What is your position on Ahmanson

By Karmen Brower

We need to broaden our approach by campaigning for the hearts and minds of the citizens of Ventura County.

We know Ahmanson will seriously impact us, but they really don't know what it will do to Ventura County. We, as a city, haven't real "legal standing" as far as the courts are concerned, so we have lost 3 lawsuits. Ventura County has "standing" because the project is there. Had Ventura County supported our positions, we probably would have won the suits.

I want to fight by using the expert media people we have in Calabasas to create a media campaign that will tell the Ventura County citizens how much this project will impact them, and get them on our side. Then, we can unite and go after real solutions to Ahmanson.

The cost of a media campaign would be significantly less than fighting a lawsuit we are unlikely to win. If we have to set up a separate organization, not city involved, then that's what we should do. A targeted media campaign will turn the situation around as nothing else will.