Local political activist Tony Dolz is planning to run for school board again. Here he is with Orly Taitz, a leading birther activist.

I am not surprised that fringe activists believe in these conspiracy theories. I am surprised that the local Republican establishment have supported and endorsed his campaign.

His last campaign focused on selling excess property and banning The Kite Runner.

Click here to read my past entries on Tony Dolz.

He has been endorsed by the Ventura County Republican Central Committee and the California Republican Assembly. The link takes you to the Ventura County Republican Assembly Facebook page.

I think local Republicans can offer education more. Conspiracy theories and banning a book are not going to help local schools.

Is this the best they have to offer us?

Sidenote: The Kite Runner is banned in Afghanistan.

It looks like Republican activist Tony Dolz is preparing to run for school board again. When he ran last time he wanted to ban a book about Afghanistan.

This time he is worried about the Common Core standards. Will Sharia law influence them? Go to his website and read for yourself.

I am not surprised that someone locally wants to campaign on banning The Kite Runner. I am surprised at how much of the Republican establishment supports him.

This is not the best the Ventura County Republican Central Committee can offer local schools.

The people that put together the gun violence rally sent me some pictures to share.

Do you recognize the elected official in this picture?

Click here for their other pictures.

I support many of the ideas in the President's plan.

I occasionally post guest blog entries from readers. By posting them that does not show I agree or disagree with the content. Here is a letter from Sean about gun control laws.

Dear Mayor Claudia Bill - de la Pena:

I attended the forum on gun control. I've been a resident of Ventura County the vast majority of my life. I've called the Conejo Valley my home for the past four years. I thank you for attending.

I don't set out to change your mind. I find it almost completely non-productive to change an adult's mind. What I wish to do is provide some clarity.

For example, you said that automatic weapons are illegal. They are legal and heavily regulated in over half of the 50 states.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090208100642AA1yRuX http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_laws_in_the_United_States_by_state

You also mentioned that the country you grew up in, Germany didn't have a lot of gun murders. True. However, before and during World War II, they killed 11.5 million - 12 million of their own people after passing strict gun control measures. They were also thwarted from invading Switzerland. Switzerland's people had and still have the right to bear arms. Not just any arms, but military style weapons. Please visit www.jpfo.org for more clarity on this issue and read "Target Switzerland" .

You threw out an odd stat on accidental shootings. More people (and children) die accidentally by drowning in pools than they do by accidental shootings. http://www.m1-garand-rifle.com/firearms-versus-swimming-pools.php I have Nixle alerts for the TO area, and I can't remember the last time I got an alert about a young child dying by getting accidentally shot. That would actually be national news. I do remember at least twice getting notifications of TWO drownings in the past two years in the Conejo Valley. There are less pools than privately owned firearms in the Conejo Valley and more accidental deaths by swimming pools.

You had also mentioned how you witnessed the parents of Newtown victims, and other victims of other gun violence. I wish to expose you to another victim of gun violence and his thoughts on the matter. Evan Todd survived the Columbine massacre.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/02/20/columbine-survivor-pens-bold-open-letter-to-obama-rejecting-gun-control-whose-side-are-you-on/

and here's some video http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/02/21/beck-talks-gun-control-with-columbine-survivor-who-wrote-scathing-letter-to-obama-plus-bill-oreilly-weighs-in/

I'd also like to show you some other victims of violent crime and how this issue affects them:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1u0Byq5Qis
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/03/05/colorado-dem-to-rape-survivor-a-gun-wouldnt-have-helped-you-against-rapist-because-statistics-are-not-on-your-side/

As a police officer my heart goes out to those we can't get to in time. They have the right to defend themselves. No one has the right to disarm these victims.

I found your description of the 2nd amendment in desperate need of clarity. You started with "we don't have a militia." First, that is a preamble. "shall not be infringed" also is in the 2nd amendment. The militia according to the government's definition is all able-bodied males from the ages of 18-45 in the entire country.

10 USC CHAPTER 13 - THE MILITIA

Sec. 311. Militia: composition and classes

-STATUTE-
(a) The militia of the United States consists of all able-bodied
males at least 17 years of age and, except as provided in section
313 of title 32, under 45 years of age who are, or who have made a
declaration of intention to become, citizens of the United States
and of female citizens of the United States who are members of the
National Guard.
(b) The classes of the militia are -
(1) the organized militia, which consists of the National Guard
and the Naval Militia; and
(2) the unorganized militia, which consists of the members of
the militia who are not members of the National Guard or the
Naval Militia.

