The variety of experience that veteran government and political insider Jim Dantona has accrued over his 30-year career is remarkable. The presidential advisor, State Senate chief of staff, founder of a youth anti-drug organization, campaign consultant, special assistant to a state controller, perennial Democratic candidate and lobbyist is running for Ventura County Clerk/Recorder. Throw in that he played in spring training for the Chicago Cubs in 1969, and we have the makings of one of the more interesting people to run for such a mundane job ever in the county.
Depending on the point of view, one can say Dantona's spent a life in public service--or one can say he spent his life running hundreds of campaigns as a political operative, lobbying and perma-candidate. Experience is usually--but not always--a good thing.
In the 1980s, Dantona worked as chief of staff for State Senate Pro Tem David Roberti, whom he had met at a community event (and admired his "progressive" politics), for 10 years. The relationship was sometimes rocky, but undoubtedly Dantona learned a great deal about the inner workings of government.
In the mid-80's, he worked as a political consultant and by the end of the decade entertained thoughts of running himself. He was rumored to be candidate for County Supervisor in 1989, and in 1990 and 1992 he sought to become a Simi Valley city councilman after a stint as a neighborhood councilmember. However, when Bill Clinton won the 1992 presidential election, Dantona aborted his campaign to work for the president-elect's national fundraising committee.
In 1995, he ran unsuccessfully for State Assembly. Along the way, he founded his philanthropic organizations BAD (Ballplayers Against Drugs) and worked hard as a "legislative consultant" (lobbyist). In 2006, he was narrowly defeated in a race for Ventura County Supervisor. In that race, Tony Strickland briefly endorsed him before withdrawing his support and throwing it behind Peter Foy, who won the bitter contest. It featured Dantona's questionable financial practices as central campaign issues. The slight must have stuck with Dantona, who took on Strickland for State Senate in 2008 before bowing out, saying that as a "good Democrat" he didn't want to force Hannah Beth Jackson to spend money on a primary when it could be used to defeat Strickland.
Now that Foy's chief of staff, Mark Lunn, is running for Ventura County Clerk/Recorder, Dantona decided to throw his hat in the ring one more time. Whereas he saved Jackson money by dropping out in 2008, is Dantona running simply to cost Lunn money, sticking it to Foy and Strickland at the same time? I'm sure he'd like to win, too, and the political payback may just be icing.
During a lifetime spent on working on political deals, running campaigns, making allies and enemies alike, Dantona's become a polarizing figure in local politics who at best is a well-connected crusader in Democratic politics, and at worst is a jaded and calloused insider.
The office of Clerk/Recorder manages important county records and elections. The question facing voters vis-à-vis Dantona is this: does his type of experience fit the mission of the office?
Eric Ingemunson's commentary has been featured on Hannity, CNN, NBC, Inside Edition, and KFI's The John and Ken Show.
Eric was born and raised in Ventura County and currently resides in Moorpark. He earned a master's degree in Public Policy and Administration from California Lutheran University. As a conservative, Eric supports smaller government, less taxation, more individual freedom, the rule of law, and a strict adherence to the Constitution.
Eric to answer your question; yes, Dantona's experience is exactly what we need. Thanks for asking the question.
Oh, but one thing. Why didn't you pose the question to Mr. Lunn's qualification to the office? As current Chief-of-Staff to Peter Foy, a sitting County Supervisor, who Lunn would have to oversee the election of, is that someone we want in charge of County elections to ensure a fair election for his boss? Seems that would be a conflict of interest, right? Not to mention that he actually sat on a political party's central committee, whose whole existence is to ensure a political party wins, something Jim Dantona has not done.
That actually brings me to two more question, does Mark Lunn have to count your blog posts as "in kind" contributions to his campaign? Or are you just angling for a job with Supervisor Foy?
Answering, thanks for writing. My point is not the the clerk/recorder has to be a complete political outsider, it's just that while Lunn was in law enforcement for 30 years, Dantona was in rough-and-tumble politics. So it's a matter of degree--Dantona is 500 times the insider Lunn is, with all the baggage that entails. While it's true that Lunn has some very recent political ties, he doesn't have the decades of baggage that Dantona carries.
An LA Times article from 1992 says:
"This is Republican turf," said Jim Dantona, a government-relations consultant in Simi Valley and a member of the county's Democratic Central Committee. "It's natural that you will see the major changes there."
http://articles.latimes.com/1992-02-02/local/me-1832_1_term-limits
So was Dantona on a Central Committee or not?
I think you have a reasonable point about potential conflicts of interest. If Lunn wins and illegally helps his friends, I hope you'll contact me and I'll be the first to break the story, same as if Dantona did anything illegal.
And just because I have an opinion doesn't mean I'm "angling for a job." I'm not. I already have several and am quite content with them.
Brian Martin, former Republican Central Committee member, current Rio School District trustee recently pled guilty to child molestation charges. His wife, Cristina Martin, was also a Central Comittee member because she was a candidate for Pedro Nava's seat. The Star's comments have been disabled so I will say it here - this is truly disgusting. And it is disgusting that Cristina says she has forgiven him. Perhaps she can explain what she was doing in Rio District Classroom a few weeks ago telling the students not to be like her "daughter" who liked sex so much she got pregnant?
I fail to see how Dantona's quotes from 1992 about redrawn district lines is in any way controversial or pertaining to anything at all in 2010. He once sat on a Committee - Lunn sat on a opposing committee. OK... and...
I also fail to see how you can possibly categorize Dantona as a partisan insider and Lunn as an "independent" outsider. Just because Lunn decided on politics after a CHP career does not make him any less political than a man who has decades of experience. Lunn - A Republican Committee Member, Chief of Staff for Peter Foy and proud tea party member is anything BUT independent or non-partisan.
Lunn seems like a decent guy - over-matched as he is in the race (that's why the GOP lines up everyone around their appointed successor). But I question your logic in this faulty comparison. It showcases your own partisanship, not Dantona's, Lunn's or anybody else. That's fine too - blogs are strictly editorial. But don't pretend your unfair characterization and illogical comparison is anything but partisan rhetoric.
Better you just state - "I am a partisan Republican blogger and I will exploit anything I can - personal, professional or contrived - to tear down a strong adversary who is a registered Democrat." I would respect that more than your eloquently written charade.
But then again, that is one of the reasons I left the GOP years again. My disdain for purist party politics (from both sides) and demonizing rhetoric that is destroying our Democratic process is enough to make our forefathers roll over in their graves.
Those are some pretty pointed accusations--it's fine that you disagree with me that length of tenure as an insider is noteworthy, but to say I'm going after personal or even contrived things?
Do you have any examples that I've "exploited" something personal or something contrived? I think the closest I've come to personal is to suggest that multiple bankruptcies should factor into voters' scales when they choose their candidate.
Eric - can you specify exactly how many bankrupticies he has faced? Thanks.
Dos.
How many times did Dantona have his ballot statement rejected? Zero
VhYLTx Looking forward to reading more. Great post.Much thanks again. Really Great.