County Board Candidates Spar Over Measure O in Final Debate

In their last debate before the Nov. 7 election, supervisor candidates Jim Monahan and Steve Bennett sparred Sunday over their differences on a countywide ballot initiative that would transfer the county’s $260 million in tobacco settlement money to private hospitals.

During the debate, Monahan elaborated on his strong support for Measure O, saying county officials cannot be trusted to spend the money as intended. He chastised opponents of the initiative for calling it a “money grab.”

“The only way it will go to health care,” he said, “is if it goes to private hospitals.”

Bennett countered by saying that Ventura County Medical Center deserves the settlement money because it, not private hospitals, provides the overwhelming majority of care for poor and uninsured patients. The initiative would exclude the county hospital from receiving any tobacco money.

“This is not a common-sense piece of legislation,” Bennett said.

Monahan noted that county officials had used $3 million of the tobacco money to help pay part of a fine for overbilling Medicare, rather than on health care programs. In addition, he said, the county already receives federal reimbursements for treating the poor and uninsured.

Bennett said he agrees the county should not have spent the $3 million to cover the debt, but that Monahan and other Measure O proponents are using that decision to tap into an “anti-Board of Supervisors” sentiment in hopes of garnering support for the initiative.

Bennett criticized Monahan for hiring a private firm to conduct a public opinion poll on Measure O, before staking out a position. He also noted that Monahan had received more than $5,000 in contributions from Community Memorial Hospital board members, administrators and employees. The Ventura hospital is spearheading the Measure O effort.

“There’s a big difference in our decision-making process,” Bennett said.

Monahan said he received much of the $5,000 before Measure O was placed on the ballot and that it did not influence his decision to support it.

“They’re my friends,” Monahan said of the contributors, adding that some of them have supported him in past elections.

Backers of Measure O have so far spent $1.6 million on their campaign, while a coalition of residents has raised more than $60,000 to defeat the measure.

The county is prohibited by law from spending money on a campaign against the measure, but the Ojai, Thousand Oaks and Ventura city councils recently approved resolutions opposing the initiative. The Thousand Oaks and Camarillo chambers of commerce have also come out against it.

Monahan called a proposed county ordinance that would direct all the tobacco money to health care programs as “too little too late.” He said such a move would not deter him from supporting Measure O.

Meanwhile, the two candidates attacked each other on a host of other issues during the public forum sponsored by Temple Beth Torah of Ventura.

Monahan criticized Bennett as being influenced by the Service Employees International Union, the county’s largest labor union, which has endorsed him and contributed $500 to his campaign. Bennett noted that Monahan has received thousands of dollars from developers.

“If Mr. Monahan doesn’t accept money from unions, why does he accept money from developers?” said Bennett, who has a self-imposed $500 campaign contribution limit. “It’s the same conflict of interest.”

After the forum, Monahan described Bennett, co-author of the successful Save Open Space and Agricultural Resources growth control laws, as a “socialist” who wants to control other people’s land. The SOAR laws require voter approval before any future development can take place outside city boundaries.

Bennett dismissed Monahan’s comments as nonsense, saying his opponent is wrong on every issue.

“If you’re in favor of urban sprawl, then you call a candidate that wants to stop it a socialist,” Bennett said. “His voting record is very clear; he is in favor of urban sprawl.”

Other candidates attending Sunday’s forum were Assemblywoman Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) and her Republican opponent, Santa Paula City Councilwoman Robin Sullivan. Michael Case, the Democratic nominee in the 23rd Congressional District, also participated.

Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley), whom Case is challenging, was invited but had prior commitments elsewhere in the county.

FYI

For more information on this and other political races in Ventura County, please see the Los Angeles Times’ Ventura County Web site at www.latimes.com/editions/ventura/elections.