What are your predictions for politics in the New Year?

I predict Rep. Elton Gallegly will retire.
Tony Strickland will run for Congress.
Cameron Smyth will run for State Senate

You can comment without registering on my blog or join the conversation on the Facebook page for my blog.

https://www.facebook.com/BrianDennertHere

Democratic Congressional candidate David Cruz Thayne has been open that a part of his campaign strategy is to appeal to latino voters. He believes the heritage of his family, speaking Spanish, and understanding being an immigrant will appeal to many voters.

He is a professional tennis coach and has been involved in the creation of a few documentaries. In many of his past professional involvements online he is listed as David Thayne, but in his campaign materials he goes by David Cruz Thayne. Should it matter?

Apparently it does matter to the David Pollock campaign as their latest news release includes two references to David Thayne but not to David Cruz Thayne.

It could be an oversight. In a past blog entry I accidentally didn't use his full name and the campaign sent me a message asking for a correction, which I quickly did.

People go by different names during their lives for many reasons. David Cruz Thayne might have reverted to including Cruz in his name for political reasons.

In a low information crowded primary ballot designations and names might be enough to differentiate the candidates. I wonder what titles each will choose. David Pollock has a claim to being an educator because of his past experience being on a school board. Steve Bennett was a classroom teacher so he could claim educator also. What will David Cruz Thayne choose?

I don't have a preferred candidate at this time. I have spoken to to three of them and they all seem like good people. Time will tell who will be a good Member of Congress.

Interesting article titled: How Germany Builds Twice as Many Cars as the U.S. While Paying Its Workers Twice as Much.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/frederickallen/2011/12/21/germany-builds-twice-as-many-cars-as-the-u-s-while-paying-its-auto-workers-twice-as-much/

Brian Dennert likes

Brian Dennert Here

Create your Like Badge

People are acting surprised that some incumbent Democrats tried to influence the redistricting commission.

I am not. Just as I wasn't surprised to watch elected officials in Simi Valley argue that Simi Valley must be in a congressional seat with Ventura County, not Santa Clarita, while staying nearly silent on Simi Valley being with Santa Clarita for the State Assembly.

The redistricting commission isn't perfect but it is better than the other methods we normally use.

Check out this article on the Propublica research from Progressive blog Calitics.

( David Pollock in a commercial)

I don't normally post entire fundraiser emails from candidates but I enjoyed the Pollock campaign bringing up the fact that Rep. Elton Gallegly doesn't hold town hall meetings. Their campaign claims he has never held a townhall meeting since he was elected to Congress. I don't know if that is true but I doubt the Gallegly campaign wants to discuss why he doesn't hold townhall meetings.

Here is the email:

Dear Brian,
26.
In 2012, Congressman Elton Gallegly will have inadequately served Ventura County, California and the United States for 26 years. Elton has committed his time in Congress toward an unusual cause: making a career out of unresponsive and indifferent behavior toward his constituents. But don't bother registering a complaint - Elton hasn't held a town hall meeting since 1986.
Voters across our country are fed up with politicians like Gallegly, because they can't even work together when they agree on something. This time it was the payroll tax cut - something most Americans supported.
At first, Gallegly pretended like he would vote for it:
Representative Elton Gallegly, a California Republican, said the package could win his support because of additional savings that would be found by cutting tax benefits...1
And then he voted against it - playing politics with our paychecks in the process.
Republicans like Gallegly are so obsessed with defeating President Obama that they work against him even when they agree with him. This time, we shamed them into consenting with the American people. But we literally can't afford to keep doing it.
Independent redistricting has turned Gallegly into a vulnerable incumbent. But judging by his comments and choices, he still doesn't get it.
Fortunately, there's a better way forward. My husband is a practical progressive with a proven history of working across the aisle. And he has been repeatedly elected from one of Ventura County's more conservative communities - because the voters trust him to do what's right.
David's also been called many things in his life. California School Board Association President. Mayor Pro Tem. Aerospace expert. Flight instructor. Bad News Bear. Husband. Dad.
He got into public life for the right reasons - his concern for his children's schools led him to successfully doing something about it. It's not enough to just elect a Democrat - we need to elect the best candidate, someone who genuinely represents our interests.
A new year means a fresh start. Let's make this upcoming 26th year Gallegly's last. Inject some common sense into Congress with David through your contribution of $26, $52, $260 or more. And with the Dec. 31st deadline coming up, you can help us start 2012 strong.
Ventura County can do its part to clean up Washington. Let's just elect the right person the first time.

Warm Regards,
Diana Campos
Nurse and proud wife of David Pollock

1Steven Sloan and Richard Rubin. Boehner Says He's 'Confident' Payroll Tax Cut Can Pass House. Thursday, December 8, 2011. SF Chronicle with Bloomberg News

Join Rep. Elton Gallegly should hold a town hall meeting on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/rep.eltongallegly

Happy Christmas
John Lennon and Yoko Ono

So this is Christmas and what have you done,
Another year over, a new one just begun.

And so this is Christmas, I hope you have fun,
The near and the dear ones, the old and the young.

A very merry Christmas and a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one without any fears.

And so this is Christmas for weak and for strong,
The rich and the poor ones, the road is so long.

And so happy Christmas for black and for white
For the yellow and red ones let's stop all the fights.

A very merry Christmas and a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one without any fear.

And so this is Christmas and what have we done
Another year over, a new one just begun.

And so happy Christmas we hope you have fun
The near and the dear ones, the old and the young.

A very merry Christmas and a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one without any fear.

War is over if you want it, war is over now.

More properly the involvement of the American government, including our military, in the security of Iraq has been greatly reduced.

