by Dave Grau for City Council

I’m a veteran, a retired business executive with a degree in accounting, and a taxpayer advocate. I think it’s time for a change in City Government. It’s time to get back to common sense: making sure the city is fiscally responsible, small business friendly, and tough on crime.

After serving in the U.S. military, I had a successful career in manufacturing, aerospace and agriculture. I’ve been active in non-profits helping veterans and the homeless.  I serve on the board of directors of the Ventura County Taxpayers Association, an organization that supports reforms that bring greater efficiency and taxpayer savings to local government.  I also spent two years serving on the Grand Jury.

I’m not a career politician, but we don’t need career politicians right now, we need common-sense people with real life experience.  We need new ideas, new energy, and new people who are not tied to the same business as usual way of running city government.

I believe we can improve public safety and fund infrastructure improvements without hurting our local businesses by increasing sales taxes. I’m running on these issues:

• Taxes: No on Measure “O” (Sales Tax increase) There are times when raising taxes is an absolute necessity.  This is not one of those times.

• Public Safety: The #1 responsibility of government is to keep its citizens safe. We need to make sure law enforcement is provided full and consistent funding.

• Economic Vitality: I support making Ventura a place that attracts good paying jobs again. We need to make it easier to start and expand a business, hire more people, or re-locate a business here. Economic vitality is not achieved when misguided elected officials give “preferential treatment” to Brooks, costing taxpayers millions.

• Water: The city’s water policy is failing our residents. City policy relies largely on reducing demand by constantly raising rates (Ventura has the highest water/wastewater rate in the county) while ignoring opportunities to increase supply.   For example, while eight cities in Ventura County rely on state water for some or all of their water, Ventura receives none.  And every year City Council pays $2 million of taxpayer money to the State for the “right” to water – water Ventura never receives.

I want to be your city council-member to bring back common sense to our city.  It’s time for a fresh face, someone with real life experience and who understands business.

To learn more, please visit my website at:  www.grauforventura.com

by Jeannette Sanchez-Palacios for City Council

I’m Jeannette Sanchez-Palacios. I’m running for city council because I have a unique background and set of skills that would be valuable on the city council. I am a Latina with a desire to bring a multi-faceted perspective to our council.

Serving constituents in Ventura for more than a decade has given me firsthand understanding of our community’s needs. It has also allowed me to cultivate strong working relationships with different levels of government. Because of those relationships City Mayor Erik Nasarenko, County Supervisor Steve Bennett, Assembly members Das Williams and Jacqui Irwin, State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson, and other community leaders are supporting me.

In addition to serving in leadership roles with organizations like Ventura County Women’s Political Council, El Concilio, and working with Youth Groups, my experience in the California State Assembly gives me insight on how to solve problems through local government. Councilmembers or mayors themselves have reached out to me to help navigate the system.

Considering some of your most pressing issues, here are my thoughts:

The Drought: We need to look at long-term solutions, such as recycled water and drought-tolerant landscaping. Connecting to State water is not a permanent solution. Instead, investing on efficiency and recycling is more reliable and cost effective in the long run.

Workforce Housing: Droughts don’t change the need for housing. I strongly support redeveloping existing projects to include more workforce housing so people who work here can also live here. Projects with business units that can add housing units allow more needs to be met. Creating vibrant communities and resulting in more housing units getting into the market sooner.

Older population: We are living longer and it is estimated that by 2050, older adults will have outnumbered all children under the age of 14 for the first time in human history. With this in mind we have to look at Initiatives that focus on areas such as having a reliable transportation system to get around, ensuring our streets and sidewalks are walkable and encouraging social inclusion between our younger and our older populations.

Economic Development & Our Youth: Technology is one of the largest growing sectors and a key component to our future. I support collaborative work among the City and local networks, like VC STEM – a network of companies, universities, and government agencies, aimed at developing ways to enhance STEM education for students from pre-school through college with input from all cooperating agencies. If Ventura wants to keep thriving and have businesses stay, move or start here, we need to keep our talented youth in our community. Let’s help prepare them to be the workforce that’s needed to support a strong economic force in our community.

The council determines our quality of life now and later; and it dictates the future. I hope to, in collaboration with the entire council, bring positive changes and continue enhancing Ventura’s quality of life for our population as a whole.

by Michael Graves for City Council

Michael Graves was inspired to run for City Council after volunteering for Bernie Sanders and campaigning to be a DNC Delegate. “I want to be the change I want to see in my city. I want to ensure the decisions of the City Council are truly representative of the various and diverse communities in Ventura.” Graves said. “I was shocked to learn that in a city that is 30% Latino, there has never been a Latino on the council.” Graves, who is Mexican, Spanish and Cherokee lives in Midtown with his wife, daughter, and their rescue cat, Hercules. As a Special Needs Attendant, he works with adults with disabilities to help them reach their personal goals.

