Republican Tony Strickland will be fined $3,000 for violating state campaign law.  The fine stems from a negative attack mailer against then-opponent Hannah-Beth Jackson in 2008.  Strickland, a career politician, failed to disclose the source of the mailer.  According to the state Fair Political Practices Commission, Strickland should have known better stating the omission was, “at worst intentional, at best negligent.”

Strickland, who has been fund raising for former Goldman Sachs board member Meg Whitman, wants to trade in his senate seat for a run for State Controller.  Given his history of reckless, even illegal campaign practices, some would question his suitability for higher office.

The Democratic Club of Camarillo will welcome three candidates seeking political office at the Thursday, April 1 general meeting. The club expects to host Ferial Masry, candidate for state assembly; Jim Dantona, who is running for County Clerk-Recorder; and Robert Taylor and Ellen Conroy, who are running against each other for Ventura County Superior Court. In addition, Becky Shofield with the US Postal Service will be on hand with comments about the postal service and how it compares to FedEx.

Socializing will begin at 6:15 p.m. with the program starting at 7:00 p.m.  The club meets in the Orchid Building, 816 Camarillo Springs Road, which is located at the Camarillo Springs Exit from the South 101. The meeting is free and open to the public.  Call 805/987-1846 for additional information.

It’s one of the challenges for the former eBay CEO, a Republican who’s marketed herself as a Sacramento outsider ready to deliver a “new California” as she seeks to succeed Schwarzenegger in the state’s top job. Meg Whitman has hired some of Schwarzenegger’s top advisers even as she attempts to distance herself from the governor, whose poll numbers are at a historic low as California wrestles with a $20 billion deficit.

Two months before the June primary, Whitman is taking shots from critics on both sides of the aisle, who argue that her campaign is a rerun of Schwarzenegger’s first bid for public office seven years ago.

~ excerpt from a piece by Carla Marinucci, San Francisco Chronicle 3/29/10
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/03/28/MNID1CLPKU.DTL#ixzz0jdtvtfnY

The Sierra Club now joins the California League of Conservation Voters in supporting Das Williams’ Assembly Campaign

SANTA BARBARA, CA – Local Santa Barbara City Councilmember Das Williams’ record on environmental issues has received another big boost, announcing today that the Sierra Club has endorsed his campaign for the 35th Assembly District.

“Das Williams is somebody with immense experience fighting for the best interest of Santa Barbara’s and California’s environment,” said Selma Rubin, member of the Los Padres chapter of the Sierra Club. “I can say with absolute certainty that his election to the California Assembly representing the 35th district will bring with it a new era of environmental stewardship.”

Rubin then added, “As we enter a new decade we must embrace change and policies that will solve our community’s environmental challenges such as off-shore oil extraction, open space preservation and habitat restoration. Das Williams personifies our community’s cherished traditions while also embracing new directions, out-of-the-box thinking, energy and enthusiasm to meet some of our toughest challenges.”

The Sierra Club now joins its partner in the environmental movement, the California League of Conservation Voters, in its backing of Das Williams’ candidacy.

“I thank the Sierra Club for its confidence and vote of support for my campaign for State Assembly,” said Das Williams. “There’s a lot of work to be done to strengthen our environment and push California down the path to cleaner, more renewable energies, and I plan on working hard with state and local leaders to come up with smart, workable ideas for achieving sustainability in this state.”

“As 21st century environmentalists, we need to have the vision for solving regional transit issues and fighting global warming in ways that creates jobs,” added Williams. “I’m extremely proud of the strides we’ve made here in Santa Barbara during my tenure on the Council, and look forward to broadening our efforts to the rest of the state.”

During his 6 years on the City Council, Das Williams has championed the environment. He’s spearheaded a local initiative to double renewable energy use to 30% by 2011, dramatically increased funding for energy efficiency programs, and expanded the use of alternative energy for Santa Barbara city vehicles. Das helped lead the effort to restore Arroyo Burro, one of the largest wetlands restoration projects in the county, and worked to secure over $3 million to fix sewer overflows in Santa Barbara to reduce pollution in the ocean. Das Williams has also fought to fund five major fish passage projects for endangered steelhead, and has been a consistent advocate calling for an end to offshore oil drilling.

Title: Join us for a conversation with Susan Jordan, Candidate for the 35th Assembly District
Location: Stoneworks Studio & Gallery 300 N. Ventura Ave., Ventura
Link out: Click here
Description: Come meet this dynamic, common-sense candidate. Susan will share her thoughts about the economy, the environment, health care and education, and of course, befitting the setting — the arts.

Enjoy wine, dessert, a toasty fire & great sculpture.

Start Time: 7 p.m.
Date: April 9, 2010
End Time: 9 p.m.

RSVP to jordan4assembly@gmail.com

Susan Jordan

Leaving no doubt of Susan Jordan’s impeccable environmental credentials, the Los Padres Chapter of the Sierra Club put its faith in Jordan’s leadership abilities and has endorsed her Assembly candidacy. The Sierra Club joins the California League of Conservation Voters, as well as some of the most well-known environmental leaders in the state in backing Jordan.

“Susan Jordan is a highly accomplished environmental leader who as Executive Director of the California Coastal Protection Network (CCPN) and co-founder of the group Vote the Coast, has played a central role in many major environmental victories. She has worked closely with the Sierra Club on many issues, and in the Assembly Susan would use her extensive experience working issues at the legislative level to further her environmental goals,” said David Gold, Los Padres Sierra Club Political Co-Chair.

