O’Connell Sets Table for His Constituents

“Have card table, will travel.”

It should be written on state Sen. Jack O’Connell’s business card.

The legislator has been greeting constituents from a card table set up on street corners since he won an Assembly seat in 1982. When he was elected to the Senate in 1994, the San Luis Obispo Democrat continued the tradition. Armed with a box full of reference books and tax and voter-registration forms, he holds his no-appointment-necessary office hours every four to six weeks.

Next stop: the corner of California and Main streets in Ventura on Friday from 10:15 to 11:45 a.m.

The senator fields queries on everything from the day’s top news and pending legislation to potholes on the Ventura Freeway. He writes down each person’s name and question and, if the matter requires research, mails back the answers.

Sometimes his constituents help him.

“Once, about five years ago, a woman saw a photo of the senator in the newspaper and thought his card table was kind of decrepit,” said Kris Kuzmich, an administrative assistant. “She said she had a better table at home she was going to donate to charity, but gave it to the senator instead. He’s still using her card table today.”

About 40 people attended O’Connell’s most recent curbside conference, held Feb. 28 in Ojai. His next appearance after Friday is tentatively scheduled for May 2 in Santa Paula.

For more information, call 641-1500.