County’s Legislative Races Showing Signs of Life

Just two weeks ago, the race to replace state Assemblyman Nao Takasugi was quietly puttering along like most political contests, with candidates preparing the usual humdrum lists of endorsements and making the rounds at local Rotary clubs.

Then came the videotape.

The firestorm surrounding Republican candidate Rich Sybert’s initial denial that he defaced the placards of GOP rival Tony Strickland--and subsequent admission that he lied after Strickland produced a tape of Sybert in the act--has already changed the dynamics of the 37th Assembly District race. The district includes Oxnard, Camarillo and Thousand Oaks.

Most of the seven candidates hoping to succeed Takasugi (R-Oxnard) concede that the campaign, previously considered by many as Sybert’s to lose, is now wide open. And with the exception of Sybert, they all believe the sign-trashing incident will be the hot topic until the June 2 primary election.

“It’s changed the race considerably,” said Republican hopeful Jere Robings. “A lot of people are calling me, and they’re not sure what they’re going to do at the polls anymore. It’s really been a strange turn of events.”

Though it has been getting much of the attention this political season, the 37th District race is just one of three legislative contests to be decided by Ventura County voters this year.

Six candidates--three Republicans, two Democrats and a Natural Law Party member--are looking to secure the 35th Assembly District seat being vacated by Brooks Firestone, a Republican who is not seeking reelection. The district includes Ventura and Ojai, as well as most of Santa Barbara County.

And three candidates--Democratic incumbent Jack O’Connell, Libertarian Jack Ray and Republican Gordon Klemm--are vying for the 18th Senate District seat. The district ranges from Ventura and Oxnard to San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. Because all three candidates are from different parties, there is no real competition in the primary election. The general election will take place in November.

Tom McClintock (R-Northridge) is running unopposed for reelection to the 38th Assembly District, which stretches from Simi Valley in eastern Ventura County to Northridge in the San Fernando Valley.

Regardless of who wins, next month’s election will make history: It will be the first under California’s new “blanket primary” system.

Often confused with an open primary, a blanket primary allows voters to cast one vote per contest for any of the candidates, regardless of party affiliation. In other words, a registered Democrat could vote for a Republican for governor and a Democrat for Assembly on the same primary ballot.

Under an open primary system, used by more than 20 states, a voter registered with a party could cast votes for candidates from that party or another during the primary election--but not both.

“In an open primary, you walk in and get a ballot from a particular party, and that’s it,” said Bruce Bradley, the county’s elections chief. “In a blanket primary, you get everyone. It’s a huge list of choices.”

California had been using a closed primary system, which only allowed registered party members to vote in primaries. Political analysts say the new system could result in more moderate candidates surviving to the general election, and escalating campaign costs as candidates seek to attract more crossover votes from other parties to win primaries.

37th Assembly District

Michael Farris, a 29-year-old Reform Party member, believes the recent sign-trashing debacle that has come to dominate the 37th District race indicates the need for sweeping changes in the Legislature.

“Obviously, the videotape incident is a clear example of why people hate politics,” said Farris, a scientist at Arete Associates in Los Angeles. “It is incontrovertible proof that this dirty stuff happens, and it keeps good people out of politics. It’s what got me out of the Republican Party.”

The Thousand Oaks resident, a former state Reform Party chairman, would like to pass another statewide campaign finance reform law similar to Proposition 208, thrown out by the courts. He also wants to ban corporate campaign contributions, under the premise that it would inevitably lead to more honorable candidates.

Republican John Patrick Lane, a 51-year-old private investigator who spent 20 years in the Los Angeles Police Department, believes he has the most experience in the area most important to many county voters: law enforcement.

“Asking me if I can talk the talk when it comes to law enforcement is like asking Jack Nicklaus if he’s ever picked up a pair of golf clubs,” said Lane, a former Moorpark councilman and Marine squad leader in Vietnam.

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Lane wants to get tougher on criminals, arguing that state prisons are “country club-like” and need to resemble boot camps. He also supports an across-the-board ban on assault weapons.

But he also believes in more preventive measures, particularly more drug rehabilitation centers to stamp out addiction before it leads young people into lives of crime.

Roz McGrath, the lone Democrat in the race and a member of the McGrath farming family, believes her long history in the county, as well as her experiences as a teacher at Mesa School near Saticoy, set her apart from the pack.

“As a teacher, I think I’ve been in the trenches when it comes to education,” said McGrath, 51, who ran unsuccessfully for the same Assembly seat in 1992. “When I look at Sacramento, I see a lot of lawyers, but few teachers, cops and firefighters. There is a lack of common sense.”

