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Written By Michael Hernandez
| MountainTopTimes Oct 30, 2024 |
VENTURA—The Ventura County Board of Supervisors was unanimously blasted by all 18 public speakers at theOct. 19 meeting concerning their actions at the Oct. 8 meeting to extend the Dominion Voting Machines contract to 2033.
(Editor’s Note: To see story on the Oct. 8 meeting go to: Ventura County Board Of Supervisors Approve 9-Year Contract Extension Of Dominion Voting Machines In 3-2 Vote Despite 72 Percent Public Objections.To see related story by former CIA operative linking Dominion Voting Machines to Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez go to: CIA Operative Gives 27-Year Timeline On Stolen Elections: Connects Smartmatic, Dominion, Software Softer (Bizta) with Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez.)
• Julian Case: “Where was the public discussion for extending Dominion’s contract—one of the most corrupt companies in the world– for nine years? I am asking for audits that Dominion machines were accurate. This proprietary software cannot be audited. We ask for a 25 percent audit.”
• Debbie Cohen: “This is not a partisan election (issue). Both Democrats and Republicans have warned about voting machine vulnerabilities. These voting machines have backdoors not accountable to anyone. The 11 (Ventura) voting centers are connected to the county (by internet). With only three voting machine companies, there are a lot of problems. How do we address these vulnerabilities? We need a significant hand count of at least 25 percent of all votes. We do not need these issues swept under the rug.”
• James Greenfield: “We have a brood of vipers and a den of thieves (here). All this could have been avoided. You have stolen the public trust by hiding behind the Brown Act and you have the audacity to lecture us on our conduct. What was the payoff? Was it the last election, the next election? Chair Long you are a horrible liar. You should step down. Election integrity will become the litmus test for candidates running for office. Election integrity is coming for you.”
• Anne Marie Wionick: “I feel betrayed. You Board of Supervisors are public servants to serve us–your constituents. The elections need to be audited with a hand count of 25 percent of the votes. Your Oct. 8 vote was a nefarious effort and the blood is on your hands. Where is your Plan B? We see poor leadership displayed on this board. I am missing work but have come down to remind you how to do your job. I can’t trust my own local representatives ethically, morally or (to be) responsible. We hire you. You are paid by us. We are not satisfied with you ignoring us.”
• Jessica Hahn: “This shouldhave been a public process for a contract extension for approval. The process done on Oct. 8 was unnecessary and intentionally deceptive. Elections are the cornerstone of our Republic. You have ignored us. You have ignored election integrity and betrayed public trust. “
• Mary Gallegos: “As a software engineer for 35 years, I have no confidence in Dominion. They use a proprietary system. Why are we allowing a private company to do so? We can’t see what the software is doing. Their voting system is too complex and it is not designed for cyber security. The county needs to have an open source system.”
Nov. 4 Proclaimed Election Hero Day
Supervisor Vianey Lopez proclaimed Nov. 4 as Election Hero Day in Ventura County and introduced many of the 20 election workers, 100 election voter center workers, and 500 extra-help temporary election voting staff.
Two public speakers that commented were positive to the Registrar of Voters and the election staff:
• Robert O’Reily: “Our County Clerk Recorder and Registrar Office is to ensure free and accessible elections with transparency, equity and integrity. Our voter election is secure. This underscores values critical to each election. You are election day heroes.”
• David Armstrong: “Election workers have been assaulted in doing such important work. This county has professionals. The original Oxnard election and recall was spot on with no difference between the two votes. I am appreciative of those of us who are committed to our democracy. We couldn’t have democracy without hard work and honesty and professionalism. Thank you.”
Ventura Supervisors Authorize $245 Million For Health Care Costs
Santa Paula Hospital lost $11.5 million this past year(which needs to be brought to seismic safety standards)with inpatient psychiatric unit also losing $6.3 million accounting for Ventura County Medical System losing $17 million with budget net loss of $8.3 million leaving a total loss of $8.7 million. Future funding will include $12.8 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency funding that has not been received (Agenda 72).
The Ventura County Board of Supervisors authorized over $245 million from their 2024-25 budget to go to health care costs for the 2024-25 budget with the largest amount of up to $235 million (Agenda 62) going to the California Department of Health Care Services for Funding to establish the Lewis Road Mental Health Rehabilitation Center for East County Crisis Stabilization Unit and the East County Psychiatric Health Facility.
Approved costs include:
• $235,000,000 funding to establish the Lewis Road Mental Health Rehabilitation Center (Agenda 62).
• Up to $100,000,000 (Agenda 78) for tax-exempt bond financing of the Simi Valley Landfill.
• Up to $5,689,726 (Agenda59) for the opiod crisis in Ventura County.
• A Behavioral Health Director (Agenda effective Nov. 1, 2024 through June 30, 2026.
• Up to $2.225 million for 2023-2024 (Agenda 22) for custodial services with Servicon systems, Inc (Servicon).
• Up to $1.3 million for the City of Oxnard Encampment Resolution Funding Program (Agenda 31) effective Nov. 1, 2023 through April 30, 2025.
• Not to exceed $969,000 (Agenda 15) for the acquisition of personal protective equipment by the City of Oxnard Fire Department.
• Not to exceed $700,000 (Agenda 18) for carpet tile removal and installation with Evarts Interiors, Inc.
• Up to $681,000 for BD HealthSight Foreign system Interface for Cerner Practice Management (Agenda 28).
