Did the Acorn editor start the 2010 Thousand Oaks City Council race?

His recent attack on Thousand Oaks City Councilmember Claudia Bill-de la Peña appears to be a naked attempt to undermine the character of a minority incumbent up for reelection next year. Here's what happened:

In recent Acorn news stories about council members' travel expenses, Billde la Peña was reported to have taken no travel junkets over the past few years and was quoted as saying, "We're now in a different economic time. We need to bring down travel expenses."

The Acorn also reported that all the other council members had taken trips while fairly reporting the pros and cons of these expenses. Lastly, the Acorn reported that in light of the recent economic downturn, the city had cut its travel and training budget in half. So, what's the problem?

Why did the Acorn editor go on the offense against a council member whose single vote is often negated by her bigfour colleagues?

If she were gone, then a council of five cronies could do whatever they want without serious scrutiny. Democracy is better served when both sides of the aisle are represented on the dias.

Without real opposition and debate on the council, who will ensure that minority opinion is even heard? The Acorn?

Unlike its daily competitor, the Acorn has refrained from officially endorsing candidates on Election Day. But I wonder if the Acorn's recent editorial attack on Councilmember Claudia Bill-de la Peña shows a new and underhanded tact while maintaining faux Election Day neutrality.

Over the next 20 months, will the Acorn editor write favorably about incumbents he may like, such as Andy Fox and Dennis Gillette, and negatively about Bill-de la Peña?

Maybe we should all join in and start writing letters now supporting or opposing these three incumbents on whatever flimsy excuse one can conjure up.

At the Acorn's lead, we'll have a never-ending campaign season. Or maybe we should refrain from purely political attacks and concentrate on important issues which deserve public attention and wait until next year for the campaign to begin. John Fonti Thousand Oaks