Tag Archives: city council 2010

Peter Carrube – The Smartest Man in Simi Valley

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Peter Carrube is a local businessman, martial artist and self defense instructor in the City of Simi Valley. He’s been vocal throughout the course of the many local campaigns. His reason is always clear: he cares about Simi Valley. What follows is an exact quote that I read from him on Facebook. He posted it days ago, but I just read it today.

I just wanted to point something out that I’ve witnessed during these past few months of this campaign season… First of all, I concider myself to be friends with both the candidates for Mayor, Mr. Bob Huber & Mr. Steve Sojka. I like both …men. I agree & disagree with both men and I find each to be true to their convictions and to the love for our fair city. I’ve shown up at both their events, shake both their hands, speak highly of both and am honored to call each of them my friend. What I have not done is tell anyone which of the two I will be voting for. In return, it is true I have not openly shown support for either man but well, my reasoning will explain why. I have watched as friends of mine, who were friends of each other, just turn bitter to each other, after showing their support for the opposite candidate. I have seen this to be true in many cases. This campaign has changed a lot of relationships and I find it sad and a little silly. Just because we support one over the other, it should not change the way we feel toward each other. My secretive political decisions have saved me from such an ordeal and well, I do not regret my tactics. I will vote next week, for the man I feel will do our city best but I was not willing to sacrifice my friendships, simply to let everyone know of my decision ahead of time. With or without my open support, the outcome would be the same. When this election is over, I only hope bygons will be bygons and my mutual friends of these two friends, will find a way to get back to being friends.

Peter’s statements are dead on. From business leaders to bloggers, this election has been divisive and nasty, causing many, including myself, to lose their way. I believe its true community leaders like Peter Carrube who will inspire everyone to focus on the future so the healing can begin. Thanks Peter.

Good luck, candidates.

Mitch Green Endorsement

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Earlier, Candidate for Simi Valley City Council Mitch Green announced that his new yard signs were available at the Simi Valley/Moorpark Democratic HQ on Cochran Street. I stopped by to see his new signs and to chat with him. Mitch had some news: The Local 721 Service Employees International Union is endorsing Mitch Green for Simi Valley City Council. In the letter congratulating Mitch for his endorsement, it reads:

This decision was reached after careful consideration and discussion by our Executive Board members and the SEIU Committee on Political Education (COPE)… We will be paying special attention to the work that you do in your capacity as a public official, especially as it pertains to our members.

As a former City of Simi Valley employee, Mitch was delighted to receive the endorsement. Regarding the announcement, Mitch said, “These are the folks I hung out with and represented while at City Hall. In that regard, this really means a lot to me.”

If you check his campaign statements, you won’t find thousands of dollars worth of donations for Mitch Green. Nevertheless, he’s moving his campaigning efforts forward. His car was pretty easy to spot, wrapped with his campaign slogan and logo, and he is armed with a collection of signs hot off the press. “My campaign materials were all provided by local vendors,” Mitch pointed out, a fact that means a great deal to him.

For those interested in learning more about Mitch Green or if you’re interested in getting one of his new yard signs, stop by the Democratic Election Headquarters at 2904 Cochran Street.

Mitch Green States His Case

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I overlooked the Simi Valley Acorn article regarding Mitch Green, Candidate for Simi Valley City Council, so I’d like to mention it this morning. I first met Mitch Green at the Simi Valley Sunrise Rotary Club several weeks ago and I immediately liked him. It’s tough to throw your hat in the ring for City Council when you’re surrounded by so many who have supported other candidates for so many years. I spoke briefly with Mitch about those challenges and his take on his candidacy. It’s never been about a desire to unseat one particular candidate for Mitch, but rather to make himself known as someone with a desire to offer new insight.

A snippet of the article from the Simi Valley Acorn…

It was a long shot that a poor kid from Oregon would grow up to be an attorney. It was unlikely that an 18-year-old private in the Army National Guard would one day command an Army helicopter company—and retire 27 years later as a major.

But he accomplished those things.

“You’re never going to know what you’re capable of unless you try it,” he said. “It’s easier to sit on the sidelines and criticize those who try to do something than it is to actually put on your suit and jump into the ring.”

Whether Mitch Green has earned your vote or not, one undisputed fact is that he’s run a super clean and honest campaign. You won’t find phony comments on his behalf on blogs and forums or catch him speaking negatively of other candidates. He is interested in playing a positive role in shaping our City’s future and will continue to hold that interest regardless of the November election results.

Read the entire Simi Valley Acorn article on Mitch Green by clicking here.

Keith Mashburn’s Salary

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Candidate for Simi Valley City Council Keith Mashburn believes in transparency. He’s mentioned it several times in person, and has indicated as much in his speech at a recent fundraiser. Now he wants to prove his point.

In response to comments on this blog, Keith Mashburn is sharing his salary details with you. Here are Keith’s unedited remarks about his pay as a Planning Commissioner:

Hi Mike, someone on the blog said I was making about $500 per month on the planning commission.  Here are the numbers directly off my check.  For some reason my scanner is not working or I would send a copy of the check stub.  If that is wanted I will arrange to post the actual stub.

