Leonard Klaif submits the necessary paperwork to Ojai City Clerk Carlon Strobel Tuesday, making official his candidacy for Ojai City Council.
Members hoping to appoint replacement by Jan. 12
By Sondra Murphy
It’s hard to know which occupational skills could best serve a government agency: those of a massage therapist-criminal defense attorney, or one who is simply a full-time lawyer.
Yesterday, Ojai resident Paul Blatz and previous City Council candidate Leonard Klaif submitted applicationz to the city, just one week after the council voted to appoint someone to fill a council vacancy instead of waiting until June to hold a special election. Blatz was in court Tuesday afternoon and unavailable for comment.
In a cover letter submitted with his application, Klaif wrote, “It will come as no surprise that I submit my name for consideration for appointment to fill Joe DeVito’s term on the Ojai City Council. “I have attached my résumé to my application but believe that this letter outlining my more pertinent experience is appropriate.”
While Klaif’s résumé includes his educational background and history as an attorney since 1973, his letter refers to local community involvement since moving to Ojai 17 years ago. It also lists a very Ojai kind of excursion: the six-year sabbatical he took from 1981 to 1987 to work at a bookstore while attending massage school and serving as a teaching assistant at a Santa Monica massage institute before returning to the practice of law.
A regular council meeting attendee and speaker, Klaif immediately made it clear he wants the job, first running an ad with that message in the OVN on Oct. 23. Citing his involvement in the community for nearly 20 years, Klaif thinks his experience as an attorney would be a valuable asset to council proceedings.
In his letter Klaif cites his contributions to many community and political efforts, including his work as a member of the board of trustees for the Ojai Art Center, member and supporter of Theater 150 and the Ojai Film Society, as well as speaking out to oppose development of Besant Meadows, placement of cell phone towers, chain stores, and gravel truck traffic expansion through the valley.
He also mentions the many community organizations in the Ojai Valley. “Behind each of these organizations are, of course, people. We have incredibly interesting, smart, caring people in our valley and the city needs to better harness this most valuable resource.”
In addition to submitting papers to the city clerk, applicants were encouraged at last week’s council meeting to contact the four other council members individually. “I spoke with Sue Horgan and Betsy Clapp last week after the council meeting,” said Klaif. “I have meetings scheduled for (Tuesday) and Wednesday with Steve Olsen and Carol Smith, respectively.”
Finding a council member replacement has been a focus of the city since DeVito’s October announcement of his planned retirement. On Dec. 8, the Ojai City Council voted 3-2 in favor of appointing a replacement for the position vacated by DeVito, who submitted his resignation effective Dec. 31. DeVito’s term would have naturally expired in 2010. His successor will therefore only fill the position until next December, and so will need to run as a candidate on the November ballot to have a chance of continuing on the council.
No stranger to city politics, Klaif first ran as a candidate in 1992. “I finished far behind the leaders,” he said. Klaif later submitted his name for council appointment consideration back in 1999, when Ellen Hall stepped down, but Sue Horgan was chosen to fill the role.
Running again in 2006, Klaif was neck and neck with DeVito until the last absentee ballot was tallied to give DeVito the edge by 76 votes. Much of the vocal community is supportive of Klaif this time around, including former Councilwoman and former Mayor Suza Francina, who ran for a council seat in 2008.
The OVN will report any subsequent applicants for DeVito’s seat as they submit papers to the city.
“Much of the vocal community is supportive of Klaif this time around …” Is that like the “Whispered Word?” The ubiquitous “Everyone Says?” The Madrigalis? Is the holiday season bringing us Carolers for Klaif? Or is the Ojai Valley News sticking with its familiar format and just gossiping?
What the ...
15 Dec 09 at 10:10 pm
Is this unbiased reporting or an all out editorial endorsement of Klaif?
And please do not defend your endorsement by citing Blatz’s unavailability for comment.
Ret. Lieut. John Doe
Truth Coalition
John Doe
15 Dec 09 at 11:18 pm
Blatz is an advertiser with the paper; if anyone would be shown favortism it would be him and clearly none was shown!
duh
16 Dec 09 at 9:23 am
I went to the massage institute too! It was bitchin’
Buddy Gobarr
16 Dec 09 at 9:27 am
Is there only one candidate? What about Blatz?
