I posted earlier Steve Bennett's request for help in finding out what Bob Roper's campaign is currently doing. Bob Roper has responded with an email to his supporters. Click on continue reading for details.
What do you think the most important issues should be in this campaign? Are there any debates scheduled?
Friends and supporters, As a close supporter of my campaign, I wanted to take a moment and talk with you about some of the things you might have been hearing out there, and share some very good news. The Poll Last week, our opponent sent out an email talking about two different polls that were in the field. I'm proud to inform you that one of those two polls was ours, and it revealed some great news about our efforts. According to the data, when we get our message out, we win this race. It is a dead heat right now, and voters are responsive to our message. As we educate them over the next 76 days, new supporters will come our way and we win. The data we received gives us a lot of insight into the demographics of the district, and we have mapped out a strategy that will make a difference come Election Day. The Second Poll Now about the second poll. Our opponent's email mentioned a 2nd poll out there, this was news to us! It seems there are other interested parties in this race and they may be doing their own activity. I will only control and have knowledge of what we do within our campaign. Other campaign events may come out, but anything independent will be just that. Overall I feel good about the campaign's energy and the growing support within our community. This energy and the primary election results clearly indicate that the public desires a new County Supervisor. Thanks for your continued support! Bob Roper
Mr. Roper,
If you had been supervisor at the time, how would you have voted on the expansion Waste Management's dump in Simi Valley and the importation of trash and debris from outside of Ventura County? What is your philosophy about the rights of property owners versus those of the community? Do you believe a supervisor should vote to support any or all development in another district if the supervisor representing that district supports it? Do you believe your responsibility is only to those in your district or to the full County?
Please respond with YOUR thinking on this issue in order to give us some insight into how you make decisions. I am sure that there are many - throughout the County - who want to know more about you.
Steve Bennett - who voted with the rest of the Board to make expansion a reality - he has been silent about his reasoning.
50 hours and no response? Perhaps not so long when compared to Steve Bennett who has never answered those questions since he voted approval for the L.A. trash and debris being dumped big time here in Ventura County.
On the other hand, Roper is the challenger. Most voters and others who lives will be effected by his votes do not now know if there any difference between him and the incumbent in this race on environmental issues. Perhaps he doesn't read this blog, but some of Roper's supporters do and might mention my inquiry to him.
If a challenger wants votes, he has to make it clear who he is and where he stands. Being shy or cautious does not win friends and influence people when you are on the outside looking in - especially with the stretch run of the campaign beginning next week on Labor Day.
You'll never get a response from Steve Bennett on the reasoning behind his vote in favor of the Simi Valley Landfill expansion. He's not about to tell you that those campaign contributions he got from Waste Management sealed the deal for him.
Steve Bennett needs to go. He has long ago stopped representing the interests of Ventura County residents and only represents his own narrow self interests now. Give Bennett some campaign bucks and he'll bend over backwards for you.
My inquiry above is to see if Mr. Roper has anything meaningful to say on environmental issues.
By his continued silence, Steve Bennett has decided to let everyone form their own conclusions - and some of us have done so.
The question for Ventura County is: Do we even have one candidate for the office with something to say on this subject before election day?
Hopefully, Mr. Roper will answer that in the affirmative by a responding with some meaningful insight into his thinking. Otherwise, it probably means we have a couple of birds of the same feather flocking for the same job - afraid that anything we know about them in this area could not be good for their career paths.
4 days of silence by Mr. Roper and his campaign.
They are either running a dreadfully amateurish campaign or guilty of the same purposeful effort to keep answers from the people of Ventura County as is Mr. Bennett's campaigns.
My suspicions are that the latter is true.
Good luck on the next four years Ventura County!
Thanks for your questions. We weren’t checking Brian’s blog every day, but will now keep a close eye so we can be responsive to your questions. It is important to me that a Supervisor be accessible on important issues.
First, let me respond to the question about representation. My primary duty is to the people who voted me in office within my District. My next duty is to make sound policy decisions on the regional issues that affect the County as a whole. I believe in protecting private property rights within the framework of our laws and using our democratic process. Constituents are a mix of private property owners and other residents that form the foundation of our community. As a Supervisor, I refer to the "community" as a whole as its impossible to delineate between those who own property and those who rent.
Second, regarding Waste Management. I do not have all the facts to give you a complete response, but let me respond to the general question. An elected Supervisor should not cast their 1/5th vote on any policy item unless they fully agree with the policy. A yes vote is a yes vote and an elected official cannot shirk his/her responsibility at a later date. A Supervisor is elected by their District voters, yet makes policy that affects the entire County. There is no written rule that you honor the issue in another District and I will cast my votes on each policy item in the best interest of my District and the County.
Should you have any questions, I’m available at bob@roperforsuerpvisor.com anytime.
Thank you,
Bob Roper
Thank you for the courtesy of an answer.
It appears that you hold the same position as Peter Foy on the priority of individual property rights - despite the cautious language qualifying your answer. It is also a bit disturbing that you say you don't have the facts on this huge decision that basically makes your County the dumping grounds for the much of the rest of Southern California and reported provides so much funding to the County budget you will be administering.
Nonetheless while your answer was not the one I hoped for - nor as clearly stated as I might have wished - at least you responded. That's more than I can say for the other candidate. Thank you for that.
One suggestion to you or any other candidate for office in this County: have someone in your campaign spend a few minutes at the end of each day reading Brian's blog to get some feedback from residents. It would be a smart thing to do.