Mayor Bob Huber nominated Scott Santino who was his Campaign Chair during the Mayoral campaign. The Mayor introduced Santino, discussing his background as a businessman and long time contributor to the community through various community organizations. Scott Santino’s appointment was not unanimous, with votes of opposition from Councilman Glen Becerra and Councilman Steve Sojka. No official word from either on why they voted no, but I suspect members of the press will chase them down for questions and publish something official later in the week.

There has been a lot of speculation from insiders during the past several weeks regarding Santino’s appointment to the Planning Commission. It’s widely believed that Santino intends to run for City Council in two years. Two years of service on the Planning Commission can be beneficial for a hopeful candidate for City Council. Councilwoman Barbra Williamson served on the Planning Commission before being elected to the Council, and former candidate Keith Mashburn was also a Planning Commissioner when he threw his hat in the ring last summer. Being a business owner and Planning Commissioner looks favorable on a ballot, not to mention the added benefit of two years of name recognition and experience in City business.

Though just a rumor at this point, the next election cycle could be just as interesting as the last if Scott Santino runs. He would likely draw the same support from the POA. I plan to stock up on blood pressure medication!

This will be an emotional evening. Mayor Paul Miller is retiring after decades of service to the community. I don’t want to see him go. Two years ago, I produced artwork and posted signs for an underdog candidate for Mayor who ran against him for no other reason than to attempt to break-up what I referred to as the “status quo” and what I perceived to be Mayor Miller’s easy, unchallenged ride back into his seat. Even the candidate who challenged him agreed that Miller was doing it right, agreeing with him on almost every point during the candidate forums. I realized when he was easily re-elected that I had more to learn about Paul Miller before I could comfortably say he wasn’t the choice for Mayor. I will miss Paul Miller.

Michelle Foster will also be stepping down, handing her seat over to newly elected Councilman Mike Judge. Foster’s campaign for re-election was clean and steady. In what has been described as an anti-incumbent atmosphere, this election cycle had to be tough for both Foster and Becerra. But Foster’s passion for the community is such that I predicted she wouldn’t get overly aggressive, attack her opponents or do anything that could be perceived as negative. And she didn’t. One could speculate that she’s stepping down as a result of that, but one can only speculate. The fact is that she is stepping down in the same positive light and with the same stellar reputation with which she joined the Council. Though she won’t be sitting at the dais, her work will almost certainly continue.

Miller and Foster will be saying their good-bye’s this evening at 5:00PM at City Council Chambers. I work out of town, but will be trying my best to get there to see them off. Hopefully some of you can do the same.

City Councilman Mike Judge and Mayor Bob Huber will be sworn in this evening. Both of these new members of the Council have indicated publicly via interviews or through community channels that they intend to put Simi Valley’s best interests first. Both have discussed reuniting the council after what could be described as a heated battle. I believe them and look forward to seeing what they bring to the table and how they serve the community. The swearing in begins tonight at 7:30PM at City Council Chambers.

Mike Judge's Ad for his Simi Valley City Council Campaign

Election Day is getting closer! Click the image above to see Mike Judge’s Ad for his Simi Valley City Council Campaign.

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.

Trap Shoot Fundraiser – Monday, September 27, 2010 3:00pm – 8:00pm

Simi Valley Citizens for Ethical Government will be hosting a fun Trap Shoot.

Come out and support Mike Judge who is running for Simi Valley City Council a portion of the proceeds goes to the campaign.

Round of Trap: $8.00 ammo not included.

Shotguns will be provided if you don’t have your own. So bring out some shells and have a great time beginners welcome plenty of Pros on hand will help you improve your game. Plenty of parking in a park like setting: Lopez Canyon Range.

For additional details or to RSVP to the event, click here for the official flyer of the event.

I’m extremely impressed with Mike Judge’s campaign this year. I think this election presents many challenges for anyone who isn’t well connected in Simi Valley’s pocket of influence, and Mike is taking the challenges head on. I’ve seen him take a few blows to the chin in blog comments and he doesn’t flinch. I hope to get to know Mike more during these final weeks before the election.

You are invited to an old fashion Beer & Cocktail party.

This gathering is an official fundraiser for the Campaign to Elect Mike Judge to the Simi Valley City Council. Come to meet Mike and bend his ear, Mike wants community input in his campaign. You are welcome to bring guests. We are asking for a $35.00 per person donation. Your donation will help Mike win one of the seats on the Simi Valley City Council this November 2nd and add some much needed Ethical leadership and common sense to our city government.

We will have some games and prizes and a lot of fun.

Beer, Wine and Cocktails along with Hor’Dourves will be served.
Your host for this evening will be
Brian Frost (Frosty)
Saturday August 21, 2010
festivities begin at 6:30 pm until 11:30 pm
2983 Corpus Christie Ave. Simi Valley, Ca. 93063

City Councilmembers acknowledged that the city employees are making sacrafices and are grateful for that in these rough economical times. Councilman Steve Sojka was quoted in the Simi Valley Acorn acknowledging that city employees are effectively taking a cut in an effort to help the city keep its head above water during hard times.  The Acorn article elaborates on the deal:

That help included the SEIU’s making significant concessions concerning employee retirement plans. Under the terms of the new agreement, current employees will contribute 3.97 percent and all new employees—hired on or after July 1, 2010—will contribute 7 percent of salary to the California Public Employee Retirement System (CalPERS).

The change is expected to save the city $1.65 million.

