Tour" We will be visiting historic Santa Paula and Fillmore in this train ride. There will be delicious barbecue tri-tip & chicken, and hot dogs for the kids! The BBQ is provided by Fillmore & Western Railway Company.
The train will depart at 11:30 promptly, so be there early to make sure you can easily find the location.
Please call Mary at 805 --- ---- or email her at maryb@gallegly.com to reserve your space, and then mail your check payable to: Gallegly for Congress PO Box 940001 Simi Valley , CA 93094
This event is to raise money for Elton's victory. Tickets are $90 each for adults. Teens 12-18 are $35 and Children under 12 are free.

Reservations a must as space is limited.

Fillmore Train Depot is located at 364 Main St . Fillmore , CA 93015 .

Please also visit his Congressional Website http://www.house.gov/gallegly/ and his Campaign website http://www.gallegly.com and you can get a glimpse of what our Congressman has done for our county, state and country. There are often daily updates that are important for every citizen to know about what is happening in Washington and California . Just a little tidbit from the Gallegly for Congress campaign website: "This is a battle between those who believe that big government should control every aspect of every American life and those who believe in limited government that encourages individual initiative, responsibility and creativity. It's a battle between those who believe in the nanny state and those who believe in the entrepreneurial spirit. It's a battle we must win."

If you have a campaign question you are welcome to call the Gallegly for Congress campaign headquarters at 805-522-4487.

Rep. Elton Gallegly, enough of the games. If you have time for Tea Party events and fundraisers you have time for questions from the public at a townhall event.

Simi Valley City Council Member Steve Sojka has a unique meet and greet at the Simi Valley Town Center where voters can get a free haircut and talk to him about his campaign for mayor. I like the idea of informal and free gatherings where people can meet the candidates. Click on continue reading for the details.

For my hip hop fans out there which rapper has a song where he says people are so busy talking about him in barber shops they don't get their haircut? I didn't directly quote the song to make it harder to google the answer.

Rep. Lois Capps voted in favor of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act and in a recent email update she is defending the effectiveness of it.

I wanted to make sure you saw some recent news confirming that the Recovery Act is helping our economy recover and changing America for the better. According to a recent report from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the Recovery Act has boosted real GDP by up to 4.5 percent in the 2nd quarter of 2010, and increased the number of American jobs by as many as 3.3 million.

Also, I wanted to make sure you saw the recent piece in TIME entitled "How the Stimulus is Changing America." The article outlines how the Recovery Act is aggressively moving our country forward - transforming it for economic growth and stability in the 21st Century.

From TIME:

"...the battle over the Recovery Act's short-term rescue has obscured its more enduring mission: a long-term push to change the country. It was about jobs, sure, but also about fighting oil addiction and global warming, transforming health care and education, and building a competitive 21st century economy...Any of those programs would have been a revolution in its own right..." [8/26/10]

It has been a rough 18 months and we have much more work to do, but we are moving in the right direction. As always, I welcome your thoughts and comments. Please stay in touch on my Facebook page and website.

I appreciate her defending it when I see so many Republicans attempting to argue the stimulus created zero jobs when what they mean is that we have had a net loss of jobs, which is a big difference.

I'm not sure why but the College Republicans of Pepperdine sent me a press release about their upcoming events.

Working with their university, they are going to be remembering the 9/11 tragedy by putting up an individual flag for every victim of the terror attacks. Uniting Americans is a great way to remember those murdered by Al Queda.

But then later in the press release they include a mention of their speaker that blames 9/11 on President Clinton and their opposition to another Mosque in New York.

I know parties constantly need to find ways of getting their messages out but I'd prefer 9/11 was remembered by events that unite Americans, not by partisan talking points and divisive religious appeals.

( Simi Valley Blogger Mike Chandler took this video at Bob Huber's event.)

Sheriff Bob Brooks might be retiring but he has one last election cycle when he can use his title and he is using it to endorse Bob Huber for Mayor of Simi Valley. Click on continue reading for the official press release. His endorsement of Dennis Carpenter for Sheriff wasn't enough to stop Geoff Dean's momentum last June but will it hold more sway with Simi Valley voters?

I see this as more evidence that the Ventura County Republican Party establishment has lined up behind Bob Huber. With the support of Tony Strickland, Audra Strickland, Bob Brooks, Elton Gallegly and the official endorsement by the Ventura County Republican Central Committee he has a solid claim to uniting the party behind him.

But what's strange is that he has been able to get support from Democratic Party leaders and unions while having the Republican Party united to support him. His supporters will claim that's because he is able to unite people in pursuit of common goals. There could be a element of truth to that position but his critics will wonder how he has been able to get support from so many public employee unions. I do have a video of him explaining how he switched to being a Republican to support his personal friend Elton Gallegly but the audio quality is really low. So far I'd have to say Bob Huber is running the most bipartisan campaign and Steve Sojka is running the most nonpartisan campaign. Although the two statements seem similar the nuance between nonpartisan and bipartisan is important.

All of the arguments aside Bob Huber's last few weeks of campaigning have been really solid. He has been announcing more endorsements and his campaign is now addressing the landfill expansion with a more specific plan than his opponent. I am not sold on the plan to annex the landfill into Simi Valley but I like that he is addressing specific policies. Click on continue reading to see his press release on the landfill expansion.

The most important issues in this election to many people include the economy, the landfill expansion, and public safety. All of those should be priorities but I also think we should plan for the future by moving forward with the plan to expand and fix the Simi valley Arroyo. When I catch up to Bob Huber next I will ask him about it. That's what is great about being a blogger. I can bring up issues that candidates might otherwise ignore.

On Thursday nights I interview candidates running for office in Ventura County. From Harbor Commissioner to park board, no position is too small for me to interview. Send me an email if you are interested. Candidates get coverage on the most read political blog dedicated to Ventura County politics.

Tonight I am interviewing Josie Hirsch about her campaign for the Simi Valley School Board. I will be asking her about education reform, the school board's priorities, and how she decided to run for school board.

Full Disclosure: I am volunteering for my friend Arleigh Kidd who is also one of the candidates running for the two available seats.

Josie,

Click on continue reading for your first question.

I am helping raise money for the Simi Valley Education Foundation by participating in their Jail and Bail promotion. If you like at least some of what you read on this blog I am asking for small donations to the education foundation. A campaign that donates any amount of money will get a mention on the front page of my blog. I won't mention how much you donated unless you ask me to include it. Consider it a real inexpensive form of advertising with the money going towards a good cause.

The first candidate that took me up on the offer is Dee Dee Cavanaugh. She is an appointed incumbent on the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District and is running to retain that seat. Go to her Facebook Group page to find out more or to ask her questions. Dee Dee is extremely connected in our community and I expect her to have immense support for her campaign.

Dee Dee, thanks for the help.

Go to the foundation's page to see a great group of people helping to raise money for local schools.

Click on the image below to donate:


( Note: I didn't write my bio statement. Thanks for the kind words and help for local schools goes to the Education Foundation.)

I haven't been able to get them to make a music video but their campaign has a new video that is an improvement over their older videos.

I haven't heard anything about formal debates between the two candidates. Can some of you insiders fill us in on what might be planned?