A strong advocate of bilingual education and abortion rights, McGrath also advocates developing a financial mechanism to preserve farmland by buying the development rights from owners.

“You don’t get anything for free in life,” McGrath said. “If the public wants to preserve farmland, then it needs to pay its share.”

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After years of monitoring budgets and attending local government meetings as a taxpayer advocate, Republican Jere Robings believes he has the experience needed to serve government-wary county residents in Sacramento.

“I just have a lot of interest in where the money goes,” said Robings, 66, the founder of the Ventura County Alliance of Taxpayers. “In all the work I’ve done, I’ve realized it all goes back to the state level.”

A retired area manager for Southern California Edison, Robings supports reducing taxes by eliminating what he sees as wasteful government spending.

He also believes state leaders need a more forward-looking approach to dealing with growth.

“With the projections for growth in California being what they are, I wonder not only where we’re going to put all these people, but how we’re going to maintain air quality and all those quality-of-life issues,” Robings said.

At 28, Republican Tony Strickland is the youngest candidate in the race. But the former Simi Valley high school basketball star likes to point out that experience is what counts, and he has worked for numerous GOP leaders since he was a Young Republican at Whittier College.

“I still remember hammering in signs as a 12-year-old for Tom McClintock when he was running [for the state Assembly] at age 25,” said Strickland, who now works for McClintock as his legislative director. “So I like to tell people, ‘Maybe I’m too old to represent this district.’ ”

A die-hard conservative, Strickland said he doesn’t need polls or focus groups to tell him what Californians want. Like McClintock, he supports abolishing the vehicle registration tax and reducing taxes in general. He believes businesses are leaving California because of its high taxes.

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Republican Rich Sybert, a Harvard-educated lawyer and Oxnard toy company executive, is eager to put the sign-trashing incident behind him and focus on his accomplishments and his ideas for the future.

“I’ve apologized, and in the remaining month of the [primary] campaign, I’m going to talk about the issues,” Sybert said. “All I can do is move forward. I still think I have a lot to offer the voters of this county.”

Sybert, the 46-year-old former head of Gov. Pete Wilson’s Office of Planning and Research, believes growth is the central issue facing California. He would like to reform local government finances, giving more money and decision-making power to cities and schools.

Sybert believes the state’s current budget surplus could be used to lower taxes, still leaving enough money to expand class-size reduction programs to more grades.

Republican Toni Young concedes she knew little about politics and had little involvement in the community before running for the Port Hueneme City Council in 1992. After years on the council, she still sees her relatively fresh perspective as an asset.

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“I’m no good at minutiae, but I’m pretty good at seeing the big picture,” said Young, 46. “I’ve seen the Assembly in action, and it sickened me to see good people getting in front of the body politic, only to be completely ignored. I’m a good listener.”

Young, who cut her political teeth fighting a city “view tax” on oceanside properties, believes there is a need to return more decision-making power to local government. She believes state legislators have gotten out of hand and have been trying to regulate everything.

35th Assembly District

The Natural Law Party’s candidate, Eric Dahl, believes he could find common ground with Republicans and Democrats in Sacramento to get things done.

“I believe very deeply that there are many good ideas, and they come from people, not parties,” said Dahl, the 49-year-old vice president of a corporate training firm. “I believe in a multi-part approach to solving the problems that face us.”

Dahl is a strong proponent of campaign finance reform to reduce the influence of special-interest groups. He supports spending more money on researching clean sources of energy, and providing more incentives to organic farmers.

Dahl believes in a complete overhaul of the health care system, and he is convinced taxes can be cut and the state budget can still be balanced without reducing the quality of services. He supports educational programs that focus on the act of learning instead of simply teaching a formal subject.

Republican Alan “Lanny” Ebenstein, an outspoken opponent of bilingual education now facing recall from the Santa Barbara Board of Education, believes the state’s educational system is in need of major reform.

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“I think teaching Latino kids in English is the greatest challenge facing public education in the state of California,” said Ebenstein, who has been on Santa Barbara’s school board since 1990. “I think proponents of bilingual education are well-meaning. I just think they’re factually wrong.”

The Republican 35th District nominee in 1992, Ebenstein supports a return to a more traditional educational curriculum in reading, math and science. He would also like to have class-size reduction efforts expanded to all grades.

An author of college economics textbooks, Ebenstein believes in reducing government interventions on free-market capitalism. He advocates a “two-strikes” law for violent criminals and further protection of open space.

Having worked as a prosecutor in Santa Barbara and as a family law attorney in Ventura, Democrat Hannah-Beth Jackson believes she is the only candidate with extensive experience in both counties.