Paul Mason, Former Deputy Director, Sierra Club California, also had no reservations in his praise. “I don’t know anyone with more integrity than Susan Jordan. Susan is exactly the combination of smarts, real-world experience, and values that we need, and embodies the best case in a citizen-legislator.”

“When elected, Susan Jordan will bring to Sacramento a proven record of having confronted, worked on, organized around and won victories involving some of the most important environmental challenges facing California,” said Mark Massara, Former Director of the Sierra Club Coastal Program.

“Susan has worked to protect our coast from dangerous gas terminals, offshore oil derricks, destructive development and fought to protect precious natural resources for our families and future generations,” Massara added. “No other Assembly candidate, from Santa Barbara or anywhere in California, brings a level of experience and environmental accomplishments close to Jordan’s. With unprecedented environmental challenges looming ahead, from sea rise to extreme climate change, we can depend on Jordan to get it right and get the job done.”

Jordan, a candidate for the 35th Assembly District in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, has won many awards for her environmental work.

“The Sierra Club’s leadership on environmental issues is unsurpassed,” Jordan, a first-time candidate, said. “Having the respect and backing of my peers in the environmental community is important to me. We’ve worked together on some of the toughest grassroots environmental battles in the state.”

Jordan has also been endorsed by Terry Tamminen, Former Secretary of California EPA; Winston Hickox, Former Secretary of California EPA; Luke Breit, Former California Democratic Party Environmental Caucus Chair; Debra Broner, California Democratic Party Environmental Caucus Treasurer; Mary D. Nichols, Chair, California Air Resources Board; Mark Gold, Heal the Bay; Steve Blank, Chair, Audubon California; Joel Reynolds, Senior Attorney, Natural Resources Defense Council; Tom Ford, Santa Monica Baykeeper; Dan Silver, Executive Director, Endangered Habitats League; Laura Davick, Founder, Crystal Cove Alliance; Rory Cox, Pacific Environment; and Jack Eidt, Director, Wild Heritage Planners.

To learn more about Susan, visit her website at www.jordan4assembly.com

A new Associated Press-GfK Poll finds a widespread hunger for improvements to the health care system, which suggests President Barack Obama and his Democratic allies have a good chance for a political gain with their successful enactment of the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act”.  According to the poll only 4 percent of Americans say the existing health care system shouldn’t have been changed at all.  Although there had been no clear majority opinion on the best way to reform the health care system, most polls have indicated that at least 40% favored President Obama’s plan while another 13% favored an even more extensive overhaul. 

The challenge for President Obama was that although there was always great support for health care reform there was never a particular formula for reform that was easily supported by enough members of Congress in order to obtain the supermajority needed for earlier passage. 

Imagine if the President needed to order a military action for our national security and that 96% of the public and Congress were supportive of this action.  Now suppose further that there was no obvious consensus on which strategic plan: land, sea or air forces, to use.  Should the President take no action at all?  This turns out to be the trouble for the GOP , both in their opposition to the health care reform by their entire Congressional membership and their alleged desire to repeal it.  They may now be labeled as the party against all health care reform even though some form of health care reform was supported by almost all Americans.  Even worse for the GOP is that many reforms are expected to be very popular once enacted – especially prohibition of pre-existing conditions, students remaining on parents policies until 26 years of age and tax breaks for small business.

The GOP and the Tea Party gambled that health care reform could be blocked.  Now that they have failed, they continue to fight for repeal and block other initiatives that are linked to support for working Americans including extension of unemployment benefits.

The GOP and Tea Party brand is already demographically and regionally limited and now may be further limited to Americans who were against health care reform and against support for working families.  The Democrats stand to lose some Congressional seats in 2010 because President Obama is not on the ticket.  Do not be surprised if 2012 is a good year for Democrats, especially if the economy improves.

Jay Kapitz
Dem Club of Conejo Valley, Election Strategy Chair
VCDCC, Alternate for Julia Browley

YES on Proposition 15: California Fair Elections Act…for elections that money can’t buy!

Working Group Volunteer Action Meeting
Date: Wednesday, March 31, 7:00 – 8:45 PM
Location: Home of Sue and Rick Gunther, 4228 Via Azul, Newbury Park
Snacks Provided
RSVP to Jay Kapitz: j_kapitz@yahoo.com, 818-889-1039

Ventura, CA – Elected delegates to the California Democratic Party cast their votes Saturday, March 20, 2010 at the Regional Pre-Endorsement Conference, held at the IBEW Hall in Ventura, CA, in support of Tim Allison, Congressional Candidate for House of Representatives in California District 24. In a staggering 89% favorable vote, Allison secured the Regional Pre-Endorsement Conference official recommendation for endorsement by the California Democratic Party .  Allison’s democratic opponents, Marie Panec and Shawn Stern, received 6% and 0% of the vote respectively.

This official support from the California Democratic party casts Allison as lead contender in the Democratic primary election June 8th 2010, and a serious threat to 23 year incumbent Elton Gallegly in the November 2nd general election.

Ventura, CA – Elected delegates to the California Democratic Party cast their votes Saturday, March 20, 2010 at the Regional Pre-Endorsement Conference, held at the IBEW Hall in Ventura, CA, in support of Tim Allison, Congressional Candidate for House of Representatives in California District 24. In a staggering 89% favorable vote, Allison secured the California Democratic Party’s official recommendation for endorsement.  Allison’s democratic opponents, Marie Panec and Shawn Stern, received 6% and 0% of the vote respectively.

This official support from the California Democratic party casts Allison as lead contender in the Democratic primary election June 8th 2010, and a serious threat to 23 year incumbent Elton Gallegly in the November 2nd general election.