July 3, 2026

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A Few Hopes for the Coming Election

 

We are living in turbulent times. While there is much on the national and world stages that are beyond our control, our local governance makes a huge impact on the quality of life for our residents and on the future of our city and valley. Beginning next month we will learn who will be running for the three open district Council seats, as well as for the mayor’s seat, leading toward the November election. 

 

Whatever direction you think Ojai should take, and whomever you favor for the City Council, there are a few commitments I hope we will require from all our candidates:

 

1) That each will agree to at least two (more would be better) lengthy debates and forums with their direct competitors, and will agree to many interviews with our media outlets and political organizations. We have this opportunity for our candidates to discuss facts, experiences, plans, ideas, and hopes in detail. Let’s press them all to do this, frequently and repeatedly. Question them, kindly but seriously, about what they propose. If they offer data, ask about the sources and check for yourself. If they are vague, press them for more specifics. If they want to focus on their opponents, encourage them instead to focus on their own strengths, priorities, and goals. 

 

2) That each will be civil with their opponents, and will encourage the entire community to follow suit. We all know there are angry people on social media who make rude, unfounded, and misleading statements. There may not be much we can do about them, but we can stop listening, and we can speak up and encourage real conversations in the spirit of goodwill, dialogue, and information sharing. We can insist that candidates publicly ask their supporters to change the negative tone of our election when it occurs. Do we really want to mimic the horrible intolerance we see in so much of our country? Here is our chance to demonstrate why Ojai can be different.

 

3) That each candidate agrees to a public spending limit, and pledges that any funds raised beyond the agreed-upon limit will be donated to an Ojai-based, non-political non-profit. Do we want the election results to be based on substance and inspiration or on shallow  and frequent advertising? It’s up to us to decide what we want, what we will accept and reject, and to communicate these requirements to our candidates. 

 

As the election season kicks off, let’s hold a vision of sincerity, care, and deliberation. Avoid hyperbole, soundbites, factions, and ugliness. We have the ability to support a process that can be really interesting and thoughtful. It’s completely up to us. 

 

Andy Gilman

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I welcome your feedback.