“I think my background makes me uniquely qualified,” said Jackson, 47, a longtime advocate of victims’ rights. “I understand the different concerns of people in Ventura and Santa Barbara.”

Appointed by both Democratic and Republican governors to state commissions, Jackson believes California has not invested nearly enough in its educational system. She advocates building more schools, expanding class-size reductions to higher grades, improving school technology and paying teachers more to attract better candidates.

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“The money is there. The economy is doing well,” Jackson said. “For a state like California to be below the national average--even average--in education is completely unacceptable.”

Republican David Lack, an Iowan who moved to California after watching the Rose Bowl on a cold winter day in 1985, believes his subsequent success as a building contractor makes him ideally equipped to represent small-business owners in Sacramento.

“There should be businesspeople making decisions up there,” said Lack, 37, a campaign aide to former Congressman Michael Huffington. “I’m a blue-collar Republican. I’ve worked with my hands.”

Lack believes school safety has become a major issue, particularly in Ventura County, and he would like to improve juvenile detention facilities to take the “bad apples” out of the educational system. He believes schools can be built more cheaply and intelligently by employing the most modern construction techniques. He would like to open a field office in Ventura as well as Santa Barbara.

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Republican Chris Mitchum, the actor son of the late film legend Robert Mitchum, says California needs to return to the traditional Republican politics that he believes made the state a wonderful place to live and work.

“When you’re teaching kids how to put on condoms, it’s no wonder many of them don’t know reading or arithmetic,” said Mitchum, 54, who also produces and writes movies. “We need to get back to basics instead of this social education.”

Mitchum advocates keeping taxes as low as possible and promoting a free-market economy. He is a strong supporter of individual property rights and believes in clarifying development processes to ease tensions between landowners and environmental groups. He advocates gun owners’ rights.

Mitchum also supports tougher laws on repeat violent offenders, and advocates increased spending on education, particularly community colleges.

A longtime community leader in Santa Barbara’s Latino community, Democrat Al Pizano believes dismantling bilingual education programs would erase gains made by immigrant students.

“I’m a strong supporter of bilingual education,” said Pizano, 67, a former member of the Santa Barbara Board of Education. “I went to school at age 5 not speaking a word of English, and if someone had been able to help me out in Spanish, I think I would have been much better off.”

A 47-year employee of the Southern California Gas Co., Pizano believes handing out school vouchers is no answer to fixing the state’s public schools. He believes educators need to do a better job of reaching out to Latino students.

Pizano believes educators are on the right track, however.

“We are doing something right in the state of California, judging from the wonderful people and institutions we have produced,” Pizano said. “What we need is to dedicate more money to education. Is anything more important?”

Correspondent Nick Green contributed to this story.

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35th Assembly District

Six candidates--two Democrats, three Republicans and one independent--are vying for the 35th Assembly District seat, now held by Republican Brooks Firestone,

who has chosen not to seek reelection. The district includes Ventura and Ojai as well as parts of Santa Barbara County.

REPUBLICANS:

Alan “Lanny” Ebenstein

Age: 38

Residence: Santa Barbara

Occupation: Textbook author, Santa Barbara Board of Education trustee

Education: Bachelor’s in economics and politics from UC Santa Barbara, doctorate in political philosophy from London School of Economics

Background: A school board member since 1990, Ebenstein is now the subject of a recall drive after leading the move to abolish bilingual education in Santa Barbara. He was the Republican nominee for the district in 1992 and is a past president of the local Assn. of Retarded Citizens.

Issues: A Republican, Ebenstein seeks to abolish all bilingual education programs in California. He advocates reducing class sizes in all grades. He supports a two-strikes policy for violent criminals and is opposed to further offshore oil drilling.

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David Lack

Age: 37

Residence: Santa Barbara

Occupation: Building contractor

Education: Graduate of Elk River High School in Iowa

Background: A campaign aide to former U.S. Rep. Michael Huffington, Lack has worked for a variety of Republican causes in the Santa Barbara area. He left Iowa for California in 1985 and started his own business, David Lack General Contractor Inc., in 1990.

Issues: Lack believes he understands the needs of small businesses because of his own entrepreneurial experience. He said spending more money on schools may not be the way to improve education. He advocates smarter school construction methods. Lack emphasizes that he wants to open a field office in Ventura.

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Chris Mitchum

Age: 54

Residence: Santa Barbara

Occupation: Actor, writer, producer

Education: Bachelor’s degree in literature from the University of Arizona

Background: The son of movie legend Robert Mitchum, Chris Mitchum has acted in more than 60 films throughout the world and more recently began writing and producing films. He sat on the board of the Screen Actors Guild for five years in the 1980s, an experience he believes prepared him for politics.