Basically the unorganized militia consists of all US Citizens under the age of 46.

This is an awesome link, by an affiliated religious website.
http://www.standfirminfaith.com/?/sf/page/29951

Under the original militia act of 1792:

I. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That each and every free able-bodied white male citizen of the respective States, resident therein, who is or shall be of age of eighteen years, and under the age of forty-five years (except as is herein after excepted) shall severally and respectively be enrolled in the militia, by the Captain or Commanding Officer of the company, within whose bounds such citizen shall reside, and that within twelve months after the passing of this Act. And it shall at all time hereafter be the duty of every such Captain or Commanding Officer of a company, to enroll every such citizen as aforesaid, and also those who shall, from time to time, arrive at the age of 18 years, or being at the age of 18 years, and under the age of 45 years (except as before excepted) shall come to reside within his bounds; and shall without delay notify such citizen of the said enrollment, by the proper non-commissioned Officer of the company, by whom such notice may be proved. That every citizen, so enrolled and notified, shall, within six months thereafter, provide himself with a good musket or firelock, a sufficient bayonet and belt, two spare flints, and a knapsack, a pouch, with a box therein, to contain not less than twenty four cartridges, suited to the bore of his musket or firelock, each cartridge to contain a proper quantity of powder and ball; or with a good rifle, knapsack, shot-pouch, and powder-horn, twenty balls suited to the bore of his rifle, and a quarter of a pound of powder; and shall appear so armed, accoutred and provided, when called out to exercise or into service, except, that when called out on company days to exercise only, he may appear without a knapsack. That the commissioned Officers shall severally be armed with a sword or hanger, and espontoon; and that from and after five years from the passing of this Act, all muskets from arming the militia as is herein required, shall be of bores sufficient for balls of the eighteenth part of a pound; and every citizen so enrolled, and providing himself with the arms, ammunition and accoutrements, required as aforesaid, shall hold the same exempted from all suits, distresses, executions or sales, for debt or for the payment of taxes.

During the Second World War the unorganized militia was used to patrol costlines because all National Guard units had been Federalized.

I hope this provides some clarity. God Bless you and have a great week.

This is an issue I have spent a lot of thought and prayer on. I hope I've succeeded in adding some clarity on this matter.

Sincerely,

Sean McDermott

I do not study Thousand Oaks politics closely enough to provide much commentary. I do enjoy the emails that Iqbal Quidwai sends to me. Click on continue reading to see the latest.

( Steve Bennett, David Pollock, and David Cruz Thayne.)

The field isn't officially set for the Ventura County based CA-26 Congressional District but the campaigns have been busy.

On Saturday I was honored to be the host of a program put on by Conejo Valley Democrats called Eye on the issues. They asked me to introduce these three candidates and ask them questions from club members. Democrat Jess Herrera was invited but did not attend. I am not sure why.

The program will play on local cable access and then it will be posted on YouTube.

When the video is posted I will post that and include more of my thoughts.

Some quick thoughts:

1. Reading from a Teleprompter for the first time was interesting. Made much more interesting because I took some strong cold medicine before the show.

2. I am honestly not sure why I would vote for yet. The top two primary system makes strategic voting complicated.

3. I'll ask each for an interview in the future so I can ask them more specifics. If you are running for office and would like to be interviewed online let me know. I like asking specific questions that give candidates the time to think.

I am interviewing Brandon Millian tonight at 7PM. Click on continue reading to see my questions and his answers.

As I was researching candidates for school board races I found Mike Dunn's website. MIke Dunn's tenure on the CVUSD Board has seen many controversies with him being at the center of some of the most contentious debates. From being accused of violating labor law to debates over the alleged gay agenda in health textbooks Mike Dunn has been a hero to some and a villain to others. He has been a polarizing figure and a favorite for media coverage because of it.

He took questions from my readers before and he admitted he was wrong to call an applicant for a job. His willingness to speak openly about his values and agenda have made him among the most vocal school board members in Ventura County.

I thought he would continue being a polarizing figure but with this screenshot from his website I am having my doubts:

If Mike Dunn earned the endorsement of Linda Parks I am thinking I should reexamine the conventional wisdom about him.