Graves understands the struggles of Ventura’s working middle-class families, and the impoverished. For part of his childhood, his family was forced to live in a homeless shelter due to his father’s “poor priorities.” After a while, they settled into San Diego’s barrio, Logan Heights. This experience built a strong sense of compassion towards individuals who are often overlooked in our society, be they disabled, homeless, or living with mental illness. “Homelessness is an economic issue, not a criminal one,” said Graves. He feels the same about people struggling with drugs and alcohol. “Labels like ‘addict’ or ‘chronically vagrant’ only strengthens the concept of ‘Us vs Them’. These are people that need our help, not our judgment.”

That sense of compassion is the reason he is a very vocal supporter of Prop 64, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act. “My grandfather is in the late stages of prostate cancer. He was wasting away… in so much pain. Medical cannabis brought him back from the brink.” Graves mentions his friend, an Iraq Veteran, who returned home with a severe neck injury and a few less vertebrae. “He used to live in constant pain, even while using highly addictive opioids. Cannabis relieves his pain without doping him up. Now he can earn a living and has a great quality of life.” This is why giving people options such as ordering marijuana online from companies like budbuddies or visiting a dispensary is important. There are some people who can’t leave the house and would prefer to get their products delivered straight to their door. And there are some people who don’t mind pre-ordering their request online and collecting it at a local dispensary. Read more about this option if this sounds like something that would be more convenient for you.

Going further, Graves wants Ventura to roll back the bans on Medical Marijuana Dispensaries. “I have clients whom are disabled, who can’t drive. They shouldn’t have to rely on a stranger coming into their house just to get their medication.” While other council members fear marijuana stores would increase crime, Graves cites government statics that show otherwise. Apparently, providing legitimate dispensary packaging to differentiate it from what some would currently call “street cannabis” has contributed to reducing crime. This is because of the improved decriminalization of cannabis. If you’re like Graves and wants to see the legalisation of medical marijuana in Ventura, when the day comes for the rules to change, maybe looking to open a dispensary may be something worth considering. As there are many rules and regulations surrounding this industry, it is best to do your research beforehand. Plus, with the help of a dispensary supplies company, opening a store that is suitable for this field may not be as difficult as you first though!

“Local delivery drivers are being robbed of cash and product, yet Colorado has seen a decrease in crime and DUI’s.” Removing the ban would also increase tax revenue for the City’s law enforcement, youth programs and environmental restoration.

Graves also supports Prop 59 to overturn Citizen’s United, Prop 61 to keep medications affordable, and SOAR.

“I find it offensive that the people of Ventura are being asked to pay more taxes, while at the same time council members want to double their own income. I’m doing this for the people, not for the money.”

by Sabrena Rodriguez for School Board

A growing number of Ventura officials, educators and community members have endorsed Sabrena Rodriguez in her campaign for one of two open seats on the Ventura Unified School District Board of Trustees next month.

“Sabrena Rodriguez has spent the past decade volunteering at every level of the school district, which makes her uniquely prepared to help govern it as a school board member,” said Debbie Golden, who has served on the board for the past 18 years and is not seeking re-election.

Golden joins a list of prominent community leaders who have endorsed Rodriguez, including:  Assemblymember Das Williams, Ventura County Supervisor Steve Bennett, Ventura mayor Erik Nasarenko, current school board president Barbara Fitzgerald, former Ventura Unified superintendents Dr. Trudy Tuttle-Arriaga and Dr. Joe Spirito, and many current and retired principals, teachers and school personnel.

Over 10 years, Rodriguez has collaborated daily with educators and parents to improve public schools. She helped create and implement the district’s multi-million dollar Technology Plan, as well as the Arts and Music Master Plan. She was influential in determining priorities for the district’s new budget framework, called the Local Control and Accountability Plan.

Rodriguez currently advises the district as a member of the Parent Advisory Council and the Parcel Tax Oversight Committee and is president of the non-profit Ventura Education Partnership, which raises private money for classrooms citywide.

The mother of two current students at Ventura and Foothill Technology high schools, Rodriguez said she and her husband, physician Dr. Andrei Bobrow, believe active participation in local schools can help every child reach their full potential.

“Education of our community’s youth is critical to building a successful future for the citizens of Ventura,” she said. “We need our young people to be challenged to think, encouraged to evolve and grow, and empowered to take action in the global and local community.”

Rodriguez believes the school district should focus on building strong foundations for students in reading, math and science, while increasing their technology skills and ability to work well with diverse groups of people.

Adapting to new challenges during an era of rapid change will be paramount for students, staff and administrators and for the community of Ventura, she said.

“Our schools will need a board that understands this new dynamic and can help to create a vision to achieve this for all students, regardless of their circumstances,” she said.

For more information, go online at www.sabrenarodriguez.com.

The Ventura Chamber PAC interviewed candidates for the Ventura City Council. All ten candidates were invited to participate in the endorsement process. The following candidates are endorsed by the business group’s PAC.

Matt LaVere
David Grau
Cheryl Heitmann

“We endorsed these 3 candidates for their knowledge and understanding of city government, solutions-oriented posture, and demonstrated commitment to follow-through on issues important to the business community,” said Steve Greig, Chair of the Ventura Chamber PAC. “These candidates understand that job creation and development are critical to Ventura’s economic vitality.”

