We support three incumbent City Council members: Brian Brennan, Ed Summers and Jim Monahan.
It's too bad that elections make people say and do things that can be seen as destructive or downright vindictive.
I want to personally thank the three incumbents listed above for their advice, " Ben, stay positive." These three incumbents have had their names run through the mud but have stayed the course. These council members are speaking from experience, not emotion.
Make no mistake: When it comes to cutting spending, they didn't just talk about it, they cut $11 million. Making difficult decisions in difficult times is what leaders do.
When Neal Andrews was critical of pensions, Summers, Monahan and Brennan didn't criticize; they embraced the issue and took it head-on. They put together a task force to study pensions, separating facts from fiction. It was this task force, with Andrews in participation, that discovered that 85 percent of the cities in the state pay far better retirement packages than the City of Ventura offers its employees. While pension reform makes for a great campaign slogan, it is far from being a local issue.
Measure A is a necessary funding source that will go away in four years! Again, these three council members have made another responsible choice. They aren't going to burden the taxpayers for any longer than necessary to help all of us weather this financial storm. They also recognize the need for long-term economic prosperity. All three incumbents are currently and have always been working hard to provide long-term solutions on this issue.
As far as local politics, we all need to take a deep breath, look for solutions and please stay positive as Summers, Monahan and Brennan have.
-- Benny Davis, Ventura
(The writer is president of the Ventura City Firefighters Association. -- Editor)