California Special Election Watch: Ventura County Lefties Let Schwarzenegger Have IT

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger(R) gestures as he answers questions from an audience of voters regarding Propositions 74 through 77 of next week’s Special Election from during an election forum at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, California.

The Ventura County Star has County activists grill the governor

Two Camarillo Democratic activists peppered Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday with the toughest questions he’s faced during a special-election campaign in which the governor has mostly appeared before only hand-selected audiences.

During a televised town hall forum at the Skirball Cultural Center, however, Schwarzenegger faced hostile questions from a panel selected by a market research firm hired by KNBC. Among those chosen to ask questions were Larry Miller, a member of the Ventura County Democratic Central Committee; Chris Robson, a member of the state Democratic Party Central Committee representing the 37th Assembly District; and Mary Pallant of Oak Park, an announced candidate for the Democratic nomination in the 24th Congressional District.

Interesting how this market research firm hired a “representive” audience of left wing idealogues, union representatives and Democrat Party activists.

By all press accounts the Governor handled himself well and probably should have mixed it up with these folks weeks ago.

Alejandro Puesan of the station’s research department said the selections were made randomly by the research firm charged with selecting questioners who represented the demographics of Southern California, by gender, age, race, ethnicity, county of residence and political affiliation.

Yeah right!

It was a set up by the LEFT, but what else do you expect?

Schwarzenegger was fine on the issues and will be fine on November 8th.

Miller, an elected trustee of the Ventura County Community College District, engaged in such a fierce exchange with Schwarzenegger that at one point, when the governor sought to complete his response, Miller blurted out, “No, I’m not going to let you finish because you’re wrong.”

Miller had challenged Schwarzenegger about Proposition 74, the initiative he’s backing that would extend the probationary period for new teachers from two years to five. Schwarzenegger calls it a reform of “teacher tenure” designed to make it more difficult for teachers to obtain “a job for life.”

“You’re absolutely wrong about tenure,” Miller said.

In an interview afterward, Miller noted that the word “tenure” does not exist in the state Education Code governing K-12 teachers. The law does say that after a two-year probationary period teachers become “permanent” employees who have full due-process rights, including that of a hearing to challenge a decision to fire them.

“The principals are the ones who aren’t doing their jobs,” Miller said during his exchange with the governor. “They’ve got the tools.”

Flap also was an elected member of the Board of Trustees of the Ventura County Community College District and knows Larry Miller very well.

Larry is a retired Moorpark College Biology professor and a long time American Federation of Teachers negotiator and union leader. He often represented the union before the VCCCD Board of Trustees. He even walked precincts for Flap when Flap first ran for office.

Miller is a fierce advocate for his left-wing views and very outspoken.

But, he is wrong on Proposition 74 and the remainder of the Governor’s reform agenda.

How he was chosen for this confrontation with the Governor is probably a story worth pursuing.

Technorati Tags: Arnold Schwarzenegger, California Recovery Team, California Special Election, Bear Flag League, Proposition 74, Proposition 75, Proposition 76, Proposition 77, Ventura County Community College District

Cross-posted to the Bear Flag League Special Election Page