It’s probably a sure bet that the city employees aren’t necessarily happy with the deal or walking away from negotiations with a warm fuzzy feeling. Nobody wants to make sacrifices in either the form of reduced pay, reduced benefits, or suddenly having to contribute more to a benefits program when not having to worry about that in the past. Speaking personally, I can say with sincerity that I am VERY grateful for the sacrifices made by our city employees. Thank you!

But the negotiations aren’t over yet. Simi Valley Police were asked to make pay cuts last year and did so after a lengthy and dramatic negotiation process, where the Police Officers Association (POA) considered hiring a Public Relations firm to spread the word about the issue. Once the terms were settled, the POA was clearly unhappy with the resulting cut in salaries and shortly after announced the formation of their Political Action Committee (PAC). The PAC is funded by an increase in POA union dues.

Despite the fact that other city employees were asked to take cuts in pay, a strong belief remains that the pay cut applied to Police Officers in Simi Valley was unfair. With more contract negotiations looming, anticipation is certainly beginning to build. City Council Candidate Mike Judge has something to say about it to his supporters, suggesting that “pro law enforcement” sentiments by our current City Council are disingenuous (see his remarks below on his campaign page on Facebook).

Our City Leadership scored some points with the negotiations with city employees, but it’s obvious there’s more challenging work ahead.

City Council Candidate Mike Judge on Facebook

Mike Judge has been a police officer for the LAPD for 20 years, has been a long time resident of the City of Simi Valley where he and his wife are raising three children, and is a self-described “conservative, law and order, pro-business candidate.” I asked him some straightforward questions the other day which he answered promptly so that I can share his remarks with you.

Vote Simi Valley: Both Glen Becerra and Michelle Foster are running for re-election.  Is your campaign specifically targeting one of the incumbents, or are you asking the voters to simply elect you to one of the open seats?

Mike Judge: I have entered the election process for Simi Valley City Council because I want to serve my city.  I am sure that all  of the candidates, including the incumbents,  will be sharing their ideas and goals in order to win the support of the voters.  Our city is facing many challenges in this time of a weak  economy. Every citizen and business is looking for solutions from community leaders to lead the city in the right direction. Over the next several months, serious discussion and debate of those issues by all the candidates should take place.

This upcoming election is not about the incumbents, the status quo or the typical political tactics of the past.  People across the country (including Simi Valley) are unhappy with government’s rapid growth and spending.  The voters of Simi Valley will decide what type of leaders will be best for their families and their businesses.

Vote Simi Valley: In local elections, name recognition is an important asset.  How do you plan to “get your name out” to the Simi Valley voters?

Mike Judge: In the past, name recognition was important but an informed electorate will ultimately elect their leaders for specific reasons, not popularity.   I do believe that people are more interested in learning about the candidates today than ever before. Ideas, character and integrity should be the foundation of the voter’s decision making process.  It is my job to inform the voters of Simi Valley of my background, commitment and my recommendations in moving the city in the right direction. I will do everything possible to reach and inform the people of Simi Valley.

Vote Simi Valley: How will the Simi Valley City Council be better or more effective with Mike Judge as a Councilmember?

Mike Judge: This upcoming election is not about whether the City Council will be better or more effective.  This election is all about moving Simi Valley in a positive direction. Government is not the solution to our economic problems. Government is the problem… Leadership is the solution.  Leaders must be dedicated and committed in improving the opportunities for our people and businesses to prosper. My hope is to become one of those leaders.

Thanks for participating, Mike.  I look forward to chatting with you more during the course of your campaign.  Good luck!

http://www.judgementsv.com/

Richard Paul Carter opted NOT to print and post campaign signs citing his desire to prevent cluttering the Simi Valley landscape.  Gerald Smith (challenger for council) and Ed Lang (challenger for Mayor) didn’t have signs, no reason stated that I could find.  Mike Judge and Bruce Witkin, on the other hand, did have signs printed, and they were also nearer to victory than their other challengers.  Signs and ads help, but clearly it’s not enough to oust popular incumbents.

Business owners who are running for office should join the Chamber of Commerce.  It may seem like a conforming move, but it’s a move that is effective.  Before I joined the Chamber (and after, for that matter) it was described to me as a good ol’ boys club, where the elite members enjoy attention, rewards and honors, and lots of referrals from influential figures, while the new members have to claw their way to the top, proving themselves as worthy.  My advice would be to disregard those warnings and join.  The Chamber consists of your peers in business.  The same things that concern you concern them as well.  There are hundreds of newer or non-elite members, more so than the elite top-dogs, and they are registered voters.  And don’t join when your campaign starts.  Join now!

As a candidate, you obviously have a passion for your community.  Prove it now, to yourself and to voters, and join the Rotary Club.  The Rotary Clubs in Simi Valley are responsible for many high profile annual events that raise a significant amount of money for charitable organizations.  Be ready, because joining the Rotary Club requires true dedication.  I was a member of a Simi Valley Rotary Club for nearly a year, but dropped out of the club when my divorce kicked into high gear.  If you have a high demand career or personal issues that will prevent you from participating right away, then take it slowly and strategize before you join.  But without a doubt, Rotary is a rewarding organization in which to participate… you’ll feel good about your efforts, and so will those who support you and vote for you.

I’m curious to know how folks like Mike Judge and Bruce Witkin plan to spend the next few years before they run again.  I’m hoping to catch up to both of them soon to find out.  When I do, I’ll post that info here.