There is a long term plan to recreate the wash in Simi Valley, sometimes called the Arroyo, into a beautiful greenway park that would stretch across much of Simi Valley. Go to the city website to see the beautiful vision for the Arroyo. Council Member Steve Sojka has stated he wants to get federal and state money to pay for it which would make this plan very popular. But I am not sure how practical it is to plan to think we won't need to spend local taxdollars to do it. I would support spending local taxes, added to any grants and other sources of money we can earn, to fully fund the project.

Before you comment in support or against the proposal look at the city's website to see what the finished project could look like.

http://www.ci.simi-valley.ca.us/index.aspx?page=443

My support of the Arroyo project triggered this response from a reader:

Comment of the week:

Brian,

This obsession you have with the Pirates of the Caribbean project in the Arroyo is really getting weird. Simi Valley has huge issues facing it with local business, dump expansion, Council Salary and Benefits etc. The list of higher priority items puts that project at the bottom.

It's going to be taxpayer dollars whether from the State as Sojka seemed to allude to in your interview with him, Federally or locally.

I lived next to the Arroyo for 13 years, used the paths down there when I trained for the LA marathon in 1996/1997. Time to get realistic about the Arroyo and put that project where it belongs - on the back burner.

If the city was being asked to cut the check for the entire amount needed to rebuild the Arroyo this year I wouldn't support it. But I do support the process that will likely take many years to put into place. I expect candidates for office to have a long term vision for decades to come.

This isn't the most pressing issue in Simi Valley but it is really important to me.

What issue is important to you that you don't see your local candidates for office addressing?