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.
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=crazycatherder#p/u/7/WP6OwoNQC48
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=crazycatherder#p/u/6/zUI51j9XJWc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1n_XoQmOTY

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.

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=crazycatherder#p/u/4/JWXGarXgSE0
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=crazycatherder#p/u/3/ILojAzgjTdA
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=crazycatherder#p/u/2/GG15ZBYUQDM

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

Come to the local campaign kick-off for the California Fair Elections Act! Join Assemblymembers Pedro Nava and Julia Brownley, Ventura County Supervisors Steve Bennett, Kathy Long, Linda Parks, & John Zaragoza, campaign chair Trent Lange, and others so you can help pass Fair Elections that money can’t buy!

WHEN: Sunday, March 14 from 2pm-4pm
WHERE: Camarillo Library. 4101 Las Posas Road., Camarillo
RSVP: www.yesfairelections.org or 818-889-1039

The California Fair Elections Act (CFEA) represents fundamental election reform that will allow candidates and elected officials to get out of the money game and get back to solving California’s problems by creating a pilot project for a voluntary Fair Elections public financing system of campaigns similar to those in seven other states.

Assemblymembers Pedro Nava and Julia Brownley and Ventura County Supervisors Steve Bennett, Kathy Long, Linda Parks, and John Zaragoza — all endorsers of the California Fair Elections Act — will talk about why they support it and why all Californians should!

Trent Lange, Chair of Californians for Fair Elections, will talk about how the system works and the statewide campaign to pass the proposition.

We will end with a brainstorming and organizing session for the new local grassroots coalition to support the campaign by building support locally.

Please invite anyone you know who is sick of the outrageous amount of money in politics and might be interested in helping bring about Fair Elections.  Imagine what California could be if our elected officials could focus on governing instead of fundraising!

SPONSORS: California Clean Money Campaign, California Common Cause, California Nurses Association, League of Women Voters of California, SOAR, Rainbow Alliance, Midtown Ventura Community Council, Democratic Clubs of Conejo, Ojai, Oxnard, Ventura, Simi, Santa Clara Valley, Conejo Womens Council, Ventura County National Women’s Political Caucus, PDA of VC, Social Action Committee Ventura Unitarian Church, DFA of VC, Arts 4 Action, VC Young Dems, VCCool, Stonewall Dems, Los Padres Sierra Club plus additional groups joining every day.  To find out about adding your organization to the list, contact ventura-info@caclean.org

Dear Region 10 Delegates and Central Committee members;

Today, June 8th, the California Primary is exactly one year away. This is surely the time to concentrate on setting up Candidates Committees, Voter Registration Task Forces and Field Operations so that everything is in place and leadership designated to take advantage of the trainings on offer. I have been putting together an inventory of training materials, so please contact me for specific manuals and materials.

Foremost is the great weekend ahead for San Luis Obispo County with the Progressive Caucus meeting on Saturday June 27th and the long-awaited CDC Leadership training for Sunday June 28th.

Also, not to be missed are the two Region 10 meetings on June 13th and 14th when you have an opportunity to introduce Resolutions in time for consideration by the E-Board meeting in Burlingame on July 17th and 18th. (I apologise for the short notice – I was trying to schedule a meeting in Santa Maria, but it was not to be.)

I continue to enjoy meeting with other clubs and attending events – most recently, the Santa Maria club meeting and the 41st AD meeting as well as Central Committee meetings and the very successful Ventura County Spring Fling, with speeches from Attorney General candidates Pedro Nava, Ted Lieu and Alberto Torrico as well as Congresswoman Lois Capps, State Senator Fran Pavley and former Assemblymember Hannah-Beth Jackson. And a very special visit Sunday was to the Atascadero Democrats’ event in a winery in perfect weather in glorious countryside. Well worth the long drive!

Sincerely,
Sue Broidy
Director, Region 10

The Ventura County Democratic Party has launched both a new website and Facebook Group in time for the November election. The website (http://www.VenturaCountyDemocrats.com) and Facebook Group (Ventura County Democratic Party) helps local Democrats and Progressives connect, share information and build friendships with like minded individuals.

The new website, VenturaCountyDemocrats.com has a modern look and many features to distribute information on party and club activities. There is a list of candidates running for office from the Presidency to local candidates for most of the cities in Ventura County. There is a calendar of events for people who wish to attend a political rallies, campaign fundraisers, club meetings or other functions. There is information on the various Democratic Clubs, links to other information sources, lists of elected officials and, of course, a place to make donations to support the Democratic party in Ventura County.

Facebook is has become a significant way for people with shared interests to connect and grow relationships. The Ventura County Democratic Party Facebook Group helps the party reach new activists. Most existing activists are adults, many of whom are retired and have the time to be involved. It has been hard for either party to recruit new, younger activists as reaching has been traditionally difficult. Facebook’s youthful user base helps the Ventura County Democratic party overcome this problem. The Ventura County Democratic Party Facebook group provides a place for its members to share information, stories and thoughts with existing and new friends. There is a calendar of events for those who wish to attend political rallies, campaign fundraisers, club meetings or other functions. Facebook users will be able to invite their friends to join the group and get involved working on issues important to their communities.

The Ventura County Democratic Party works hard to help local Democratic candidates get elected to public offices. These people makeup the backbone of our communities filling positions on our local School Boards, City Councils, Water Districts, Harbor Commissions, and performing Mayoral duties. These are the offices that keep communities going. These are also the offices that prepare our many of our Senators, Governors, and Congressmen to govern, providing them with their first elected offices. The Ventura Democratic Party helps indentify these candidates and get them elected. Donations to the Ventura County Democratic Party are pooled to supprt the races of these little-known candidates wishing to serve their communities in these important positions. Please donate today at http://www.VenturaCountyDemocrats.com.