Issues: Mitchum said he is an old-time Republican concerned with keeping taxes low and promoting a free-market economy. He believes state leaders need to share more tax money with local cities and schools. He advocates a tougher approach with repeat criminals, and wants to protect gun owners’ rights.

DEMOCRATS:

Hannah-Beth Jackson

Age: 47

Residence: Santa Barbara

Occupation: Family law attorney

Education: Bachelor’s degrees in government and sociology, Scripps College; law degree, Boston University

Background: A former Santa Barbara County prosecutor, Jackson has been an advocate of victims’ rights for two decades. She has been appointed by California governors to the State Commission on the Status of Women and the Blue Ribbon Commission for Child Support Development and Enforcement.

Issues: Jackson believes California has done a poor job of investing in its future by failing to spend more on education. She advocates building more new schools and providing money to reduce class sizes in more grades. Jackson believes state leaders need to help preserve open space and track polluters more closely.

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Al Pizano

Age: 67

Residence: Santa Barbara

Occupation: District manager, Southern California Gas Co.

Education: Attended Cal State L.A.

Background: A 47-year employee of Southern California Gas Co., Pizano was active in East Los Angeles, helping launch the Plaza de la Raza park project before moving to Santa Barbara in 1977. He was appointed to the Santa Barbara Board of Education and served two years. He served as a local Boys & Girls Club president.

Issues: Pizano believes California leaders need to do a better job of facilitating trade between nations on the Pacific Rim. He advocates increased spending on education, including community colleges. He is a strong proponent of bilingual education programs, and is opposed to further offshore drilling.

NATURAL LAW PARTY:

Eric Dahl

Age: 49

Residence: Goleta

Occupation: Vice president of organizational development and training, Stuart Atkins Inc.

Education: Bachelor’s degree in psychology from Yale University, master’s in human development from Maharishi University of Management in Iowa

Background: A practitioner of transcendental meditation techniques, Dahl has been an educator all his life, teaching in Cerritos public schools and at Maharishi University, as well as in adult education courses throughout the country. He later founded his own company, Corporate Training Group.

Issues: Dahl believes taxes can be cut and the state budget can still be balanced without slashing services. He advocates an overhaul of the health care system, more incentives to organic farmers, campaign finance reform and educational programs that teach students how to learn.

37th Assembly District

Seven candidates--five Republicans, one Democrat and one independent--are vying for the seat now held by Nao Takasugi, a Republican. Term limits are forcing Takasugi to step down from the seat, which represents a district stretching from Thousand Oaks to Oxnard.

DEMOCRAT:

Roz McGrath

Age: 51

Residence: Camarillo

Occupation: Teacher and farmer

Education: Bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Dominican College, master’s in early childhood education from San Francisco State University

Background: McGrath, the sole Democrat seeking the seat, ran in 1992 as well. A member of the venerable McGrath farming family, she was the Ventura County Farm Bureau’s first female member and has been active in California Women for Agriculture and the National Women’s Political Caucus.

Issues: McGrath believes California needs to spend more per child on education. She is a proponent of bilingual education, and believes in reducing class sizes in all grades. She believes in creating a financial mechanism to fund farmland trusts, and strongly supports abortion rights.

REFORM PARTY:

Michael Farris

Age: 29

Residence: Thousand Oaks

Occupation: Scientist

Education: Bachelor’s degree in physics from University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, master’s and doctorate in geophysics and space physics from UCLA

Background: Farris, the former chairman of California’s Reform Party, is now in charge of the party’s presidential nominations committee. A scientist at Arete Associates in Los Angeles, Farris sits on Thousand Oaks’ blue ribbon campaign finance reform committee. He is a member of the National Eagle Scout Assn.

Issues: Farris supports banning corporate contributions to candidates in California, and he vows to fight efforts to overturn term limits and other voter-approved initiatives. He believes in giving local school districts more freedom. He advocates more controls on growth.

REPUBLICANS:

John Patrick Lane

Age: 51

Residence: Moorpark

Occupation: Private fraud investigator

Education: Bachelor’s degree in public administration from USC, master’s in public administration and criminal justice from USC

Background: Lane, a Marine squad leader during the Vietnam War, worked in the Los Angeles Police Department for 20 years before leaving to form a private investigative firm. He was appointed to the Moorpark City Council in 1985 and decided not to seek reelection after 21 months.

Issues: Lane says that he has the most leadership experience of any candidate. He advocates loosening restrictions on tracking and wiretapping of gang members, and cracking down on assault weapons. He believes the state’s educational system needs to return to basics. He supports more drug rehabilitation centers.

