Primary Election Date: 06/05/2012
General Election Date: 11/06/2012

Who Am I?

I grew up in Southern California and began work at a young age, as a child actor. Although I had parts many commercials and movies, my most memorable role was as Rudi Stein in The Bad News Bears (and its two sequels). As a teenager I found a passion for flying and became a certified flight instructor and pilot. That let me to a career in the aerospace industry, where I became an industry expert NASA and commercial satellites, while working at Rocketdyne in Canoga Park.

As a father of two school-aged children, I was alarmed by what I read in newspapers about public schools. My concern spurred me to join the school district's Committee for Effective Schools. From there, I went on to serve for fifteen years on Moorpark's school board. I helped Moorpark earn a national reputation as an academic powerhouse. I went on to become president of the California School Boards Association, where I was proud to serve over 6 million public school students.

When I watched my community struggling to create jobs and keep local businesses open, I ran for the Moorpark City Council and won. On the City Council I have fought to eliminate red tape hampering businesses, promoted smart-growth development, pushed for funding and building of affordable housing and a human services center for families in need.

Why Am I Running?

Times are tough -- people are angry with Washington and calling for better leadership. I am running for Congress to answer that call and bring accountability to Washington. I'm committed to smart growth and job creation, and I will fight for vibrant communities while preserving scenic farmlands, hillsides and open spaces that are invaluable to Ventura County. I will always be a champion for excellence in public education and the quality of life that makes Ventura County a wonderful place to live and work.

Hold Me Accountable!

1. I want to have a say in the re-authorization of the Elementary & Secondary Education Act (ESEA), or No Child Left Behind as it is currently known. The law in its current form is places undue pressure on educators to "teach to the test" by focusing exclusively on math and language. I believe this deprives our kids of a well rounded education. Furthermore, we need to be helping struggling and failing schools, not giving up on them.

2. I will implement a program in my district office to help homeowners in Ventura County modify their mortgages. I will pressure the banks to come to the negotiating table and my staff will assist people with the administrative challenges of mortgage modification. With the right assistance, many people who are in danger of being foreclosed upon could negotiate a lower monthly payment and keep their homes.

My DFA values:

The top three issues I hear about are: lack of jobs, lack of affordable healthcare, and the growing concentration of wealth and power in the hands of the wealthiest 1%. I believe we can put the middle class back to work by investing in the future -- in infrastructure, education and renewable sources of energy. I think we need a public healthcare option, or as I like to call it, Medicare Part E: for Everyone. And lastly, I pledge that as a member of Congress, I will answer to my constituents, and no corporate lobbyist or special interest PAC will ever control the way I legislate.

My Campaign is People-Powered!

1. My most effective way to earn people's trust and support is to ask them in person, so that end, my campaign is building a series of informal meet and greet events. These are typically hosted by a supporter and are attended by the hosts friends, neighbors and co-workers, as well as people invited by the campaign. These events enable me to speak to people in person, and more importantly, hear directly from voters what issues are most important.

2. I'm visible and available in the community. I am found frequently meeting one-on-one with constituents in the morning, and at larger gathering in the evening. I also conduct "grounding" exercises like sitting in the back of a classroom or riding along with a police officer to see the community through their eyes.

3. The campaign recently launched a program called "Supporter of the Week." We select one person from the community each week and create a short video in which that person explains their background and why they are supporting me. This has been an effective way to highlight some of the issue that regular, hardworking people in the district are dealing with. I hope to expand this program as the campaign progresses so that more people can tell their story.