How to buy an election

Some of you may have received Bob Huber for College Board mailers over the last couple of days. Boy is it a riot. One part of his mailer says he will 'Ensure Student Needs Come First'. This is quite possibly the biggest lie we have heard from his campaign. The most crucial student need is the need for quality, affordable education. Yet Bob seems to think that not only is it OK to ask students to pay $26 a unit for classes, but also seems to go along with the Sacramento mindset that there is no better way to balance the budget than to do so on the backs of the hardworking people of Simi Valley, Moorpark, Oak Park and East Santa Rosa Valley.

He names Elton Gallegly as an Honorary Co-Chair, which is not suprising considering the excessive amount of lobbying funds Huber's law firm has provided to Gallegly over the years. For the kind of money Huber and Takasugi have given to Gallegly over the years, one would think that our distiguished representative would do naked cartwheels down the street with Huber's name tattooed very very big across his back.

The front of his mailer says 'Now he can make our colleges the best place to learn'. What he fails to leave out is the fact that he only thinks this is true as long as you can afford it. The fact is that Bob Huber is of the elite, for the elite, and thinks that only the elite deserve a decent, affordable education.

Speaking of money, some of you may have also seen the 12 square foot Huber signs around town. Signs that incidently violate the cities zoning laws that says signs must not be over six feet in height. You may have also seen Bob's ad in the Ventura County Star. It would appear that one of two things is true.

1. Bob Huber thinks he can pull one over on the middle and working class members of the communities in our area by spending thousands upon thousands of dollars to not present one substantive message, and in turn, buy the seat he seeks.

or

2. Good ol' boy Bob loves to see his name and image plastered, as big as is allowed by law, all over our great cities.

It is up to the decent, hard working members of Area #4 to stand up to Huber and say 'If you won't stand up for my child's right to a quality, affordable, post-secondary education, then we will not allow you to buy this seat'.

If my campaign accomplishes nothing, at least we will have given good ol' boy Bob a run for his money...literally.

About me...

I realized recently that I haven't had a post that was specifically about myself and my experience. So here goes...

I was born in Tarzana, CA on Nov. 10, 1981. At the age of 11 my family and I moved to Simi Valley. After finishing the fourth grade at Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies in Reseda, I was enrolled at Sycamore Elementary. I participated in the part time Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) Program and then transferred to Atherwood to participate full time in the GATE program there. I then attended Sequoia Jr. High (now Santa Susana High). I then went to Royal High for one semester before tranferring to Apollo High School, where I graduated one year early in 1998.

From there I enrolled at Moorpark College, and the ripe old age of 16. I spent 3 years at MC and they were some of the happiest years of my life. When I transferred to CSUN in 2001 it was one of the saddest days I ever had to endure. Unfortunately, due to a family situation I had to leave CSUN in 2002. I then got a job in the microbiology department of a local manufacturer of personal care products. The company went under a year later and since then I have been doing various jobs within the cosmetics industry. I have since returned to school with the University of Phoenix online, studying Healthcare Administration. I plan to use this degree to work to improve the healthcare industry locally, and nationwide.

My parents are John and Vicky, they have been married for over 32 years and reside here in Simi Valley. My father worked for years in the quality control field and also was involved with Boy Scout troop 633 and helped establish Cub Scout troop 3663, as well as serving as its Scoutmaster. My sister Shannon VanNest and her husband Eric also live here in Simi, along with my Aunt Laurie Harrison, her husband Jim and their three children Jessica, Brandon and Caitlin.

Like most 22 year olds, I enjoy hanging out with my friends and family, listening to and playing music, spending time with my lovely girlfriend of 2 years Brenna Savage, and playing video games. Incidently, I have had very little time to play video games since beginning my campaign, which is both a blessing and a curse. =)

I come from middle class roots, with parents who lived from paycheck to paycheck. When I wanted to further my education, Moorpark College was my only viable option. Contrast this with my opponent who runs a very lucrative personal injury lawfirm. He claims "My background and experience have prepared me to effectively represent area number four and to work harmoniously with other trustees to place the emphasis back on student needs". However he also believes that the fee increase in not a problem and that we live in an 'affluent county'. If you pick up this weeks copy of the Moorpark College Reporter, you'll see a question and answer section with numerous students who say that, in fact, the fee increase is a major problem for them. How is it that Mr. Huber can claim that he wants to put an emphasis on student needs while ignoring one of the most obvious student needs: quality, affordable education?

Updated Figures

According to the VCCCD Office of Institutional Research, the district overall has seen a 4.6% decrease in enrollment from fall 2003. Broken down by campus, Moorpark college had a 1.7% decrease, Ventura College had a 5.4% decrease, and Oxnard had an 8.8% decrease. Not suprisingly, the more afluent the area in which the campus is located in, the smaller the decrease in enrollment. To me this screams out that the rate increase has severly hampered access to higher education for the middle and lower class individuals who need it the most. My opponent however, fails to see the correlation. He claims we live in an 'affluent county' based on property values. Upon hearing these words I started to wonder if he's ever been to poorer parts of the county. I wonder if he has in fact seen the faces of the those who need to attend community college since it is the only viable means of post secondary and/or vocational education. I suppose if my name was on one of the most lucrative personal injury law firms in the county, I too would be insulated from the needs of most members of the community, but the only thing my name appears on is a ballot in the November 2 election.

Representative democracy

Another important reason for my candidacy is my belief in true representative democracy. Today, it is far too common to have a candidate claim to be a champion of 'the working people' when they themselves never worked at minimum wage, or did back breaking labor in the hot California sun.

My opponents name is Bob Huber. He is a personal injury attorney with the firm Huber and Takasugi here in Simi Valley. He is and has been invloved in the community for some time, which although commendable, does not in anyway qualify him to represent the needs of college faculty and students throughout the county. I, on the other hand, spent 3 1/2 years at Moorpark College and have watched services deteriorate while the per unit fee has increased over 100%. Enrollment at Oxnard College is down 7% this semester, and considering that Oxnard College has the highest percentage of low income students in the VCCCD, I attribute the decrease directly to the fee hike.

With all the is going on in Oxnard with the gang injunction I find it disturbing that the community is doing little to offer those who may go into the gang life, or those who are in that life, a way out. The community college system is supposed to be there for those who don't think college is for them, for those who need a second chance at higher education, and for fulfilling the vocational needs of the community. I was one of those people who thought college wasn't for me, I learned I was wrong. How many people in this county need to be denied the opportunity to come to that same realization before our communities take action to ensure an affordable education for all those who desire it? With all due respect to my opponent, I don't see how running a personal injury law practice makes him better for the job than someone who was at a VC community college in the 21st century. I fail to recognize how his experience proves his primary concern will be the needs of the students and teachers. With all the money he has in his coffers, how can he stand up for the right of the lower and middle class members of Simi Valley, Moorpark and the Santa Rosa Valley to send their children to a first rate community college?

Welcome!

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to my campaign blog. I have set this up to be somewhat of a 'candidate journal'. Just to let all of you know my name is Sean Carl and I am running for Ventura County Community College District Board of Trustees for Area #4, covering Simi Valley, Moorpark and East Santa Rosa Valley.

Why You Ask?

Long story short, I don't feel the VCCCD is doing so great. The budget cuts have pummled services offered to students and the increases in tuition are driving away students who have few other options for vocational training and higher education. I have other reasons as well, but that wouldn't peak your interest. Instead, I plan to share more with all of you over the coming days, so check back regularly for more info and good, clean, fun.

See You Soon,
Sean