The Ventura Chamber PAC also interviewed candidates for the Ventura Unified School District Board. All seven candidates were invited to participate in the endorsement process for the two open seats. The following candidates are endorsed by the business group’s PAC.

Don Wood
Lou Cunningham

“We were impressed by the qualifications and thoughtful perspective of all of the candidates that we interviewed. Each appreciates the importance of the partnership between schools and the business community, which helps make Ventura a great place to live and promotes a qualified local workforce. Ultimately, we endorsed Don Wood and Lou Cunningham for the unique expertise and experience they can bring to the position. They have demonstrated commitment, leadership and a collaborative solutions-oriented approach to the challenges that face the school district,” said James Perero, 2016 Ventura Chamber Board Chair and Chamber PAC Trustee.

The Ventura Chamber of Commerce Political Action Committee (PAC) has a twelve member Board of Trustees who share the Ventura Chamber’s values for business and economic prosperity. Their mission is to seek out, endorse and support candidates for public office at the City and County levels who support free enterprise, believe in fiscally responsible government and whose views represent the interest of both the private and public sectors of the economy.

by Christy Weir for City Council

It has been my privilege to serve the citizens of Ventura as a City Council Member and Mayor since 2003.

I have lived and worked in Ventura for 31 years, raising a son and daughter here with my husband. I am fortunate that their families have made our community their home. I enjoy the friendliness, creativity and scenic beauty of this city and it is important to me that we appreciate and protect our environment for future generations.

As a Council Member and as founder of the Serra Cross Conservancy and Downtown Ventura Partners, I have used my leadership and team-building skills to generate ideas and work collaboratively to benefit our unique and beautiful 150-year-old city.

I will continue to work for:
° A clean, green community — sidewalks, streets, parks, trees that are well maintained;
° Enhancements to our Beachfront, Medical District, Community Park and Ventura River Parkway;
° A vibrant, historic Downtown with diverse, locally owned businesses and thriving cultural arts;
° A balanced approach to business development that will generate jobs, while retaining our small-town flavor;
° Managed growth that is planned responsibly to preserve neighborhood character, protect our environment and respect our limited water supply.

I stand firmly in agreement with the following statements from Ventura’s General Plan:
° We desire to grow slowly and sustainably.
° We value environmental responsibility.
° We strive to enhance historic and cultural resources.
° We preserve open space, farmland and natural beauty.
° We demand the highest standards of quality architecture, landscaping and design.

We need leaders who have the experience, dedication and will to make decisions that protect and enhance Ventura’s quality of life, now and for the long term. I make that commitment to our residents and would appreciate your vote.

Christy Weir
www.christyweir.com

by Brian Lee Rencher, MBA for City Council

The purpose of any city council is to protect and enhance the health safety and welfare of the citizens they serve.  To do this, cities deliver certain public goods such as infrastructure (roads, water/sewer systems, parks, etc.) and services (police, fire, planning, etc,). Councils pay for these goods and services with tax dollars derived from the wealth of the community.  To increase what is provided, the community must either become wealthier on a per capita basis, or taxes collected per individual must be increased.

For the past twenty-five years, since the Ventura Chamber of Commerce Political Action Committee took voting control of the Ventura City Council in the 1991 election, per capita real purchasing power of the city’s citizens has decreased year after year.  This has led to a decrease in per capita tax dollars received by City Hall and, therefore, the City is less able to address the health, safety and welfare needs of its citizens.

Because City hall has failed to increase the overall wealth of the community due to incompetent economic development policies and practices, and because it is failing to deliver adequate public goods and services due to this failure, the Ventura City Council is asking its citizens for a tax increase to maintain the public goods and services they provide.

It is now manifestly clear that the citizens of Ventura must be intellectually honest with themselves if they wish to maintain their quality-of-life and ask: “Should we reward consistent failure at City Hall by increasing the taxes we pay, or should we be more careful about whom we elect to the council?”

I recommend the latter since it will have the greater chance of fixing the problem in the long-run.  But, before you take this advice, lets look at some of the supporting evidence.

Ventura used to be the wealthiest city in Ventura County; this is no longer the case.

Ventura used to be the safest city in the county; it now has the highest per capita crime rate.

Ventura used to have some of the highest paying jobs in the county; no longer.

Ventura used to have the best roads in the county; now they are falling apart.

Ventura used to have the greatest number and best parks in the county; now the citizens have to storm City Hall with mobs bearing pitchforks and torches just to build a small neighborhood park on the west side of town, and still don’t have the swimming pool they were promised fifteen years ago.

Ventura’s fire department used to be able to respond to emergencies in less than five minutes almost all the time; they are now much less able to do this.  This is a life-threatening situation!

In summation: I’m going to paraphrase “Dirty” Harry Callahan: “In all this election confusion you’ve got to ask yourself ‘Do you feel lucky?’  Well, do you…?”

Well I’m feeling very lucky, so I’m voting NO on Measure “O” and YES for Brian Lee Rencher, MBA.