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I'm sad to see that Pat has decided not to run, but I understand completely his decision. He has made it clear that there are two wonderful candidates, Betsy Clapp and Suza Francina, running for city council. These two ladies are more than merely "strong,(sic) established citizens"-OVN 7/8/08, to quote the justifications given by one of the two incumbents running yet again. Suza has the name recognition that Pat would have had to build, and I really hope that she and Betsy will join forces and run as a team to win both seats up for election this time around.

I wish them both luck, but I hope they don't run as a team - we saw how disastrous that strategy was last time around!

Go Suza!!!

I'm not really sure the team approach was "disastrous". In fact, Lenny only lost by something like 68 votes and all of those were absentee ballots. The team approach wasn't even seriously touted until after the absentee ballots had been sent out and many of them returned. If the people who had voted for Lenny would have known to vote for the whole team or only vote for those members of the team they liked and no one else, Lenny might well have won. Also, I mean no disrespect to the candidates from 2006, but I do believe that Suza and Betsy are very strong candidates whereas a couple of the candidates last time were more...esoteric.

Thank you so much for your endorsement and support Pat. It's greatly appreciated. I look forward to working with you and other citizens on the issues before us when I am re-elected to the council.

Ditto from me, Pat

I love the way things seem to be working out politically here in Ojai. I decided a few days ago not to run and was planning to write an email to Carlon this morning to inform her of my non-candidacy. I checked in here first and learned of the new developments, particularly Pat withdrawing and Suza coming in.

Pat's decision seems reasonable under the circumstances and Suza's seems inspired. I would say that I support Pat and Suza in their intentions but given my standing in the community, I will observe a respectful silence, lest by my support I should prove unsupportive.

I do support most of the values of someone like Suza. I don't know Betsy but from what I have learned, she sounds like someone also whom I could support. I think that if Suza and Betsy were on council, Ojai would be in much better hands than at present.

Anyway, on we go for the good of Ojai, with the Ojai Post taking notes and leaving a digital trail. It could be an exciting and happy chapter in Ojai herstory.

As for myself, I have received quite a few choice nominations here but up to now "esoteric" has not been one of them. I'll have to look it up in the Oxford dictionary. I learned quite a bit about myself lately by researching there the esoteric meaning of buffoon. Perhaps esoteric will yield similar beneficial results. My heart is not really in politics; I was delusional in trying to force myself to fit that mold, pushed and pulled by forces I did not really understand. Community feedback is quite valuable in bringing me back to reality. Perhaps I should try something else. Maybe I'll be an esoteric preacher. What do you think?

Well, I've got to tell Carlon the news. I agree with Pat about Carlon. She is an Ojai treasure indeed.

what I think Dennis is that your delusional comment is the most accurate thing and most profound insight you have ever had.
I would explore the extent of your delusion or self-deception.
Perhaps trying the attitude that EVERYTHING you think/believe is completely wrong and try the opposite for awhile.
Try to love money, try to love boxes (houses) try to love people.
Try it.

I am thrilled to see Suza and Betsy running for council. Two great people who will make outstanding candidates and wonderful members of the council when they take office in December.

I would also add a note about the candidacies of Pete and Dennis two years ago; I very much wanted two other small town village advocates to run with me as there were three seats available. Pete and Dennis were the only ones who stepped forward. They ran admirable campaigns, often outperforming all the other candidates, including myself, at candidate forums. They received substantially more votes than I did the first time I ran. While perhaps some people did not vote for me because of my association with Pete and Dennis, I believe that it is likely that more people who would have stayed home came out to vote for Pete and Dennis, and voted for me with their third vote.

So, it my humble opinion, running as a team with compatible teammates works just fine.

Go Suza; go Betsy.

Len Klaif

I totally agree Len. If three seats were up this time I would hope that you would be the third candidate, but I know how much of your valuable time and energy you have expended on issues that most people in Ojai care about

Dennis, esoteric is not a bad thing by any means. Many people today are just not able to vote for anyone who is not like themselves; so many people are caught up with the acquisition of things that anyone who isn't looks, well, esoteric to them to say the least. Your showing in 2006 was admirable and you and Pete raised the bar at the candidate forums.

Thanks Lenny!

spk-
Dennis is not esoteric.
he is delusionally self-aggrandizing with a thick pastiche of passively overt victimhood.

perhaps if he drinks more ionizing alkaline water he may achieve esoterica

Dear terminally anonymous,

Whatever.