• Up to $530,742 for a Gold Coast Health Plan Grant Award to provide equipment to all Federally Qualified Health Centers (Agenda 32).
• Up to $400,000 for the Ventura County Behavioral Health Director to Make Limited Modifications(Agenda 33).
• Up to $345,900 (Agenda 37) for three medical representatives.
October Proclaimed Domestic Violence Awareness Month
October proclaimed Domestic Violence Awareness Month (Agenda 73). Impacts 1 of 3 women and 1 of 4 men. About 20 people are abused every minute. Presentation made by Coalition for Family Harmony. Provide 600 beds nights at women’s shelter and over 1,000 bed nights for children. Over 50 families have been helped this year with services (housing, counseling and legal) for domestic violence survivors.
Also introduced was the Family Justice Center (Agenda 74) that works with elder abuse, dependent adult abuse, domestic violence, sex crimes, human trafficking, child abuse, and hate crimes. The Family Justice Center originated in Ventura at 3170 Loma Vista and then the Carmen Ramirez Family Justice Center opened in Oxnard at 555-545 South A Street (a 33,000 square foot 1950 two-story building with a safe harbor treatment place for those needing medical evaluation and interview rooms, police office presence and district attorney legal assistance staffing). The City of Oxnard gave two million of the $4.1 million needed to purchase the facility of the $5.5 million needed to open up the Family Justice Center in Oxnard.
The first clinic helping victims was held on Sept. 24 with upcoming clinics in English on Nov. 12 and Dec. 10 (Tuesdays) and in Spanish on Nov. 20, and Dec. 18 (Wednesday).
An East County Family Justice Center will be opened next year. The Ventura Center took four years to open and the Oxnard Center took three years. A Strategic Planning Retreat was held at Cal Lutheran on Sept. 5-6 with the Alliance of Hope International. Oxnard’s cost-sharing model will be the focus for the East County Family Justice Center (which most likely will be opened in either Thousand Oaks or Simi Valley) and be a 8,000 to 12,000 square foot building.
Ventura County honors 35,000 Veterans
Ventura County Veterans Service Officer Jim Mayhew (Agenda 6) acknowledged the 35,000 Ventura County veterans while showing a video and stating: “To everyoneof you, thank you for protecting the ideals of democracy, justice and peace.” He also mentioned the Green Light memorial in Ventura County.
Ventura County Employees Honored
• Emma Ancona (25 years: Human Services Agency)
• Sandra Avila (25 Years: District Attorney’s Office)
• Maria Barajas (25 Years: Human Services Agency)
• Rocio Diaz (25 Years: Health Care Agency)
• Ray Farokhi (25 Years: Public Works Agency)
• Narda Garcia (25 Years: Human Services Agency)
• Griselda Gaytan (25 Years: Human Services Agency)
• Eric Jones (25 Years: Health Care Agency)
• Michele Moline (25 Years: Health Care Agency)
• William Quest (25 Years: Public Defender’s Office)
• Leticia Villarreal (25 Years: Health Care Agency)
• Yolanda Angeles (30 Years: District Attorney’s Office)
• Mabel Ayala (30 Years: Department of Child Support Services)
• Toni Ayres-Hampton (30 years: Human Services Agency)
• Graciela Diaz (30 Years: Health Care Agency)
• Delfina Becerra (30 Years: Human Services Agency)
• Charles Genkel (30 Years: Resource Management Agency)
• Pamela Grothe (30 Years: Human Service Agency)
• Theresa Hart (30 Years: Probation Agency)
• Alan Hartkop (30 Years: Sheriff’s Office)
• Maria Maestro (30 Years: Human Services Agency)
• John Reilly (30 Years: Sheriff’s Office)
• Soledad Sampilo (30 Years: Health Care Agency)
• Patricia Sanchez (30 Years: District Attorney’s Office)
• Mandi Basaldua (35 Years: County Executive Office)
• Daniel Romero (35 Years: Public Works Agency)
• John Spykerman (35 Years: Fire Department)
• Marnel Vanden Bossche (35 Years: Fire Department)
(Represents 805 years of Ventura County service).
Other Board Actions:
• Approval of reappointment of Smita Dandekar to the Ventura County Area Agency on Aging Advisory Council with term ending June 30, 2026 (Agenda 55)
• Reappointment of District 3 Supervisor Kelly Long as the County’s representative and District 2 Supervisor Jeff Gorell as the Alternate to the Board of Directors of the California State Association of Counties(Agenda 56) for a one-year term (effective Nov. 6, 2024- to Nov. 5, 2025).
Ventura County Board of Supervisors:
Matt LaVere (District 1: Ventura, Ojai): 805-654-2703(Absent)
Jeff Gorell (District 2: Thousand Oaks, Westalke Village):805-214-2510
Kelly Long, Chair (District 3: Camarillo, Santa Paula, Fillmore): 805-654-2276
Janice Parvin, Vice-Chair (District 4: Simi Valley, Moorpark): 805-955-2300
Vianey Lopez (District 5: Oxnard, Port Hueneme): 805-654-2613
Watch: 6 hours, 30 minutes
Youtube.com/watch?v=BVGQyCzr5Rw
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Michael Hernandez, from California is co-founder of the Citizens Journal—Ventura County’s online news service. He is a former Southern California daily newspaper journalist and religion and news editor. Mr. Hernandez can be contacted at [email protected] and is editor of the weekly “Stories Speak Volumes,” “Nov. 5 Election Day Countdown” and “Revive America: Make America Great Again.”
