Rating Totten and Bamieh in D.A. Race

I have listened to both candidates for district attorney and heard what they have to say and, frankly, I am not impressed by Greg Totten at all. He has not given any real reasons why he should be in the office, unless you count riding on people’s coattails as a real reason to be in office. He expects to win just because he is a part of the good old boy network! It is time for a new D.A. who really wants to make a difference in our community.

I am very impressed with Ron Bamieh. I’ve known him personally for several years and can attest to the fact that he truly cares about our community. He is an independent leader and has the experience necessary to be our district attorney.

While some may pass themselves off as “experienced” prosecutors while holding a cushy, bureaucratic position in the D.A.’s office, Bamieh is gaining the respect of Ventura County citizens by protecting our communities in the courts. Bamieh does not shy away from taking on those who threaten the safety of our children and our families. His record shows that he has never lost a felony case. If Ventura County voters want a tough experienced prosecutor, then Bamieh is their candidate.

Heidi Graves

Ventura

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In the race for district attorney, each candidate offers something very different. I know each of these candidates because I worked as a prosecutor in the Ventura County district attorney’s office between 1984 and 1995. I will vote for Greg Totten because I know he is not just the better candidate, but because he is the only qualified candidate. However, if I did not know Totten personally I would vote for him anyway for the following undisputed reasons:

While Totten was distinguishing himself as a leading prosecutor in the Ventura County district attorney’s office, Bamieh was still in law school.

While Totten led the California District Attorney’s Assn. in Sacramento as executive director, Bamieh was just learning to prosecute misdemeanor cases.

While Totten has the bipartisan support and confidence of almost every elected official in Ventura County, Bamieh has hardly any.

While Totten has the endorsement of nearly every law enforcement agency in Ventura County, Bamieh has little.

While Totten financed his campaign with modest contributions from numerous supporters in Ventura County, Bamieh financed his campaign almost entirely with hundreds of thousands of dollars from one source, his wealthy parents in San Mateo County.

While Totten’s campaign was planned by many local volunteers, Bamieh spent $39,000 for a professional New York-based advertisement campaign.

Finally, while Totten’s credentials demonstrate the ideal character, leadership and experience necessary to be district attorney, Bamieh has no such traits and therefore can only resort to baseless appeals to popular prejudices and false claims and promises as designed by his New York ad agency.

John Geb

Ventura

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Money may be the mother’s milk of politics, but there are other kinds of currency in the political arena. Endorsements from groups and influential individuals constitute one part. The media follow money, so reported stories, consciously or unconsciously, imbue credibility upon candidates with bigger bank balances.

It’s hard to distinguish between the two candidates for D.A.: Both are middle-aged white men who are Republican and hold law degrees. Both work in the D.A.’s office. One has fair hair and one has dark hair; both are married. One has a father with both the desire and ability to contribute money to his son’s campaign. The other is the heir apparent, with a cadre of established power players contributing endorsements. Thus both are awash in political currencies. Having the most money or the most endorsements, however, does not always translate into a win.

Please stop the whining about buying the election. Who cares if Ron Bamieh’s father wants to give him money for his campaign? It’s a nice gesture, one which most parents might make if they had the inclination and means. How could the American political contacts of Bamieh possibly hurt Ventura County? Perhaps we will be a blip on radar screens and invited to participate in policymaking at the state or federal level.

I have never met either Greg Totten or Bamieh, but I am going to vote for Bamieh for district attorney because (a) his father believes in him; (b) the current establishment did not endorse him; and (c) it’s time for a change!

Virginia Weber

Ventura

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In your article of Jan. 25, you indicated that district attorney candidate Ron Bamieh received nearly all of the cash for his campaign from one source: his wealthy father who lives in San Mateo. This is in stark contrast to Greg Totten, whose campaign has received numerous, but relatively small contributions, from bipartisan and grass-roots supporters within Ventura County.

When it comes to something as important as this election for district attorney, Ventura County simply needs the man that has earned the job himself, Greg Totten.

It is no accident that Totten is endorsed by nearly all Ventura County’s elected officials across party lines. Further, Totten is supported by nearly all law enforcement agencies and their leaders in Ventura County. As with Totten, these men and women earned their jobs as leaders in our community. They support and endorse Totten because they know both candidates and they know which one will get the job done.

Campaign contributions reveal much about a candidate’s character. In that same article, Bamieh attempts to justify his virtual total dependence on his father in supporting his campaign by saying that his parents love him. Perhaps Bamieh is in the habit of getting his father to buy him whatever he wants. But that is not what the voters of Ventura County want. I have no problem with a loving father helping his son financially, but I do have a problem with a father giving his son everything he wants.

On March 5, the voters of Ventura County are going to tell Bamieh, his loving father and their $39,000 New York-based campaign consultant to pick up their bat and ball and go home because we don’t want to play with them.

Richard Jimenez

Ventura

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I tend to cast my votes by what I know of a candidate’s deeds, and not by party or campaign advertisement. I am also prejudiced in favor of those who work for children and young people in our community.

I first came to know Ron Bamieh as the volunteer coach of the Buena High School mock trial team. He contributed hundreds of hours coaching these young people in the law and ways of our court system. When my stepdaughter moved on to UC Berkeley, she continued her involvement in mock trial. When her team could not find a coach, Bamieh generously contributed his time at the team members’ request to help them improve their performance.

The local newspapers over the years spoke of Bamieh’s efforts in the courtroom to fight gang violence. He has offered his services to schools to help students understand the positive and negative consequences of the choices they make. He teaches his profession, making a difference in the lives of our young people.

During this political season, Bamieh has not shelved his efforts to help young people as they tackle life. Even though he is involved in a campaign for district attorney, he continues to volunteer countless hours to mock trial at Buena High School.

My vote goes to Bamieh as he walks the walk and talks the talk. He supports and guides our young people in their efforts to become productive citizens in our community.

Hugh Pickrel

Ventura

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D.A. candidate Ron Bamieh’s statement in your Jan. 25 article that his enormously wealthy father’s contributions to his campaign--in amounts unprecedented for a Ventura County race--keep flowing because his father and mother love him was honest and straightforward.

However, Bamieh insults the people of Ventura County when he says that he is limiting his campaign contributions from county residents because “you can’t be naive. People contribute because they want to have some say. They want access, and I always worry about insiders trying to gain influence inside the district attorney’s office.”

It is disheartening that Bamieh has so little respect for the electorate of Ventura County that he believes they cannot in good faith contribute as much money to him as can his father and his out-of-county friends. After all, do we really believe that Bamieh’s father or his friends give a hoot about Ventura County?

And should we elect as district attorney a candidate who harbors so many suspicions about the motivation of Ventura County’s own residents?

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Department and district attorney’s office have played key roles in helping to keep our crime rate lower than in other counties. The voters of Ventura County have been responsible for electing the public officials in charge of those agencies, and those public officials appear unanimous in their endorsement of Greg Totten, Bamieh’s opponent whose father apparently is neither fabulously wealthy nor politically well-connected.

It is clear from his comments that Bamieh does not respect Ventura County voters enough to think that they would contribute to a district attorney candidate because they want to keep their streets safe and do not want the higher crime rates of the counties in which his father and other contributors live.

That is as clear a message as we need to support Totten than any amount of money could buy.

Kenneth W. Kossoff

Oak Park