Pay Period 08/30/2010—-09/12/2010

Total Earnings              $250.83

Disability tax                     2.76

Medicare Tax EE              3.64

Social Security Tax EE    15.55

Net pay                      228.88

There are no benefits for planning commission members.

Feel free to post this and again if anyone wishes to see the pay stub I have no problem sharing that with the group.  They pay the bills so they have every right to see it.

Thanks Keith. I don’t think anyone expects you to be obligated to share your pay details in a public forum and I appreciate you volunteering to do so anyway.

Endorsement for Glen Becerra

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Council Member Glen Becerra announced a new endorsement this morning. He’s received the endorsement of Sheriff-Elect Geoff Dean. According to the announcement:

“Glen Becerra has always made public safety his number one priority for the City of Simi Valley, and I am proud to stand with Glen because of this commitment to his community. He has never wavered from his stance that strong public safety services are vital toward the quality of life in his community.”

Geoff Dean, Sherrif-Elect for Ventura County

This announcement nicely rounds out a roster or worthy endorsements for Glen Becerra, including Congressman Elton Gallegly, the Ventura County Firefighters Association, Ventura County Supervisor Peter Foy, former Simi Valley Mayor Greg Stratton and Council Member and Candidate for Mayor Steve Sojka.

Keith Mashburn’s Fundraiser Speech

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Candidate for Simi Valley City Council Keith Mashburn addressed his guests after a brief introduction from the incoming President of the Police Officers Association. In this presentation, Keith covers most of the major issues, including Police Officer relations, the landfill, Council benefits, the business community, and his thoughts on appointments and term limits.

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…

Keith Mashburn Campaign Heats Up

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I should be at Disneyland right now, but I’m not. A surprise trip to Disneyland last weekend for my birthday resulted in our postponing these plans. “Disneyland overload” is bad for the feet and the wallet. And if you’re wondering if I’m sharing this with you because I want your belated birthday greetings, the answer is yes. I’m a shameless narcissist who craves your attention, so humor me and give it up!

My point is that I’ll be enjoying some Simi Valley activities this weekend instead, including Simi Valley Days. But I started the weekend off with a visit to Keith Mashburn’s fundraiser and was impressed by what I saw.

Mashburn’s event was full of excitement and support. These people are very enthusiastic about their candidate. And the roster of supporters is impressive. There was a strong showing of support by the police force and firefighters, as well as Simi Valley business owners. I saw a few faces that usually are in support of other candidates, leading me to believe that the tide is shifting and candidates like Keith Mashburn have a solid chance of making their way to City Council. This is clearly a serious race, and there is no easy path to victory for any candidate at this point, incumbent or challenger. Candidates MUST compel Simi Valley to vote for them, and that is what Keith Mashburn is setting out to do.

Keith’s wife Shelby is about the nicest woman you’ll ever meet. She gets emotional when she talks about the support she’s seen for Keith and how serious he is about this race. She has a true passion for this community. Her belief in Keith is strong, and she’s taken it upon herself to go door to door, spreading the word to business owners and residents about Keith’s message. When she meets someone who already knows Keith and already plans to give Keith their vote, she is moved. Keith has a terrific lady in his corner.

I videotaped Keith’s presentation to his supporters and I’ve been working on it most of the morning. I’m having trouble finding a way to edit it that complies with my time limits on YouTube while also fairly representing his points. I might just render the raw video and let you see it as I did. Keith did a great job laying out the points and touching on the issues that matter the most in this election. Whether you agree with his positions or not, you’ll see he’s definitely honest about where he stands.

Mike Judge Interview

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I’ve said it before, but it’s worth saying again. I really like Mike Judge. Challenging Candidates for City Council face more obstacles than incumbents, including verbal challenges from incumbent supporters. I’ve watched Mike respond to hostility from supporters of other candidates without a flinch.

I was really moved when the Simi Valley Police Officers Association opted to support Candidate Keith Mashburn instead of Judge. That’s not to say that Mashburn isn’t deserving, but I figured that as a police officer, Mike Judge would have a good sense of what officers face, both in the field and as public employees. Despite this, Mike continues to press on without hesitation. His campaign signs are well placed, so he’s doing the legwork and getting his name out there. He did very well last election, and he’s working twice as hard this time around.

Mike Judge was interviewed by the Simi Valley Acorn and I told him I would publish a link to it here once it was available online. I encourage you to read it. Mike is a straight shooter, in more ways than one, with a genuine desire to make Simi Valley the nations safest city again.

I’ll send you to the Simi Valley Acorn to read the full article, but I wanted to publish this quote from Mike in the article:

For Judge, public safety is paramount. But in order for Simi to reclaim its safest city ranking, he said, it must support its cops 110 percent—not cut their pay and benefits or try to break their union.

“To get there, you have to have a motivated police department, you have to have a citizenry that cooperates and works closely with the police department to curtail crime,” he said. “If you’ve got a pissed-off bunch of cops, they’re going to be more concerned with looking for another job than doing their job here.”

I think Mike Judge is a confident candidate for good reason. See for yourself. You can read the full article by clicking here.