The Ventura Republican Party has a long history of divisive internal fighting between its component factions. These divisions have undermined the core missions of the VCRP – registering voters, recruiting, training, and deploying precinct captains, recruiting candidates, and raising money. The opportunity of uniting the two major factions usually only occurs every few years. One of those rare alignments, when the Ventura civil war could at long last end and allow the party organization to play a meaningful role in local politics, is upon us.

In 2000 Jackie Rodgers was elected Chairman of the Ventura County Republican Party. By any standard, and from any perspective, Rodgers proved incapable of understanding or implementing basic programs which are the heart of a county organization. However, she was very effective at alienating both Republican officials and her own committee members. In 2002, facing a nearly united committee, Rodgers resigned in advance of being sacked.

Suddenly the stars were in alignment. The factions were at least loosely aligned in wanting reform and an effective organization. Long-time activist Leslie Cornejo was elected Chairman.… Read More

(Yeah, I’m stealing Joe’s theme of song titled posts. This one’s from Keane.)

I get a lot of questions about what it’s like to set up the FlashReport for Jon Fleischman. I’m not tooting my own horn, I’m merely stating that a lot of you are curious. And judging by the tone in which the questions are posed, I feel there’s this rosey, romantic view of working on the site. So, here’s me answering you.

When Jon asked me if I could sub for him on the FlashReport, I was astonished. Nervous really. We’re talking immediate stage fright as the mind contemplated the enormity of cyberspace and its effects. I understood how many people read the site and how many people would question the content if it appeared like a kid put it together. I’m highly conscious of my age and believe that a lot in politics is paying your dues. I think I felt like I was cutting in line. This state has great activists and great political minds. So what did I do to deserve this? Jon didn’t really give me a satisfying answer. I haven’t stopped… Read More

(Yeah, I’m stealing Joe’s theme of song titled posts. This one’s from Keane.)

I get a lot of questions about what it’s like to set up the FlashReport for Jon Fleischman. I’m not tooting my own horn, I’m merely stating that a lot of you are curious. And judging by the tone in which the questions are posed, I feel there’s this rosey, romantic view of working on the site. So, here’s me answering you.

When Jon asked me if I could sub for him on the FlashReport, I was astonished. Nervous really. We’re talking immediate stage fright as the mind contemplated the enormity of cyberspace and its effects. I understood how many people read the site and how many people would question the content if it appeared like a kid put it together. I’m highly conscious of my age and believe that a lot in politics is paying your dues. I think I felt like I was cutting in line. This state has great activists and great political minds. So what did I do to deserve this? Jon didn’t really give me a satisfying answer. I haven’t stopped asking.

I… Read More

Some thought my post yesterday didn’t do enough to differentiate Governor Schwarzenegger from Senator Perata on the crackers controversy, although it did directly link to a SDUT article with a comment from the Gov’s staff.

Ok, fine, here’s the comment from the UT directly, powerful, unlinked, unadorned, and un-editorialized:

Adam Mendelsohn, a Schwarzenegger spokesman, said, “The governor could not disagree more with Senator Perata’s comments.”

One of the most hitting statements in response to Perata came from Assemblyman Jay La Suer, who represents God’s crackers living in the area visited by Arnold last week and ridiculed by Perata this. A cracker jack of a release:… Read More

Virtually every day, my friend Bill Bradley pens a column and then some on California politics. He does this over at his New West Notes Dot Com website. In the coming weeks, we’ll be talking more about Bradley.

That said, in his piece today, Bill inadvertently touched off a pet-peeve of mine. Today he glosses over the Field Poll results, to see how both candidates and ballot measures are fairing as we are about 100 days out from the election.

In his very brief descriptions of Dianne Feinstein and Dick Mountjoy in the US Senate race, he calls Feinstein a “centrist” and Mountjoy a “right winger.”

First and foremost, he is more or less correct about Mountjoy. Dick and I have know each other for nearly twenty years. He is a conservative’s conservative.

But how can ANYONE call Dianne Feinstein a centrist?? Give me a break. She is, in fact, one of the most liberal members of the United States Senate, regulalrly supporting increases in taxes, and expanding government programs — opposing any proposed reduction in federal spending with a passion. Her ratings by the various taxpayer groups that monitor votes in the… Read More

For the past several months, the City of Vernon has been embroiled in quite an election skirmish. It seems that the city did not want to let 8 people move in and register to vote. So, the thecity clerk decided to remove these 8 interlopers from theroll of registered voters in Vernon. Interestingly, 3 of these new voters had taken out papers to run for city council. Well, yesterday a Superior Court judge ruled that the city got it wrong and that the city clerk could not purge these voters of their right to participate in city elections. Read the LA Times article here.

So at least for now, the City of Vernon has more public participation in democracythat Cuba. Which, I suppose is a good thing, provided that the challengers are actually motivated by altruism as opposed to lining their own pockets (which seems to be the modus operandi of public officials in Vernon).

Things are very interesting in Vernon. Vernon, population 91 (does this even qualify as a city?), has been run by the same group of councilmembers for decades. In fact, the last contested election was… Read More

The California Republican Party issued the following statement today from Chairman Duf Sundheim regarding Senator Don Perata referring to those who (gasp) oppose illegal immigration as "crackers."

"Senator Perata’s comments on the driver’s license bill underscores the very clear choice voters have in November between the Governor, who put National Guard troops on the border and will veto Cedillo’s bill to give driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants, and Phil Angelides, who has vowed to weaken our border by removing the National Guard and to sign the driver’s license bill for illegal immigrants within his first 30 days in office."

Translation:

Governor Schwarzenegger = National Guard on border to help keep illegal immigrants out of the United States + Vetoing drivers licenses for illegal immigrants.

Phil Angelides = NO National Guard on the US/Mexico border + Rewarding illegal immigrants with drivers licenses.… Read More

Here’s an amusing article from the Bakersfield Californian you may have missed. Sprint/Nextel is camouflaging their cell phone towers in super-sized crosses built on church property, giving a whole new meaning to the idea of talking to God.

Churches camouflage cell towers as crosses By JAMES BURGER, Californian staff writer

The cross is neither old nor rugged. It is new, white and very, very tall.

And, when it’s finally turned on, it will put out one mean cell phone signal.

The mammoth Christian holy symbol dwarfs every building at Higher Ground Church on New Stine Road and all but the tallest of the church’s pine trees.

And its shape serves as perfect camouflage for its true purpose in life — broadcasting and receiving cellular phone signals for the Sprint/Nextel network.

Hiding a cell phone tower in a huge cross is a perfect win-win for both the church and the cell phone company, said Higher Ground member Karen… Read More