Bub
16 Dec 09 at 10:21 am
Here is a copy of Lenny Klaif’s Letter to the City Council:
http://www.ojaipost.com/2009/12/ojai_city_council_vacancy_lett.shtml
Suza
16 Dec 09 at 11:03 am
duh,
You have a simple mind.
Ret. Lieut. John Doe
Truth Coalition
John Doe
16 Dec 09 at 11:10 am
takes one to know one
simple mind
16 Dec 09 at 11:56 am
Who was the anonymous dork who left a BIG thumbs down in the OVN to all the other anonymous posters in the OVN blog?
Mary Short
16 Dec 09 at 12:10 pm
Hi Suza!
Is your constant promoting of Mr. Kliaf going to help or hurt his chances?
Namaste!
Buddy Gobarr
16 Dec 09 at 12:53 pm
“Vocal community,” a.k.a. the people who attend city meetings, write letters to the editor, etc., and give their opinions.
In previous reports regarding filling the vacant seat, I mentioned supporters have spoken to the council about Klaif’s qualifications.
Klaif contacted us to tell us he would be submitting his application. The city later contacted us shortly after Blatz had submitted and long after my story was written. Blatz was not available when we called his office, so we included what we knew. If we were partial, no mention would have been made.
Notice how many words it took to say very little and nothing newsworthy. Even soy-based ink deserves to be conserved.
BTW: I live outside city limits. The Ojai City Council composition has limited impact on me.
Sondra Murphy
16 Dec 09 at 1:38 pm
Sandra, you are awesome!
awe snap
16 Dec 09 at 2:29 pm
Sondra, you are awesome!
awe snap
16 Dec 09 at 2:31 pm
Sandy,
I said you could not use the “unavailable” excuse. How did you include Blatz in the story if you did not know he was running until after you had completed your story? ??, does this qualify as a conspiracy?
Ret. Lieut. John Doe
Truth Coalition
John Doe
16 Dec 09 at 4:36 pm
John-John;
A-I have magical powers, or
B-The page had not yet been printed.
Sandy
Sondra Murphy
16 Dec 09 at 5:17 pm
Something about Klaif just rubs me the wrong way…
Charlie Horse
16 Dec 09 at 7:27 pm
Something about lawyers rubs me the wrong way,
it could be the slimy exterior.
purple nurple
16 Dec 09 at 8:52 pm
Buddy Gobarr,
You asked, “Is your constant promoting of Mr. Klaif going to help or hurt his chances?”
Probably both!
Namaste, may the force be with you
Suza
16 Dec 09 at 11:38 pm
As long as the lawyers keep the wealthy, honest true Ojai residents protected, sounds great. Meiners Oaks and Oak View are looking like flyover territory. Lawyers rock!
Santa
16 Dec 09 at 11:41 pm
something stinks with this one more so than a rotting fish. Not having an open election for one reason is it will cost too much. What price can you put on the choices of the people who live here. Two look what has crawled out of the sewer. When one wants to take over and control a town they start planning many years ago. If it takes them 10,20,30,.. years they dont care it is the end objective that they seek. They are cold and calculating . Will make you think it is in your best interest. Dont be fooled only you have the power to control your town and that begins with you choosing people you feel will do the town right. Not who is given to you.
Truth always wins in the End
17 Dec 09 at 8:03 am
Who thinks having more lawyers on the city council is a good idea? Like that is going to help. Let us ask J. Johnston to fill in the vacant position.
anonymous
17 Dec 09 at 10:37 am
Anonymous bemoans the possibility of “another attorney” on the Council. There are no lawyers on the City Council, and I don’t think there have been any since Jim Loebl left the Council.
I have used my law degree and bar admission to make a living for thirty five or so years. I have also used these credentials to represent my friends and neighbors, their friends and neighbors, and numerous Valley arts, civic, and environmental organizations for free or greatly reduced fees.
As an attorney I must read, comprehend, and analyze legal documents to assist my clients. As an appellate attorney I have developed my writing skills, and as a trial attorney my verbal skills.
