Steven Hintz is a retired judge running for Ventura County Treasurer/Tax Collector. He's a fiscal conservative that is endorsed by a wide spectrum of groups including the Ventura County GOP, SEIU, and the Ventura County Deputy Sheriffs' Association. The Ventura County Star also endorsed Hintz (again) earlier this month, writing: We believe his decision-making experience and financial know-how position him to properly serve the best interests of Ventura County taxpayers. If elected, Mr. Hintz will be charged with the responsibility of working with the county's chief investment officer to wisely invest the county's existing $2 billion portfolio. We also view Mr. Hintz as being a strong advocate for taxpayers. Impressively, Hintz has vowed to turn down the use of a county car, cell phone, and $10,000 of his salary if he is elected. Hintz touched on his economic philosophy in my last interview with him--in this post there's a little more detail about how this potential treasurer will protect our public funds. One way to figure out where someone thinks the economy is headed is to see where they put their money. It's not perfect--an individual is going to have a different investment strategy than a multi-billion dollar organization, but it provides a little perspective. Three-quarters of Hintz' personal money is invested in money market and bond funds, mostly tax exempt. The remaining quarter is in a broad American fund, a fund south of our border, and energy funds. A very small portion is invested in precious metals. "My personal goal is capital preservation, not capital gain," Hintz said. Me, I'm worried about the long-term value of the dollar and am scared to death to be in anything American, but a thirty-year-old, a retiree, and a county aren't going to have the same concerns. Hintz listed these facts about Ventura County's investment portfolio: That's not going to knock anyone's socks off, but a lot of people will take comfort with this conventional and conservative portfolio that is managed according to an investment policy established by the Board of Supervisors. "If I am elected, the Chief Investment Officer and I will review all the allowable investment options, but it would be inappropriate for this fund to chase yield at the cost of incurring additional risk," Hintz said. He's right; while I wouldn't have my money invested in Fannie Mae, it's good for large public funds to exercise a large abundance of caution and follow the herd--risky investments don't just have the potential of screwing over thousands of people, it could land the treasurer in jail. Hintz couldn't comment on the retirement fund, saying he doesn't have enough information on it and that it is managed with the assistance of outside investors. The candidate, if elected, would assume a seat on the county Employee's Retirement Association board of directors, which runs the county pension fund.
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Hintz is probably the hardest working candidate in any local race. If
you're in a community group, chances are that he's dropped by one of
your meetings--he goes to about three of them a day, every day. I half
expect him to show up to my kid's first birthday party to shake hands
with the parents and listen to their concerns, and inform them of his
candidacy for Ventura County Treasurer Tax Collector.
I
like that strong work ethic in a candidate; the people-driven approach
that shows he cares about every single vote. It helped him advance past
the June primary election as one of the two finalists in the election,
the other candidate being former tax association president Don Facciano.
Hintz
(pronounced like "hints") himself is a retired judge with a no-nonsense
reputation. If jittery defense lawyers gave him a nickname, it was
probably "Hang 'Em High Hintz." While that sounds intimidating, he's
approachable enough, especially if you are willing to discuss one of his
favorite hobbies--model trains.
He
likes them so much he oversaw a $2.8 million budget as the CFO of the
California State Railroad Museum Foundation in Old Town Sacramento. He
cites this experience as one of his qualifications to run for Treasurer,
but loopy new rules enacted by the Ventura County Board of Supervisors
puts a greater emphasis on his business classes from his college days.
However, those rules paved the way for Hintz to run; he didn't throw his
hat into the ring until well-organized and well-funded Audra Strickland
was deemed to be ineligible.
As
the man who may have a big say in the economic well-being of the
county, I wanted to learn more about his economic philosophy. Hintz may
look like a trim Barney Frank, but his approach to finances is quite the
opposite. [continue reading]
Picture of the day
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Here's a picture from Don Facciano's Facebook page of the candidate enjoying a free tote bag at Simi Valley Days.
Look closely at the name on the bag.
The irony didn't escape the man whose name is on the bag, Facciano's opponent Steve Hintz, who posted this on his Facebook page:
Here's a campaign classic for you . . . if you go to Don Facciano's Facebook page, you will see that he has posted a picture of himself putting his handout into my campaign's tote bag. How he managed to take all those pictures of himself during the short time he was there, I don't know.
This sort of gaffe can happen to any candidate, particularly with the prevalence of Facebook, Twitter, and cell phones. If I were a campaign manager, I don't know how I could I ever relax if my candidate had access to these tools.
Steven Hintz led the seven candidates running for treasurer-tax collector, but because nobody finished with more than 50 percent a runoff is scheduled for the November election.
Hintz finished with about 23 percent of the vote, and runner up Don Facciano--now Hintz's only opponent--had 18 percent.
Republican candidate Jeff Walker, who garnered 17 percent, just threw his support behind Hintz. Hintz posted this on his Facebook page:
Today's great news is that JEFF WALKER of Camarillo has endorsed me. Jeff brings supporters with him who wanted vigorous young-minded leadership and sound financial experience. Jeff had great ideas for bringing the TTC into the 21st century. He was very close to making the runoff. I WELCOME HIS SUPPORT.
Walker wrote, "You are the best candidate to provide stability to the office and use technology to bring it to 21st century standards. I'm proud to support your campaign."
In a post on Walker's blog, he wrote that Hintz is better equipped to transition the treasurer tax-collector position into the digital world. He said that mailing a paper tax bill runs about $2, while emailing it is obviously free.
The choice between Hintz and Walker was a tough one for conservatives. Walker is a business owner and accountant, while Hintz was a no-nonsense judge.
But conservatives aren't the only voters attracted to Hintz. Rumor has it that Democrat Warren Harwood, another former treasurer candidate, will endorse Hintz.
IngeMusings
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This blog attempts to add perspective and context to local and national politics, through a variety of disciplines, such as history, economics, and philosophy--all tempered with common sense. About the author
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.
This blog attempts to add perspective and context to local and national politics, through a variety of disciplines, such as history, economics, and philosophy--all tempered with common sense. About the author
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.