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Jere Robings

Age: 66

Residence: Thousand Oaks

Occupation: Retired Southern California Edison area manager

Education: Bachelor’s degree in police science from Cal State L.A.

Background: The founder and head of the Ventura County Alliance of Taxpayers, Robings has long been a fiscal watchdog. He retired from Edison in 1988 after a 38-year career and briefly worked as a field representative for U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley).

Issues: Robings says his experience as a taxpayer advocate gives him a good background to reduce wasteful government spending. He believes legislators need to take a much more active role in planning California’s growth, and he advocates letting developers build schools instead of paying impact fees.

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Tony Strickland

Age: 28

Residence: Thousand Oaks

Occupation: Legislative director for Assemblyman Tom McClintock (R-Northridge)

Education: Bachelor’s degree in political science, Whittier College

Background: Strickland, who was a basketball star at Royal High School in Simi Valley, also played basketball at Whittier College and believes he had a chance to play professionally, but chose a career in politics. He has worked for numerous GOP legislators.

Issues: Deeply conservative, Strickland believes California levies too many taxes and is losing business to Arizona as a result. Like McClintock, he advocates abolishing the car registration tax. He would like to expand the death penalty to include serial rapists. He supports school vouchers and opposes bilingual education.

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Rich Sybert

Age: 46

Residence: Thousand Oaks

Occupation: Attorney, toy company executive

Education: Bachelor’s degree in history, UC Berkeley; master’s degree in business administration, UCLA; law degree, Harvard Law School

Background: A former director of Gov. Pete Wilson’s Office of Planning and Research, Sybert ran two failed congressional campaigns this decade. He was a White House fellow in the Reagan administration, a Navy Reserve intelligence officer and an appointee to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.

Issues: Sybert supports a two-strikes law for violent criminals and a zero-tolerance policy for criminal behavior. He is opposed to bilingual education, and supports term limits for state lawmakers and members of Congress. He wants to bolster standards for clean air and water, and shrink government.

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Toni P. Young

Age: 46

Residence: Port Hueneme

Occupation: Port Hueneme councilwoman

Education: Attended Olympic College in Washington, Cal State Dominguez Hills and Pasadena City College, among others

Background: The wife of a Navy engineer, Young was a political novice before running for the Port Hueneme City Council in 1992 because of her opposition to a controversial view tax. Young is the regional council member on the Southern California Assn. of Governments for Oxnard, Camarillo and Port Hueneme.

Issues: Young believes the Assembly has overstepped its bounds and become too intrusive in people’s lives. She believes in giving more decision-making power to cities and school districts. Young advocates the creation of a bipartisan Southern California caucus to fight for regional issues.

18th State Senate District

Three candidates, including incumbent Democrat Jack O’Connell, are vying for the 18th Senate District seat, which represents an area that stretches from San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties to Oxnard and Ventura.

Gordon Klemm

Age: 40

Residence: Arroyo Grande

Occupation: Civil engineer

Education: Bachelor of science degree in civil engineering from Purdue University

Background: Ran unsuccessfully in Republican primary for congressional seat in 1992; charter member of the San Luis Obispo chapter of the California Republican Assembly; member of the National Rifle Assn.; operates own Web site for campaign: https://www.klemm.org.

Issues: Klemm, a Republican, supports elimination of vehicle license fee; anti-abortion stand has won endorsement by the California ProLife Council; he opposes “meaningless” gun controls.

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Jack O’Connell

Age: 46

Residence: San Luis Obispo

Occupation: State senator

Education: Bachelor of arts degree in history from Cal State Fullerton, secondary teaching credential from Cal State Long Beach

Background: High school teacher in Oxnard, 1975-79; state Assembly member, 1982-92; state Senate, 1994 to the present; serves on the Education, Environmental Quality, Judiciary, Natural Resources, Business & Professions, and Constitutional Amendments committees.

Issues: O’Connell, a Democrat, supports reducing high school class sizes in the same manner as was done at the elementary school level with a bill he sponsored; he advocates a statewide bond measure to improve schools.

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Jack Ray

Age: 26

Residence: Goleta

Occupation: Computer Internet sales work

Education: Attended UC Santa Barbara for two years

Background: Seven-year Santa Barbara resident who turned to Libertarian thought after reading Ayn Rand in college; ranks working on campaign his fourth priority, after new job, new girlfriend and competition country-and-western dancing; Operates own Web site for campaign: https://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/2431

Issues: Ray, a Libertarian, supports abolition of state and federal income taxes, elimination of public education and legalization of drugs; favors revoking laws on victimless crimes; advocates eliminating minimum wage.