I am glad President Barack Obama continued the withdraw of troops from Iraq. Ending wars is difficult and I wasn't sure he would accomplish this promise.

It is good that Saddam Hussein is no longer a leader. But the war wasn't justified. Iraq did not have WMD's. Saddam Hussein was contained and not a direct threat to his neighbors. The argument that we saved Iraqi lives is compelling but we could have accomplished more elsewhere for the high price we paid. The war did not increase our security.

I am glad the war for us is over.

The Simi Valley / Moorpark Democrats have their annual holiday potluck dinner tonight.

Annual Pot Luck on Wed. December 21 @ 7pm

Please join us at the Simi Valley Public Library for our Annual Pot Luck, Officer Elections and Member Recognition.

Click on continue reading for details.

Members of Congress attempted to use taxpayer dollars to send out Christmas cards to voters. I like how Fox News tried to add it to their annual "War on Christmas" coverage with this headline:

There is no prohibition on Members of Congress using their own money from sending voters Christmas cards. But they cannot use taxpayer dollars as they do not serve a government interest such as informing voters what is happening in Congress.

I am not a fan of the franking privilege. The mailers I get from Rep. Elton Gallegly are basically campaign literature, except they were produced and mailed with our money! It doesn't include upcoming events like townhall forums because he is the only Member of Congress, of either party, from this region that doesn't hold townhall forums. There might be a public use from these newletters but they are often just used to help incumbents get elected again.

I very much enjoy the holidays. My faith is strong enough I don't need corporations trying to earn my money or politicians trying to get my vote to say Merry Christmas. Heartfelt cheers from friends and family are enough.

I am glad that many of our troops are on their way home from Iraq in time for Christmas. I know that the high cost of wars are paid by the service members sent to fight and by their families that wait for their return.

Michelle Obama has made supporting military families a priority of hers. A Marine Corps member stated he was thanking her for this support by asking her to the Marine Corps ball. She said that she would check her schedule for next year but she would like to go.

I hope she goes. Our military isn't in the news enough lately.

Merry Christmas to our returning service members.

Republican Scott Wilk is running for State Assembly. His campaign team sent me in the HTML for a Facebook page for me to post.

Do me a favor and go post a policy question of his page so that we can demonstrate the usefulness of this tool to voters and politicians. I am interested mostly in his views on education reform.

I will post a Facebook like box for any candidate that sends it to me.

The union representing the library workers has not given up on the debate over the Simi Valley Library.

Here is the letter they shared with the city government:

December 12, 2011

City of Simi Valley
The Honorable Bob Huber
2929 Tapo Canyon Road
Simi Valley, CA 93063

RE: DECEMBER 12, 2011 CITY COUNCIL AGENDA, ITEM 2A, A CONTINUED PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER WITHDRAWAL FROM THE VENTURA COUNTY FREE LIBRARY SYSTEM AND ESTABLISHMENT OF A MUNICIPAL LIBRARY AND ADOPTION OF APPROPRIATE RESOLUTIONS.

The Honorable Bob Huber,

Our firm represents SEIU Local 721 and this letter serves as notice of their formal opposition to Item 2A, the City of Simi Valley's ("City") proposal to withdraw from the Ventura County Free Library System ("County Library System") and establish a municipal library system of its own (collectively, the "Proposal"). As proposed, Item 2A is defective and cannot be implemented as contemplated. First, the Proposal is a legislative act that must be adopted by ordinance rather than resolution. State law specifically requires that municipal library districts be established by ordinance. (See California Education Code Section 18900). Accordingly, the Proposal is defective in form.

The City will also not be able to achieve the stated purpose of the Proposal - having to comply with the requirements of Assembly Bill 438, because the Proposal will not take effect until after January 1, 2012. Existing law makes clear that legislative acts, like those in the Proposal, whether adopted by ordinance or resolution, do not take effect for thirty days. (Midway Orchards v. County of Butte (1990) 220 CA3d 765, 781). Assembly Bill 438 will take effect on January 1, 2012, while the Proposal, if adopted today, will not take effect until January 11, 2012. Due to the fact that Assembly Bill 438 will take effect prior to the Proposal, the City cannot avoid complying with its requirements. Accordingly, the proposal as currently contemplated is defective and invalid.

SEIU Local 721 looks forward to the opportunity to work with the City on its efforts to create a City run library system. However, such collaboration will require that the City comply, rather than circumvent, state law. Please contact me at *** *** **** or by email at doug@dlwhitelawgroup.com if you have any questions regarding his letter.

Very truly yours,

DL WHITE LAW GROUP

Douglas L. White

Both parties are playing the clock as the new law goes into effect at the start of next year.

Can the title of this entry get more dramatic? No.

The Stop Online Piracy Act has infuriated netroots activists who believe it poses a serious risk to online freedom. Their websites, blog posts, and emails treat this as a major threat to free speech.

Rep. Elton Gallegly is a co-sponsor of the bill. Here is his official explanation of why he supports it.

His explanation doesn't address the real criticisms or concerns with the bill.

Read this Wikipedia page for a summary of the arguments from both sides. I find the widely different interpretations of the bill surprising.

Too bad he doesn't hold free town hall meetings for local citizens to ask him questions about this bill.

Note: During the month of Advent I am mostly taking a break from partisan blogging.

Did you know Martin Luther King had an impact on Star Trek by convincing an African-American actress it was important for America for her to stay on the show?

I am pretty much done with political blogging for the year. I will only have an occasional political post. Instead I will be dedicating my blog to things that should unite us.

Check out my Advent archives.

Merry Christmas.

http://thebeckers.homeip.net/index.htm