I have tried to used these skills on behalf of the community since I moved to Ojai nearly 20 years ago. I believe that I can use these skills to advocate for our community as a member of the City Council.
Respectfully
Len Klaif
Leonard Klaif
17 Dec 09 at 11:41 am
Leonard, don’t forget your training as a love masseuse!
Buddy Gobarr
17 Dec 09 at 12:37 pm
count my vote for Johnny Johnston too!
Ohismith
17 Dec 09 at 12:54 pm
No more lawyers, besides don’t we all ready pay Mr. Widders for legal advice. So adding more lawyers is not a great idea.
anonymous
17 Dec 09 at 2:29 pm
I hate lawyers!
Clarence Darrow
17 Dec 09 at 2:54 pm
Lawyers are on the take, just like the states revenue generators(cops).
What do you call 500 lawyers at the bottom of the grand canyon???
A good start!!!!
I use my state certified transportation documentation to transport my friends sometimes for free or at a reduced rate too.
Its nothing personal Mr. Klaif, but if you claim a title and accept the good credibility/respect you must also accept the negative..
If you are serious than prove me wrong…
purple nurple
17 Dec 09 at 3:59 pm
Purple,
Not sure how I am to prove you wrong. Many years ago I hosted a public affairs/legal news show on public radio, WBFO, in Buffalo, N.Y. The name of the show was “Foxes nor Lawyers.” I forget the source, but I read of a town in olde England that bragged that they had neither “foxes nor lawyers.”
Certainly many attorneys are … (fill in with your favorite negative word or phrase). So what. The same can be said for plumbers, doctors, sanitation workers, or any other group of people.
I do not claim the title of attorney with the expectation that anyone would be impressed enough with the title to vote for me for that reason alone. Rather, I hope that people look at my efforts for the arts, environmental groups, civic groups such as Stop The Trucks, the skateboard park folk, the Land Conservancy, etc; i.e, the way in which I have used my life experiences, including my education and the skills I have developed as an attorney, on behalf of the community.
Sincerely,
Len Klaif
Leonard Klaif
17 Dec 09 at 5:39 pm
Can you please speak to your affiliation with Dennis Leary (unemployed and homeless) and Pete Lafolette (unemployed gadfly) in the last election?
question for LK
17 Dec 09 at 6:07 pm
Lawyers sure come in handy when you need them! Len would make a great councilman.
Anony
17 Dec 09 at 11:24 pm
Well your not doing too bad so far, you are talking to us.
You can prove it simply by you’re actions, unless you can break dance or something.
I don’t see any plumbers lining up yet RE:The same can be said for plumbers, doc, etc.
I am actually interested in you stance on these environmental issues: fluoride in our water, pharmaceuticals in water, GMO food, farm subsidies, Monsanto, ethanol, HF-CS, weather modification/chem-trails over Ojai.
You got me on the grouping of all lawyers, but its up to you to break the mold not me..
I wish you luck, as long as you are for the people and not the pocket..
purple nurple
18 Dec 09 at 2:15 am
The problem with lawyers is they basically obscure the truth to get what they want. So they lie for a living. Difficult to place my trust in them. And certainly there must be a more honest citizen to fill the council position.
anonymous
18 Dec 09 at 9:30 am
Leonard,
Glaringly absent from your list of accomplishments is attending a seminar put on by the Truth Coalition. You, like everyone else, will simply muddle around in the quagmire trying to solve problems. Why? You lack the training and expertise in “identifying the problem and creating a solution in sixty seconds or less.”
We would be glad to offer you the seminar. All you need to get in the door is your M.E.N.S.A. membership card.
Anon.5
Truth Coalition Spokesman
Anon.5
18 Dec 09 at 11:02 am
Why is Devito quitting? So because devito can’t finish his term we as taxpayers will pay the price. Suck it up Devito as finish what you started.
Ojai res
18 Dec 09 at 3:02 pm
Let get the girl who rides up and down Ojai Ave in a g-string as major.
Ojai res
18 Dec 09 at 3:04 pm
The same Johnny Johnston who can’t lay a flush foundation?
