( What's your favorite cop movie of all time? Meow My favorite is Super Troopers.)

The Star is reporting that Simi Valley Police will be getting a 7% retroactive raise. Click here for the article. In a time of budget cuts this is sure going to surprise many people. The city says it was a part of an already negotiated union contract.

The news article mentions that the union contract for the police officers had a stipulation that the city would survey other agencies to determine their salary. Does anyone know a quick way to look up the pay scale for teachers, firefighters, and police officers? What about other local government employees?

I looked at a few websites and it is not easy to determine the comparative pay for teachers, firefighters, police officers, council members, or other local government employees. Full transparency should mean we don't have to search many different websites, make phone calls, and send emails to get basic information.

Leave a comment with links if you see this information.

Your help is what makes this blog work. I appreciate your input. This isn't just about linking to an article that a reporter wrote, but going on beyond the limit of column inches and getting more input and insight into issues.

A local SRO, who has been a family friend for many years deserves credit for doing a great job. You handled that recent situation with skill. If you have had a recent run in with a police officer leave them a comment to say thanks. Do not use their names.

The Star has an update on the apparent campaign finance violations that Barbra Williamson has been receiving criticism for.

Click here or click on continue reading to see the full story.

What line stands out the most to you? Here are a few that caught my attention:

"When a local politician comes up and says 'Donate to my campaign,' I'm going to do it," Gerson said. "We make donations to have people leave us alone."

And...

City Attorney David Hirsch has said if contributions are made by separate corporations controlled by the same contributor, it could be a violation.

It could be a violation? The campaign finance rules need to clear enough that there isn't much debate over what is and is not a violation. The article also doesn't say if Simi Valley Council Member Williamson has already returned any of the donations or is planning to return them.

Most campaign violations start by sounding very serious and end up with a minor fine long after the election. The groups that oversee them are reactive and wait for a complaint or for a newspaper story, instead of looking into the statements from each campaign.

This should be an opportunity and a catalyst for reform locally. If I was advising Barbra Williamson ( and being that she reads this blog, I guess I am ) I would suggest she leads the way on providing transparency and stronger oversight to campaigning.

Here are some of my top local political reforms:

1. Stop appointing people to open seats that then run as incumbents. Many of the people might be the best candidate around, but elections, not incumbents should make that choice.

2. On campaign finance forms I want to see the donors list the name of the business they work for or own AND the type of work they do .I don't recognize all of the names but I want to know what they want from our government and this will help.

3. A database that is web based. I want to click on a name and see how much they donated to all local candidates.

This is just a quick list. I would really admire Barbra Williamson if she used this opportunity to improve our campaigns and elections. What reforms would you like to see put into place?

We might not all agree about the seriousness of this issue, but we should all agree transparency will improve local voters confidence in the system.

( A classic book and movie.)

Ventura County Star reporter Anna Bakalis has a fascinating story about a Homeowners Association ( HOA ) in Simi Valley that is set on banning playing outside, bike riding, complaining to vocally about the board, and more. It would be funny if it wasn't really happening. You have to read the story.

Have you ever lived in a HOA ? I lived in one that was exceptionally well run. If you are looking to buy a condo in Simi Valley I highly recommend Coventry Court.

But what most of us remember is the problems with HOA's. It strikes me as odd that an area that prides itself on minimal government keeps building more and more mini-governments.

I understand that they can protect property values but is the trade off worth it? It reminds me of this quote from Ben Franklin:

"Those willing to give up a little liberty for a little security deserve neither security nor liberty."

I am going to share some funny stories about HOA's and then it is your turn. What has been your experience with HOA's? Do the many benefits outweigh the potential problems? Do we only remember when they go awry?

Here are some fond memories:

1. Our flag pole was too tall. We took it down.

2. No parking in your own driveway. But parking on the street totally fine, even though it was a bit dangerous as it was a corner people came around quickly.

3. Board members are not required to abide by the same rules as everyone else.

Do you have some crazy stories? Feel free to include or omit the name of the HOA.

Can you see how any of their actions in the story are justified or explainable?

The reporter, Anna Bakalis, who wrote the story about Waste Management's proposed expansion last week now has a blog about the debates at The Reagan Library this week. Check it out and leave a comment for her.

What should she investigate next?