Is anyone else tiring of East County’s esteemed “first family,” Mr. and Mrs. Strickland?

A recent article appeared in the Acorn , claiming the “first family” is considering uprooting from Moorpark and purchasing a home in Thousand Oaks.

Their purpose is “straightforward.” Simply put, come December, the “first family” wants to send their holiday cards from Thousand Oaks.

Coincidentally, this new address will: 1. allow Mr. Strickland to remain state senator for T.O., and 2. allow his wife, a soon-to-be termed-out state assembly member, to make a run at the Ventura County Board of Supervisors for the district encompassing Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks and Westlake.

Instead of doing the jobs we’re paying them to do in Sacramento, the “first family” has been spending their time focusing on being the “first family.” I won’t rehash the failed efforts to become county treasurer or the embarrassing phone poll snafu. The straw that broke this camel’s back appeared this past Sunday in the Los Angeles Times .

The Times reported that several state lawmakers attended a posh retreat in Santa Barbara. The catch: The retreat was “indirectly” paid for by Anthem Blue Cross, Chevron, a casino owner and others. The lawmakers even got to take a field trip to the Reagan Ranch; sounds cute, if they were a bunch of elementary school children.

The “donations” for the retreat were reportedly made through a nonprofit headed by a wife of a legislative aide. The response attributed to Mr. Strickland was, “I didn’t know who paid for it.”

It’s a good thing for the “first family” the rest of us are too stupid to see though this.

I’m curious.

Will these donors be invited to the “ first family’s” open house at their soon-to-be-purchased Thousand Oaks home? Come this December, will the “first family’s” holiday card list include Anthem, Chevron and the wife of the legislative aide who runs the nonprofit?

The “first family’s” rampant opportunism stinks.

I suspect their daily “to-do” list starts and stops with making sure they remain free-riders on the “public express.”

For our sake, I just hope they miss the next train.
Robert Taylor
Newbury Park