Ventura, CA – Thursday night, 3/25/2010 The Democratic Club of Ventura and Ventura County Democratic Party presented “2010 Democratic Candidate Town Hall” at the Topping Room, E.P Foster Library, 651 Main Street, Downtown.

Forty-five people attended the town hall meeting hosted by Helen Conly, Vice President and event coordinator. The program opened with political consultant and local software business creator David Maron, who was emcee.

Sheriff hopeful, Geoff Dean assured the audience that “political persuasion or party won’t be the catalyst behind him giving out future arrests. Criminality is not parceled out by whether or not you are a republican”, said the avowed Republican candidate.
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Written questions from the audience were also asked by Maron.

Next was Ferial Masry with a fifteen-minute presentation. Masry expressed the need for California, the 6th largest economy in the world, to strive to become the state where business owners create products and services that can be used globally, to educate and prepare our students to be the 21st century work force instead of going to foreign countries and to reconsider green initiatives that supplement sustainable energy resources and careers.

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The 37th Assembly District includes the following cities: Acton, Agua Dulce, Camarillo, Canoga Park, Castaic, Chatsworth, Fillmore, Los Angeles, Moorpark, Newbury Park, Oak View, Ojai, Piru, Santa Paula, Simi Valley, Somis, Thousand Oaks, Val Verde, West Hills, and Westlake Village.

As opposed to prior advertising, the program wasn’t televised although some of the content was captured by Todd Hoover a videographer from the Santa Clarita area.

Other participants were Ed Summers and Peggy O’Reilly, both running for Treasurer; Jim Dantona, running for County Clerk. For more information regarding the 2-1/2 hour town hall see: http://www.youtube.com/user/crazycatherder#p/u

Hilary Crosby, candidate for Controller of the California Democratic Party of California, met with regional Democrats for lunch on Wednesday, February 11, 2009 at My Florist Winecafe and Bakery in Ventura. Sue Broidy, who is running for the position of Region 10 Director for the the tri-county region, arranged this opportunity for us to meet the candidate and get a better understanding of what’s at stake in the election of a Controller.

Crosby has over 30 years experience as a finance professional. She has been a Certified Public Accountant who has worked with non-profits, unions, and social justice groups. Also definitely to the point are her plans for a new statewide fundraising strategy and for encouraging a network of county and club Treasurers. All this is to support local and statewide Democratic Party fund-raising efforts and to support all Treasurers with their efforts to comply with the finance laws. Crosby emphasized the need for implementing a 58 County Plan, observing that Republicans are running unopposed in counties where no one is available or qualified to make the financial arrangements for Democratic campaigns.

The discussion emphasized the complexities of campaign finance and the necessity of having a qualified expert to master the legal intricacies. Money donated to State Democratic organizations by corporations or unions, for example, cannot be used to fund federal elections in any way, not even for voter registration or for slate mailers on which a federal candidate is listed.

Sandra Kinsler, Treasurer of the Ventura County Democratic Party, spoke with the candidate about the need for clear procedures and accurate record keeping so that subsequent Treasurers and e-board members receive a legacy from current office holders. The legacy that must be passed on needs to be an efficient and practical system of record keeping and procedures—not a shoe box full of tattered receipts and figures scrawled on the backs of used envelopes. Kinsler determined that because of Crosby’s thorough financial background, experience with the finance laws, focus on consistent record keeping and reporting, statewide focus on cohesiveness, participation with the Progressive side of the Democratic Party, and willingness to speak face-to-face with central committees and clubs, that she would endorse her. Brian Leshon, Sue Broidy and Helen Conly have also endorsed Hilary Crosby

Crosby emphasized the need for transparency at all levels of the Democratic Party in California, state, counties, and chartered clubs. “We have to know where the money is coming from and where it is going. And we need a strong individual donor program,” stated Crosby. Currently the county gets 80% of its funding from institutional donors—and of course large donors have undue influence on important legislation. If we want to change the game, we have to pay to play like unions and corporations do. We cannot, of course, contribute thousands of dollars, but if enough of us contribute small amounts monthly—a couple of our notorious liberal latte’s worth—we can and will make the changes we must make.

Hilary Crosby is running against CDP Controller incumbent Eric Bradley from Long Beach, California.

Hilary Crosby has good ideas, and the practical know how and financial experience to implement them. She would make an excellent Controller for the California Democratic Party. We will get change when we elect the people who can make change happen.