David
18 Dec 09 at 7:27 pm
question for LK: You are having a slow day to have writtten this muckrake. Leary, who lost his home due to the sub prime lending scam, is gardening,writing, and
living in the same location for the last few years.
LaFollette is involved with the county mental health
spiriturality and wellness, both practicing
deep ecology and if memory serves, campaigned
on preservation,managed growth, and localized business.
Your thread displays a shallow cheap shot living low…
oh is that so
19 Dec 09 at 10:22 am
that was their situation in ’06 when they were running, and I’d still like an answer from Mr. Klaif
question for LK
19 Dec 09 at 2:59 pm
Great Lenny! I could use a free lawyer about now. I’ll be giving you a call! Hey nice guy!!! Hey everybody Leonard Klaif is a lawyer for free!! Come and get your free lawyer services while the offer lasts!!
"Oi to the World!!!"
20 Dec 09 at 10:35 am
To “Question for LK”
In 2006, three seats, a majority on the council, were on the November ballot. That summer, when friends asked if I would run, I responded that I would if two others who shared my concerns about the issues facing Ojai would also run. Pete and Dennis were the only people to come forward.
They both knew, as did I, that they were pretty much unelectable. But they agreed to run so that I would enter the race, and because they both care about Ojai and our future. I was unwilling to respond to that gesture by disavowing them.
To “Purple Nurple”
Placing the burden on me to break the mold of stereotypical lawyer is not a task I am willing to take on. I am me.
Clean water, clean air, and healthy foods are obviously of critical importance. I know that this is a “duh” answer, but it is kind of a “duh” question. I guess the best answer I can give to the concerns expressed in your posting is that I try to be aware of the effects of my actions and choices.
My wife and I bring any unused pharmaceuticals to the pharmacy for proper disposal. We compost, have gotten rid of our old light bulbs, buy our produce at the farmer’s market, do most of our cooking from scratch, and read labels so we know what we are buying.
GMO foods, of which Monsanto is a player, are designed to give them a monopoly over food and are clearly very dangerous.
I have boycotted Dow Chemical products for over 40 years because they made napalm. It seems necessary to our survival to demand some level of responsibility from corporations.
Farm subsidies are not anything that a council member has any power over, but it seems that the system has gone out of whack if it ever was in whack.
I hope this is responsive.
Len Klaif
Len Klaif
Leonard Klaif
20 Dec 09 at 1:25 pm
thank you for your reply
question for LK
20 Dec 09 at 8:44 pm
I want to say up front I appreciate the response and
I am not joking about these specific issues.
“To “Purple Nurple”
Placing the burden on me to break the mold of stereotypical lawyer is not a task I am willing to take on. I am me.”
Its not very hard, I am me, is a good start.
“Clean water, clean air, and healthy foods are obviously of critical importance. I know that this is a “duh” answer, but it is kind of a “duh” question. I guess the best answer I can give to the concerns expressed in your posting is that I try to be aware of the effects of my actions and choices.”
I don’t appreciate having my question referred to as a “duh” question.
Getting a “duh” answer is even worse.
Especially when you fallow it up with a rubber stamped answer like “I try to be aware of the effects of my actions and choices”,
everyone is suppose to be doing that anyway.
If you have not observed the “spider like” webs in the sky(weather modification), I not only question you’re powers of observation but your honesty as-well.
Aluminum and barium free-floating back to earth is hardly “clean air” or “clean water”.
As a green wise 400 year old once said “TRY NOT, DO, OR DO NOT..” Still true.
“GMO foods, of which Monsanto is a player, are designed to give them a monopoly over food and are clearly very dangerous.”
Monsanto is more than just a “player” but yes they are cornering the market.
Monsanto just gave seeds to one of the public schools in Santa Paula.
That poses a danger to our local farms, if one of their “genetically modified seeds” makes its way onto a farm law suits begin to fly (patient infringement).
“I have boycotted Dow Chemical products for over 40 years because they made napalm. It seems necessary to our survival to demand some level of responsibility from corporations.”
Good, I could not agree more,
but some responsibility is just not good enough.
purple nurple
24 Dec 09 at 2:43 pm