Campaign Manners

As a resident of Simi Valley, I read with great interest how Thousand Oaks Councilwoman Elois Zeanah wants to discuss campaign reforms to stem the tide of negative campaigning in Thousand Oaks (Nov. 12).

I’m amazed that the characters of the candidates--and some of the voters--participating in the mudslinging are being overlooked. Instead, we are once again told how spending caps on campaigns rather than just a return to good manners will improve campaigning.

Less campaign spending may prevent someone from spewing hate on a massive scale, but it also prevents the dissemination of important information about candidates and their positions. Spending limitations can only limit the medium of the message, not its content.

Simi Valley also had an election campaign this fall, though you’d hardly know it since it was so politely conducted. Even though we too spent gobs of money on our campaigns, we had many examples of candidates repairing their opponents’ signs. Our candidate forums--though boring by Thousand Oaks’ standards--dealt with issues important to the community, rather than with character assassinations. Is it possible to have clean campaigns without “campaign reforms?” I hope the answer is obvious. Will “campaign reforms” make people more neighborly? Not one bit.

To those of us in Simi Valley, the next time that someone from Thousand Oaks snootily talks down to you about the lack of culture and proper upbringing in Simi Valley--they have a mall, a mammoth performing arts center, higher per capita incomes, more college graduates, ad nauseum--I recommend the following response: Smile politely, wish them a nice day, and resist the urge to kick their teeth in. Why jeopardize your own etiquette and values on those not worthy of such a compromise?

And always remember, money, or lack thereof, doesn’t determine how civil your behavior.

AARON STARR, Simi Valley