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

Yesterday we reported that Tony Strickland will pay a $3,000 fine for violation of state campaign law.  Today we hear that Audra Strickland, soon to be ex-assemblywoman, appears to be in violation of the city ordinance prohibiting campaign signs earlier than 45 days prior to an election [TOMC 9-4.2304(d)].  Yesterday an Audra Strickland for Supervisor sign was spotted at the ExxonMobil gas station at 45 N Reino in the Newbury Park neighborhood of Thousand Oaks.

We’re sure that it is just a coincidence that the first sign to appear is on the property of one of her campaign donors, but careless disregard of the law seems to be a recurring theme with Audra and Tony.  Candidates need to keep in mind the best interests of the community and not on what will leverage a degree of political advantage in a contentious campaign.