Dantona, Foy face off on the issues

In their only public forum before next week’s election, consultant Jim Dantona touted his Sacramento connections while his opponent for Ventura County’s 4th District supervisor’s seat, insurance broker Peter Foy, played up his political inexperience.

Before an audience of 200 in Simi Valley on Thursday night, Dantona said his 30 years in politics would help him serve residents of the 4th District, which includes Simi Valley, Moorpark and outlying areas.

Foy repeatedly reminded the audience that he is a businessman and farmer who entered the race only to reform county government before “returning to the farm.” Dantona, a lobbyist with deep ties to Democrats, and Foy, a businessman endorsed by influential Republicans, are seeking the seat held by Supervisor Judy Mikels, who was eliminated in the primary.

At Thursday’s forum, each man held his own during a two-hour barrage of questions dealing with public safety, growth control, illegal immigration and gay marriage.

The event, the public’s only chance to see both candidates together, was sponsored by the Ventura County Star newspaper. Foy turned down an earlier debate invitation by the League of Women Voters, saying the group was biased against conservatives.

In a district that leans heavily Republican, Dantona took every opportunity to distance himself from his party’s platform. He told the group that he doesn’t support gay marriage and is opposed to a guest worker program for illegal immigrants.

He twice mentioned receiving a commendation from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library for his work keeping children away from drugs. He called himself a buddy of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sen. John McCain of Arizona, both Republicans.

“I am not a liberal,” he declared at one point, saying he is moderate on social issues and a budgetary conservative.

Foy was questioned about his membership in the Council on National Policy, a group of conservative leaders that meets regularly to set strategy on national political goals, including blocking gay marriage and ending abortion.

Calling himself a “proud member,” Foy said that if elected he would respect the constitutional separation of church and state. Dantona called the group a secretive organization whose philosophies are out of step with the 4th District’s voters.

“It wants to put the Old Testament in lieu of the Constitution,” Dantona said, drawing laughter from the audience.

Foy responded that Dantona “can make up some pretty interesting stuff,” and said that state Sen. Tom McClintock (R-Thousand Oaks), Assemblywoman Audra Strickland (R-Thousand Oaks) and her husband, controller candidate Tony Strickland, are also members.

Although both men said they opposed gay marriage, Dantona said he favored continuing domestic partner benefits for county workers. Foy said he was opposed.

The candidates agreed that public safety departments should get funding priority. Dantona said he favors adding a fourth firefighter to trucks; Foy wouldn’t commit to that.

Both said more needs to be done to stop illegal immigration but appeared to differ on how to respond. Dantona said he had worked on legislation denying driver licenses to illegal immigrants, while Foy said he supported a guest worker program.

Foy said he would seek to stop any benefits provided to illegal immigrants by the county that are not mandated by law. It was unclear what, if any, benefits would fall into that category.

Dantona and Foy each mentioned controlling growth as a priority. Dantona challenged Foy on whether he supported SOAR, the landmark growth-control laws enacted in the mid-1990s.

Foy said previous regulations on where development could occur were sufficient. But now, Foy said, SOAR is the law and he would respect it.

Dantona said he would work immediately to tighten rules for building on Simi Valley’s hillsides and would push for a new greenbelt in the Los Posas Valley. Foy said he didn’t know enough about the greenbelt issue but said it sounded like a good idea.

catherine.saillant@latimes.com