ojai blog - news and events in the Ojai community

UAE port control: Gallegly on the smart side

The Bush administration's deal allowing a United Arab Emirates state-controlled company to take over six major U.S. seaports is coming under serious fire from people on both sides of the aisle.  The UAE has funding and organizational links to terrorist organizations.  South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsay Graham said this deal was “unbelievably tone deaf politically."  Not to mention a potentially massive compromise of our national security.

I called Rep. Gallegly's office, and he is against this deal going through.  Good for Elton.

City of Santa Paula - 2005 Accomplishments

The city of Santa Paula has put up a webpage detailing their accomplishments in 2005, including specifics in the following categories: Facilitate Greater Citizen Involvement, Community Advocacy, City Administration, Building and Safety, Community Services, Economic Development / Redevelopment / Housing, Finance, Fire, Planning, Police and Public Works.

Since our city is still working on their website (originally slated to be up in November, the website now states late January), if anyone working at the city offices has a similar document for Ojai, please forward it to me, so I can share it with ojaiblog's readers.

The Ojai Network

A little something I've been working on - the Ojai Network.

Elton Gallegly: vulnerable seat?

Blogger Kid Oakland has a post arguing that Ojai's representative, Elton Gallegly, holds one of five vulnerable seats in California in the 2006 elections.  These are reps in "districts whose voters are most open to a Democratic message but are now represented by Republicans."

There have also been rumors, which I've only heard from the left, that Gallegly may be set to retire.  And if you're in the party of DeLay, Cunningham, Abramoff, Scanlon, Noe, Libby, Rove and on and on, it must be rather distateful as a Republican to be lumped into such a corrupt group of politicians, and retirement might not look so bad.

But if Gallegly runs, Gallegly probably wins.  The incumbent almost always wins.  To the tune of 98% in 1998.  Getting elected to Congress is practically a lifetime appointment.

Ojaiblog receives year end award

Totally cool - I am honored to have one of my blog posts on Logging in the Sequoias get the nod as one of five "Best California Posts of 2005" from Speak Out California, an organization that is looking to find solutions for the problems we face in our state: poverty, the economic squeeze on the middle class, a crumbling health care system and struggling public schools and universities.

David Bury taking the helm as Ojai Mayor

An excerpt from the VC Star (free reg. req.) on Monday.  Bury was approved and will serve a one-year term as Mayor.

David Bury is an architect of Ojai in more ways than one. As an actual architect, he's designed some of the city's most prominent buildings, and as a planning commissioner and city councilman, he's overseen Ojai's evolution toward its current look.

On Tuesday, Bury expects his fellow council members to choose him as mayor, his second stint as mayor since he was elected to the council in 1998. The position of mayor rotates among council members, and Bury is slated to fill the spot for the next year. He will take the reins from Councilwoman Rae Hanstad.

"I intend to facilitate dialogue and discussion in our community, to help address our issues and solve some of the problems that we are facing," he said. "We've got a new city manager, and it's the beginning of a new era."

Ojai citizens organize in opposition to the death penalty

Monday, December 12

Silent Candlelight Vigil
5:00pm-6:00pm at the "Y"

Meditation and Chanting
6:30pm-8:00pm at the Ojai Retreat

A silent candlelight vigil, followed by meditation and chanting will occur on Monday evening, December 12, in peaceful opposition to the death penalty and the execution of Stanley "Tookie" Williams.  You are encouraged to bring candles to the vigil.  Keep in mind it will be dark and probably cold.  The meditation and chanting is open to all but will have a Zen Buddhist focus. An additional vigil will continue in Ventura from 8:00pm-12:30am in front of the Government Center.

For more information, email Kenley Neufeld at peace@neuhouse.com or call 805-252-2448.

Ojai Valley Community Forum: Iraq

Passing this on from Evan of the Ojai Peace Coalition:

As a community, we represent various positions with on the Iraq war, and the role of the U.S. in the Middle East. Many of us have complex and sometimes conflicting feelings about the spiritual and pragmatic aspects of these issues. Please join us for an exploration of our thoughts and feelings about these subjects within the safe environment of our community TONIGHT, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30th at 7:00 p.m, hosted by our local synagogue, K'Hilat Ha'Aloneem, 530 W. El Roblar, Meiners Oaks. For further information, please contact Peggy La Cerra (805-640-7173).  Peggy has worked hard to make this forum happen at all, and then to get it opened to the public. Please consider coming and sharing your energy and thoughts.

Brett Wagner: official investigation opened

I've been covering the Brett Wagner story here and here.  The latest on the AP (via sanluisobispo.com) is that the California Democratic Party will open an official investigation.

The California Democratic Party will investigate allegations that Ventura County party officials improperly asked congressional candidate Brett Wagner to quit so someone else could run against Republican Rep. Elton Gallegly.

Wagner, who suggested last month that party leaders want him out because he is a homosexual, urged an investigation in hopes the group of officials get booted from their positions within the party.

During an Oct. 5 news conference, Assembly District 37 Committee Chairman Tom Parker and Ojai Valley Democratic Club President Sue Broidy, among others, outlined concerns about Wagner's campaign finances, his employment background and alleged use of a nonprofit to advance his campaign.

They also worry that the issue will hurt anyone who wins the Democratic primary next June, upsetting their hope to unseat Gallegly, whose 24th Congressional District stretches from Simi Valley to Vandenberg Air Force Base.

Integrity, truth and the rule of law

I think Patrick Fitzgerald's press conference today was a pivotal moment in history, streamed live to millions of computers and tvs across the nation, and on demand for millions more.