I am writing about SVUSD Board politics later this week. But what's happening with the election for your local school board?

Like many of you I thought the contest between Audra Strickland and Linda Parks would be close. I don't have much to add to what Timm Herdt and Eric Ingemunson have already written. If the race was close then it would be easy to dismiss arguments like the voters have rejected negative campaigning. But with a stunning defeat many factors are likely true.

Mike Osbourn tried to blame the money unions spent on the race but that can't be the prime cause when the VCRCC spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on Audra Strickland. They can't blame turnout when Republican turnout was much higher than DTS and Democratic voters. Besides, blaming turnout admits that Audra Strickland didn't have cross party appeal.

Blaming incumbency doesn't work either because both of the candidates currently represent most of the same people. Incumbency is usually very powerful because of name ID and the ability to raise money. Audra Strickland's supporters can't claim those worked against her because she is a well-known elected official and she was very-well funded.

I was amused that Audra Strickland's team played so many games including demanding that a fundrasier of hers or a past candidate against Linda Parks moderate a debate. She might have technically been correct that Linda Parks didn't demand a neutral moderator but did her team really think the news stories on the issue would look good to voters?

I don't know exactly what motivated voters to reject Audra Strickland's arguments or I would put it in a binder and sell it to other politicians. What do you think influenced voters the most?

It is approximately the % by which Linda Parks defeated Audra Strickland and it is also the approximate number of negative mailers Audra Strickland sent out during the campaign.

Over the next few weeks I will review some of the other campaigns. Next up: The Clerk / Recorder race.

Ventura County, and more specifically, Thousand Oaks made the infamous list in the 2009 end of the year Jib Jab video. The video has vulgar content.

Leave a comment if you catch where in the video an event that happened in Thousand Oaks is mentioned. I will post a congratulations to the winner on the front page.

What are your top local predictions for 2010 in Ventura County politics? Next year at this time I will post the winners. I am going to make this an annual tradition.

Click on continue reading for some of my predictions.

The Conjeo Valley Democratic Club is holding a luncheon with a guest speaker in honor of Cesar Chavez Day. The topic will be Cesar Chavez's work in Ventura County.

Click here for a Wikipedia page Biography of Cesar Chavez. Taking a day off from work isn't an option for most people, but reading and reflecting on the life of Cesar Chavez can help to inspire many of us. I have studied him before but the basic article on Wikipedia was thought provoking and inspiring again.

Many labor activists are calling upon the memory of Cesar Chavez to advocate for the Employee Free Choice Act.

Click here to read a basic explanation of the law.

Click here to read arguments for it.

Click here to read arguments against it.

Click on continue reading for details for the Cesar Chavez Day lunch and lecture.

The battle over the budget might soon be over if the big 5 ( The Governor, and the leaders of both parties in the State Assembly and State Senate) announce their compromise budget as expected within the next few days. But the interest groups, activists, unions, talk radio host and others are putting pressure on legislators to pass a budget of their liking. The plan as of now is to release the compromise budget and then vote on it before too much pressure could be brought against our legislators to abandon the compromise and to stick by their respective constituencies.

Locally, a group of educators, Democratic activists, and PTA leaders rallied outside of State Senator Tony Strickland's office asking him to compromise and help pass a budget. To see pictures sent in to me from that event click on continue reading. Opponents of State Senator Tony Strickland's have begun to circulate "Phony Tony Bucks" in an effort to blame him for the lack of progress on the state budget. State Senator Tony Strickland has not given any sign that he would compromise his no new taxes pledge, even with all of the pressure from different groups and his own governor.

But if State Senator Tony Strickland was thinking of going along with any compromise that raised taxes he would have to deal with conservatives on his side and the outrage breaking his pledge not to raise taxes would cause. So far if the contest between the two sides is over who has the most over the top graphics The John and Ken show has a pretty wild page showing Republican legislators heads on sticks and other objects for considering raising taxes.

If there is a compromise I don't expect State Senator Tony Strickland will be voting for it. But I am curious to see which Republicans vote for the compromise.

Click here for the website of John and Ken of KFI AM 640 Talk Radio.

Click here for my earlier coverage of the rally.

Click here for a report from Marie Lakin who attended the rally.